As I get to my " golden years" and start to think about retirement I am thinking about finally buying myself some decent sounding playback equipment. Nothing too fancy.
It will be limited to headphones, a DAC, and headphone amp. I am initially thinking I want a tube amp. Maybe a Schiit Vala 2.
I mostly listen to the ABB, Miles, Coltrane, and old blues. Some Clapton, Peter Green, Bloomfield, Little Feat, Dead...
Any thoughts or ideas? I am not rich by any means.
Have you ever checked out the Steve Hoffman Forums? They have a separate forum dedicated to nothing but audio gear. They can get a little esoteric at times, but there's a ton of good information to be had. Good luck!
@digdug Hi DigDug. Yeah I actually go there once in a while and lurk. Some gear is sooo out of my range it's not even funny. But yeah I do read good stuff. Also in the Music forums too.
Appreciate your feedback!
As I get to my " golden years" and start to think about retirement I am thinking about finally buying myself some decent sounding playback equipment. Nothing too fancy.
It will be limited to headphones, a DAC, and headphone amp. I am initially thinking I want a tube amp. Maybe a Schiit Vala 2.
I mostly listen to the ABB, Miles, Coltrane, and old blues. Some Clapton, Peter Green, Bloomfield, Little Feat, Dead...
Any thoughts or ideas? I am not rich by any means.
My listening world was rocked when I bought this refurbished Marantz 2220B receiver, it brought out some sounds I had never heard before in some of my albums. Marantz does add warmth and feeling to vinyl, it makes my Bose and Advent speakers sound new again, I am using a Technics SL D20 direct drive turntable. I wanted this exact model Marantz in 1976 when i was a senior in high school but could not afford it (bought a Kenwood instead), now I paid more for it in 2020 than it cost back then! First tune I played on it was the Dreams vinyl mix of Blue Sky! Hard to beat that!
For a budget setup without budget performance you’re not gonna do better than Schitt Vali 2 ($149) paired with Schitt Modi 3 ($99). I’m a tube guy and the Vali 2 doesn’t employ a starved-plate design meaning the tube actually gets put to work, ultimately allowing it to showcase its characteristics. Also, Vali 2 is great for tube-rolling given that it’s compatible with the 6922/ECC88 family. Tons of great choices can be had, allowing you to shape your sound. I use Amperex 7308 white label which are also compatible...stunning. Siemens ECC88 are great...also some of the Russian tubes like the 6n23p (Reflektor ‘74 or ‘75 vintage). Schitt is a great American hifi company...no frills, all about Sonics featuring sleek and modern aesthetics. Money saved here can be put towards your cans, which you shouldn’t skimp on. I’d save a little longer if you had to and ultimately grab the legendary and truly reference-grade Sennheiser HD600 which is currently for sale for $299 on Sweetwater, besting Amazon’s price significantly. I paid more for my pair and they’re worth every penny and the last headphones I’ll ever own.
I was actually reading about Schiit. Seems like a lot of bang for your buck. I like the idea of tube sound. Not sure about the cans. I guess the amp would power the Senns ok but i think I want closed back phones. idk. Thanks for your feedback.
Given your budget, I'd go to audioholics.com and reach out to Gene Dellasala. They can typically reco you the best equipment for whatever budget you have.
Save as much as you can, and spend as much of that as you can on speakers.
Good luck.
