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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
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 

I wish it were not so difficult at times to  get possession of the various amps and simply to a direct comparison with one's speaker. Had Inspire vs Dynamo MK II vs Soft Tone Japanese 300b vs Finale amp. I bet all 4 sound terrific yet distinctly different. This would be much fun. No dogs in this bunch. Now about those fuses......

Charles

wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Dynamo amps get my vote for best looking, but Had's aluminum chassis and 12 mighty watts per side won me over (a HO…it's a HO). That said, a biamped system using 2 Dynamos would be interesting due to the volume knobulation.
glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
702 posts
 

I’ve owned Cary amps and recently sold an Audio note Otto SE that this Finale Audio 300b amp replaced (ok I did have a Luxman Class A amp temporarily while saving funds) the Finale Amp is just so much more musical then the Cary or the Audio Note Uk stuff that I’ve heard. Now I do have the $6000 version of the 300b integrated but I have heard some of the other amps they make and they all seem to just get the music right. you don’t get bling that’s for sure you get good design and great parts quality. I have not heard the Dynamo so I can not comment there but I do recommend giving Frank at Finale/triode labs a ring he is very approachable and a kind soul i’m sure he would recommend something that will suite your needs and budget he also has from time to time show amps and prototypes he sells at a reduced price. I believe there is also an integrated in Audiogon that’s worth looking at for around $1200 if my memory serves.

http://www.finaleaudio.com/



charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
6,996 posts
 
Glenn,
I suspect that your amplifier sounds terrific with the Hashimoto transformers and high quality chokes on board. This parallel SET amplifier seems very well built and implemented. I own a Canadian built SET as well, the Coincident Frankenstein MK II and am utterly satisfied with it x 8 years.
Charles
whitestix
386 posts
 
I have a solution for your quest for an excellent SE amp... it is made my Dennis Had, the founder of Cary Audio.  It is far better than Dared and Yaqin amps, no question.  I have a Dennis Had EL84 SE amp for sale on this Audio Mart.  I upgraded from very efficient single-drivers in my bedroom system to speakers that require more current so I am parting with the amp.  You don't know mention the speakers you are driving, but if they are in the range of 94 db or better, this might be the amp for audio nirvana.  Dennis's amps are legacy pieces of gear.  Just my take. 
Whitestix
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