Parting with my valves? Advice appreciated - late life crisis

[ALF-]

 

Ain't it funny how the night moves

When you just don't seem to have as much to lose

Strange how the night moves

With autumn closing in.

 

In my case, and these days in Bob’s too, autumn has well and truly closed in. I’m bracing myself for winter.

It’s too late for a mid-life crisis, so this must be an old-codger crisis.

 

We still have a relatively substantial house but we are compressing stuff so the next move, hopefully in a good few years yet, will be as smooth and painless as possible.

To this end, I’m thinking about my concept of music reproduction.

I’m not an “audiophile” with all those money draining and associated snobbish practices (well not much anyway).

 

I have a beautiful Earle Weston crafted and created Topaz KT120 amplifier ( http://www.westonacoustics.com/service4.html )
- and she is beautiful, sweet, gutsy, refined … it’ll break my heart to part with her.

 

But part with her is exactly what I’m contemplating.

I feel like a traitor to the cause.

 

I have dismantled all my experimental open baffle speakers, placed the Altec horns in Television duty,
and am now listening to music only through my Audio Nirvana single driver TLs (driven at present via Topaz)

 

I’m thinking of selling Topaz and “replacing” her (not that she can really be replaced) with a small user-friendly amp - one that my Missus won’t be scared of operation,
and that delivers music nicely, but not necessarily in a “high-end” audiophile manner. I’m more interested in the music than the equipment … I'm mostly listening to music I have burned to my computer, much is lossless, but I even enjoy MP3s sometimes.

 

I’m thinking of a wee amp that fits into a reasonable pensioner budget …
Something maybe like a Quad Veena 2, or a Rega Brio, that little upright NAD, or similar … maybe even cheaper a Yamaha Musiccast … or even just a reasonably specced run of the mill integrated Yamaha or similar. (I have a Schiit dac, so the amp need not have one built in, but a built in dac would be nice.)

 

Any advice would be welcomed
… please, no abuse though - I know I’m mad.

   

[Guest Muon N']

Sounds like practicality rather than any kind of madness

 

Can't help with advice on this as I use a valve amp most would be frightened to switch on

 

Best with this endeavor, Anthony.

[Batty]

Great post Anthony.

I could be interested in the Topaz.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Batty

[peterpan]

if I was going to downsize to something like you are suggesting, I would probably look at something like this PSaudio sprout amp/dac thingy 

 

 https://magentaaudio.com.au/product/ps-audio-sprout100-sprout-ii-2/

 

cheers and good luck  

[gemini07]

Hi Anthony,

 

I've tried the Sprout and thought it was under powered and overpriced.

 

I then tried a Yamaha Music Cast pre amp combined with a Burson Bang power amp (AB) and have found that works great in my medium sized bedroom, and the whole thing has a very small signature. The Yamaha is very versatile and can do both Bluetooth and wifi, as well as more conventional analogue input. They feed into my Proac standmounts and the sound is everything I want.

[LogicprObe]

Get some of these and run them from your computer.

 

https://uk.kef.com/products/ls50-wireless

[Ittaku]

You can keep a nicely sounding amplifier in an affordable, sleek and easy to use approachable design with digital inputs as well as optional bluetooth in the Nuprime range. The IDA-8 is not that expensive and fits the bill nicely. Lovely sounding. 100W to play with.

 

https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/ida-8

Local distributor in Australia has one on special:

http://www.mcleans.info/shop/productDetails.do?categoryId=1232&productId=261552

Edited September 28, 2019 by Ittaku

[betty boop]

there are often cyrus integrated with built in dacs going affordably, i owned one myself very compact, high quality, full remote control. i ironically now have a valve integrated in same system, that once had the cyrus

 

you could even get a blue sound power node which these days even come with HDMI. would easily power a couple of relatively efficient speakers  

 

https://bluesound.com.au/product/powernode-2i/

 

nad also makes a small integrated with the bluesound built in 

https://nadelectronics.com/product/m10-bluos-streaming-amplifier/

[wen]

