You said it, I listened! Amp recommendation?

dcoil

OK, here goes a plea for an amp/pre recommendation. I know I may get some flak for asking, but I don't have access to a good place to demo amps, let alone with SDA’s. The single biggest recommendation I’ve had from the seasoned members is that I need to dump the AVR and get an amp and pre. I know you CP’ers know your stuff, so I’ll reserve the AVR for HT service. Many of you have an enormous amount of experience with MANY amps driving these types of speakers and I would truly appreciate your input. The amp will be driving my moded SRS (I believe a total speaker DCR of 4.4 ohms with the North Creeks according to DK). My room is 15W x 22D, (not huge) and I listen to smooth jazz, and all types of rock at moderate listening levels and for short bursts here and there at near live volume. I’ve read through the forums with many pluses and minuses about almost every discussed amp brand. I’ve researched Adcom, Carver and Sunfire (probably the 3 most discussed), Parasound, Rotel, Bryston, Rowland, Classe, ML, Marantz, Pass, etc. (sorry if YOUR brand was not mentioned, but I’m sure it is the bomb also:rolleyes:). I would like to stay SS, as I just don’t think I have time for ‘rolling’ and keeping up with tubes. I’m near Houston, so heat is also a factor – I can’t imagine my A/C bill with those monsters that TFFL has :eek: (not to mention initial cost – but I’d LOVE to hear them). I really would like to do this once, and then spend my time enjoying my music. And I’d rather spend more up-front than turn-over several amps to get where I want to go. For my pre I’m really looking at the Pass X1(used) and feel pretty good about this pick. I’m not as sure about the amp, but I’m leaning towards the Parasound A21. I would buy the amp new or reconditioned to spare the expense of shipping and having it service and certified. My question about the A21 is that it’s not a pure class A (A, A/B), and I don’t know if going monoblocks would be a significant improvement over the stereo chassis. The allure of the A21 is that the price is what I want to spend and I think the heat and power requirements can be easily handled in my listening room. I just don’t want to be missing the boat if a class a and/or the mono’s would be a considerable step up.

thsmith

Since you are looking for SS this looks pretty good. I live in Dallas and my room is about the same as your room size, Call if you are up this way. I no expereince with this amp just from what I have read.

I have tubes now so I can not be much help.


http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1298086224&/Pass-Laboratories-Aleph-5-clas

heiney9

thsmith wrote: »

Since you are looking for SS this looks pretty good. I live in Dallas and my room is about the same as your room size, Call if you are up this way. I no expereince with this amp just from what I have read.

I have tubes now so I can not be much help.


http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1298086224&/Pass-Laboratories-Aleph-5-clas

Sweetness here and they are still fully serviced by Pass Labs should you ever have the need. I won't lie, that is a hot running amp. If heat really is a concern look at one of the newer "X" series amps. They still run on the very warmish side but not "HOT" like single ended class A.

H9

F1nut

Since you are intent on getting the Pass pre, get a Pass amp to go with it. Simple.

You cannot run mono block, dual mono or non-common ground amps with your speakers.

heiney9

F1nut wrote: »

You cannot run mono block, dual mono or non-common ground amps with your speakers.

Nice catch Jesse, I just reread the thread and he does in fact have SDA-SRS's.

The Alpeh 5 would certainly do the job. My recommendation of the X series won't work with you speakers since the X series is not common ground. You are going to have to do some homework on each amp you consider because it seems many of the higher end amps are NOT always common ground.

You could consider strapping (if the manufacturer approves) but as you found out from TFFL it's not the ideal situation. The Pass X series amps canNOT be strapped.

Good luck in your search and do your homework.

H9

dcoil

F1nut wrote: »

You cannot run mono block, dual mono or non-common ground amps with your speakers.

Oh yes, I've read about this for the SRS, but it just didn't 'stick' (and also the AI-1 vs strapping audible difference). So my choices just got narrowed - a bunch. But I can now conectrate my efforts in that direction - VERY HELPFUL! And possibly kept me from making a huge mistake! :eek: That's why I love this place. :cool:

vc69

I'd say go with a Pass Labs amp.

heiney9

In the other thread you were talking Emo, your SRS's deserve a more refined amp than an Emo, IMO. Plus it would be sacrilidge to mate a Pass Labs pre with an Emo amp. Oh the horror :eek:

If money is the issue, here's the ticket. Right here in our very own FM

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110092

IMHO, of course

H9

dcoil

Thanks all for the input! Yes, I've marked the Emo from my list. I called Pass, and I was told they don't make a common ground amp. No maybe the Aleph recommended (not currently in production) is a common ground. Also, the Classe recommended (great reviews on this H9!) is also a common ground. But I would like to have the opportunity to have balanced inputs, and more importantly I'm concerned about power rating. I've been told by several members that I need AT LEAST 200W from a solid amp capable of high current loads. One member I know says that everytime he goes up in power, he gets more out of his SDA's (I think he's now over 400W). So I'm at this point I'm leaning toward the Parasound A21 which I was told by an Audio Advisor person is a common ground amp, 250W and 60amp per channel. I'm also thinking that maybe the Parasound A3 pre might 'mate' better with the A21. Does this 'sound' reasonble?

heiney9

All the Aleph's are common ground, well except the mono's. The current Pass and First Watt stuff is not.

Classe is nice gear, they were once on my short list of amps. Balanced is nice especially if you do in fact get the Pass Labs pre. Watts are overrated. The Classe would be a nice choice. Finding a true balanced higher end amp that is common ground is going to be a reall challenge, I'm afraid.

You may have to ditch balanced and go with something like an Aleph or Classe or other higher end brand and be done. You won't miss not going balanced that much.

You could still use the Pass pre with the A21 too or just go with the Parasound pre.

H9

FTGV

F1nut wrote: »

You cannot run mono block, dual mono ....

There exist amps in both of those camps that can safely strapped, for instnce my dual mono Bryston 2B and 3B.

heiney9 wrote: »

... First Watt stuff is not.

The F3,4,5 etc are indeed common ground.

Finding a true balanced higher end amp that is common ground is going to be a real challenge.....

More like impossible.If it's fullybalanced it cannot be common ground.

heiney9

Thanks Fred for adding even more clarity. I wrongly assumed the First Watt stuff, since IIRC, is fully balanced it was non-common ground. The OP can't use most of the First Watt gear since they are not designed to be used with large multiple driver lower impedance speakers. Perhaps the F5 or Aleph J would work.

H9

heiney9

My Aleph must not be fully balanced then, because I have run it balanced with the SDA's w/o issue's. I was under the impression the Aleph was fully balanced.

H9

FTGV

heiney9 wrote: »

My Aleph must not be fully balanced then, because I have run it balanced with the SDA's w/o issue's. I was under the impression the Aleph was fully balanced.

H9

It's differential input stage will acept a balanced signal where the two halves of the signal get summed.The output stage is pure single ended.

heiney9

So whats the advantage? Nelson has stated the Aleph sounds better in balanced mode, but if the end result is still single ended what's the point other than noise/RF isolation?

H9

FTGV

I'll guess probably because if it was driven from a true fully balanced source some the distortion cancelling properties of the fully balanced/differential config. would still apply.