Which amp to buy from UK?

[milestoneseeker]

I have been considering a new stereo amp for a future upgraded system. I have explored Exposure 2010s2 and am equally open to 3010. My speaker upgrade will be ProAcs 140 or D18. Lately, i have started thinking of hybrid tube amps with tubes in pre-amp.

With this background, which amps do you recommend i can look at in UK? I will be travelling to UK in a month and keen to get some good bargains upto 1.2L. For a start, Pathos Classic Mkiii is one i have my eye on.

Please share your recommendation.

sent from my SIII using tapatalk

 

[square_wave]

Some worthwhile ones:

Lfd - amplification phono stages analogue interconnects digital interconnects loudspeaker cables
Croft Acoustics hand made british valve amplifiers made by Glenn Croft. (Croft Micro 25, Series 7, Riaa phono stage)
Naim Audio | Home Stereo Equipment | High End Sound | High-fidelity | Hi-fi System

 

[reubensm]

I have been considering a new stereo amp for a future upgraded system. I have explored Exposure 2010s2 and am equally open to 3010. My speaker upgrade will be ProAcs 140 or D18. Lately, i have started thinking of hybrid tube amps with tubes in pre-amp.

With this background, which amps do you recommend i can look at in UK? I will be travelling to UK in a month and keen to get some good bargains upto 1.2L. For a start, Pathos Classic Mkiii is one i have my eye on.

Please share your recommendation.

sent from my SIII using tapatalk

Keep the customs aspect in mind, they tend to rip one off.

 

[coaltrain]

@ miles

if I'm not mistaken, you had auditioned ProAcs at AP, right?

if you'd like to hear the studio 140 with the pathos classic one, drop me a line. I'm in Langford town.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Check the internet before going, and get a list of dealers you want to visit, and the prices they are charging. Absolutely essential to check the clearance, ex-demo and special deals stuff. Unless this is "refurbished," it should have manufacturer's warranty as new. Shop for deals like a vulture

Make sure to check out Richer Sounds too. The old days of being able to discover a valve amp at the back of a shelf are long gone, and they abandoned their hifi-separates-only policy and become a place to buy home theatre and TVs. None the less, they do sell some good stuff, and if they happen to have anything you fancy, the chances are you won't find it cheaper elsewhere (except... see deals, etc above.)

I have never been in the high-end market, and the place where I bought my Cyrus amp (a lowly sale for them ) is not there any more, so I can't suggest any shops. I'm aware, though, that some of the high end places are out of London. The internet is our friend.

Remember reclaiming the VAT!

I think UK VAT is, at the moment, a stinging 20%. Put your passport in your pocket when you go to buy, and get the forms filled in. Of course, there is a service charge, you don't get it all back, but you get enough back to make it worthwhile even on modest purchases. If you are buying general stuff, as well, from department stores, you can total it up for a refund. I don't know the rules --- but when I come back from Singapore I have a long list of stuff from Mustafa: last time it included everything from chocolate to the suitcase I was carrying it in.

 

[picerjamo]

the high end places are out of London. The internet is our friend.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Yep. That is what I suspected. Probably mostly within reach, though, because South-East is where most of the UK's money is.

 

[milestoneseeker]

Keep the customs aspect in mind, they tend to rip one off.

Even if I can sneak one in my baggage?

 

[milestoneseeker]

@ miles

if I'm not mistaken, you had auditioned ProAcs at AP, right?

if you'd like to hear the studio 140 with the pathos classic one, drop me a line. I'm in Langford town.

@coaltrain,

yes sir. And I do have your first invite too with me! Just that this thing went to back burner so I did not bother you. I have read your thread and I have a good mind to PM you sooner than later

 

[coaltrain]

@coaltrain,

yes sir. And I do have your first invite too with me! Just that this thing went to back burner so I did not bother you. I have read your thread and I have a good mind to PM you sooner than later

sure thing. look forward to hearing from you.

btw, you'll need a rather large trunk to sneak one in surreptitiously! it's not exactly petite

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

And remember that your luggage passes through an X-ray machine

 

[coaltrain]

And remember that your luggage passes through an X-ray machine

exactly. if you spot a white x on your luggage as you yank it off the conveyor belt, you're taking a trip through the red channel.

 

[avidyarthy]

or ...... you are smart enuf to rub off the white 'chalk' mark somehow. Mind you, it difficult since it is chalk. You HAVE to have a wet fabric on you to rub it off meticulously .... in addition to the danger of being caught in the act of robbing the country's treasury of the much needed duty-moolah!

 

[coaltrain]

or ...... you are smart enuf to rub off the white 'chalk' mark somehow. Mind you, it difficult since it is chalk. You HAVE to have a wet fabric on you to rub it off meticulously .... in addition to the danger of being caught in the act of robbing the country's treasury of the much needed duty-moolah!

or... you could carry your OWN piece of chalk and doodle around the x, incorporating it into a grand design!
mind you, wearing a kurta, jeans and chappals will add points to your artistic credentials

 

[ravi_d]

A miracle happened on my last return trip to Hyderabad from London via Delhi.
I was carrying a huge stand mount speakers box (PMC tb2i's) as one of my checked-in baggage and a suitcase stuffed with a Technics SL1200 turntable and my DAC/headphone amp. The TT and DAC occupied lot of space and both weighed some 17+ kgs together and 20 kgs along with the suitcase and I hardly had other personal stuff to put into it.

My worry was I might be questioned I don't even have 10% weight of personal stuff and I'm prepared for the worst to happen as I never traveled via Delhi and I have no experience dealing with Delhi customs. To my surprise unlike Mumbai in Delhi airport if walking out through the green channel the luggage doesn't go through the scanner. I just walked through the green channel without looking back with the speaker box and suitcase while the custom's officials were busy dealing with the people carrying huge LED TV's and I crossed the point where the security collects the baggage/declaration slips (the slip at the bottom of immigration form). I couldn't believe what happened until my co-passenger uttered 'that's it, we are through':yahoo::lol:

 

[GeorgeO]

I had a similar experience at Delhi a few months ago.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

I went, receipts in hand, to the red channel desk here, and they weren't interested. they just waved me away. The purchases were modest, probably barely exceeding the free limit, but they couldn't know that.

 

[milestoneseeker]

sure thing. look forward to hearing from you.

btw, you'll need a rather large trunk to sneak one in surreptitiously! it's not exactly petite

Hehe ... I am still trying to figure out how big is it. I know it is 20 odd kgs but business class will have enough weight allowance. But the volume is something I don't have a clue. Will it fit "easily" in a 21" suitcase?

 

[milestoneseeker]

or ...... you are smart enuf to rub off the white 'chalk' mark somehow. Mind you, it difficult since it is chalk. You HAVE to have a wet fabric on you to rub it off meticulously .... in addition to the danger of being caught in the act of robbing the country's treasury of the much needed duty-moolah!

Thank you folks for the enterprising solutions but I would like to keep one foot on the legal side of things! Other foot is almost out with the idea of smuggling it in. But yes, I would not attempt anything which can be potentially damaging to my reputation/customs record, it ain't worth it. I was thinking on the lines of who will recognize how valuable the amp is considering it is not a mass name thing. Hence the plan to sneak it in with my suitcase.

This chalk and water thing seems to be a "cloak and daggers" thing

 

[milestoneseeker]

I heard that at Bangalore airport too, all baggage is nowadays scanned. Can anyone confirm?

On a parallel note, my trip is now heading to Liverpool rather than London. Any pointers on local AV shops worthwhile checking? I will go over to London on the weekend but buying local is always more convenient.