what second hand amp for b&w 601 s2?

[basshead]

hi all,

having sold my nad 325bee amplifier last month i need a new amp for my speakers.... after leaving uni in june i got very poor and had to sell my beresford dac and amp, the speakers were right about to go on ebay too but then i got a job! luckily my dj set up and genelecs got saved, i would have sold a kidney before selling these!

i know the obvious thing to do would be to buy a second hand nad 320bee (i've had the 320 and 325 and couldn't tell the difference really) as i loved the combo with the b&w's... however i fancy something different just for change's sake and maybe even something that looks a little better than the NAD.

the only other amp i tried the speakers with was a CA 540a v2, i found the combo a bit bright at the top end and lacking the punch of the NAD.

the set up will be in my bedroom, and used at low volumes only, usually directly from my laptop using the headphone out and sometimes from my pioneer 800 mixer. i wont be sat in a sweet-spot or perfect listening position. i may consider spending £50 odd on a dac too to upgrade the headphone out of the laptop, or i can use the digital inputs of the pioneer mixer.

as my name suggests i like bass heavy music, in the past lots of good bass at loud volumes was needed, now i want quality over quantity.

so, are there any other second hand amps with a similar character to the nad? but which excell at low volumes?

thanks in advance for any replies

Huw

 

[plastic penguin]

For the sort of sound you like, Nad is the best choice. It pretty much ticks all your boxes. However, if you want powerful bass, (as opposed to deep bass) albeit less watts, then Rotel RA-01 or 02 is the answer - can be picked up for peanuts, too.

 

[Anonymous]

:

the only other amp i tried the speakers with was a CA 540a v2, i found the combo a bit bright at the top end and lacking the punch of the NAD.

:

the set up will be in my bedroom, and used at low volumes only, usually directly from my laptop using the headphone out and sometimes from my pioneer 800 mixer. i wont be sat in a sweet-spot or perfect listening position. i may consider spending £50 odd on a dac too to upgrade the headphone out of the laptop, or i can use the digital inputs of the pioneer mixer.

:

as my name suggests i like bass heavy music, in the past lots of good bass at loud volumes was needed, now i want quality over quantity.

:

so, are there any other second hand amps with a similar character to the nad? but which excell at low volumes?

Not too screechy, good bass, good a low volumes too, sounds like you need a tube amp

As per usual my best-amp-on-a-budget recommendation is a Yaqin MC-10L.

BTW do not buy a £50 DAC as it will be rubbish, the £115 Behringer is very good though, or look at a s/h DacMagic.

 

[basshead]

i'll think about a dac at another time, just want an amp for now to be able to play some music in my room..

what are valve amps like to buy second hand? do they hold value well? anything to look out for?

i'd like to consider any class a amps too, as never heard one, but again second hand.

by dudget is anything up to £450... as i will try and sell it for as close to what i buy it for it doesn't matter too much on cost. want whatever will give me the best out of the speakers at low volumes