Puresound A30 amplifier

Having been in the market for an intergrated amp,heard the Puresound A30 on Sunday at Heathrow,has any one heard or even possess this amplifier with Harbeth Compact 7s or HLP3ES,would anybody care to comment on the sound,these will be in asmall12f x12f room,thanks for your help.

 

A much-praised amp, and the review of the A30 plus the Heco speakers in HiFi+ was very complementary. But tbh the combo didn't sound very good to me at the Heathrow Show. Others may think differently LOL !!

 

I've heard the A30 several times, and didn't like it during any of those. Having said that, it's only opinion and you may love it. Make sure you have a good dem before you buy.

 

I quite liked the presentation of the Heco speakers, and was refreshed by their reasonable prices.

Speaker presentation being so individual, and a sonic whole being the sum of it's parts it would seem a good idea to try them with a variety of valve friendly speakers in familiar surroundings to judge.

 

Have a word with Tony L. Drop him a PM - he occasionally drops by here.

He uses a similar PP amplifier with Harbeths and seems delighted. He's more of a music lover than an audio nut, and I sense a deep satisfaction when he discusses his current setup.

I recommended the Prima Luna to him a couple of years ago I guess now. If he were asking in 2007, I would probably recommend the A30 as his first port of call.

 

I've heard Tony's PL & Harbehts and it works extremely well.

 

I used a VTL (PP EL34) integrated with my C7s and it sounded lovely. I think the A30/Harb combo would work well.

 

Another vote for Tony`s PL + Harbeths.

 

heard it many times, always bored after 2 mins - the Prima Lunas sound better to me

 

The Prologue 2 works nicely with the Harbs IMO. I've got mine stuffed with EL34s at the moment so it's only kicking out 35 watts or so but it seems enough for the job in hand, I don't listen very loud though. One thing to bare in mind with the Prima Lunas is that the stock tubes can easily be beaten, I've tried quite a few NOS small tubes and I'm currently running Brimar E83CCs, Brimar ECC82s and Svetlana 'Winged C' EL 34s - it's a warmer and more 'mid-centric' sound than the amp straight out of the box.

Tony.

 

I always say that you can't go wrong with Mullards for input tubes!

 

I disagree, Mullards can sound quite dull and boring compared to Telefunkens or Siemens.

I have CV4003/4 and 12AU7/X7 by Mullard and my Telefunkens beat them every time.

 

I suspect many of the Brimars are the same thing with a different logo and lower price, certainly my Brimar ECC82s look absolutely identical to a pair of Mullard 82s I've tried. I understand many Brimars and Mullards were made at the same factory. The big surprise is just how good the current production Sovtek 12AX7LPS is, it is a seriously good tube in the PL2 IMO and I still can't decide which I prefer between it and the Brimar E83CC.

Tony.

 

Agree 100% there - the German tubes are far more lively and preferable in many situations. Horses for courses

 

Agreed. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. To my ears the Harbeth C7 metal dome tweeter is not in the same league as the wonderful mid-bass unit, I find it draws less attention to itself with a smoother tube. The PL2 is a bit bright and forward out of the box, so it’s a bit of a balancing act – my PL2 is certainly ‘duller’ than stock, but it works in the system context.

Tony.

 

Under controlled conditions?

 

Mullards or not, don't underestimate driver tubes as many do! in properly designed valve amps it is a more critical position than power tubes.

 

Yup, spot on.

.... & I can't believe what you guys think about Mullards ! To me, they are pure music, no hype . Ah well, there ya go

 

Blind yes. Long story.

And measureable too

 

That reminds me...some ebay git hasnt sent me my Seimens E81CC triple micas yet...git!