Sooooo... at this asking price... why wouldn’t one just buy a Ragnarok 2? I mean, if you’re going to pop them can drivers in a single glorious bang, isn’t 24 > 10?
OreosZAYeah, they get used fairly often, at least one day every week or two. I rotate through my cans (pictured in my TA-20 review) on a daily basis and was using the HD6xx for turntable time (Tangerine Dream: Out of this World). Great cans on a cost for performance level. There are definitely better cans available (and I own a few), just not many in the same price bracket.
Will_FYeah, poor impulse control describes me perfectly. :)
That said, I don't regret buying anything in that picture. Even the sorta crappy Nobsound 6P1 amp on the top right wasn't a bad buy. Once I get around to installing the $7 in replacement electrolytic caps and $15 knock off DACT style stepped attenuator, and it'll be great little amp. Maybe throw in $60-100 of new (cheapish) output transformers and convert it to a push-pull from the parallel single-ended. Throw in another $50-100 and I can change it from cathode bias to fixed with auto-bias.
There is something fun about buying something for cheap and turning it into something not so cheap.
FayneI gotta agree with @Will_F here. That is a nice collection of gear! I especially like the Primaluna sitting up there. Is that a Prologue four or five? Very nice either way, I am just curious.
GenpattonjamesAbsolutely. Even crummy sounding tube amps have certain je ne sais quoi when the lights dim or go out. It's like having candles burning... that are less likely to kill me (or at least burn down my house) if I fall asleep. :)
GenpattonjamesThose pictures are gear in my bedroom. What isn't shown is the TEAC UD-501/AX-501 pair, the older Pioneer Elite VSX-92TXH receiver, the YAQIN MS23B RIAA, YAQIN CD3 buffer, Denon DJ VL12 Prime turntable, Drop + Audio Technica Carbon VTA record player, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface, and old Behringer VMX1000USB mixer/interface.
That stack currently drives my array of cheap and not overly crappy speakers. Pioneer Andrew Jones FS52*2, BS22*2, C22 (*2 as soon as the second one ships), SW-8, Klipsch Synergy BS-2*2, SS.5*2, Polk Monitor 70 Series II*2, and Drop + JBL LSR30x*2 (using the XLR out on the Rag2). I'm waiting on good prices for a full set of Martin Logan ElectroMotion, though I am kinda tempted to pony up for a pair of Klipsch Heresy IV.
In my office I keep a Drop THX 789, LCX, CTH, ZDT Jr., ESP/95x, Loxjie P20, xDuoo TA-20 and LittleDot1+ for amps, SMSL M500 and Drop Airist R-2R for DAC, and Behringer UMC202HD and XR18 for interfaces (and mixer in the case of the XR18).
Yeah. Poor impulse control. :)
FayneYeah I bet! It's gorgeous too. I really like the layout of the tubes and that the face is simple and not cluttered. I wish they made a dedicated headphone amp. I would be all over that!
AnimalwithdrumsWell, PrimaLuna sadly doesn't, but their Chinese manufacturer Zhuhai Spark Electronic Equipment Co. (otherwise known as Cayin), does. As long as you don't mind having to verify the components (mostly caps) and potentially do your own repairs/maintenance, something from them like the Cayin HA-6A is pretty tempting and super sexy looking.
I'm an absolute sucker for VU/dB meters on my audio gear.
FayneYes, I really like the looks of the Cayin amps. What do you mean about verifying components? Like Cayin is using fake ones, or like my Cayin product is fake. Ha ha ha, I actually just ordered the IHA-6 amp and I am waiting on FedEx to get it to me (they never get me anything on time). I figured if I like that amp, then maybe and upgrade to their full tube line. I am also a sucker for VU/dB meters, it just makes the amp look like the real deal, even on solid state amps.
AnimalwithdrumsMostly the risk of scoring a fake one, or a unit shipping with extremely old electrolytic capacitors. That and I've seen too many complaints about lack of service and support. But, not owning one myself, that is pure hearsay... and doesn't bother me one bit as long as the unit works from the get-go. I'll fix whatever fails.
I wish companies would add the switch to select between input and output for VU. I don't typically run my amps terribly hard, so the meters don't dance all proper-like when they're connected to output. :)