Perreaux - Questions

received this interesting email today:


I came across your business card today.

"Dear Tom:

We met a few years ago and you expressed interest in some Perreaux audio items
I own. I've decided to clear about half my audio inventory this year, so you're the first person I've contacted about the Perreaux

Initially, I plan to sell the power amp (a pristine PMF-2350 still in factory pack
with all paper work). Then, perhaps later, I'll sell the TU-3 Tuner and the SA-3 preamp.

Perreaux Industries PMF 2350 - Manual - Stereo power Amplifier - HiFi Engine

2017 is the year I plan to eliminate any need for paid storage.... and reclaim some living space, too.
I have way too much stuff and it's time to sell or donate a significant amount of it. Not getting any younger, you know....

Let me know if you're still interested.

Sincerely, "


QUESTIONS:

I know NOTHING about the brand. recommendations/warnings ??
Fair price ?
gotchas ?

think I'd want the preamp too. same questions.

A LITTLE LATER ADDITION:

Doing some thinking , my 250ti's are hung off the BGW 750D and the OHM F2's are on the BGW 250D (both on a shared BGW 203 preamp)

I feel like the OHM's are being underpowered with the 125wpc 250D. They are only merely awesome now. I know they can be better as I auditioned them on a big Hitachi amp. They are 4 ohm.
looking at the PMF-2350's specs ...

Power Output
200Wrms per channel continuous both channels driven into 8 Ohm from 20Hz to 20kHz at no more than 0.01% Total Harmonic Distortion.
330Wrms per channel continuous into 4 Ohm , I think that could be a very good match to the F2's ??

informed opinions ?

Yep these older Perreaux amps are very solidly made mosfet amps from New Zealand. I've had a couple (a 6000b and a 6200b) from the 1980's I think your example is also 80's. The company is still around today. They were typically pro amps but the PMF series was the more audiophile range. If the price is right, go for it. You may wanna check there is no corrosion inside. The power switch on the front of these is known to go bad, but you can work around that. Not sure about your model but the 6000b and 6200b had fans which were pretty noisy. But Perreaux themselves advised me that you can disable the fan if you're not playing crazy volumes. I suspect your one won't have a fan.

I used the 6000b (300WPC) for bass duties on my 4343s. It's quite similar to the BGW 750C I used to have in fact I think the Perreauxs were even based on the BGWs. I've never had these more refined audiophile PMF series ones but I suspect they'll be even nicer. Here in Australia where there are far more Perreaux's around I think a PMF 2350 in decent shape would go for around AUD700. Check out hifishark for past sale prices in the states, could be a bit more due to the relative rarity where you are.

Your buddy Punch, in Chicago is running his 250tis with a Perreaux amp as I recall, and is very satisfied.

There is a member in our area, Opimax, who has quite a stack of Perreaux amps some of which are broken and are in need of service.

So.....:spin:

I believe it was the previous iteration pmf1850/2150b/... that had the power switch issue,
but I think I'd hold out for a 3150 (these are all Hitachi MOSFET amps),
unless you're hot for this particular deal. I've had three of these (2150b/3150 and the pro 5000b).
And I'm sorry I let two of them go. Some will poo poo these as tarted up PA amps or as lifted
designs from the hitachi mosfet design guide (both are kind of true), but I've enjoyed them.
I believe output device replacements are NLA.

The SA- series pre was not their top (SM- was) and the tuner sounded good on nearby stations
(in my ancient recollection) ... TU-3 looks like the same tuner I recall with updated plastic bits to
look consistent with the rest of that era of perreaux consumer gear.

If it all works and you are happy with the price, it's all built pretty well if a bit minimalist in function
(audiophile style). They also made a tone control to use in the tape loop, but (having also had that)
wouldn't give $50 for ... was way too subtle for my liking.

I have multiple Perreaux amps and 2 Adcoms. I compare that Perreaux to the Adcom 555 except Perreaux has warmer fuller sound. I use the Adcom on the b460 currently and another on the surrounds. I have not had that model. On 1 of our listening get togethers we compared a Perreaux to a Crown amp, all thought the Perreaux was a better sound. in the past I have trouble getting them serviced finding 1 place in NY and 1 place NC that would service them.,. Just recently a shop open up 2 miles from house that will service them.

I just got a new prepro and started the tuning process. The Adcoms are bridgeable while the amp i thought i would use from Perreaux are not in that model size. I do have a Perreaux bridged on my center channel and a home version on my mains. In the garage I have a big one on the 2nd set of 250TI and 1/2 of a broken one on the clone b460. I don’t remember model numbers from work. All about to change which one where as they get repaired and put in place. May have to use a Velodyne SMS-1 on whatever amp end up on the b460 or a pro amp w/level controls or both to get room correction software to be happy with levels.

Short Version ..Perreaux makes nice sounding amps which are heavy and hard to service

Quote:

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Originally Posted by opimax

On 1 of our listening get togethers we compared a Perreaux to a Crown amp, all thought the Perreaux was a better sound.

---

My recollection on that visit was that your Perreaux amps (mounted in the basement if I remember correctly) were 350-WPC. The Crown was mine, the PS400, which is rated around 190 at 8-ohms. I also own Adcom, JBL/Urei, Soundcraftsmen, and Carver amps. Even when rated at higher output than the Crown PS400, I still prefer the sound of of the Crown. Now that may just be a testimony to the efficiency of the JBL 4345, or the fact that they're bi-amped, but that's what I settled on having several from which to choose. Now on those stubborn 250ti's, I have Subwoof's Crown Studio Reference-II to use—when the house is built and I have room deploy all this crap!
:)

Guy who was offering P-amp to me has now started to get money hungry.

"Well, here are comps ... may put up on ??? site" etc.
Can smell deal falling through.

One way to get lots more power to the F2's is just to hang a speaker selector
box off the BGW 750D. Go to either JBL's or OHM's with the push of a button.

I've avoided that for fear of signal degradation, but I've got a couple of those
boxes (Niles & equivalent ) and may experiment to see how bad they are :dont-know:

From: "SEAWOLF 97" .

I did a little homework last night too.
there was 1 on ebay with BIN for 699, listed twice. did not sell

my gut feeling is that a realistic value is 450-500 -
not trying to lowball you, but the advancements in amps since
1988 are substantial

SELLER:
I apologize for being late getting back to you....had a hell of a Friday.
Do you have any time this weekend? Maybe at your place?

I ask because I'm in a state of ordered chaos with box sorting, but no test bench or
demo system. Been listening to CDs on computer or a boombox
with the TV on a soundbar since last fall.

BTW, I concur with your pricing estimation...seems realistic to me.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Thanks.

That's a fair price, if the condition is ok I'd pull the trigger.