Amp Picks

[pathfindermwd]

Looking for some direction for a new amp. I live close to Denver, and there are a few options on Craigslist. I am hoping to get something with 200 WPC, or better.

Currently I have a NAD 375BEE, integrated amp. With 150 WPC, it has enough power normally. My speakers are L100T/T3 network, L100S, 240Ti, CF150. Usually I like to run with the T/T3, and occasionally for added fun, I pair it up with the CF150. Otherwise, it's just whatever I want to pull out and listen to. I recently played the L100S at a friend on his Parasound, and Harmon Kardon 1.5. Since those speakers have L-pads added to them, I can't really say how they compared with the NAD, or how the amp would sound in my home. I am really interested in the McIntosh options, they are said to be warm, and a real treat.

Anyway, here are some of the things I could get, all seem to have good reviews:

ADCOM GFA-555 or MKII $400/$450 respectively.
A favorite among many, lots of power, and lots of availability if I want to expand.

Parasound 2250 (250 WPC) THX Certified. $695
A favorite with my friends. Harder to come by. I distrust the rating as it's smaller than most 200 WPC amps.

Odyssey Stratos. (150 WPC) $595
I had never heard of this amp. Good reviews. Some say it outperforms ADCOM.

McIntosh MC7100. (150 WPC) $700
Great reviews. Noted for warm sound, great bass.

McIntosh MC 2505. $800
Don't have much on it. Far below the power rating I was hoping for, but within the price range.

Bryston 4B NRB. (250 WPC) $799
Heard alot of good things about Bryston on various boards by pro's.

Love to hear some opinions about these or any amp choice.

[Audiobeer]

I would also put a Sony N80 ES or N77 ES in that mix. These can be had for $500 or less. Great amps for the money! On the others you listed I like the Prasound and the Bryston. The Mcintosh 2505 is the least bang for your buck at 50 Watts per channel.

[SEAWOLF97]

Anyway, here are some of the things I could get, all seem to have good reviews:

ADCOM GFA-555 or MKII $400/$450 respectively.
A favorite among many, lots of power, and lots of availability if I want to expand.

Love to hear some opinions about these or any amp choice.

I have an ADCOM GFA-555 (one) , which supposedly has a Nelson Pass connection ...enjoy mine, use it daily and they go for abt $300 around here ..they do seem to blow rail fuses every now and then (not event related) ...easy fix except for the 17 screws to get the top off. I get 325wpc into 4 ohms.

[Guy in WNY]

These amps can be had cheaply, used, and have tons of watts. Reliability is a plus factor also. Real beasts!

[withTarragon]

I would go with the Adcom GFA 555. Keep in mind these are fairly old by now and could use an oil change and tune up.

Check & sdjust the bias. Check for DC offset. Replace the electrolytics. Bypass a few of the caps (search the threads on this). For the money, you will have a very nice sounding amp/

Regarding the crown and BGW, not all the models are good ones. The BGW 750 (and ancient one by now and will need some refreshing) is pretty good. Many of the Crowns are not very good, regardless of the reliability issues.

[SEAWOLF97]

Regarding the crown and BGW, not all the models are good ones. The BGW 750 is pretty good.

I'm a BGW guy (750D,250D,203) but recommended the Adcom . Love my BGW's , but think they may be overkill for him ...plus you get into the 1/4 trs or XLR choice (dont know of any using RCA's) and possible fan issues. (and they wont even take large gauge speaker wire)

As we all know , the preamp (and how it interacts with the amp) might be an even more critical choice. Personally I'd start with the PRE and then grab amp later ....

[pathfindermwd]

[QUOTE=SEAWOLF97;
As we all know , the preamp (and how it interacts with the amp) might be an even more critical choice. Personally I'd start with the PRE and then grab amp later ....[/QUOTE]

Great point SEAWOLF97! I know about as much about pre-amps as I do amps (next to nothing). I know this is not an easy topic, and it has probably been covered here multiple times, but can you guys offer my some opinions on this topic as well. I would certainly like to hear also from the T owners, and what their amp experiences have been.

I have wanted to try a tube amp, or a tube pre-amp, to see what all the fuss is about. Alot of people might want to make the safe bet when it comes to equipment, but I feel like exploring a little.

And let's get into why one piece might be better than the next.

Thanks for your posts. I'll find some info on the options supplied so far.

[loach71]

I'm a BGW guy (750D,250D,203) but recommended the Adcom . Love my BGW's , but think they may be overkill for him ...plus you get into the 1/4 trs or XLR choice (dont know of any using RCA's) and possible fan issues. (and they wont even take large gauge speaker wire)

As we all know , the preamp (and how it interacts with the amp) might be an even more critical choice. Personally I'd start with the PRE and then grab amp later ....

