wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (03/22/85)
Anyone out there have any experience with or recommendations for a low-end and physically small integrated amp? I'd prefer one of the flat-pack designs, since I want to squeeze a humongous Sansui tuner and a cassette deck, along with the amp, into a small space, for a bedroom system. (I'm now using an old Kenwood receiver and the cassette deck, but would like to get better use out of the tuner which is now practically unused -- it's a Sansui TU-9900, one of which was used as a reference in Stereophile's recent tuner tests, and deserves better treatment than the neglect it now endures.) Since the amp would not be used with any phono gear, phono pre-amp stage qualities are unimportant, as are headamp capabilities, etc. Cost on the above is the primary consideration, so stuff available from mailorder discounters is the main interest. Since it is easy to find a receiver for under $99 that fits these requirements, I am irked that I can't just go out and buy the amp section alone for $79 or so... (Yes, I understand the economies of scale and that the demand for cheap receivers exceeds the demand for cheap amps; I don't have to like it, though...) (Before you suggest that I use such a receiver: I don't want that cheap FM section sitting on or under that good tuner, radiating spurious gorp into the tuner and causing whatever deleterious effects. I am not enamored of the idea of buying a new receiver and excising or disabling the tuner portion, either.) And on the Carver tuner vs. receiver cost -- is it definite that the tuner section in the Carver receiver has ALL the capabilities and performance of the separate tuner? If so, the posted cost comparisons are valid. If they are really different animals, merely sharing a few circuits or cosmetics, though, they are not really comparative. Anyone out there know the details of the innards of these beasts and can speak authoritatively? Regards, Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA
rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (03/23/85)
[] I'm pretty sure that the review I read said the Carver receiver FM section worked better than the tuner did. Don"t know about the bells and whistles. I think they said that they understood that the improvements made in the rcvr had also been carried over to later model tuners. I believe noth reviews were in Audio. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg