2-Channel Amp question

[djcarr1]

I'm looking to buy a 2-channel amp to drive the front mains and want to keep around $500. I'm looking mainly at used as I have had good luck buying pricey stuff cheap and in most cases getting really clean gear. I'm considering Rotel (mainly 1080), B&K, some Nad stuff and outlaw audio (two m-2200 mon blocks) I have a 3/5 channel Adcom to drive the rear and center channels and a powered sub. The most interesting choice is a tube setup. Either a pair of Antique Sound Lab Wave 8 Tube Mono Block amplifiers or the newer AV-20, or a Chinese setup off eBay. I'm really curious about the tube stuff and always have been but other than the two above choices it's never been reasonable price wise until now. Looking for experience/recommendations particularly with regard to tube stuff. Thanks

[basite]

well, welcome to the forums for starters,

sorry to say this, but for $500, you can buy 1/3 of the rotel, because it comes at $1500
all tube stuff is expensive, but rewarding (i guess)

maybe you should expand your budget a little...

[Carl Reid]

I'm looking to buy a 2-channel amp to drive the front mains and want to keep around $500. I'm looking mainly at used as I have had good luck buying pricey stuff cheap and in most cases getting really clean gear. I'm considering Rotel (mainly 1080), B&K, some Nad stuff and outlaw audio (two m-2200 mon blocks) I have a 3/5 channel Adcom to drive the rear and center channels and a powered sub. The most interesting choice is a tube setup. Either a pair of Antique Sound Lab Wave 8 Tube Mono Block amplifiers or the newer AV-20, or a Chinese setup off eBay. I'm really curious about the tube stuff and always have been but other than the two above choices it's never been reasonable price wise until now. Looking for experience/recommendations particularly with regard to tube stuff. Thanks

The Rotel 1080 is a great amp, if you can get it used for $500 then I think that's an amazing deal.... I would definitely recommend it over the NAD.... I have no experience with tubes though, so I can't advise you on them....

[djcarr1]

well, welcome to the forums for starters,

sorry to say this, but for $500, you can buy 1/3 of the rotel, because it comes at $1500
all tube stuff is expensive, but rewarding (i guess)

maybe you should expand your budget a little...

Money isn't really the issue. Value is. There are currently 2 1080's available in mint condition for $500-600. Used yes, but my experience has been great with used gear at about 1/3 of the cost. BTW the 1080 that I referenced in the first post retails around $1000 new. I've pretty much eliminated the Rotel due to overwhelmingly bad reviews. Thanks for the welcome, and advice.

[djcarr1]

The Rotel 1080 is a great amp, if you can get it used for $500 then I think that's an amazing deal.... I would definitely recommend it over the NAD.... I have no experience with tubes though, so I can't advise you on them....

There you go complicating things. Thanks for the input though.

[Carl Reid]

Money isn't really the issue. Value is. There are currently 2 1080's available in mint condition for $500-600. Used yes, but my experience has been great with used gear at about 1/3 of the cost. BTW the 1080 that I referenced in the first post retails around $1000 new. I've pretty much eliminated the Rotel due to overwhelmingly bad reviews. Thanks for the welcome, and advice.

What? Where did you find bad reviews for it? Here are the consumer feedback from this site:

http://www.audioreview.com/mfr/ampli...x.aspx#review0

And not a single amp in the whole Rotel line has an average user review rating lower than 4 out of 5....

And here is the only professional review I can find for it, from Stereophile:

http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/608/

The review actually ends with "I can't think of an amp for even twice its price that I'd prefer."

[Mr Peabody]

Don't do it! Tubes and solid state do not mix in a HT set up. Granted my mix was pretty much opposite ends of the spectrum and I am particular about my sound. I was using Krell on my mains and an Arcam FMJ 3 channel for center and rears. I to became interested in tubes. I acquired a Conrad Johnson tube pre and power amp to use for 2 channel. The preamp had a HT bypass so I could use he CJ power for the front 2 channels. When watching HT the difference in the two amps delivery was too too obvious. So now I basically have two systems, a tube stereo and a HT system.

www.spearitsound.com did have a Classe 200 watt amp used for $699.00. This would be a decent step up from Rotel for not much more.

CJ is excellent sounding gear.