sushi, I let the old dynaco go to another bidder. I took your advice (seeming that I didn't have much of an argument) and looked for other reactions to the amp. Most people who were experienced with the dynaco tube amps seemed to not take a liking to their solid state offerings. Some even claimed that the solid state amps eventually killed the company. However, I'm guessing it had more to do with their later cost saving measures.
So, thank you for the heads-up.
Some day, I still wouldn't mind learning to rebuild an old ST70 and pair it with a bottlehead foreplay, but for now, I'm still on the lookout for a higher powered amp.
I was quite interested in the nOrh SE9 amp, rated at 9 watts per channel. However, I'm a bit worried about what options I have for speakers, as no offering from axiom would really work that well with such low wattage. Of course, the sound quality from such an amp would be top notch. However, although I was considering a pair of omega ts2 horns, I fear that they wouldn't accent the sort of music I listen to. Folk, Jazz, Rock and Roll, or even Blues would sound great on such a setup though.
I was recommended a pair of Paradigm Stuio 20's which are less efficient than axioms. And, I was also considering a pair of nOrh 6.1s.
Importantly, however, I'm still looking for a good amp. The harman kardon HK650 sounded like a wonderful option, but I don't believe they're being produced any more. Nowadays, HK makes a similarly priced stereo reciever. Is the sound quality comparable?
Here's the rest of my list:
Rega Brio - $400
www.rega.co.uk
38w RMS per channel into 8ohms
Sanken 150w output transistors
Cambridge Audio A500 - $400
www.cambridgeaudio.com
85w RMS per channel into 6 ohms
Marantz PM7000 - $400
www.marantz.com
95w RMS per channel into 8 ohms
Arcam Diva A65 - $500
www.arcam.co.uk
40w RMS per channel into 8 ohms
What would be the best choice? I would be interested in rotel or creek, but they seem a bit beyond my $400 price limit.
