three channel amplifier

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chamont
chamont Posts: 22
edited May 2003 in Electronics
Hey there,

I've got a sony ES receiver, and I'm looking for an external amp. I'd initially looked at Rotel RB-985, and still am, I suppose, but my receiver is a 6 channel, and the Rotel 985 has only 5.

So I was thinking it might be cheaper just to drive the three front channels with a good three channel amp, but they're harder to find.

Any recommendations on three channel amps???

Thanks.

Monty
Post edited by chamont on
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,078
    edited April 2003
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    Adcom GFA 2535 (I think). Its 60x3. Not alot of Watts, but thoughs 60 watt amps can drive 500 watt speakers to ear bleeding levels. Adcom is clean, conservative and just a PLAINLY awesome amp! I love em! They go for 250-350 on EBay. There is one on there now.

    Nervermind that Auction already went off, here is one.....

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3020809444&category=14973
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • chamont
    chamont Posts: 22
    edited April 2003
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    Thanks, the 2535 looks more my style. Although I'll be dreaming about the
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  • chamont
    chamont Posts: 22
    edited April 2003
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    oops, hit the enter key too fast...

    Thanks, the 2535 looks more my style. Although I'll be dreaming about the 5503 tonight.

    2535 ought to drive lsi 7 or 9's I suppose (that's next on my shopping list).

    Thanks again.
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  • Ceruleance
    Ceruleance Posts: 991
    edited April 2003
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    I think you would be better off going with 2 seperate 2 channel amp, one bridged to run the center, or maybe just using one of the 2 channels for now, and use the other one to drive a rear center in the future.

    Don't listen to Vr3, he lives in a closet. 60 watts won't do jack in a real room, and will not do well with the LSi's. Get a real amp.
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  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited May 2003
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    In a real room? WTH! My dad has a 20 by 20 den, these amps can drive about ANY speaker to ANY level without clipping, ADCOM is STABLE down to 2 effin ohms. Your full of sheat. 2 channel amps are the way to go though, leaves upgrading for 6.1. Listen to others advice broda (cer), WATTS MEAN SQUAT!
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,832
    edited May 2003
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    MX has a point, 60 clean watts are better than 200 dirty watts, but watts are not everything. Damping, slew rate and input impedance are important to look at also. Then there are ohms, **** clean watts won't mean much if you've got 4 ohm speakers (LSi) and an amp that only does 6 ohms.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited May 2003
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    Originally posted by F1nut
    Then there are ohms, **** clean watts won't mean much if you've got 4 ohm speakers (LSi) and an amp that only does 6 ohms.

    I say bend the rules untill you hear distortion.

    :p
    Twin
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • fireshoes
    fireshoes Posts: 3,167
    edited May 2003
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    I love the thd light on the adcom amps. Let's you know when you are at stupid loud levels. :)

    BTW I saw a GFA5500 go for about $450 today on ebay. That's so cheap for an amp that nice. Smokes my employee discount. Too bad I'm broke!
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited May 2003
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    Originally posted by fireshoes
    Too bad I'm broke!

    me too.. you have a link for the hell of it?

    where:

    GFA5500_

    Evil Twin

    My wife will sheeeit:lol:
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • dlew308
    dlew308 Posts: 530
    edited May 2003
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    this one?

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3020919377&category=39783
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  • HBombToo
    HBombToo Posts: 5,256
    edited May 2003
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    Saved

    Twin
    ***WAREMTAE***
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  • Ceruleance
    Ceruleance Posts: 991
    edited May 2003
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    Why dont you go with the RB-985 and pick up a smaller rotel stereo amp to either run one channel and dont use the other one, or bridge it to run the 6th channel. If you go this route then you are ready for 7.1. Rotel will make you much happier than adcom <B>IMO</B>
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  • Ceruleance
    Ceruleance Posts: 991
    edited May 2003
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    Forgot to add: Current does matter, and I will completely agree with you that if you are listening at 50 watts, a cleaner 60 watt amp will sound better then a noisier amp that is capable of 200. But, if you extend the headroom of your 60 watt amp, its going to sound like ****, whether its a current demanding situation or not. This is all disregarding whether it blows up or not..

    If you have a decent sized room, if your speakers are less than 100 dB, and you dont have an AARP membership, you are probably going to ask more than 60 watts of power from your amps. And isn't that 'sometimes' what it's all about?

    Also, the man is talking about rotel, and I think we can all agree that any rotel or adcom 200 watt amp will be of higher quality than any adcom or rotel 60 watt amp, so the 60 watt clean vs. 200 watt dirty isnt even an issue. Not to mention an amp that is dirty at 200 watts, is probably pretty clean at 60, considering all that it has in reserve.

    Regardless, getting back to the nature of the post, one of our very own club members has a rotel amp that bridges to 110 watts up for sale in the flea market, it may be worth checking out.
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  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited May 2003
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    Adcom has THD in the triple digits
    and all their amps use the SAME components, so they ALL sound ALIKE. The GFA-545II (100x2) hits ebay at around 250-300. Cer, my Dad's speakers can hit 110 db with those 60 watt amps, their klipsch. The amps can take it, and you cant clip em, the amp tells ya when your gonna clip em witht he LEDS as mentioned above.
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
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  • fireshoes
    fireshoes Posts: 3,167
    edited May 2003
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    Actually it was this one!

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39783&item=3021295782
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  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited May 2003
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    HOLY EFFIN SHEAT! THAT is an EFFIN good price man! DANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
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  • chamont
    chamont Posts: 22
    edited May 2003
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    Originally posted by Ceruleance
    Why dont you go with the RB-985 and pick up a smaller rotel stereo amp to either run one channel and dont use the other one, or bridge it to run the 6th channel. If you go this route then you are ready for 7.1. Rotel will make you much happier than adcom <B>IMO</B>

    That's what I was planning (RB-985), but then thought it might be cheaper to get a 3 channel amp and I wouldn't have to buy a mono amp on top of it for the sixth channel. New 6 channel Rotels, by the way, are a tad out of my price range.

    Decent 3 channel amps are way too hard to find it seems. I guess either way I'm in good shape (RB-985 or a couple nice 2 channel amps).

    Thanks for the advice.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited May 2003
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    Check out Carver on ebay as well. I have seen a couple of 3 ch Carvers listed.

    A lot of happy Carver 2 ch owners 'round here... don't know any with a 3 ch model though.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • MxStYlEpOlKmAn
    MxStYlEpOlKmAn Posts: 2,116
    edited May 2003
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    By the way, if your driving the lsi's with an adcom 60 watter, its then 100 watts x2. Because in 4 ohms its 100. goodbye.
    Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
    I promised myself
    No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
    Damn you all! - ATC
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  • TonyPTX
    TonyPTX Posts: 545
    edited May 2003
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    If you can pick up a Rotel RB-993, it's the way to go. 200WPC into 3 channels. You won't find any at the store since Rotel has discontinued the product, however I was recently offered one for $800 (orginally sold for $1500 in 98 or 99) at AudioGon. I can put you in contact with the guy if you're interested.

    Tony
    Damn....8 lines...I've gotta put my sig on a diet now....
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