Best Stereo Amp for JBL L-112s

[WifesPissed]

I have the connected to a Denon AVR 3600 at 110W x 2 into 8 ohms and it sounds great but I have read that these speakers really like a lot more power. I will take the Denon's L+R front channel Pre-Amp out to the new amp and run the L-112's since I want to maintain the home theater function they now serve.

So what amp should I run? Money is a factor but I am realistic about the cost of a good amp.

Thanks!

[grumpy]

... a rather personal decision, but I wish I'd not given up a Perreaux 2150B (years ago)
that worked quite well for me with this series (L-112/L-150A)... don't know what they go
for these days, or if you're looking for new/used/something to sort of match the Denon
"look", etc... -grumpy

[Zilch]

I just don't get the "best amp" thing.

Somebody tell me why more than 100W rated power would be required by L112s?

Any decent amp would have headroom well above that for transients, I would think. :dont-know

[B460s, I get it.... ]

[Robh3606]

Somebody tell me why more than 100W rated power would be required by L112s?

Depends on a couple of things. I once did a run off between a Dynaco ST-400 and a Crown 150A. They are 200 and 75 watts per channel. You could easilly hear the Crown run out of power on peaks. We were running L100's at the time so the speakers were similar. It was loud but not crazy loud and it was a big room which I think was the kicker.

Rob

[clmrt]

I chased up and down the amp ladder -

HK AVR325 into JBL L5, now ADS L810, 50 watts per.

Then, HK PA2200, 100 watts per channel.

Then, UREI 6260, 150 per...

Then, ABI Precedent 600A, 225wpc...

Where am I now?

Back to the HK. Hi passed at 60HZ, not worried about it. Sold all the amps for about what I had into them, don't miss the clutter one bit. Now I'm using 15wpc tubes on on those L5's and it's fine for most all my needs.

I still want to try an Adcom some day, probably a 535.

[BMWCCA]

I've run my L112s and O30s on a Crown D150 and D150A-II for years with great results. That being said, I currently am using a DC300A-II with the 030 and a Crown PS400 with my L112s and 4412As with even better results, according to my ears. Back in 1974 when I bought my first Crown the stereo shop (Hi-Fidelity Showroom in St.Louis) let me take home one of each Crown (D75, D150, DC300) to compare them in my system (Mac C20). I believed then that each successive increase in power (and cost) sounded better to me. But as a college student, I stopped at the D150. Now, over 30 years later, I'm catching up on the amps I couldn't afford then. I loan-out amps from my stash to my neighbors and currently just got back my first D150A-II that was filling in for a Phase Linear 400 that passed smoke. I swapped it for another D150A-II that needed some exercise. I currently own seven Crown amps and think any of them would work fine for what you want to do with your L112s. A nice DC300A-II or PS400 can be had for just over $200 with some regularity.

In memory of Tom Loiseaux, a great Crown and JBL fan, from my last PM with him before he passed away:

I too have a little array of Crown stuff...mostly PS amps. These are my amps for my serious listening. Beginning with the Crown PSL-2 pre amp, FFX-2 crossover, and a PS-200 and PS-400 powr amps in to my JBL 4343s.

[majick47]

You didn't give any indication as to room size, required volume level, prefered style of music etc. A couple of years ago I purchased from Audiogon a preowned Yamaha MX-1000(U) 250 watt x 2 amp for my brother who has a pair of JBL 4311B. Paid $450 shipped, amp was in mint condition, sounds very nice and runs perfect to this day. The JBL 4311B is a 3 way system with a 12 woofer similar to the JBL L112. A couple other Yamaha amps that are the same size/power are the M80/M85 and priced about the same in the $500 region. Maybe not the last word in amps but for the money very respectable amps that sell like hot cakes on Ebay.

[JBL 4645]

I’ve recently started to install Alesis RA300 which will slowly take over from my Marantz 1050 and 1030 amplifiers. I like the performance of the Alesis RA300 thou if I was rich man I’d properly have the Crown that are installed in the famous Empire Leicester square cinema.

Still I have to compromise and use other resources in the professional amplifier arena and the Alesis RA300 have suited me just find for now, despite the heat they generate which had me opening the windows a few weeks back I was cooking.



http://www.fproj.com/fp_sound/amps.html

[invstbiker]

Rather than going up in watts, how' bout a nice little 70 watt tube job. I have a pair of monoblock Prima Luna 7's and they rock the house with the Paul B's 4343's. The bar in SD is a different story...

[WifesPissed]

Mc Cormack DNA-1 Deluxe Edition?

[brutal]

fed by my RXV-2400. I just recently bridged a pair of M-80's and they sound even better with the added headroom, typically running in auto Class-A at lower volumes.

It's hard to beat the warmth and extremely low THD of these amps. 250WPC @8Ohms .003THD. IMHO, JBL and same vintage Yamaha (unless going tube) were meant for each other.

The M-80/M-85 in particular are monoblock amps, hence their current prices on epay right now. The M-70 & smaller and newer MX amps aren't too bad, but most aren't monoblock like the M-8x.

Yamaha does build a modern solid sate monoblock for the digital age, the MX-D1. $5k.

[JSF13]

Brutal,or anyone, how do you go about bridging an M80?

Tks,
Joe

[mnavarrette5@co]

I've used an old Kenwood Basic M2 with good results. Also a Crest V900 worked real well too. I'm a Crest amplifier fan anyway, picked it up for $425 and it's been good. Not a 9001 or anything but matches up with the L112 very well.

[BMWCCA]

These old threads are the best, aren't they?!

[sweetliberty]

Must admit being not up with the latest amps. I recommend a Phase Linear 400 or 700 power amps. My L212's never sounded so good on a Phase 400 -(L212's are very similar to your 112's). It went DC and cooked a 2122 on my 4350's and gave it away in disgust. Regret that.
There are many on ebay usually with blown output trannies. A full service including newer more robust output trannies will set you back several hundred but you wont regret it.
Something about those old Phases. Maybe being direct coupled and using loads of paraleled tranny outputs. Who knows but they worked.