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Second audio system in your house?

Hi, just curious how many of you have a second audio system in your house, and, actually use it? I've recently bought some new components and had planned on selling my old amp, but I'm still attached to it, and with a small investment, say $1000, I could get some bookshelf speakers and a CD player. On the fence about the whole idea. There's a whole lot of other things to do with $1000 mind you, so I'm not sure if it's the most sensible thing to get into. I won't even ask the wife what her opinion is, as I already know it.
wetfeet48
strateahed
251 posts
 
Thanks @vicweast ... much appreciated!
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
5,112 posts
 
TV 5.1 system in one room....big high end 2 channel stereo in another.
vicweast's avatar
vicweast
148 posts
 
@strateahed I should have asked what tubes you rolled in the amp?

I have two tube amps: Rogue w/KT120s and Ayon w/KT88s. The 120’s are Tung Sol, the 88’s are either Ayon high-end (China) or Genalex Gold Lions (Russia). I got the Gold Lions (3 matched quad sets via bay’s NewQuestInc (California-based).

I am relatively new to the tube game (Rogue entered my home slightly over a year ago), yet have fallen head-over-heels. My inclination was to buy tubes from a US source, just to limit unknowns and travel "shake" distance. As a noob, this seemed like a path that hewed to both caution and "adventure".

I wanted the Canada Fuller KT88’s but they would have come from Hanshire Electronics, cost 2x the Gold Lions and I just wasn’t ready to "roll" with that double-dose of delicate glass object d’art adventure ...just yet.

I wrote all this to solicit advice on tube sourcing and brand/model...

chio.

douglas_schroeder
1,824 posts
 
So, you're  not sure it's a the sensible thing to do, but, "I won't even ask the wife what her opinion is, as I already know it." I take it that means you doubt she would be in favor of it. 

Uh, oh.  See the thread on Audio - Post Divorce...  ;)



strateahed
251 posts
 
@vicweast I should have been more specific. The integrated is really a hybrid. Tubes in front of Class AB … versus all tube design. The tubes I rolled are small input tubes, unlike your power valves. At any rate, I replaced the stock Chinese 6N1’s with a matched quad of 1960’s Amperex Orange Globe 6DJ8’s. I prefer the sound of these more than anything in that class - except maybe Amperex PQ (6922).

The unit was purchased direct from China via eBay. One last thing: Lots of folks like to trash Chinese gear, but I found this unit to be fairly well-built and definitely up to “second system” task. To that end, it sounds great to me and that’s really all that counts. The only annoyance was it gave off kind of a funny electrical smell when it was new. It took a little time, but that finally disappeared after it was broken in

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