EL34 Integrated

I have heard both the Sophia EL34 and the Onix SP3 in my system. Am surprised that these two can be mentioned in the same thread IMO. If EL34 sound is what you're after (and that's what you asked for), then the SP3 will NOT deliver that.

I prefer EL34 sound to whatever the SP3 has. The Sophia sounded good but I found QC somewhat lacking.

What are your speakers' sensitivity?

A previous poster mentioned the Onix SP-3. I'm glad to hear from someone who has experience with the Sophia, thank you. I was hoping to hear more about the three amplifiers mentioned above. There was much previous discussion about the Prologue One and the Cayin TA-30, but I would be very glad to hear about how it compares with the Sophia and the TAD-60. The speakers I have in mind have a sensitivity of 84db, but I don't need them to play very loud.

If you are inclined to consider a complimentary tube type (EL84), you might also speak to George Wright (www.wright-sound.com) about a new integrated EL84 amp that he will soon have in production. It will have many features, including plug-ins for iPod, USB, etc. His amps get as close to the music as any I've heard--at any price--and they are one of the true bargains in this hobby.

I have the Onix SP3 integrated amp. I bought it strictly on Srajan Ebaen's Six Moons review. Previous to that, I was seriously considering a Conrad Johnson CAV-50 EL-34 based integrated amplifier. I am so glad that I bought the Onix SP3. The CAV-50 has that lush EL-34 sound that can be alluring, but some of the music that I listen to just didn't have the dynamic punch it should going through the CAV-50. The Onix SP3 has the PRAT (pace, rhythm and timing) thing hands down plus the liquidity of tubes. It will never have the tone of an EL-34 amp like the CAV-50, but that tone and warmth are more colorations in my opinion. If that's what you're after, then go for the EL-34 amp. The Onix SP3 has the immediacy and ability to convey musical emotion found in some SET amplifiers.

The Cayin A-50T would be my choice.