System Synergy ???

CH46E
CH46E Posts: 3,591
edited December 2023 in 2 Channel Audio
Just moved into a new house. Time to set it all up.
Decided I really want a nice amp. The Hafler and Adcom won't do anymore.

I have ordered a new stylus for the Audio Technica $300 turntable. I have a Ifi phono stage. A Marantz UDP7007 for SACD and DVD-Audio. An Ifi blutooth receiver. An Anthem Pre 2L tube pre amp with some NOS matched National tubes from Upscale Audio. Right now a Halfer XL600 amp. Several speakers to play with. Some recapped RTA12B and others.

I'm looking to buy a new amp this week. I see some used Krell FPB 200 and 300, a used Mark Levinson ML335, a Mark Levinson no433 (3 channel) a New open box Balanced Audio Technology VK-6200 and a New Parasound Halo A21+. They have all made the top of the list. They are all between $3k and $4k. Not sure I want to deal with servicing 15-20 year old Krells and MLs.

I'm kind of leaning towards the new Parasound Halo A21+. Do they sound good with a tube pre amp? How would you describe the sound? Bass, mids ,highs?

Has anyone heard the BAT VK-6200? It weighs 100+ pounds and is the 2 channel model. I see the Parasound is 30 lbs lighter at 71lbs.


Thanks for any thoughts.
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Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,394
    https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650044596-carver-350-monoblock-amplifiers/
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    Those all sound very differnent, too bad there is no place to demo something. It's not something like picking out underwear. Do your research. Synergy is usually a longer, step by step process.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    edited December 2023
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650044596-carver-350-monoblock-amplifiers/

    I would very much love to have them. I always wanted the Silver 7 or 9 amp back in the day. But I'm trying to stay away from tube amps. I can't leave well enough alone and tube rolling these would be very expensive.

    I purchased a Ford Explorer as a reasonable vehicle/SUV. It now has 600 HP. 😂 I can't leave anything alone. So I should stay away from tube amps. I do very much like this tube pre amp though.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,394
    Not really that bad. The ones I have are still using the same compliment of tubes as they did when new 12 years ago. In that time, I replaced the 12AX7’s once and a couple of the KT120’s. The reliability has been exceptional.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    I run a 335... Love the amp but be prepared, if it has never been serviced... It's time! Cost close to 2k to fully redo it.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,581
    Are your Infinitys set up?
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    edited December 2023
    VR3 wrote: »
    I run a 335... Love the amp but be prepared, if it has never been serviced... It's time! Cost close to 2k to fully redo it.

    Gotcha. That was one of the questions I was asking in my head. What it might cost to service one of the MLs or Krell. That, combined with the purchase cost is way more than I want to get into. I'd love to have a huge class A Krell /space heater sitting on the floor but not if I've got to dump another 2K into it.

    So it looks like the Halo A21+ and the BAT are at the top of the list now.

    Thanks for that info man.

    For the record I wish I had used you to do these Infinity RSII crossovers. I'm about to get back into them. Just not even sure where to start. I'm about 65% done.
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    edited December 2023
    Anyone ever listened to a solid state Balanced Audio Technology amp?

    I've had a few other Parasound and liked them but never a Halo. I've never even gotten to listen to a Halo. I had two of the HCA 750s, and a 2250 v2 Classic.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    For sure, the mark Levinson is one of the best amps I've ever heard and I truly love the stand by mode as it puts out very little heat when idle but yes they are older and are in need of a full rebuild. Hefty investment but so far no complaints.

