HiFi stores in California

[Anshul_J]

I am going to San Fransisco next week, and will be visiting Los Angeles as well. Can anybody guide me about good hifi stores where I can audition different amplifiers. Also are there any good stores who deal in used gear. I am looking for an amplifier for my Tannoy GM15.
Thanks

 

[arj]

I guess you will need at least 50W for a 15Inch tannoy gold. the challenge is the power ie you will not be able to buy anything since the 110V amplifier is not advisable to be run off 220V even with a step down.

For Class A you can look at 25W +. Why dont you look for Pass labs dealers and go and visit them ? and see if they will get you a 230V

 

[Anshul_J]

@arj, thanks for pointing it out about the voltage. Can the voltage be changed permanently through some mod which is safe and does not effect the sound quality.
My main requirement is to audition different amplifiers and see what kind of benefits are there with better quality amplifiers. But I do also have used amplifier in the back of my mind, like Krell or Mark Levinson. Although not too keen for this because of customs.

 

[Nitin K]

I am going to San Fransisco next week, and will be visiting Los Angeles as well. Can anybody guide me about good hifi stores where I can audition different amplifiers. Also are there any good stores who deal in used gear. I am looking for an amplifier for my Tannoy GM15.
Thanks

You can check used gear on the USaudiomart website as there are good deals on the site. Pls check the dealer ratings first. You can then meet the dealer and check the gear once you are there.
But you will generally get amplifiers running on 110V.

 

[arj]

@arj, thanks for pointing it out about the voltage. Can the voltage be changed permanently through some mod which is safe and does not effect the sound quality.
My main requirement is to audition different amplifiers and see what kind of benefits are there with better quality amplifiers. But I do also have used amplifier in the back of my mind, like Krell or Mark Levinson. Although not too keen for this because of customs.

Unfortunately no. it usually means a transformer change ( some components have an easier way) and that has a big impact in sound.
The best way to audition an amplifier is with the Speaker you are used to since amp+ Speaker synergy is far more important than the amplifier itself.

Macintosh is a great combination but getting a 230V is not easy. and then of course pass labs

 

[Anshul_J]

Yes, synergy between amp and speaker is very important, that is what I have also realised in the past few days. And this is a major problem, simply not possible to check all the amps with a particular speaker, especially vintage speakers. And I heard Macintosh ma252 on another speaker and didn't like it at all, Schiit Aegir sounded better to my ears.

 

[arj]

Yes, synergy between amp and speaker is very important, that is what I have also realised in the past few days. And this is a major problem, simply not possible to check all the amps with a particular speaker, especially vintage speakers. And I heard Macintosh ma252 on another speaker and didn't like it at all, Schiit Aegir sounded better to my ears.

the newer macintoshes are not great. the 252 etc are th worst. imagine having an output transformer on an SS amp just to make it tubey

The Mcitoshes of the 80s or before are the ones to have. you could think of the Quicsilver 60 Monos as well.
Amps like OCtate also might do well. but my bet would be on the pass Labs considering Nelson Pass himself has used Tannoy Golds.

 

[Phew]

Upscale Audio

High-fidelity music systems. Precision selected rare tubes. We treat your system like it's our own. This is Music Illuminated.

upscaleaudio.com

Do check out rogue audio cronus magnum III and the rogue audio Pharaoh II if you get a chance, I have heard both these amps extensively with tannoy dc10A and the involvement and musicality they offer makes for one amazing musical joy ride. Even the leben cs-600 paired very well with the tannoy's.

 

[arj]

Upscale Audio

High-fidelity music systems. Precision selected rare tubes. We treat your system like it's our own. This is Music Illuminated.

upscaleaudio.com

Do check out rogue audio cronus magnum III and the rogue audio Pharaoh II if you get a chance, I have heard both these amps extensively with tannoy dc10A and the involvement and musicality they offer makes for one amazing musical joy ride. Even the leben cs-600 paired very well with the tannoy's.

On Leben 600 , I have used it for 6 years with Tannoy Kensingtons..for a largish room ( 200sq ft+) it will struggle and thats just a 10" driver. for a 15" it will need more drive.
@Dr.Bass uses Rogue audio for his Tannoy Turnberry and it drives it very well

 

[Nitin K]

I think Rogue amps are available with a dealer in Delhi called Bass n Treble. Would be prudent to check prices here if they are economical with respect to getting from the US, keeping in mind customs and baggage weight.

 

[Phew]

On Leben 600 , I have used it for 6 years with Tannoy Kensingtons..for a largish room ( 200sq ft+) it will struggle and thats just a 10" driver. for a 15" it will need more drive.
@Dr.Bass uses Rogue audio for his Tannoy Turnberry and it drives it very well

With the leben that could be one limitation given the 15" driver

 

[bornfi]

Not sure if you have a preamplifier or not but I would recommend looking into Benchmark and Wyred4Sound. Both of them should be easier to carry, both weight-wise and voltage-wise.

 

[essrand]

I am going to San Fransisco next week, and will be visiting Los Angeles as well. Can anybody guide me about good hifi stores where I can audition different amplifiers. Also are there any good stores who deal in used gear. I am looking for an amplifier for my Tannoy GM15.
Thanks

I have lived in SF for 13 years and sampled all the hifi stores there.

Best of the lot is Tone of Music in SF in Noe Valley, he has fantastic taste in gear and in system matching.

2nd would be Music lovers in SF.

