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Budget SET or SEP recommendations?

Not in a rush, but considering playing with an SET or SEP.  Have only heard a few.  Something fairly inexpensive, worth trying, but not immediately upgrade-worthy.  Any thoughts, recommendations, or similar SET/SEP noob experiences?  Integrated, or not, doesn't matter.

These two seem to be reasonably respectable for cheap, at least according to the interwebs:

Dared MP2a3c
Yaqin MS-300c

Thank you.
stfoth
stfoth OP
435 posts
 
AmplifiersTube
Pentode 6 SE 6L6/5881 Stereo Power Amp by Finale Audio

That's here on Audiogon for $1600.
dentdog's avatar
dentdog
300 posts
 
Heard some Audio Mirror SETs recently and must say it was a very good experience. A bit up the scale price wise at $3500 but had 35-40 watts.

wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Recently adopted a barely used Dennis Had "Inspire Fire Bottle" SEP (pentode) amp…astonishing great sounding thing, hand made, relatively inexpensive either new or used at under a grand or so used to around  1500 bucks new. His thing now (he retired from his company Cary Audio) is he builds a few each month and sticks 'em on Ebay, so you have to stay on top of the listings or get lucky like I did. Needs efficient speakers to do its best …look them up as there's a lot of info out there. I did consider a Coincident Dynamo, but the Had amp just seemed too tempting at 12 watts per side, and it's just a dynamic tone bomb that seems like a steal. 
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 

Hello stfoth,

I believe you’ve gotten some very solid recommendations for "good" quality amps at a "budget" price.

1 I’d trust George’s opinion regarding the Japanese 300b amp. It seems a well thought out design/implementation.

2 Dennis Had amp used by Wolf. Their current models seem to have improved power supplies/transformers and are built by a known talent.

3 Coincident Dynamo MK II, I’m very familiar with this brand and they are very high quality. Many good reviews and owner feedback comments.

As Wolf mentioned and I strongly agree, you must have a compatible speaker that's easy to drive and efficient. Otherwise you won't appreciate what these types of quality low power amps are capable of.


Good luck,

Charles

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 

Glennewdick mentioned the Finale  amplifiers. I have not heard them but they have a very solid reputation for sound and built quality. The SET/SEP amps are very simple circuits with few parts, this why they're capable of such pure and natural sound .

The key to their success is a serious effort to  build them right, meaning quality transformers and power supplies. The "junk" versions always cut corners in these crucial areas as George noted in his comments about winding transformers.

The better brands mentioned above won't do this as they know the result will be a crap/junk amplifier. My advice is to go in the direction of the serious intentioned amp builders and you will achieve very high sound quality.

Charles

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