@ALF what about a smaller footprint , simple Elekit TU-8200 tube amp, easy for the wife to operate, i have already been contemplating downsizing, so far have bought a Quasimodo single input 40wpc, a half size Musical fidelity x-ray V3 cd player and Monitor Audio Bronze BX2 speakers, i have always wanted to buy a valve amp, a Weston amp is the dream but reality says Elekit for the longer term future

[Guest]

3 hours ago, ALF said:

I’m thinking of selling Topaz and “replacing” her (not that she can really be replaced) with a small user-friendly amp - one that my Missus won’t be scared of operation,

and that delivers music nicely, but not necessarily in a “high-end” audiophile manner. I’m more interested in the music than the equipment … I'm mostly listening to music I have burned to my computer, much is lossless, but I even enjoy MP3s sometimes.

Nothing wrong with wanting a simplified system just to listen to music which is what I did.  If that

is too radical, you could consider a Naim Uniti Atom.

[Bronal]

I assume your wife is nervous of the Topaz because of its exposed valves.  If you like the sound of valves why not consider something with a valve cage, such as the Quad II Integrated (25 wpc, about the same as the Topaz)?

[bzr]

1 hour ago, betty boop said:

there are often cyrus integrated with built in dacs going affordably, i owned one myself very compact, high quality, full remote control. i ironically now have a valve integrated in same system, that once had the cyrus

 

you could even get a blue sound power node which these days even come with HDMI. would easily power a couple of relatively efficient speakers  

 

https://bluesound.com.au/product/powernode-2i/

 

nad also makes a small integrated with the bluesound built in 

https://nadelectronics.com/product/m10-bluos-streaming-amplifier/

any of the NAD Masters Series as above. Or the Cambridge Audio Edge lineup.

[eman]

I had to sell my tube amp because it was too heavy for me and thoughts of moving.

 

Consider using D class amp of some kind.  Lightweight and compact.

If you want tubes you can put them on an input or preamp.

[Ittaku]

1 minute ago, eman said:

I had to sell my tube amp because it was too heavy for me and thoughts of moving.

 

Consider using D class amp of some kind.  Lightweight and compact.

If you want tubes you can put them on an input or preamp.

That's why I'm recommending the Nuprime gear. Lightweight, powerful, compact, convenient, energy efficient (exactly the opposite of valves.)

[ALF-]

7 hours ago, Batty said:

Great post Anthony.

I could be interested in the Topaz.

If I go ahead, I'll let you know.

[Guest Muon N']

20 hours ago, Bronal said:

I assume your wife is nervous of the Topaz because of its exposed valves.  If you like the sound of valves why not consider something with a valve cage, such as the Quad II Integrated (25 wpc, about the same as the Topaz)?

Or an Audio Note OTO PP amp, sweet EL84 goodness

 

https://www.audionote.com.au/

 

Damn, I miss Guru being on here.

 

 

 

 

[Guest jakeyb77]

Take a while to think about it. 

I just bought a brand new Musical Fidelity M5Si for the same purpose. 

I also bought a Topaz KT120 a few days later - couldn’t help myself. 

Since the Topaz came home I haven’t even switched the Musical Fidelity on and it’s $3000 worth of vey good amplifier. 

Just food for thought  

 

[Bronal]

4 hours ago, Muon N' said:

Damn, I miss Guru being on here.

What has happened to him?

[Guest Muon N']

10 minutes ago, Bronal said:

What has happened to him?

As far as I understand he choose to leave here, for what reasons you would need to ask him.

[Bronal]

11 minutes ago, Muon N' said:

As far as I understand he choose to leave here, for what reasons you would need to ask him.

A bit like ZB?

[rantan]

2 minutes ago, Bronal said:

A bit like ZB?

Yes and several others as well.

I have some idea why, but ultimately it is a matter for them to decide.

[ALF-]

I've changed my mind! 

I CAN'T DO IT!

The Topaz is just too good - I'll have to downsize some other way!

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLIES AND ADVICE!

I really appreciate your intput - you were helping the unhelpable.

[Batty]

Great outcome.

[ALF-]

Having whined about "downsizing", I have now developed that all too familiar urge for "upsizing"  ... specifically a preamp with remote control... and if it had two outputs, well ..................

[Guest Muon N']

The cycle of audio life continues