These issues on BGW amps are easily addressed:

1) Get some large gauge SPADE LUGS and crimp / solder (I prefer solder) them to your speaker wires. The wires will then fit on the five-way binding posts. You can also use large gauge compatible banana plugs -- just make sure to insulate the metal ones with heat shrink!

2) The noisy fan problem can be solved by and R & R of the fan... remove the fan and peel the adhesive cover that shields the bearing from dust. Buy some Tri_Flo Teflon micro-sphere lube spray. With the fan facing "bearing up", spray in a liberal amount of Tri-Flo. It smells like bananas (the solvent is amyl acetate). It will dry in bout two hours. After the fan is dry, replace the sticky cover on the fan bearing and re-install the fan in the amp. Do this procedure every two years and you will enjoy enhanced fan reliability and reduced operational noise.

[tom1040]

Looking for some direction for a new amp. I live close to Denver, and there are a few options on Craigslist. I am hoping to get something with 200 WPC, or better.

Currently I have a NAD 375BEE, integrated amp. With 150 WPC, it has enough power normally. My speakers are L100T/T3 network, L100S, 240Ti, CF150. Usually I like to run with the T/T3, and occasionally for added fun, I pair it up with the CF150. Otherwise, it's just whatever I want to pull out and listen to. I recently played the L100S at a friend on his Parasound, and Harmon Kardon 1.5. Since those speakers have L-pads added to them, I can't really say how they compared with the NAD, or how the amp would sound in my home. I am really interested in the McIntosh options, they are said to be warm, and a real treat.

Anyway, here are some of the things I could get, all seem to have good reviews:

ADCOM GFA-555 or MKII $400/$450 respectively.
A favorite among many, lots of power, and lots of availability if I want to expand.

Parasound 2250 (250 WPC) THX Certified. $695
A favorite with my friends. Harder to come by. I distrust the rating as it's smaller than most 200 WPC amps.

Odyssey Stratos. (150 WPC) $595
I had never heard of this amp. Good reviews. Some say it outperforms ADCOM.

McIntosh MC7100. (150 WPC) $700
Great reviews. Noted for warm sound, great bass.

McIntosh MC 2505. $800
Don't have much on it. Far below the power rating I was hoping for, but within the price range.

Bryston 4B NRB. (250 WPC) $799
Heard alot of good things about Bryston on various boards by pro's.

Love to hear some opinions about these or any amp choice.

Not sure of your budget but since you like McIntosh, perhaps a MC352 or MC402. New models have replaced them so perhaps you could find a decent deal on them. A bit more power than you indicated you wanted but it may be the last amp you need to buy.

[SEAWOLF97]

These issues on BGW amps are easily addressed:

1) Get some large gauge SPADE LUGS and crimp / solder (I prefer solder) them to your speaker wires. The wires will then fit on the five-way binding posts. You can also use large gauge compatible banana plugs -- just make sure to insulate the metal ones with heat shrink!

2) The noisy fan problem can be solved by and R & R of the fan... remove the fan and peel the adhesive cover that shields the bearing from dust. Buy some Tri_Flo Teflon micro-sphere lube spray. With the fan facing "bearing up", spray in a liberal amount of Tri-Flo. It smells like bananas (the solvent is amyl acetate). It will dry in bout two hours. After the fan is dry, replace the sticky cover on the fan bearing and re-install the fan in the amp. Do this procedure every two years and you will enjoy enhanced fan reliability and reduced operational noise.

L71 is correct and he IS The BGW Man ....I am using bananas, but dont care for their ability to decouple so easily, and the spade fix has been on my "to do" list for a long time..

My 750D's fan has a "fast/slow" setting ....only works on Fast , and that's too much noise for a quiet listening room (but the fans operation was not noisy)...it never ran hotter than warm, but I did want some air flow , so attached a little muffin and a rheostat ....and can dial in the perfect balance of air flow to low noise.

found my connectors and soldered up my rca to 1/4 trs cables ..work great....the 750D has one other extra feature ...you can daisy chain the signal back out for the source to a second amp , and the first does not have to be powered ON to pass the tunes.

Heavy is good in my book..the Adcom GFA-555 is about 35 pounds,,,the BGW 750D is over 50.

Great point SEAWOLF97! I know about as much about pre-amps as I do amps (next to nothing)..

actually, while looking for preamps...many older receivers have a "pre-amp out" jack , so you can bypass the receivers amp and run it to an external amp ...some of the older Marantz's work very nicely this way

[DavidF]

Looking for some direction for a new amp. I live close to Denver, and there are a few options on Craigslist. I am hoping to get something with 200 WPC, or better.

