Rotel RMB-1095 vs. B&K 200.5 vs. Parasound HCA-2205

falconcry72
falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
edited February 2013 in Electronics
Anybody have experience with these amps? I'm looking for a 5-channel amp for my LSiM's, and these three are on my short list. Prices seem comparable. Good reviews on all. Other suggestions? I know I like the Parasound HCA sound. I don't have any first hand experience with Rotel or B&K, but it would be nice to try something new, plus the HCA doesn't have balanced inputs. Thanks!
2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
Post edited by falconcry72 on
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2013
    OK it's down to the B&K 200.5 vs. the Rotel RMB-1095. Thoughts?
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • rdb2001
    rdb2001 Posts: 791
    edited January 2013
    I have experience with both. I owned the B&K 200.5 and have heard the Rotel 1095. They are both great amps and you can't go wrong with either. I think the B&K is a little warmer sounding than the Rotel. That rotel series was the last of the good rotel amps in my opinon. What speakers are you driving with them?
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  • rdb2001
    rdb2001 Posts: 791
    edited January 2013
    nevermind, saw you are driving LSIM's.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,491
    edited January 2013
    rdb2001 wrote: »
    I have experience with both. I owned the B&K 200.5 and have heard the Rotel 1095. They are both great amps and you can't go wrong with either. I think the B&K is a little warmer sounding than the Rotel. That rotel series was the last of the good rotel amps in my opinon. What speakers are you driving with them?

    Agree with all the above. B&K not only have a warmer sound, their big multichannel amps also tend to run physically hot. I had a 200.7 a few years ago until I switched to Parasound Halo. I found the Halo amps to be superior in every way, but they probably cost about 50 percent more than the Rotel or B&K in the used market for the same current output.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited January 2013
    Both are great amps & will serve you well. B&K's do tend to run on the hot side so proper ventalation is needed more so than the Rotel. Which ever one is the better deal might be a swaying factor here.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2013
    Thanks for the responses, guys.

    Ventilation is not an issue. I'm not sure if the warmth of the B&K is a good thing or a bad thing. The LSiM's are pretty neutral, but I'd say they're on the warmer side already.

    I like the looks of the B&K better.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,491
    edited January 2013
    I still have a 200.2 that I use once in a while on my Focal/JMlabs speakers, which are known to be very revealing. It works great on those because they complement each other well. I did not like the B&K amp on LSi speakers very much. Too dark sounding for me. I understand the LSiM's are a bit different.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited January 2013
    Emlyn wrote: »
    I still have a 200.2 that I use once in a while on my Focal/JMlabs speakers, which are known to be very revealing. It works great on those because they complement each other well. I did not like the B&K amp on LSi speakers very much. Too dark sounding for me. I understand the LSiM's are a bit different.

    That could have been contributed to the interconnects you used, B&K amps are just slightly on the warm side of nuetral and very musical. I would look at the B&k amp over the Rotel, but thats just my preference.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • MADGSF
    MADGSF Posts: 603
    edited January 2013
    Not sure this helps as I only had the demo LSiM703 running off my B&K for all of two hours but I loved them while I had them.
    AVR: Elite VSX-21TXH
    Amplifier: B&K 7250 Series ii
    Misc: Velodyne SMS-1
    Mains: RTi-10
    Center: CSi-5
    Rear: Boston DSi460
    Sub: SVS PC-Ultra
    TV: Panasonic TC-P58V10
    DVD: Panasonic DMP-BD60K
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited January 2013
    I'm in the same boat as you with my lsim's. Was looking at these same three amps but since its for HT only I'm not wanting a warm sounding amp. Thinking about a class D amp.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited January 2013
    Put an Anthem mca5or 50 on that list as prices are comparable plus Anthem gives you a real sweet top end thats great for HT
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited January 2013
    Both are Awesome Amps , I might go with the B&K in this case.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • michael1947
    michael1947 Posts: 775
    edited January 2013
    My HCA 2200 has balanced inputs which I really like.
    Main Family Room: Sony 46 LCD, Sony Blue Ray, Sony DVD/VCR combo,Onkyo TXNR 708, Parasound 5250,
    Polk SDS-SRS with mods, CSI 5 center + Klipsch SC2, Polk RT2000P rears, Klipsch KG 1.5's sides, Polk Micro Pro 1000, Polk Micro Pro 2000, Polk SW505, Belkin PF60, Signal Cable Classics,Monster IC's, 2 15 amp circuits & 1 20 amp circuit.

