Difference between 100 and 200 wpc in amp?

iskandam

I feel that the HK-RTi combo that I have produce a balanced sound that I like. I don't like overly bright sound but don't like warm tube sound either, which I find to be too dull for HT. So I'm wary about the selection of amp.

So far I heard that Adcom is neutral so it would work out with my combo. I'm also considering Rotel and B&K but have been hearing conflicting things about their sound characteristic...

Lowell_M

jakelm wrote: »

The Adcom sold for alittle over $500. Is this a normal used price?

I think I paid $450 for mine, so this sold in the right range.

Sami

Can't really go wrong with multichannel amps like Adcom 7400 or B&K AV5000. Both should be in the $300-400 price range and give you around 5*100W. I've had both and I prefer the B&K but there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Adcom either.

Lowell_M

iskandam wrote: »

I feel that the HK-RTi combo that I have produce a balanced sound that I like. I don't like overly bright sound but don't like warm tube sound either, which I find to be too dull for HT. So I'm wary about the selection of amp.

So far I heard that Adcom is neutral so it would work out with my combo. I'm also considering Rotel and B&K but have been hearing conflicting things about their sound characteristic...

You really can't go wrong using ADCOM for your first step into external amplification. It's not the end-all of amplifiers, but a very solid start. So much so that I can some to convince myself that I need to upgrade from here, if you can believe that!

Lowell_M

Kex wrote: »

I would be very careful when considering sweeping statements about amplification in your case (and jakelm is in a similar situation). I was thinking that the modest 40w/ch of my harman/kardon 147 would be miniaturized in comparison to the 125w/ch of an Emotiva LPA-1. Not so. First of all, it turns out that the h/k outputs much more power than stated (albeit measured at 0.1% THD, which is higher than h/k's own measurement) making the difference in w/ch less than originally expected. Secondly, in stereo comparisons, I could never tell the difference. Thirdly, like mine, your speakers are not what might be considered difficult to drive. Whatever the explanation, I would be careful with budget multi-channel amplifiers when compared to something like a h/k 247. I was obviously disappointed and did not keep the Emotiva, but the lesson was not free.

For movies, I usually set the sound at -18dB (the scale on my 147 goes from -80dB to +8dB, IIRC). For music, it's usually between -30dB and -20dB. Both are loud enough for me in a room that is about 20'x15' with one large and one small opening.

One final point. When I tested the Emotiva, I still found it "unpleasant" to listen above 75dB (measured with a SPL meter), and even getting to higher levels required turning the knob to 60 on a scale of 0-80, beyond which I was not prepared to go (my ears were telling me to stop) so I was not impressed with anything that could be described as added clarity or detail. Another club member dbaldus, also has a similar setup to you, and uses a 247. He did not keep his LPA-1 either because he could not tell the difference. http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62755&highlight=Emotiva

Both dbladus and myself are still hoping to find better power, so neither of us are denying the benefits of added amplification, but quality does seem to matter. There is also a widely discussed idea that 200w/ch is necessary to really make a difference. YMMV.

Good point, but make sure he takes into account my statements. I have made a very similar upgrade progression to what he is considering and noticed a very large difference between my HK 635 and the ADCOM amps.

jakelm

a_mattison wrote: »

Good point, but make sure he takes into account my statements. I have made a very similar upgrade progression to what he is considering and noticed a very large difference between my HK 635 and the ADCOM amps.

Thats what I am trying to achieve. A better fuller soundstage. With the option to drive my system alittle harder.

My room is 25L x 16W x 9H open to the dining. So alot of space to fill with sound. Hopefully an external amp will help me achieve this.

jakelm

Kex wrote: »

In my case, the h/k does everything I need for HT, so that is not an issue. Music listening is where I want something more.

And I'm just the oposite. I run my HK alot harder for HT, but for music it does an excellent job.

tonyb

kEX......If your feeling good about your ht and not music,might be time to move up the food chain and grab some new speakers.

nikolas812

tonyb wrote: »

kEX......If your feeling good about your ht and not music,might be time to move up the food chain and grab some new speakers.

That sounds like fun....:D

Edit: Sorry to just jump in your thread with a meaningless post.

tonyb

Don't feel bad,75% of the posts here are meaningless.:p

Willow

I quite like the combo I have HK/Marantz with my rtis.

iskandam

a_mattison wrote: »

Good point, but make sure he takes into account my statements. I have made a very similar upgrade progression to what he is considering and noticed a very large difference between my HK 635 and the ADCOM amps.

This is very encouraging. I'm quite happy with my HK-RTi combo so far, but if $3-400 can get me that wider soundstage, night and day improvement, and tighter bass that everybody has been talking about then I'm not done yet.

a_mattison, I also have a Velodyne CHT-12. The next step is to upgrade the sub, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now

Lowell_M

iskandam wrote: »

This is very encouraging. I'm quite happy with my HK-RTi combo so far, but if $3-400 can get me that wider soundstage, night and day improvement, and tighter bass that everybody has been talking about then I'm not done yet.

a_mattison, I also have a Velodyne CHT-12. The next step is to upgrade the sub, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now

That Velo isn't too bad of a sub. It's no SVS, but seems to pressurize my basement very well. It's a little slow, but not too sloppy.

The good news is, if you buy an ADCOM amp and don't think it made enough of an improvement, you can sell it and only be out the shipping it cost you to get it there.

jakelm

Kex wrote: »

Hmmm. That makes me wonder if what you need is not a new subwoofer ... and/or speakers! I have no idea how your current subwoofer measures up though, so I am just thinking "out loud", so to "speak"!

Aren't you using Monitor 7 and Monitor 4? That might also be an important factor in both cases (music and HT). Maybe we should just swap speakers: I'll probably get better music, and you'll possibly get better HT!

I have 2 subs, 1 SVS DIY and a Dayton DIY, Subs are not the problem. My HT isnt bad, by far, I just want mooooorrrreeeee:p

Hmmm...Monitor 7's and 4's, bad for music amd HT??? Nah, its the amplification, thats needs improving..

iskandam

Ok this is seriously pi$$ing me off. I've been getting outbid on various amps (Carver, Adcom, B&K, Rotel) on eBay this past week... in the last 5 to 10 seconds :mad: On one of them the price jumped over $100 in the last 10 seconds. I'm gonna try pawn shops instead

DannyD

Are u using proxy bidding. That's the the key to winning items on ebay.