AudioVision in SF is annoying and elitist but good brands, also lots of used items they have. The Berkeley store is better.

There are many others if you google/yelp for it. The analogue showroom in San Jose is okay.

There's also a Mcintosh showroom, can't remember the name. Not bad.

Best Buy in SF has high-end audio section as well if you want to audition Mcintosh.

I have lived in SF for 13 years and sampled all the hifi stores there.

Best of the lot is Tone of Music in SF in Noe Valley, he has fantastic taste in gear and in system matching.

2nd would be Music lovers in SF.

AudioVision in SF is annoying and elitist but good brands, also lots of used items they have. The Berkeley store is better.

There are many others if you google/yelp for it. The analogue showroom in San Jose is okay.

There's also a Mcintosh showroom, can't remember the name. Not bad.

Best Buy in SF has high-end audio section as well if you want to audition Mcintosh.

In LA, audio salon is a must visit. Just for listening to some great gear from a great guy. If you end up going to Palm Springs check out Pitch Perfect audio for Shindo/Leben gear. Another guy with deep knowledge and great taste.

 

[himadri]

https://www.musicloversaudio.com/

I visited this store to listen to wilson audio.

 

[RRR]

When going for the Pass, do keep in mind the heat it generates.

 

[kartikay]

https://lonecrowaudio.com/ is good option, they recently opened their store for demos.

 

[drlowmu]

When going for the Pass, do keep in mind the heat it generates.

My one client in Hong Kong, has a deluxe PASS SIT3 with no feedback. The 6005 amp I made for him, ( and presented on HFV in a large thread ) considerably out-performs his PASS high-dollar, high-end amp. He uses 104 dB Lowthers with NO crossover, so the single 6005 amp was OK for his load. NOT for most other speakers, which will need two to three 6005s in parallel Single Ended operation.

My own very first high fidelity new speaker purchase, after college, was in 1968. A nice new pair of 15 inch Monitor Golds in GRF enclosures .

 

[drlowmu]

I guess you will need at least 50W for a 15Inch tannoy gold. the challenge is the power ie you will not be able to buy anything since the 110V amplifier is not advisable to be run off 220V even with a step down.

For Class A you can look at 25W +. Why dont you look for Pass labs dealers and go and visit them ? and see if they will get you a 230V

Hi arj,

I disagree with the advice you gave about avoiding a step down.

A step down is the logical path. It just needs to be done properly. Use a 2 KVA ( 2,000 Watt ) huge industrial step down. That way, there will be free current delivery on music peaks. 1 KVA I am not so sure of - at all.

This large step-down is actually far better. You maintain 120 VAC inside the amplifier's chassis, rather than to have 230 VAC floating around inside, with larger fields below deck.

The best McIntosh tube amplifier to own for a normal consumer is a pair of their conservatively designed Mono 60s, with double rectifiers. A pair of McIntosh 30s are just fair, VS the 60s, but better than their stereo offerings of that era. . All the stereo others in the McIntosh lineup, IMHO, should be avoided, especially the revered McIntosh 275 tube amp. It is far too hot rodded. The McIntosh mono 60s sonically - trash them all. But it is a moot point, they are rare as hen's teeth and quite expensive. The 60s can be bettered today !!! Monoblocks, BTW, are nice.

A simple beefy JADIS JA-60 or JA-80 might be OK for 15 inch MGs. A simple circuit to maintain over many years.

Duplex speaker-wise, a new GPA 604 16 inch duplex will today, considerably outperform all of the vintage era Tannoys. ALTECS also. I know well the right enclosure - for that GPA 604 driver.

Guess what arj, my very first - ever new speaker purchase was in about 1968, fresh out of grad school. A pair of 15 inch Monitor Golds in Tannoy GRF enclosures.

Jeff

 

[arj]

Hi arj,

I disagree with the advice you gave about avoiding a step down.

A step down is the logical path. It just needs to be done properly. Use a 2 KVA ( 2,000 Watt ) huge industrial step down. That way, there will be free current delivery on music peaks. 1 KVA I am not so sure of - at all.

What you wrote in blue and bold is the key

if you do use a step down, 1. it must be designed/wound well and 2. ideally have a factor of safety with a higher power rating and quality than the input transformer of the power amp 3. ideally the frequency ie 60Hz vs 50 Hz must also match. a US amp is designed for 60 hz and indian power is 50 hz.

You can get away easier with preamp and also with digital /equipment but with a power amp for which power is literally the oxygen getting it right has not been easy in my experience . the question is are you willing to risk it especially as for a power related problem there is no warranty

All of the above makes the cost of the amp higher than what you will get with the local . Step down/theoretically is not an issue as thats what the power transmission to ones domicile is also doing.

 

[drlowmu]

What you wrote in blue and bold is the key

if you do use a step down, 1. it must be designed/wound well and 2. ideally have a factor of safety with a higher power rating and quality than the input transformer of the power amp 3. ideally the frequency ie 60Hz vs 50 Hz must also match. a US amp is designed for 60 hz and indian power is 50 hz.

You can get away easier with preamp and also with digital /equipment but with a power amp for which power is literally the oxygen getting it right has not been easy in my experience . the question is are you willing to risk it especially as for a power related problem there is no warranty

All of the above makes the cost of the amp higher than what you will get with the local . Step down/theoretically is not an issue as thats what the power transmission to ones domicile is also doing.

You have SHILCHAR to custom wind for you !!!!