T Amp

[slinger]

Two wrongs don't make a right.

That took longer than I thought.

Yes, I do know, and understand that. I'll be looking for a sound I like though, not something that's technically correct. I think there's a difference. I'm guessing I was "in the wrong" as soon as you clocked the word "valve" Doc.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Nothing to do with technically correct and all to do with music. Don't get me wrong you have fun and do what you like, I am just saying what is just about my number one rule. It is better not to have the illness than to try to cure it. All cures have side effects, and you just go round and round in circles curing the cures until you disappear up your own arse. This process is even used as a marketing device, the flat earth bullshit was the most prominent, but many companies play this game. Even we (nva) can be accused of it, it is unavoidable if you make products at different price points, but I hope in nva's case it is a pursuit of more not a pursuit of a cure.

[slinger]

As Dave said, and I agreed with, the simplest solution would just be an NVA entry level A20/P20 combo. I know that'll sound good, but the only upgrade path is to replace NVA with more expensive NVA and where's the fun in that?. I can't afford to go that route either, especially on a "second" system. My missus is very understanding (witness my ever expanding collection of guitars...she even bought a new one for me for Christmas) but even she has her limits.

I'm just having a bit of (relatively) inexpensive fun and I appreciate that you understand that.

[_D_S_J_R_]

Not sure NVA have a formal 'upgrade path.'

What I mean is, you get more in the power amps - if the speakers and rooms need it - and the preamps get more versatile firstly, then 'better' with stepped attenuators. Maybe the speaker cables get better too, I can't say as I have LS2 which is fine for my humble downstairs-stereo needs and LS5 upstairs which really is impressive and slap bang in the middle in terms of price.

I've spend a fraught half hour looking up UK audio dealers (started off as something else and became a game of 'Consequences' ) Looking at the crap for sale costing tens of thousands - it's 'all' casework I tell ye - I feel traumatised and also very sad to be out of it in all honesty.*

* Bottom line, NVA is a fair price for a great basic product design. I'd have been more inclined to look at good vintage pro amps for the second system - I mean, you can buy a Crown D-75 (not the supposedly inferior 75A, and the 75 was of the first generation using more up-to-date internals - 5% resistors and so on) for well under a ton and it has half decent gain controls on it too, so doesn't need a preamp if you just have one source, or merely a switcher if you do...

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

In your place I would go vintage Japanese, old Sansui, Rotel or especially Nikko if you can find it. If I needed a retirement hobby it would be searching ebay, visiting jumble sales and car boot sales and finding the cheapest fun I could get. Lindsay likes this way as well. T amps / class D really have too many musical problems and will never satisfy IMO.

[wallace]

I only bought a T-amp to replace my AP10 which i moved to my computer system to get the best out of my headphones.My t-amp cost £35 delivered from china.I tried a couple of old jap amps of similar price,but they all ended up in landfill.They didn't sound as good,plus they were all just too bloody big.They are plenty good enough for listening to the afternoon play on radio 4 whilst doing my experiments in my workshop.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

There is rubbish old Japanese amps and there are brilliant ones, the fun is finding them.

[guydarryl]

....They are plenty good enough for listening to the afternoon play on radio 4 whilst doing my experiments in my workshop.

sounds idyllic

[Lindsayt]

Not sure NVA have a formal 'upgrade path.'

What I mean is, you get more in the power amps - if the speakers and rooms need it - and the preamps get more versatile firstly, then 'better' with stepped attenuators. Maybe the speaker cables get better too, I can't say as I have LS2 which is fine for my humble downstairs-stereo needs and LS5 upstairs which really is impressive and slap bang in the middle in terms of price.

I've spend a fraught half hour looking up UK audio dealers (started off as something else and became a game of 'Consequences' ) Looking at the crap for sale costing tens of thousands - it's 'all' casework I tell ye - I feel traumatised and also very sad to be out of it in all honesty.*

* Bottom line, NVA is a fair price for a great basic product design. I'd have been more inclined to look at good vintage pro amps for the second system - I mean, you can buy a Crown D-75 (not the supposedly inferior 75A, and the 75 was of the first generation using more up-to-date internals - 5% resistors and so on) for well under a ton and it has half decent gain controls on it too, so doesn't need a preamp if you just have one source, or merely a switcher if you do...

I like old American PA amps too. Cinema type PA, not pub disco PA. I'm listening to one now (connected to my Bozak bass drivers). It cost 210,000 yen new in 1987 & weighs 10kg. I bought it for £80. It's a better sounding amp than my Creek CAS4040 (89,000 yen in 1990 & 4kgs) and Marantz SR6010 for stereo music.

There's plenty of choice when it comes to cheapo hi-fi fun.

[slinger]

I'm sorely tempted... VALVE BUFFER KIT

I mean, what could go wrong?