Another B&K find

Gerres26

So just the other day i posted about the smokin deal i got on the B&K ex442 with the pro 10mc pre and how i much preferred its sound to my adcom/rotel setup.

Well today i stumbled upon another B&K deal...a reference 200.2 amp with the pt5 preamp, both for a very cheap price. Weird, two BKs in the same week lol. I picked them up earlier knowing the preamp had issues.

So i wanted to hear what you guys thought of the differences between the early sonata series and the newer reference series? Also, the pt5 pre doesn't work and just flashes EE ERR and different codes so im guessing its toast but i have no clue.
Thanks guys

Nightfall

The amp is awesome but I wasn't a fan of that preamp when I tried it.

halo

I have a newer model B&K and I like it a lot. I haven't had the older series so I cannot comment. For the money, B&K is a very solid choice.

Congrats on the acquisition(s)!

Gerres26

Unfortunately i can't try the 200.2 with the matching pre since its not working. But using the pro10mc sonata pre with it really sounds amazing. Only bad part is no remote. I need to do so more listening to see which of the two B&K amps i like better, although i could definitely live with either one.
I do like the fact that the 200.2 is much newer than the ex442 so hopefully it should run longer without needing updated.

Nightfall

Recap them both and put one in the closet for backup.

Gerres26

Nightfall wrote: »

Recap them both and put one in the closet for backup.

I have no issues recapping speakers but wouldnt know where to begin on an amp. The soldering part is easy, its the actually knowing what to look for is where id be lost.

txcoastal1

The big blue cans are the main caps, there are some smaller black ones on the side boards

Gerres26

As a rule of thumb, do caps wear out faster when being used or when sitting idle? I ask because this reference 200.2 came from someone who never used it after picking it up from a widow who's husband was an audio guy.

Nightfall

Crack it open. If the large soda can caps are bulging on top, they need to be replaced.

Gerres26

So here is another question, could i use both of these to bi amp say a set of SRS 1.2s or should i use two of the same amp?

When using the same preamp, the 200.2 is much louder than the ex442 at any given spot on the volume knob. How do you get both amps to play at the same level so they can work together?

By the way i dont own a pair of the 1.2s yet, just speaking hypothetically.

tonyb

Gerres26 wrote: »

As a rule of thumb, do caps wear out faster when being used or when sitting idle? I ask because this reference 200.2 came from someone who never used it after picking it up from a widow who's husband was an audio guy.

Couple things will have an effect on caps. Age....everything wears out with age but a good cap should last 15+ years. Heat....if the amp was stored in a climate controlled environment, you shouldn't worry too much. Constant turning on and off...making the cap charge and discharge constantly only adds to the wear factor shortening life. I'm not talking about turning it on and off the 3 times a week you may listen, but 4-5 times a day if various people use it at different times.

Visually, if a cap is bulging or leaking, it needs to go pronto, don't even attempt to use the component.

Your difference in volume may be a difference in each amps input sensitivity. One amp may be less than the other allowing it to be driven at full power with less of the volume dial making it sound louder.

Depending, you don't want to bi-amp with 2 different amps in that way. You can use say one amp for the fronts, and the other for surrounds. You can then make adjustments in the receiver under speaker levels to balance the difference in loudness.