B&K Amplification

zingo
zingo Posts: 11,258
edited March 2014 in Electronics
I was listening to music last night and thought, "Why does B&K amplification sound so natural and enjoyable?!?"

That's all...
Jake
Post edited by zingo on
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    edited March 2014
    Which amp?
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    ST202 and newly acquired AVR202
    Jake
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited March 2014
    the st202 is on the warm side.
    Not a bad thing for most modern recordings.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    I seem to like all MOSFET amps that I've used in reflection.
    Jake
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  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,428
    edited March 2014
    I've certainly been happy in front of my ST202+.

    Enjoy the music!
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    zingo wrote: »
    ST202 and newly acquired AVR202

    Lots of B&K fanboys around here, including myself. I've been seeing a lot of their stuff cheap. Ref 30's for 150 bucks, ref 50's for 200-300. 307 and 505 receivers from -250- 350.

    Love their warm musical sound.
    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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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    Where did you see an AVR595 for 350?!?
    Jake
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    edited March 2014
    I have the B&K ST-140 and would like to get it upgraded/modified. It sounds really sweet and it is a keeper. Any suggestions? It looks like this one:
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited March 2014
    Conradicles wrote: »
    I have the B&K ST-140 and would like to get it upgraded/modified. It sounds really sweet and it is a keeper. Any suggestions? It looks like this one:
    You bring be back to a place where life was amazing. So many good times listening to my system with the ST140. Loved that amp.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited March 2014
    zingo wrote: »
    I was listening to music last night and thought, "Why does B&K amplification sound so natural and enjoyable?!?"

    That's all...
    B&K was hand built. I personally watched a AVR307 be built from a Circuit board with nothing on it to a full functioning Avr. Amazing place to visit B&K was. It was then when I learned B&K used Kimber Kable to demo all of their stuff. They also used Vienna Acoustics speakers in their main listening room.
    I talked to a engineer there who was one of the main designers and talked about wire with me. He felt Kimber was one of the worlds best built cables at any price. He gave me many Electrical reasons why Ray's cables where so superior to so many others they tested. It was one of my all time favorite learning experiences.

    I recently ran into a ATI rep who I spoke to about B&K and what is going on with the company. He basically stated that B&K was on the shelf at ATI but many of B&K technologies are being used in the new lines from ATI. I told him I would much like thousands others would love nothing more then to see B&K make a return to our market.

    To really answer your question, B&K cared about sound quality so much they even decided not to use muting circuits which are found in most preamps and AVR's even at high end levels. According to B&K, muting circuits rob the natural tone of music. They wanted to make the best sounding gear in their class and compete with gear above them. Honestly I have always felt B&K was the very best at that class and absolutely could compete with gear above them.

    I absolutely miss B&k. So much has been lost in our industry , so many great products have fallen , I really wish the world would turn around for the better and allow companies like B&K to make a strong return.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited March 2014
    tonyb wrote: »
    Lots of B&K fanboys around here, including myself. I've been seeing a lot of their stuff cheap. Ref 30's for 150 bucks, ref 50's for 200-300. 307 and 505 receivers from -250- 350.

    Love their warm musical sound.
    I have a B&K AVR507s2 sitting in my basement and I never plan on letting it go for anything. I have this wild idea of one day building a Audio video museum that you would go to to learn about the history of our industry. With a Airplane hanger size building with many many sound rooms showing full systems from the beginning to now.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited March 2014
    That amp should be pretty simple to refresh. It has a low part count and a big chassis, so swap out the electrolytic caps, or at least the filter caps, and you'll be set for another 15 years!
    Jake
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited March 2014
    Another fan boy of B&K here. B&K is still some of my favorite solid state gear.
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  • JuanR
    JuanR Posts: 718
    edited March 2014
    I have a B&K AVR507s2 running my LSi9's Center and 7's (5.1) in my bedroom that sounds fantastic!...

    No need to ever upgrade my bedroom gig!

    read it and weep! J/K
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  • 11tsteve
    11tsteve Posts: 1,166
    edited March 2014
    I haven't had my Reference 200.2 for too long, but I have grown very happy with how it makes my three sets of vintage speakers sound.
    Polk Lsi9
    N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
    NAD 1020 completely refurbished
    Keces DA-131 mk.II
    Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
    Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited March 2014
    zingo wrote: »
    Where did you see an AVR595 for 350?!?

    Saw a 505 not long ago on Craigslist for 350. Here's a 507 for a nickel.

    http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/ele/4355247751.html

    Ref 50 for 3 bones....

    http://app.audiogon.com/listings/processors-b-k-reference-50-surround-processor-2014-02-24-home-theater-80108-castle-rock-co

    Great SS pre and a great dac with it....no brainer.
    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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