Warmer sounding amps?
chadjessie@hotm
Posts: 101
Hey guys. I have been wondering lately about getting a warmer sounding amp. I had always run most of my speakers off of just the avr power. I have a Harmon Kardon 645 and I really like the sound of it. Now I have an Adcom 7700 5 channel amp that I run everything through. It has a sharper, brighter sound to me. It's not that I don't like it. (Actually far from it!) It does really well and has great power. But I do miss somewhat the warmer, fuller sound. Are there some 5 to 7 channel amps out there that stand out as having a warmer sound? Probably in the 1k to 1.5k range. Thanks.
Silversmoky
Post edited by chadjessie@hotm on
Comments
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The concept of "warmer sound" is very subjective. You're the only one who can determine the best "warm" sound for you.HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50 LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub
"God grooves with tubes." -
I thought I was maybe going to get that answer!:) Unfortunately for me I really have no way of listening to most of the amps that interest me. Was kind of hoping some stood out from the others. I guess a couple I have been looking at are the Aragon 2007 or 2005and the Rotel 1095 or 1075. Any ideas on these?Silversmoky
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I've got Adcom and Parasound amps...I prefer the Parasound...ever consider puttin' some tubes in the mix?
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B&K amps are warm and cuddly. I love their gear, and $1K will go a long way. Look at their 5250, 7250, 200.5 and 200.7 models for some options.
Awesome amps for music and HT.Stereo Rig: Hales Revelation 3, Musical Fidelity CD-Pre 24, Forte Model 3 amp, Lexicon RT-10 SACD, MMF-5 w/speedbox, Forte Model 2 Phono Pre, Cardas Crosslink, APC H15, URC MX-950, Lovan Stand
Bedroom: Samsung HPR-4252, Toshiba HD-A2, HK 3480, Signal Cable, AQ speaker cable, Totem Dreamcatchers, SVS PB10-NSD, URC MX-850 -
McIntosh gear is known for a more subdued sound. But $1.5K might get you a cardboard box.
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B&K amps are warm and cuddly
I second that. I haven't had experience with there multi channel amps but if they sound anything like there old 2 channel amps, it might be what your looking for. I have a old B&K st-140 that keeps me very warm in the winter.;) -
I have a B&K 200.5 (200w @ 8ohm) that I recently purchased as an upgrade from an AVR paired with my LSI system and I absolutely *love* the sound. Very laid back and warm compared to my Yamaha RX-V2500.Speakers: Polk LSi15
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
Amp: Pass Labs X-150
CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
Cartridge:Denon DL-160
Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH -
Another B&K fan,welcome to the family.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 -
Have been looking at a bunch of the suggestions you've made.
So far the ones that have caught my eye the most are probably the B&K amps. Not that others don't compare but some of those get a little pricey for me! I like what I read about the B&k amps that Andy suggested. Most of the reviews I have seen say a lot about there warmer, fuller sound as compared to Rotel, Adcom, and others. Is there some suggested places to shop for these online? Silversmoky -
I bought my mint condition B&K 200.5 from Audiogon last month for $1250Speakers: Polk LSi15
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
Amp: Pass Labs X-150
CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
Cartridge:Denon DL-160
Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH -
Ya thanks. I was looking on there a little bit. I will keep checking to see what comes up.Silversmoky
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.02$ With the LSi, I've use a 6 series HK AVR, two Adcoms, and a B&K ref 200.2. The B&K has been the best for me so far. . . close to the HK in sound, but more detail and dynamics/power. I may come back to it after swapping things out a bit more.-Ignorance is strength -
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I found my Parasound HCA1500 to be slightly toasty.Sharp Elite 70
Anthem D2V 3D
Parasound 5250
Parasound HCA 1000 A
Parasound HCA 1000
Oppo BDP 95
Von Schweikert VR4 Jr R/L Fronts
Von Schweikert LCR 4 Center
Totem Mask Surrounds X4
Hsu ULS-15 Quad Drive Subwoofers
Sony PS3
Squeezebox Touch
Polk Atrium 7s on the patio just to keep my foot in the door. -
McIntosh."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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Chad,
Maybe I missed it but I did not see you mention what speakers you are running. Synergy is important and no matter how good an amp is, if it does not mate well with your speakers you may not like the sound.