    Living Room: Belkin PF60, Parasound HCA2200, MIT ProlineEXP balanced IC's,Emotiva XDA-1 DAC/Pre,Emotiva ERC2 transport,MIT AVT2, Polk LSI 9's.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,394
    edited January 2013
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    OK it's down to the B&K 200.5 vs. the Rotel RMB-1095. Thoughts?

    You know, it would have been really great if you were searching for an amp when you let go of your Usher's. ahem. I have the B&K 200.5 amp I would have used as layaway. Hahaha.

    Currently, actually used to run that amp with my LSIM 705s. At the time, I listened to the LSIM paired with unison research, jolida, yaqin and some other amp, all tubes... Later I tried my B&K, and it fell terribly short of the very good sound of tubes. I have not touched my B&K since.

    I feel the B&K does not work well with the polks. I would look for something not so warm sounding. But then again, I am an LSIM guy moving to Usher's and you, the reverse. Happy journey to you my man.
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2013
    leroyjr1 wrote: »
    I'm in the same boat as you with my lsim's. Was looking at these same three amps but since its for HT only I'm not wanting a warm sounding amp. Thinking about a class D amp.

    Yea I was thinking the same thing. Based on other people's listening impressions, I think the B&K sound would be great with the LSiM's for music, but for HT I'd probably want somethin' a little sparklier (sp?).

    Let me know what you end up with!
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2013
    halenhoang wrote: »
    You know, it would have been really great if you were searching for an amp when you let go of your Usher's. ahem. I have the B&K 200.5 amp I would have used as layaway. Hahaha.

    Currently, actually used to run that amp with my LSIM 705s. At the time, I listened to the LSIM paired with unison research, jolida, yaqin and some other amp, all tubes... Later I tried my B&K, and it fell terribly short of the very good sound of tubes. I have not touched my B&K since.

    I feel the B&K does not work well with the polks. I would look for something not so warm sounding. But then again, I am an LSIM guy moving to Usher's and you, the reverse. Happy journey to you my man.

    haha that's funny. Well, I didn't really move from Ushers to LSiM's in this system.. i moved from LSi's to LSiM's. In the 2-channel system, I moved from Ushers to my new 3.7's. :cool:
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited February 2013
    Still on the hunt for a 5-channel amp in the 600-900 range. How would a sunfire cinema grand compare to the other models mentioned here??? I'm looking for something a little more forward sounding.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • ViperZ
    ViperZ Posts: 2,046
    edited February 2013
    I have RMB-1075 (smaller brother to 1095) and definitely would not call it forward sounding. It's a very laid back and warm sounding (especially with my B&Ws).
    Panasonic PT-AE4000U projector for movies
    Carada 106" Precision Series (Classic Cinema White)
    Denon AVR-X3600H pre/pro
    Outlaw 770 7-channel amplifier
    B&W CDM1-SE fronts
    B&W CDM-CNT center
    B&W CDM1 rears on MoPADs
    JBL SP8CII in-ceiling height speakers
    Samsung DTB-H260F OTA HDTV tuner
    DUAL NHT SubTwo subwoofers
    Oppo BDP-93 Blu-Ray player
    Belkin PF60 Power Center
    Harmony 1100 RF remote with RF extender
    Sony XBR-X950G 55" 4K HDR Smart TV + PS3 in the living room
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  • bobsauto49
    bobsauto49 Posts: 973
    edited February 2013
    Forward sounding? Emotiva. Chit!! Did I just write that???????????:redface: Seriously though,I thought the Emo was a powerful amp,just to forward/bright sounding for me. But I was running them with a set of Rt2000i's,and then my KEF's. So if forward is what ur looking for? YMMV!
    "Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited February 2013
    Anybody have thoughts on the Sunfire vs. Rotel vs. B&K???
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    edited February 2013
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    Still on the hunt for a 5-channel amp in the 600-900 range. How would a sunfire cinema grand compare to the other models mentioned here??? I'm looking for something a little more forward sounding.

    Not sure of the selection of Adcom 5 ch amps, but I would classify them as slightly forward of neurtral. Balsy, nonetheless.
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