whats your favourite big fat solid state amp?

Thinking of jacking in valves in favour of a big fat solid state amp.

Watts - 30 plus

Sound - big and fat and round. Detail at the extremes, but nothing thin sounding.

Integrated or power amp only, doesnt matter.


Budget 50p - £2,000.

got to be available second hand for a great price.... 'free' hifi only for me!

suggestions?

Cheers
Chris

 

Chris

Your going to get a million and one recommendations I reckon but heres my two pence worth bearing in mind value for money - your a man after my own heart.

Perreaux 200i is a great integrated at 2nd hand prices - I think Heatherdale Audio (www.hifi-stero.com) have one (the standard version without the big chrome bumper that I had last year) at about a grand (website says £1395 but I'm sure I saw their ad in HiFi News a couple of months back saying £1095 - bet you'd get it for £1000 or less. 200w of big juicy goodness Big rich and organinc - similar to a big Wadia if you know what I mean. Also built like a brick ****house and very flexible.

Have you still got the Revel Sub - theres been one on hififorsale for the past few weeks at rock bottom price - been very tempted but have managed to resist so far - much to neighbours relief

 

I've seen a heybrook reference 3 box integrated amp for £495.

I know some people rave about them, but dont know if they are in the super-integrated leagues?

 

Hi UP

yes, got the sub.

its suprising how quiet it is. (no jokes about busted amps please!)

it just fills in missing gaps. a bit like supertweeters for the bass.

I dont think I've heard a speaker it wouldnt improve the bottom end of..

 

I'm very pleased with my Bel Canto evo4, run in balanced/bridged mode. s/h is within your budget. detailed and not thin.

you may have heard mention of the Bel Canto ;-)

 

heard an evo 2.

bit cold sounding for me. great with top recordings, revealing nasties in the extreme with a poor recording on audition.

not bad, but I need more beef in my sandwich!


keep em coming !

 

been thinking along the lines of...

1) big solid state mac 9800 (I think thats the right no.), but looks too pricey
2) Lavardin, but where are they used?
3) accuphase - last forever. but never really heard one. bit of a risk?
4) funky looking Jungson from cattylink. dig those funky blue VU meters! - but again, never heard one!

 

www.soundstage.com/revequip/perreaux_200ip.htm

Link to a review with some pics of the one that I think Heatherdale have available.

 

looks promising!

want to bring it over ?

 

Chris - wish I could

Sadly I sold it (along with my Wadia) when I lost my job at the back end of February

I now have it's little brother (E160i) which I got brand new off an ebayer in Germany a month or so ago for £400

It's not in the same league as the 200i - though for the money pretty bloody good.

 

Is this fat enough?

I haven't heard it but it seems to be built like a tank, just like Julian's DAC.

175WPC into 8 Ohms allegedly. Yummy.

 

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1153672925

How about this 220-240v McIntosh. 300w and two blue VU meters what more could you askfor around £1500! Dread to think what the shipping would be from Singapore though

 

I was going to suggest Lavardin, but yes, where are they to be found 2nd hand?

Sugden Symmetra monobloks - if you can find them.
Or the big Sugden power amp they did before the Masterclass, I think it was the A51 or something like that.

Meridian 605 monos or 557? seem to be quite a few of these 2nd hand.

 

old krells from KSA series. KSA-50 should be enough for most of the applications.
if you ever see one cheap, buy it, refresh the caps and carry on rocking it for another 20 years.

 

wow!

the welly on the thing would probably make my speakers explode!


Dev - they're not supposed to be as good as the DACs. Pure second hand conjecture however.

Alan, how reliable are Sugdens?. I am a little scared of class A solid state. Will it last 30 years + ?

 

Plinius SA-102 or a Mac are exactly the ones you are looking for.

Bel Canto eVo sounds cold & thin.

 

the trick seems to be to bridge them, so don't disregard

 

Hi Chris,

I was going to suggest Bel Canto amps. I also suggest you look at the various Sugdens that are around.

Another range of amps I would give the thumbs up for are the old Sumo range of amps. there are many different type which can be had for little money. I had one which was a quality work horse. It produced a very good sound.

Also look out for Michell Alecto power amps. I once had a Stereo Alecto amp in my collection, very good it was too.

How about one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Thule-PR-150B...735194113QQcategoryZ14973QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Linx-Power-2-...736790600QQcategoryZ14973QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nad-C370-Audi...9735372153QQcategoryZ3280QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Magnum-Dynala...9734605029QQcategoryZ3280QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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RE Sugdens.... a friend of mine has the symmetras running Quad ESL-63s, I think they are about 10 - 15 years old and sounding good.

 

Hi Chris,

Sugdens are usually very reliable. It's not the fact that it's class A but how well it is designed and built. I have seen plenty of solid state amps go up in smoke over the years.

There are plenty of old Sudgen still in use. The A21 was first around in the 60s.

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