The Best speaker amp and turntable can be found in different places. But, it does take, a bit of searching. And, I would like to share with you a few items you may wish to consider when looking to upgrade, and good quality used audio equipment will always sound the best. But, you never know the history. And, what the equipment has been subjected to and therefore, why is it for sale. I will point you in the direction of some people, whom I have dealt with over the years. And, can recommend them to you 100%.
Best speaker amp and turntable
Tannoy of England makes my favourite sounding drivers, and there is a tremendous following. But prices are going up every year. In a way to own a good vintage Tannoy is somewhat of an investment. And, the Tannoy “Monitor Red” can sell for as much as 6,000 USD a pair.
Once you have found your Vintage loudspeaker (or drivers as called), you can install them. And, these cabinets, you can construct yourself. I am saying this simply because rather than pay 10,000 USD for a pair of cabinets you can build. The same thing for a fraction of the price and the sound is excellent. An excellent site you can visit to find plans and ideas for building cabinets is the Tannoy monitor gold website.
Amplifiers Ble
Tube or transistor – which has the best sound?
With a tube amplifier, it is the tube that is mainly responsible for the sound you hear. There are output tubes found on the Internet. And one, in particular, is the General Electric tube, which is NOS and dates back to 1941. You can still find them, but you will need a few hundred USD. The best tube sound for my ears is the 211 tube as it has a sound that gives you everything. Another very highly respected tube is the 300b. These are less costly but do still provide an incredible sound. And, in some circles, the 300b is still the king of KIngs!
The Gamma Acoustics Rhythm is one of the best sounding amplifiers ever made. And, can now fetch £2,500. The amplifier is line-level integrated which features a 211 power triode in each output stage. And, has zero-feedback design, which delivers 18 watts of single-ended power. I love the sound from this amplifier and still remember it many years later. And, yet, have found nothing as good at the price point!
I have to say that one of my favourite amplifiers in the transistor world is the Grundig SV-140, made in 1969. This amplifier has such a beautiful rich musical sound that is virtually impossible to beat. A Grundig SV-140 amplifier picked up for 350 to 750 Euros. And, I think this is the best buy in the vintage marketplace today, and yes I still have this one!
Turntables
A vintage turntable is another item. And, there are many for sale. And, from 200 USD to 500 USD.
One of the things to look for when buying a turntable is what type of cartridge supplied. Because it will be a reasonably introductory cartridge, you will be surprised just how good the turntable can sound when fitted with a perfect cartridge. And, sometimes you can be lucky and find a turntable that has a good cartridge with it.
My favourite cartridge is manufactured by an American company called Shure. And, still making beautiful sounding cartridges. This particular cartridge was called the Shure V15 III and is a legend. The sound from the cartridge is neutral and musical and still available NOs. But, does fetch a high price, up to 550 USD. But it is worth to pay that much money because the sound is simply superb!
Where to find
- A good place for you to start is eBay. Because the range is vast and can find what you are looking for quickly.
- The next place to look is Audiogon, who, specialising in audio and hi-end audio. You will pay more, but it is worth it.
- Another place to look is with an audio dealer who specialises in new and used audio. And, a company in Scotland called Audio emotion is the best choice.
Speakers
The Best value speaker, a great sounding valve amp or an excellent turntable, can be found tucked away in someone’s basement. And, one day, just happens to put it up for sale and does not realise the value!!!
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