Comparing amps

KrazyMofo24
KrazyMofo24 Posts: 1,210
in 2 Channel Audio
I wanted to see if anyone spends time comparing amps that are in different price range?

I have a Theta intrepid and made an impulse buy yesterday. I bought a B&K 7250 Reference II to try something different plus thinking the theta was on its way out.

I have Sonus Faber Concertos and a Velodyne DD12 which are new to me and haven’t had them long.

Anyways I read in other forums that the B&K is in a lower league and that the Theta or similar brands like Krell, classe etc will always sound better.

Im going to listen to the b&k for now but I feel like I have bias for the Theta.
Setup:

2 Channel: Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand, T+A P 1230R, Primare SPA21, Oppo BDP-105
PC: Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand, Cambridge Azure 650A v2 , Peachtree iDAC, Denon DVD-3800BDCI

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Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,639
    Don't bother all amps sound the same...











    Is not about price. It's about synergy.

    I've had many many thousands of pounds of amplifiers in here. You can take a great amp on paper and plug it up to ten different speakers and achieve ten different results
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,410
    edited October 29
    Crown XLS2502 is the way to go….🤣🤣😇😉
    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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  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,806
    edited October 30
    B&K is good stuff, nice high current amp. Only thing that may be a concern later is the 7250 is about 25 YO now. I had the 200.2 and it performed very well, had to spend some $$$ to get ahead of it. Also, the B&K has a slightly warmer sound signature, but nothing crazy. Never heard the Theta.

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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,582
    I happen to like B&K stuff. I've heard Theta amps and could afford one If they were actually better but IMHO they're not. You should be quite happy with the 7250.
    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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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,962
    Price never dictates, synergy within ones system, and your own ears. B&k offers alot for the price but alas....they are on the older side and may need some refreshing sooner than later.
    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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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    The Concertos are an excellent match for the 7250 B&K amp. The B&K amp stands up to everything in its class and a lot higher. They are hand built well where hand built in Buffalo New York. I spend a few days at the factory back when the B&k AVR307 was brand new. I watched amps and AVR plus Preamps be built from a circuit board to a fully functional product. They where my overall favorite company back than I really wish they where around today.

    IMO, there is no need to try and find a "BETTER" amp than what the 7250 offers. I have personally done many B&K Sonas Faber systems and they go together extremely well. The B&K will not run out of power, you will give up before it does or you destroy your speakers trying so.

    As mentioned above, that is an older amp and possibly will need refreshing at some point. It uses very large capasitors but over the years they can start to leak meaning not hold as good of charge for dynamic passages.

    Enjoy your system, sounds like a very nice well designed system. Love the DD12 as well. I have 2 smaller DD10's and they are remarkable.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • KrazyMofo24
    KrazyMofo24 Posts: 1,210
    Thanks I think you guys are right about the B&K amp.

    I got super lucky getting the DD12 it was almost free. That sparked me to spend too much time searching for new deals.

    I’m happy with the B&K I didn’t like how it paired with the T+A preamp but I recently bought an Anthem AVM50 and that is sounding great with the B&K. I initially listened to the Anthem on it’s own and it sounded good but adding the Oppo105 for the DAC made a big difference.

    Setup:

    2 Channel: Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand, T+A P 1230R, Primare SPA21, Oppo BDP-105
    PC: Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand, Cambridge Azure 650A v2 , Peachtree iDAC, Denon DVD-3800BDCI

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