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Please help me design my new system. $25k budget.


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I really liked the VSI 75. This was with the KT120s. The KT 150s were better again.
I read you have McIntosh in your other rooms and seeking a different look but I still preferred the MA2275 with KT 88s, valves aren't really visable though. 3efccf1b074c7e6a2b1a65d66a4b49bf.jpg

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4 minutes ago, Cigar nuke said:

Hi guys,

 

I have a specific question about the PL EVO and the KT150 tubes.

 

The PL comes stock with EL34s. I saw that the price of the KT150s is $345 each and the PL takes 8 of them? So that’s ~ $2800 on top of the purchase price which puts it much closer to the ARC vsi75 SE which comes with 150s as standard.

 

Now I might prefer the EL34 cause I ain’t even heard this thing, or I assume I could just get it with 150s and not pay the $80 each for the EL34 although I would probably just end up with both so I could swap them from time to time....

 

Just sayin....or have I made an error? Cause that means the PL Evo with KT150s is a 10K option now and not that far off the ARC vsi75?...and I bet the ARC price is more “negotiable” than the PL.

 

wow that is quite eye opening I never would have considered ! to be perfectly honest I have always thought the EVO takingits price well over $7k was pushing the comfort zone ! but never considered the cost of the kt150s. indeed that is a lot of money and it is pushing the amp price into another category I feel. a lot of money for valves too... likely going to have to refresh them at some stage ! ? tube rolling ? gets an expensive exercise too ! 

 

but I wouldnt count chickens before hatched ... perhaps check out and listen too.. .maybe you'll turn out to be an EL34 lover as have been case for me :D  as a heads up I ordered a matched sextet of Tung Sol EL34s and matched pair of Tungsol 12AX7s(exact OEM replacement) from reputable source overseas for $169 USD delivered !  seem to be a very much affordable valve by contrast. 

 

indeed perhaps its worth considering some KT150 amps in the first place rather than buying and then having to upgrade ? that said I do think the arc seems a heck of a lot of money for what it is too ? but not like i have heard it and keeping in mind it would cost half the price of the PL to refresh ?

 

in the kt150 amps the ones have come across are the SLI 100 cary,

 

https://www.caryaudio.com/products/sli-100/

 

and this looks interesting in the octave V80SE not sure who sells them locally if anyone does ... 

917octave.2.jpg

 

 

 

 

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wow that is quite eye opening I never would have considered ! to be perfectly honest I have always thought the EVO takingits price well over $7k was pushing the comfort zone ! but never considered the cost of the kt150s. indeed that is a lot of money and it is pushing the amp price into another category I feel. a lot of money for valves too... likely going to have to refresh them at some stage ! ? tube rolling ? gets an expensive exercise too ! 
 
but I wouldnt count chickens before hatched ... perhaps check out and listen too.. .maybe you'll turn out to be an EL34 lover as have been case for me [emoji3]  as a heads up I ordered a matched sextet of Tung Sol EL34s and matched pair of Tungsol 12AX7s(exact OEM replacement) from reputable source overseas for $169 USD delivered !  seem to be a very much affordable valve by contrast. 
 
indeed perhaps its worth considering some KT150 amps in the first place rather than buying and then having to upgrade ? that said I do think the arc seems a heck of a lot of money for what it is too ? but not like i have heard it and keeping in mind it would cost half the price of the PL to refresh ?
 
in the kt150 amps the ones have come across are the SLI 100 cary,
 
https://www.caryaudio.com/products/sli-100/
 
and this looks interesting in the octave V80SE not sure who sells them locally if anyone does ... 
917octave.2.jpg&key=063b32cd8c48fa2a5d1818b6c19586b67421f4d3cb454e8ffb6f8576778a1a80
 
 
 
 
Definitely try listen to Octave. It was beautiful with 802s
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3 minutes ago, Bunno77 said:

Definitely try listen to Octave. It was beautiful with 802s

looks like it is sold locally... but good gosh the price $17999 !!! ? 

 

https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/collections/octave-audio/products/octave-v80-se-integrated-amplifier

 

 

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1 minute ago, Cigar nuke said:

Ok this is getting interesting. Apparently you can get it with a MC phono for $750....

 

The review is positive:

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/octave-audio-v-80-se-integrated-amplifier

 

cant find a dealer, or price but if 17999 that’s in budget ?

you can buy from addicted to audio refer link i posted above :)

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Yeah but, call me thick, but how can it match a PL with twice the number of KT150s? Ditto for vsi75. I don’t get it ~ does the PL really use 8 of those things. It certainly looks like it in the pic, or am I mistaken...

 

i understand wiring, capacitors, transformers, connectors etc but surely the PL has therefore twice the power to play around with, or is that just too simple...

 

gotta go, HiFi wife now becoming grumpy wife ?

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2 minutes ago, Cigar nuke said:

Yeah but, call me thick, but how can it match a PL with twice the number of KT150s? Ditto for vsi75. I don’t get it ~ does the PL really use 8 of those things. It certainly looks like it in the pic, or am I mistaken...

 

i understand wiring, capacitors, transformers, connectors etc but surely the PL has therefore twice the power to play around with, or is that just too simple...

 

gotta go, HiFi wife now becoming grumpy wife ?

:D

 

I believe PLs theory is they dont drive their valves as hard ... ok so maybe you get twice the life... but they use twice as many valves ? :D but I guess since when did you get something for nuffin !  

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On 18/04/2019 at 9:13 PM, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

In other words if you spend $8k

The particular pair he owns are considerably more than 8k, I’d trade my 8k ones in for his any day ?

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13 minutes ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

What’s the difference between the pair he owns and the ones I linked ?

I bought then”Prestige” version which is finished a high gloss, santos rosewood finish which sonically improves the sound 10 fold as you can see by the below graph....???

 

But they do look great and the finish is stunning. As per my original post, aesthetics are important to me. I realise I paid a whole lotta cash for a finish. But who here hasn’t bought a car and gone for the metallic paint for extra $500. Doesn’t improve the performance. And I will have these speakers for longer than a car!

 

I’m renovating my study and all I want in the is my new system, a rug, a genuine Eames chair and a small chair, desk in one corner...so more of a music room with a small desk and less of a study....

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On 18/04/2019 at 6:09 PM, Cigar nuke said:

@JohnL your pic scared the crap out of me!

 

i bought the 805s Prestige because I own the 800’s and the 802’s and I love B&W and wanted a pair using the new continuum driver. I’m not disappointed and they sound awesome on my main set up (using Electrocompaniet 600watt amps). I bought them without audition.

Short memory ?

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