Will the BeePre match my SS power amp?

[Rublyow]

I would not worry about the power amp stage - plenty out there with very nice "modern" well behaved sound - for minimal bucks - you don't have to suffer these days with outdated stuff.

Wait, are you calling my Onkyo outdated? Well, I guess it is, technically....

But I'm not really one that believes modern amps necessarily have a better sound (though many of course do).  Old amps do undoubtedly need to be refurbished, and updated components (e.g., capacitors) can definitely help a lot ---- but that's half the fun of owning vintage equipment: plenty of room for upgrades and DIY projects.  While specifications only tell half the story of an amp, the specs of the power stage of the Onkyo A-10 are roughly comparable to the XPA-2, though the XPA-2 would definitely excel when more wattage is required or with low sensitivity speakers.

Mostly I just want to make sure the Onkyo and the BeePre would compliment each other, since I'd really only interested in replacing the Onkyo with (potentially) a tube stage if I ever found some good speakers that would work in my listening space.

[Chris]

I agree with you.. I enjoy some refurbished vintage gear also... Maybe mostly for nostalgia purposes though, but enjoy nonetheless...

[earwaxxer]

I guess what I'm saying about 'outdated' is the advent of the recent phenomena called 'China'. See, what China has done is copy the best designs and use the most current and best performing parts to give you a very high price/performance ratio. Sure we would all love a Bolder amp, etc. No way we can afford it. What China has done is stimulate the price/performance arena, and I has appeared that American/English/German etc. manufactures have responded. Not sure yet about the Japanese? I have a feeling its a yen/dollar thing.

Anyway - I would perfer, and largely have,  bought American with my audio kit. Because its been the best. When it comes to complex labor intensive designs, the stuff assembled in China still has the edge. Hence the Emotive. An UNBELIEVABLE deal for $700 - I remember my roommate's SAE separate amp/pre 200wpc kit cost him over $1K - in 1975! The Emotiva blows it away...

[Rublyow]

Eric,

Have you had any luck with DIY power amps (either SS or tube)?

[Grainger49]

I made a ChipAmp, chipamp.com, GainClone.  I had some Black Gate caps that went into the power supply.  When I turned it on I was totally unimpressed.  But after 2-3 weeks of burn in the amp would sing!  I had no idea that power supply caps needed to be formed (burned in).

With dual mono power supplies it was about 60WPC. 

[Chris]

Supposedly, the black gates were notorious for a long burn-in time...

[Grainger49]

I had heard this, yet I didn't expect it from a power supply.  I was wrong!

[earwaxxer]

Eric,

Have you had any luck with DIY power amps (either SS or tube)?

I did 'attempt' to build 60hz high power T-amp once. It was a no go. Over my head and poor documentation. If I were to go DIY now I would do ClassDaudio kit. I like the Emotiva, for now...

[Doc B.]

Supposedly, the black gates were notorious for a long burn-in time...

Wasn't really burn in. It was reforming every damned time you turned them off. They would always sound crappy until they had potential on them for several hours. Turn the gear off, start all over again.

[Grainger49]

I didn't mention this.  My GainClone had no power switch.  It stayed on all the time. 

I did realize that the caps were not charging and discharging, so I didn't think it was the same thing as breaking in a signal cap.  But power supply caps do need to "form."  I'm not sure I fully understand that.