How do I begin?

[nige2000]

Have you heard an i30 Simon the build components seems significantly different to the i32

Anyway buying stuff if eBay and online wouldn't let you hear it with your speakers as simon suggests
It certainly takes the risk out of it

[Diapason]

Completely different topology to the I30, pretty sure the I22 is Primare's version of class D, like the I32. I loved the sound in my place, but opinions differ...

I liked the I30 very much back in the day as well. Solid and clean kind of sound, but not sterile.

Of course, I always end up going for valves instead. I just can't resist.

[nige2000]

Completely different topology to the I30, pretty sure the I22 is Primare's version of class D, like the I32. I loved the sound in my place, but opinions differ...

is that not like entering a toyota prius into formula one
for aircon and its good gas milage :)

although its aerodynamics, handing/control and acceleration/braking might leave you feeling a little flat

i only jest
im sure some class d's could surprise me im really just a little skeptical

strange that the i32 is nothing like the i30
for those that "upgraded" from the i30 it could have been a big change

these "experts" didnt think too highly of the i32
http://www.whathifi.com/primare/i32/review

I liked the I30 very much back in the day as well. Solid and clean kind of sound, but not sterile.
Of course, I always end up going for valves instead. I just can't resist

kinda like saying i like the toyota prius and the bmw m3 as you drive away in your V8 :)

[panda2rom]

I cannot agree more with Diaposon on those two :

-"I wouldn't buy an amp without hearing it with my speakers, as IMO this is where system synergy is at its most important".

-"Of course, I always end up going for valves instead. I just can't resist".

Once again, if you're gonna spend over 1K on the amp, i'd go valve.
Now it's perfectly ok to go cheaper on the amp.
just go cheaper on the watt, not quality.
You don't need 80W.
And dropping to 50W amps, will save alot on your budget !
-I mean just the Rotel RB1572, at clooney, saves you some cash, and it has better stats (0.03% DHT, not that it always matter, i know).

[tony]

There are a few Prima Luna's for sale secondhand unfortunately Germany and Holland I think but audiomart has a good rep and once you check
out the person it could work. They seem to be priced around the 750-1000 and then over price range.
Nice thing about that amp is it is auto bias and you can use KT88's or EL34's might even take KT90's but would need to verify that.
40W valve watts which would be more than enough to drive your speakers. It drives my Spendor A6's fine and though I haven't tested them on the Quads I would suspect they would be fine.

[tipdrinker]

There are a few Prima Luna's for sale secondhand unfortunately Germany and Holland I think but audiomart has a good rep and once you check
out the person it could work. They seem to be priced around the 750-1000 and then over price range.
Nice thing about that amp is it is auto bias and you can use KT88's or EL34's might even take KT90's but would need to verify that.
40W valve watts which would be more than enough to drive your speakers. It drives my Spendor A6's fine and though I haven't tested them on the Quads I would suspect they would be fine.

I buy a lot of my camera gear from Germany so it doesn't bother me. I'll look into it cheers :-)

[tony]

Sorry should qualify that if you were curious on a valve amp of that type you can try out mine to see if it would work with the speakers
and if it worked then investigate getting one from where ever. They sell for approx €1750 new.

Hifiwigwam has an electrocompaniet EC3 I believe (no remote control) which some people might have experience of here.
I think they are Danish? but from memory people seem to rate them. It was priced at £550.

Another nice amp worth considering and often stocked by Cloneys is the Jadis Orchestra.
A selection for sale here http://www.hifishark.com/search?q=Jadis+Orchestra
One with remote control.

[james]

You definitely should try a valve amp -- it's something I would have done had I had the choice but I went the solid state route and I am happy where I am now.

Be aware that valves are basically like old style lightbulbs that wear out after a year or two. They have to be replaced and the cost varies a lot depending on the amp.

You should get something really good for Euro-1000 so look forward to enjoying your new system. The idea of trying the amp with the speakers is a good one. I would suggest a visit to Cloney and ask him to show you his secondhand amps ..

James

For info I have had the following amps over the years .. [in my main system] ..
A cheap Marantz amp
Quad 33/303
Naim 32.5/250/SNAPS
Naim 82/250/2xHICAP

ends==

[tony]

Be aware that valves are basically like old style lightbulbs that wear out after a year or two. They have to be replaced and the cost varies a lot depending on the amp.
James
ends==

Seem this suggested elsewhere. I have valves in my amp since purchase about 3-4yrs ago no issues. I don't think it is like that James. If you get a bad valve yes but they generally last for quiet a long time.

Here is another option from the shop I got my Jadis from. It is in Belgium and just got an email from them about a hifi show.
They have this available secondhand in your budget. EL34 so should suit your taste in presentation.
http://www.amplitude.be/ampli-union-res ... /6/70.html

Review
http://ultraaudio.com/equipment/unison_research_s6.htm

[tipdrinker]

Man choosing the amp is hard lol. Just FYI I contacted elac directly to see what they would say. They forwarded my inquiry to hi fi Hut (now they know I didn't buy the speakers from them, damn!) here's what they said...

"We have been contacted by Elac as we are the distributor for their products in Ireland. The e-mail we received explained that you were enquiring as to what sort of amplification they might recommend for use with your 403's. As a general rule Elac do not give recommendations for special amps, as there are too many on the market and they have to remain neutral. However, as a retailer for Elac products we are in a position where don't have to remain neutral and we have a couple of options that would work well with the 403's. The first would be the Rega Elex-R at €1278.00. This would be my personal choice, particularly if you're planning on adding a turntable to your system. The second choice would be the Hegel H80 at €1595.00. This would be a better choice if you're looking to connect components digitally as it has a built-in DAC which offers a significant boost in performance for digital devices.
With either of these amplifiers I would recommend using Atlas Loudspeaker Cables. The Equator 2.0 at €8.00 per meter is superb. If you're looking for something better then I'd suggest the Hyper 2.0 at €25.00. Again, this is a personal favourite and is the cable I use in my own system at home. The Elac's can be quite bright and we tend to find that silver loudspeaker cables can make things sound a bit fatiguing. Because of this we'd always recommend using a high quality copper cable, like the Atlas."