Used Marantz or New Emotiva/Dayton monoblock?

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roscoeiii
roscoeiii Posts: 48
edited April 2008 in Electronics
Hi folks,

I need a cheap monoblock amp (no more than $150) to power my passive sub (an NHT SW2), and I'm trying to decide between a used Marantz MA-500 and a new Dayton APA150 (which appears to be identical or similar to the discontinued Emotiva BPA-1). The Marantz is 125W into 8 Ohms and the Dayton (when bridged) is 150W into 8 Ohms, but both seem powerful enough to power the sub. They are both about the same price, so it's just a matter of which will sound better. Is monoblock preferable to a bridged amp? Anyone listened to both? Have any thoughts that could help with the decision? Or any thoughts on other subs I should look into? Thanks.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited April 2008
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    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66522&highlight=monoblock
    "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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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited April 2008
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    A wag of the finger to you roscoeiii...
    Jake
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited April 2008
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    get the Marantz MA500 amp.. they are cheap and powerful enough.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • roscoeiii
    roscoeiii Posts: 48
    edited April 2008
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    Sorry about the double post. I'm new here and didn't see the electronics section when I first posted. I noticed it when looking at WTB, which another polker suggested would give me more responses. This section seemed more appropriate to my question.
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  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,811
    edited April 2008
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    That Dayton looks pretty good for the price, and it has a sub crossover built in. I'd give it a try. PE has a great 45 day return policy, so not much to lose.
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  • roscoeiii
    roscoeiii Posts: 48
    edited April 2008
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    Yeah the 45 day return policy and the warranty on the Dayton are pretty appealing. Not so worried about the sub crossover, since I'll use my Outlaw receiver to set the crossover. Auto on/off also appeals as does the future flexibility of later using it as a 2 channel amp. On the other hand, the Marantz MA-500 has gotten some great reviews. Heck, maybe I'm obsessing too much since the eventual amp will just be powering a sub. More thoughts on the matter are definitely welcome.
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