"David Holgate" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Trevor Wilson" contains these
words:

**It doesn't bother me, one bit, how far you shove your head into the
sand.
It is your problem, not mine, that you care not one bit for logic and
reason. If you want to buy *any* piece of audio equipment, without first
listening to it, you deserve exactly what you are likely to receive.

Good luck. Because that is what you are relying on.

I doubt is the situation is often as simple as not caring for logic and
reason. Few audiophiles are in the position of being able to audition a
wide range of valve gear.


Yes, very few.



New gear (of any quality) seems to be priced way out of Martin's budget
range,


A budget of £350 precludes almost *any* 'new gear of any quality' (SS, valve
or whatever) although, spent wisely, it is enough for a wide range of
worthwhile secondhand stuff, IMO.....


and be offered for sale secondhand very infrequently (and snapped
up very quickly).


Yes, weird that isn't it? :-)


Apart from Nick's suggestions about kits,


Do you mind......


I would
suggest that he contact some reliable dealers as a serious buyer, and
then be prepared for a long wait. Audio engineers who work on valve
equipment may also offer some leads.

Meanwhile, his choices a trawl the web and the mags (luck needed
there too) and ask for advice from ngs like this one, where wider
experience can be drawn on.

FWIW, I notice that there is a company which advertises in HiFi World
(www.audioclassics.co.uk) with powers (£260) and preamps (£190) but I
have no personal knowledge of their products.


Or he could just grab summat quick off eBay and scratch that 'valve
itch'........!! :-)

(Who knows? It might even be a Chinese PP amp with KT88s in it....???)

:-)