Venom -
How come nobody suggested NAD??? jeesh.........too obvious I guess. I recommend a Manley Stingray. You will say ooh la la as you dance around naked doing your best air guitar riff.
RT1 -
reeltrouble1 wrote: »How come nobody suggested NAD??? jeesh.........too obvious I guess. I recommend a Manley Stingray. You will say ooh la la as you dance around naked doing your best air guitar riff.
RT1
That must be some warm amp!:) Been looking at more suggested amps. Definitely alot out there that I was unfamiliar with and fun to read about. I had no idea on some of these. From everything that I have found the B&k seem to get the most credit for having that warm (maybe tubelike sound) and they are more or less right in my price range. But I am going to continue to look to keep getting ideas. Great suggestions.
From Venom:
"Maybe I missed it but I did not see you mention what speakers you are running. Synergy is important and no matter how good an amp is, if it does not mate well with your speakers you may not like the sound."
Hey Venom. I almost missed this. I was running rti6 up front, csi5 as center, with fxi5's as backs. Over the last year or so i have really gotten into diy speakers. Unbelievable what can be made! I don't know how familiar you are with diy speakers but my fronts are Modula MTM's, with a large matching RS center channel, and I still have the fxi's in back. To my ears the rti have always been a little harsh, even with my hk. My newer setup sounds much clearer and warmer but I still feel like I am missing something! When I switch speakers from HK645 to Adcom 7700 there is a definite difference in "warmness". So I am thinking it is the amps sound I want to change.Silversmoky -
Since you mentioned this in your 2nd post, I had the Rotel 1075. I liked it mostly for movies, but for concert DVDs and music, I felt like the sound was a bit harsh/mechanical/bright....not warm. I ran it through CRS+ and also through Monitor 10Bs. I'm not sure how much this sound is based upon the amp or affected by the pre-pro. I am running a NAD amp (C272) in my 2 channel system, and really like the sound for music.
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chadjessie@hotm wrote: »Hey Venom. I almost missed this. I was running rti6 up front, csi5 as center, with fxi5's as backs. Over the last year or so i have really gotten into diy speakers. Unbelievable what can be made! I don't know how familiar you are with diy speakers but my fronts are Modula MTM's, with a large matching RS center channel, and I still have the fxi's in back. To my ears the rti have always been a little harsh, even with my hk. My newer setup sounds much clearer and warmer but I still feel like I am missing something! When I switch speakers from HK645 to Adcom 7700 there is a definite difference in "warmness". So I am thinking it is the amps sound I want to change.
I am not familiar with those diy speaks, but I commend you on taking the effort of diy. A lot of us here do some diy in one form or another. I used to have the RT series Polks and I found them to be bright. I tried an Onkyo avr, an HK Pa5800 amp, nothing seemed to get the sound right without fatigue. You can try different amps, but in the end you may want to change the speakers. The speakers are the most significant in any upgrade. Amps, preamps will change the flavor and bring out the best, or worst of your speakers, but it is your speakers that tell the story. See if you can borrow another amp or demo one to see if that makes the sound you are looking for. I found my Adcom 535 to be very warm, while my previous Krell more analytical. Good luck.
Venom -
I am not familiar with those diy speaks, but I commend you on taking the effort of diy. A lot of us here do some diy in one form or another. I used to have the RT series Polks and I found them to be bright. I tried an Onkyo avr, an HK Pa5800 amp, nothing seemed to get the sound right without fatigue. You can try different amps, but in the end you may want to change the speakers. The speakers are the most significant in any upgrade. Amps, preamps will change the flavor and bring out the best, or worst of your speakers, but it is your speakers that tell the story. See if you can borrow another amp or demo one to see if that makes the sound you are looking for. I found my Adcom 535 to be very warm, while my previous Krell more analytical. Good luck.
Venom
Thanks, I will keep this info in mind. Maybe it will have to with the speakers. (Just gives me more reason to buy or build another set right?:) I think I will play around a little more and I am going to keep my eye out for one of the B&k 5 or 7 channel amps. I do have a question further on this though. I have never used a preamp. Is this something I should look into further? Are there ones that would help me reach my goal here?Silversmoky -
chadjessie@hotm wrote: »Thanks, I will keep this info in mind. Maybe it will have to with the speakers. (Just gives me more reason to buy or build another set right?:) I think I will play around a little more and I am going to keep my eye out for one of the B&k 5 or 7 channel amps. I do have a question further on this though. I have never used a preamp. Is this something I should look into further? Are there ones that would help me reach my goal here?
