Help to choose budget Tube Amp....

I'm currently running a pair of b&w 685 via a Fatman Trinity and Cambridge DACMagic, I'm planning to purchase a Rega RP3 to add into the System. Because the Fatman Trinity only has one pair of RCA input, I now thinking about upgrade the existing Fatman Trinity to a new budget integrated tube amplifier, which allows more RCA input on the back.

I am really new to this integrated tube amplifier world, have done a few searches online and find a few models that within my budget. Hope anyone here could teach me a quick lesson and provide some suggestions about which one of the followings will be the best match for my current system, and what is actually the main difference between them when come to sound quality. I generally listen to Jazz, Blues and Classic Rock

Amp I've found are

DARED MP-15

DARED MP-30B

DARED MP-2A3C

YaQin MC-100B

or the more expensive PrimaLuna's ProLogue Classic

Thanks Heaps

November 14, 2013 - 8:03am

commsysman

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Last seen: 1 year 9 months ago

Joined: Apr 4 2006 - 11:33am

Amplifier

I think that the Primaluna Prologue Classic would be the best choice, but it has some noticeable limits to its perfomance.

Personally, I think that the Musical Fidelity M3i, which is $1500, has better sound quality than any of those amplifiers, especially for the type of listening you do.

Those tube amps do not have large enough output transformers to deliver anything resembling solid well-defined bass. This is a problem with all smaller tube amplifiers. Output transformers that will really do the job are very expensive.

If you REALLY want a tube amplifier, and you REALLY want outstanding perfomance, I suggest that you save up for the Audio Research VSi60 amplifier, which has some excellent output transformers and will sound about 300% better than any of those mediocre amplifiers. Its sound quality is breathtakingly good.

As far as needing more inputs, there is a very simple and cheap solution to that; the Radio Shack 15-313 audio switcher.

It has four sets of input jacks and output jacks to connect to the input of your amplifier.

It allows you to connect 4 sources to your amplifier and select the one you want.

It costs less than $30.

Cables to Go has a simlar one, the #28750, which is essentially the same and less than $20.

They both have video inputs also, but you just won't use them.

December 5, 2013 - 7:18pm

jgossman

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Last seen: 2 months 8 hours ago

Joined: Aug 18 2011 - 6:21am

I have a GTA SE-40

It's really wonderful. It usually needs some inexpensive upgrade to make it long term reliable. If you find one, don't buy it, I'm looking for one to have 2 in mono. If you find 2, buy the other one.

As comms said, it's in the transformers. They have big ass very high quality output transformers and a gigantic power transformer.

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