2. amps-preamps
  3. 126015-86553

Finally stepping into the hobby after 30 years of watching from the sidelines

Ok, so I hope you are all ok with a longwinded post from a first time user of the forum.  I have been obsessed with vinyl and tubes since my dad played records for me as a 5 year old.  My wife and I are finally in a place that we can take the leap into the scene.  We want to grow our system over time and may even create 2-3 systems along the way as we have a bed and breakfast where we want to make analog part of the theme. 

We have made up our mind that our first speakers will be Vandersteen 2CE sigs.  That is about as far as we have gotten.  We definitely want to power them with tubes and have very little idea of where to start.  Obviously the mainstream option would be a Mcintosh mc275 and our local HiFi salesman would LOVE to sell us a pair of those.  However, we know that there are several cheeper/better options out there and would love some input from the board.  We'd like to keep the first amp under $3,000, but we aren't locked into that.  Keep in mind that we are ok starting with a single amp and then adding a second one along the way to mono them.  Also, we would love some help with a table/arm/cartridge!  One with an integrated phono stage is fine to start with and we would again be open to upgrading and adding a stand alone phono stage later on.  

We will be doing some electrical work soon to run a 40 amp fuse to the BnBs espresso machine and would be open to setting up a dedicated line for our main system at that time so that we can have clean power.  Has any one had any experience with this?  Any ideas or recommendations that you may have would be a big help here! 

Thank you all in advance, and we are really excited to finally be part of the scene! 
128x128cottguy
cottguy's avatar
cottguy OP
44 posts
 
@oleschool We are up and running.  However, no table yet.  We are just running Tidal through our computer which is less than ideal, but by far the best sounding system I have heard in a home.  The Soul Supremes continue to blow me away!  I can't wait to get the Audion amp and table in place.  We are planning on starting the Audiophile listing around the first of the year and are hoping to have the bedrooms outfitted by the summer time :-)
sonicbeauty
320 posts
 
Hello, I am too late on this thread, but still I wish to share my recommendation.

I have owned a truckload of amps over the past 30 yesrs. For a few years, I used the wonderful Pathos Logos integrated. They get it "right" with their hybrid tubes designs. Tubed preamp and SS power section. I had 8 pairs of 6922 tubes in rotation, each giving me incredible flexibility in sound signatures. And of course it looks incredible day or night, very high WAF factor! What can I say it’s italian...Look-up the Pathos Logos web and reviews many out there, great unit. The original Mk1 produced for 15 years actually sounds better then the Mk2 introduced a few years ago. I love full-tube amplification, and owned many units along the years. But ultimately, I don't want to wait 30 minutes for warm-up every time I wish to get in a quick 30 listening session....

Or you could go with a single Pathos Classic One Mk3 stereo integrated to start with, then add another and bridge it mono. Mk3 is the one to get, not the previous generations.

Lot’s of other choices out there, but from the initial posts, you might want to look into this line.

Good luck!


cottguy's avatar
cottguy OP
44 posts
 
So I have had some time to play around with speaker positions in our room and also to get to know the Marantz 2235b.  I have probably spent 4-6 hours a day with the stereo on since we got the Zu Soul Supremes, so I've gotten to know the set up as it sits now.  Speaker cable will be getting an upgrade shortly and I'm extremely excited to see how that affects the sound!  So my review on the set up as it sits, is that the 2235 does amazingly well with Jazz, 60s and 70s Rock, Jam Bands, Pink Floyd, and blues.  It doesn't exactly shine when it comes to modern electronic music.  We listen to pretty much anything except top 40 bs so we have had the chance to put the Marantz to the test.  The bass extends fairly low, but lacks a bit of the upper bass punch.  Kick drums sound fine, but electronic bass has something missing.  It's not unexpected considering that the amp was produced for those types of music.  The fact that this amp has only 35 watts is unbelievable to us.  At less than 50% volume we can shake the house pretty damn well.  It just shows how awesome high efficiency speakers can be.  The Soul Supremes continue to make me smile every day.  The review in Stereophile was spot on.  You just can't stop listening to them!  They play everything with ease, clarity, and realism.  We have had 3 guests since we purchased them and every one of them has been in awe of their sound and appearance.  We will be upgrading to the Audion 300b SE around the first of the year and also adding table in the near future.  It is really awesome to progressively grow a system and see it evolve!            
inna
5,245 posts
 
Just make sure to audition the Audion and speaker cables with your speakers before finalising the purchases unless you already have. Cables can make big difference. You might also want to put a good power cord on the amp.
More to discover