    If I hit the lottery I would love to acquire a set of 33 Monoblocks!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,581
    I'd be willing to send you my spare set of monos for your evaluation. You pay for shipping. If you like it, you pay for it. Otherwise send it back. I'd really like your review compared to the XL600 to see if your comparison matches what I found.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,933
    Between these options, I'd be leaning heavily toward the A21+
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,477
    The A21+ for sure is a good option. The plain Jane A21 would also save you some money. I used a Pre-2L with the earlier A21 and it has good synergy with adjustable gain on the amp if you want that. If possible look around for a demo JC5 model. I got one and its the last stereo amp I'll be buying. It's way better than the A21.
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    Clipdat wrote: »
    Between these options, I'd be leaning heavily toward the A21+

    The more I look into the A21+ the more I'm liking it. Especially since it can handle dips below 1.5 ohms. These Infinity RSII I'll be finishing are known for dipping super low.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,477
    May be more than you want to spend but the Anthem STR amp is a good contender:

    https://www.crutchfield.com/p_973STRAMPB/Anthem-STR-Power-Amplifier-Black.html?tp=180

    I was taking a close look at that model when I sprung for the JC5 at a great price instead.
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    audioluvr wrote: »
    Are your Infinitys set up?

    No, just got all the unfinished parts together. While moving them into the new house yesterday 😢 I noticed the woofer surround on at least one woofer is coming apart. So I'm pretty sure they all are rotting. Who ever did the reform must have used a cheap replacement. IIRC they were done by the previous owner just before I purchased them. I may take a drive over Simply Speakers in Tampa and have them all (4) professionally repaired. I also got some beautiful birds eye maple vinyl wrap. Not that these are in bad shape but I've always wanted some birds eye maple speakers. It's cheating I know. 😂
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    Emlyn wrote: »
    May be more than you want to spend but the Anthem STR amp is a good contender:

    https://www.crutchfield.com/p_973STRAMPB/Anthem-STR-Power-Amplifier-Black.html?tp=180

    I was taking a close look at that model when I sprung for the JC5 at a great price instead.

    I thought it would be nice to have and Anthem Statement amp to match the Anthem Pre 2L. But that amp as gorgeous as it may be is just out of my budget.
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,591
    edited December 2023
    I did find a Lexicon ZX7 for sale locally for $3K. It's a absolute beast of an amp. 7 channel (that's ok for me as it will see plenty of HT use also) thing weighs 145 lbs. 300 watts. Not sure how much or to what extent Levinson had in this amps design.
    But then again, now I'm looking at a nearly 20 year old amp that will need service soon. Sheesh. I really should just get the Parasound.
    Post edited by CH46E on
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,477
    edited December 2023
    CH46E wrote: »
    I thought it would be nice to have and Anthem Statement amp to match the Anthem Pre 2L. But that amp as gorgeous as it may be is just out of my budget.

    I ended up getting a JC5 for less so I was happy to pair it with a JC2 preamp for synergy reasons. I also wasn't entirely sure if the Anthem STR is a common ground amp given it has two transformers inside. Unfortunately I see the JC5 went way up in price this year.
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    I just sent you a PM.
    "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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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,221
    I got tired of chasing synergy ghosts.

    You piece together something good, and you change something and it gets a little better, next time it gets worse, and you sold the better piece that fit, to get this piece that made things worse, and the cycle starts up again, and you get pleasantly happy one moment, and super bummed the next.

    I am happy not having gear go in and out of here like i did many years ago.

    I just want nice gear, and listen to some tunes.

    Don't get me wrong I have a wish list of stuff I want, but I am not going to keep going back and forth listening to the same 10 or so songs 15 times to see if what I am hearing is better or not..

    That is just not enjoyable to me.

    Been listening to my VH M7's the last few days, I couldn't be happier to just load some songs on the playlist and jam out..
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,611
    edited December 2023
    I'm with you there man, my favorite tracks list is over 1k and I always start my listening with daily discovery and then hit shuffle on the Playlist... The days of analyzing the same track over and over and over and over and over are long gone for me!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,394
    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3653404758215541/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp:8bc85e8c-1f08-45fd-a61b-a2333d2410d6

    They are reasonably close to me so I can help out if you need brother...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,995
    I thought I remembered reading several years back that Lexicon and Bryston were the same build, and that Lexicon was just a rebadged Bryston. I do remember calling up to speak with a Bryston tech, who confirmed this. They had/have a ridiculous warranty for 20 yrs.