There are preamps that have warm or cold personalities, but my recommendation with any system is to get the speakers you love first. The Speakers are the anchor of your system. There is no point to buy gear, then change speakers and find out the gear you bought does not mate well with your new speakers. Many of us have gone in circles over the years, changing this or that with sometimes moderate or negative results.
1- Find your speakers
2- Find an amp that loves your speakers
3- Then add the other pieces
JMHO
Venom -
Amps, preamps will change the flavor and bring out the best, or worst of your speakers, but it is your speakers that tell the story.
I'd like to also add that amps will bring out the best or worst in your preamp as well. I'm suprised nobody has mentioned the HK receiver he's using as a pre. If possible, I'd say try a different preamp. I started with an HK receiver a while back, and found that once I added an external amp, the next biggest improvement was changing the pre.
Also since you are doing 5.1, have you used an SPL meter to set all of the levels when you switch to the Adcom from the HK? What DSP modes are you using? Are you tweaking the tone adjustments at all? -
I'm pretty sure I'm going to build the Modula MTM's over the next few weeks. What do you think of them? How do they sound? Can you provide me some more details of your build? Did you follow Jon Marsh's material list or put together your own xover components?chadjessie@hotm wrote: »I don't know how familiar you are with diy speakers but my fronts are Modula MTM's
(since this is a bit of a derail of your thread, if you'd rather PM me the info that would be fine)
Thanks!Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15 -
Hey Venom. I guess I am on to step two. I really like my speakers and I love their clear, clean sound. What got me to wondering about getting a different "warmer" amp was with both sets of speakers.(the rti's and my diyer's). Just running through my hk provided the sound I guess I prefer a little more. Through the adcom both sets of speakers seem a little brighter especially the rti's. It is probably just my preference though because the sound from the adcom IS very clear and powerful, just missing a little something. Almost too sharp for me? I am getting sold on the B&K amps, I think:) That seems like a good first step to try and then maybe go to a different pre later if needed. As far as pre's, the B&K's also sound like they get great reviews, also having a warmer sound to them.Silversmoky
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I'm pretty sure I'm going to build the Modula MTM's over the next few weeks. What do you think of them? How do they sound? Can you provide me some more details of your build? Did you follow Jon Marsh's material list or put together your own xover components?
Hey Tryrrthg. I highly recommend the Modula MTM's. Probably the nicest sounding speakers I have listened to, although I must admit my experience is not vast.:) Very clean and precise. I didn't document any of my build but I would be happy to answer any questions or help if I can. I had a little different crossover because I used the Peerless HDS tweeter. Great tweeter by the way! I did follow the rest of Jon's list. Such a cool, talented guy. I would have to look for sure but I think I used Jantzen 15 ga. air core inductors and I didn't use any of the Audiocap Theta caps. I thought I could always upgrade my crossovers to these if I thought it was necessary. Jantzen Crosscaps for the rest I think. I can get you more precise details if you want. Good luck!Silversmoky -
The HK is fine for HT, but for 2 ch. listening, I'd recommend something else."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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I sure like the Sunfire amps I've heard. They have plenty of power too. Paired with a theatre grand processor they are excellent.
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The Sunfire amps have always caught my eye but I have never had a chance to hear them. Always been curious about them. I could be completely off here but it seems like I read somewhere that the Emotiva amps are similiar? or almost the same amps? Someone correct me if I am wrong here!Silversmoky
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The Sunfire amps have always caught my eye but I have never had a chance to hear them. Always been curious about them. I could be completely off here but it seems like I read somewhere that the Emotiva amps are similiar? or almost the same amps? Someone correct me if I am wrong here!
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I can't confirm any of this. But I believe what I have been hearing on the forum is that there top of the line DMC-1 processor is the only thing based on a sunfire design. I don't know if that is true or not. But its what I have heard around here. -
Maybe that is what I read. I just remembered reading that there was connection between the two brands but I couldn't remember the details about it. Can anybody else confirm on this?Silversmoky
