ATI Amplifiers?

jeremymarcinko
jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
edited May 2013 in Electronics
So my experience with different equipment is very limited in comparison to many of you. I found a small'ish ATI 1202 stereo amp 120wpc used a couple of weeks ago from craigslist. Despite the fact I've never even heard of ATI other than a quick google search which sparked my curiosity, I go to check it out. The guy said it only had about 10hrs on it, he bought it new and it wouldn't fit with the rest of his gear in his entertainment center so he didn't use it. Who knows if this is true but the amp looked spanking new. He had it connected to his Ipad and small klipsch bookshelfs so I could see that it did work properly. Other than this thing being very plain looking flat black with one led light, one toggle switch and a ATI logo on the faceplate, this amp was just screaming quality. 36lbs, massive heat sinks, no fans, 24k gold 5ways and rca inputs that are actually bolted to the chassis and designed/manufactured in the United States. I happily paid his $200 asking price and quickly headed home. After hooking it up and sorting out some ground loop issues,(thanks again) I've been very satisfied with the amp, certainly more detailed and bass heavy than the yamaha M60 it replaced. So why have not heard of ATI up to this point? Even google didn't turn up much other http://www.ati-amp.com/ and a couple other threads on other forums. Anyone else here have some experience with ATI?
Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
Post edited by jeremymarcinko on
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  • smglbrth
    smglbrth Posts: 1,472
    edited May 2013
    ATI also bought out B&K, don't remember how many years ago. Not many dealers unfortunately, that's what's been holding me back from looking at anything ATI although I would certainly like to...
    Remember, when you're running from something, you're running to something...-me
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2013
    ATI is good gear. They had some MONSTER amps back in the day. I would run one of their amps with confidence. IIRC there are a bunch of threads here about ATI amps if you do a google search. Might be worth reading up on.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,650
    edited May 2013
    The reason you don't hear much about brands like ATI, AMC, Sherbourn, etc (hell...Anthem started out similarly) is because they tend to be custom installer oriented products.
    They are the products typically used at full service custom home automation/theater shops. Where rich guy X walks into a shop, says, "I am building a theater room in my house but i want the gear out of sight...I also want to run several different zones of music in my house...make it happen and make it sound good."
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    edited May 2013
    Yeah I didn't find any posts here about ATI, not sure those three letters are enough to bring back the results. I end up with no results found.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited May 2013
    jeremymarcinko wrote: »
    Yeah I didn't find any posts here about ATI, not sure those three letters are enough to bring back the results. I end up with no results found.

    Use google's advance search to look not the search on the forum.

    https://www.google.com/search?as_q=ati&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.polkaudio.com%2Fforums&as_occt=any&safe=active&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Glen B
    Glen B Posts: 269
    edited May 2013
    jeremymarcinko wrote: »
    So my experience with different equipment is very limited in comparison to many of you. I found a small'ish ATI 1202 stereo amp 120wpc used a couple of weeks ago from craigslist. Despite the fact I've never even heard of ATI other than a quick google search which sparked my curiosity, I go to check it out. The guy said it only had about 10hrs on it, he bought it new and it wouldn't fit with the rest of his gear in his entertainment center so he didn't use it. Who knows if this is true but the amp looked spanking new. He had it connected to his Ipad and small klipsch bookshelfs so I could see that it did work properly. Other than this thing being very plain looking flat black with one led light, one toggle switch and a ATI logo on the faceplate, this amp was just screaming quality. 36lbs, massive heat sinks, no fans, 24k gold 5ways and rca inputs that are actually bolted to the chassis and designed/manufactured in the United States. I happily paid his $200 asking price and quickly headed home. After hooking it up and sorting out some ground loop issues,(thanks again) I've been very satisfied with the amp, certainly more detailed and bass heavy than the yamaha M60 it replaced. So why have not heard of ATI up to this point? Even google didn't turn up much other http://www.ati-amp.com/ and a couple other threads on other forums. Anyone else here have some experience with ATI?

    ATI (Amplifier Technologies, Inc) products are well respected among audio enthusiasts. ATI is a descendant of SAE (please tell me you've heard of SAE). ATI CEO Ken Kessler was also founder and CEO of SAE., so ATI products have an excellent pedigree.
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  • Habanero Monk
    Habanero Monk Posts: 715
    edited May 2013
    ATI makes the Mark Levinson 532H I believe and also has a clone version of that the AT 3002. The are a large OEM for other brands: Theta, Cary Audio, Lexicon.
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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,727
    edited May 2013
    I had a stereo amp from them a few years ago and really enjoyed my time with it. I remember comparing and preferring it over the Adcom I had in the house at the same time.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,451
    edited May 2013
    http://www.ati-amp.com/about.php

    interesting read

    also in looking at the dealer network they all seem to be installers not walk in type audio shops. I'm not saying you couldn't walk in and buy one.
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    edited May 2013
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Use google's advance search to look not the search on the forum.

    https://www.google.com/search?as_q=ati&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&lr=&cr=&as_qdr=all&as_sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.polkaudio.com%2Fforums&as_occt=any&safe=active&tbs=&as_filetype=&as_rights=

    Thanks for this tip, thats what I've been looking for
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,529
    edited May 2013
    ATI also OEMs for Outlaw audio. My Outlaw 770 has ATI markings in numerous locations inside the amp.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited May 2013
    I also believe they had some kind of relationship with Cinepro amps, not sure to what extent though. ATI amps that I have heard many moons ago reminded me of Adcom amps. Iron like grip on the lower registers, snappy in the mids but still lacked some air on top, a hint of grain. Just my observations from memory. Given my age, I'd take that with a grain of salt.
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
    edited May 2013
    Well like I said my experience with external amps is very limited, I appreciate everyone's input. I am happy to here I purchased something decent enough I can probably still use when I upgrade my speakers from monitors in a few years.
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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