    At some point, apparently Lexicon stopped using Bryston Amos and switched to Crown, though they may still be of modular design - each channel has its own amp.

    I found a few threads out there after searching "lexicon same as bryston". Wanna buy a Crown amp?

    https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/lexicon-lx-7-vs-bryston-9b-4b-sst.153960/post-1675820

    I disabled signatures.
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,995
    edited December 2023
    At the time, there was this scammy dude here on the forum who was selling a Bryston 4B SST and a Lexicon 5ch-something, though I forget the model. I was lined up to buy the pair, because I wanted to build a 7ch combo use system, but then the story started changing.

    The Lex had a bad channel, so he backed out of selling it, though it would have been warranty covered. This was how I ended up speaking with Bryston - checking on that repair. This was around 2014. "whitecamaross" was the member.

    I really wanted the 5ch Lex more than the Bryston. At the time, I wasn't really into 2ch,amd needed a multi-channel amp. Even so, I was going to move ahead with the 4B SST, but then just felt weirded out, and canceled. There were a bunch of red flags. He tried to up the price and then there was a long delay, spotty comms... It just felt all wrong, like he didn't actually have the gear.

    I don't know what happened with that dude, but i searched his username back then, and he had the same user on different non-audio related forums, and selling some weird stuff.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,363
    I wonder if it's the guy from Jay's audio lab, his username on audiogon was whitecamaross.
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,995
    Interesting. Must have been. That's a bit of a unique name, isn't it?

    This guy lived in FL. I didn't get the impression he owned a shop or business. At least not only audio. Seemed like a flipper of everything. Hints in photos didn't seem to match the stories.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,363
    edited December 2023
    He had a long running thread on audiogon titled my long list of amplifiers and my personal review of each. He does live in Florida, has a YouTube channel now reviewing ultra expensive gear. He has sold a lot of gear over the last 4 or so years, I think he's been through over 100 or more amplifiers in that time. He was using top of the line Boulder monoblocks last time I seen his channel.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,769
    edited December 2023
    msg wrote: »
    Interesting. Must have been. That's a bit of a unique name, isn't it?

    This guy lived in FL. I didn't get the impression he owned a shop or business. At least not only audio. Seemed like a flipper of everything. Hints in photos didn't seem to match the stories.

    I mean -- if he has a white Camaro SS, or he's white and has a Camaro SS of any color... probably a fair number of such guys. Maybe even a high local concentration in FL. You know... Florida men.
    B)

    EDIT: With no intended slight towards the numerous Florida men (and perhaps women and others) on this august forum who... by all appearances, sublimate any "Florida man" tendencies. ;)
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  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,478
    Toolfan66 wrote: »

    …I am happy not having gear go in and out of here like i did many years ago…

    I am with you 100% here. I spent years buying, selling, searching and swapping gear. I couldn’t help thinking there was always something better just over the horizon. I suffered through phases of mediocre sound because I was convinced that price, brand or reviews were guarantees of superior sound. I realized that I was listening to gear, and not music. So I just stopped, and went with the combination that sounded the best to me. High end “audiophiles” undoubtedly scoff at my rag-tag system, but I really don’t give a chit - it’s amazing how freeing it is to stop caring about the opinions of anonymous strangers, and just sit back and enjoy the music…
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,995
    invalid wrote: »
    He had a long running thread on audiogon titled my long list of amplifiers and my personal review of each. He does live in Florida, has a YouTube channel now reviewing ultra expensive gear. He has sold a lot of gear over the last 4 or so years, I think he's been through over 100 or more amplifiers in that time. He was using top of the line Boulder monoblocks last time I seen his channel.

    Wow, yeah, sounds like the same person. I guess he's legit and I just had a weird experience.
    I disabled signatures.
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