Currently I have a NAD 375BEE, integrated amp. With 150 WPC, it has enough power normally. My speakers are L100T/T3 network, L100S, 240Ti, CF150. Usually I like to run with the T/T3, and occasionally for added fun, I pair it up with the CF150. Otherwise, it's just whatever I want to pull out and listen to. I recently played the L100S at a friend on his Parasound, and Harmon Kardon 1.5. Since those speakers have L-pads added to them, I can't really say how they compared with the NAD, or how the amp would sound in my home. I am really interested in the McIntosh options, they are said to be warm, and a real treat.

Anyway, here are some of the things I could get, all seem to have good reviews:

ADCOM GFA-555 or MKII $400/$450 respectively.
A favorite among many, lots of power, and lots of availability if I want to expand.

Parasound 2250 (250 WPC) THX Certified. $695
A favorite with my friends. Harder to come by. I distrust the rating as it's smaller than most 200 WPC amps.

Odyssey Stratos. (150 WPC) $595
I had never heard of this amp. Good reviews. Some say it outperforms ADCOM.

McIntosh MC7100. (150 WPC) $700
Great reviews. Noted for warm sound, great bass.

McIntosh MC 2505. $800
Don't have much on it. Far below the power rating I was hoping for, but within the price range.

Bryston 4B NRB. (250 WPC) $799
Heard alot of good things about Bryston on various boards by pro's.

Love to hear some opinions about these or any amp choice.

I know the NAD and Adcom but not the others other than by reputation. I believe the NAD to Adcom would be lateral move and not a move up. The power is similar between the two; more than the ratings suggest. The Adcom might show better in terms of a bass-only application. The NAD might even be a better match for the L100T. Parasound may be a similar move, a little more musical perhaps.

As mentioned above dealing with older amps is sometimes a crap shoot. Old components can introduce pops, snaps and all kinds of annoyances.

[hjames]

Hi there, 'spose I should chime in ...

I have a number of speakers down in the TV room 4341 monitors that I run biamped with Adcom GFA-555 for the woofers and GFA 535 for the 3 higher Freq drivers, plus a pair of L100Ts with T3 crossovers that I run on another GFA-555, and a 3/4 channel Adcom 2535 with 2 channels bridged to 120w for the LC2 center, plus the other 2 channels at 60w/ch for the L20T rear surrounds ...

I have used JBL/UREI 6230 and 6260 amps for the studio monitors before, but the adcoms do seem to have better control of the woofer and a bit more power.
I had also run the surrounds on HK and then Yamaha AVR receivers, but like the matched standalone amps better.

Its not a huge room, but they provide plenty of power for music and movies/TV - we never get anywhere near their upper capacity.

Looking for some direction for a new amp. I live close to Denver, and there are a few options on Craigslist. I am hoping to get something with 200 WPC, or better.

Currently I have a NAD 375BEE, integrated amp. With 150 WPC, it has enough power normally.
My speakers are L100T/T3 network, L100S, 240Ti, CF150. Usually I like to run with the T/T3, and occasionally for added fun, I pair it up with the CF150. Otherwise, it's just whatever I want to pull out and listen to. I recently played the L100S at a friend on his Parasound, and Harmon Kardon 1.5. Since those speakers have L-pads added to them, I can't really say how they compared with the NAD, or how the amp would sound in my home. I am really interested in the McIntosh options, they are said to be warm, and a real treat.

Anyway, here are some of the things I could get, all seem to have good reviews:

ADCOM GFA-555 or MKII $400/$450 respectively.
A favorite among many, lots of power, and lots of availability if I want to expand.

Parasound 2250 (250 WPC) THX Certified. $695
A favorite with my friends. Harder to come by. I distrust the rating as it's smaller than most 200 WPC amps.

Odyssey Stratos. (150 WPC) $595
I had never heard of this amp. Good reviews. Some say it outperforms ADCOM.


Love to hear some opinions about these or any amp choice.

[Don C]

I recently purchased a secondhand Lexicon NT512 and NT225. These are made by Bryston, they even say so in small print on the back panel. The NT512 is a 9B-ST-THX, and the NT225 is a 4B-ST-THX. But because they don't say Bryston in big letters on the front, they were a bit cheaper than Brystons usually go for. And the usual Bryston warranty doesn't apply. Anyway, they are all I could want in an amplifier, I get the feeling of endless power available with no stress ever. Between songs, dead silence. I'm attributing this to the XLR interconnects. Anyway, I'm quite happy with the purchase.

[pathfindermwd]

Adcom GFA 555. $260. Thanks Dave from craigslist. I have the amp hooked up now to the L100S's, using the NAD as preamp, sending obscene amounts of power to the speakers, and the results are...good!

Initial impressions are that is seems quite a bit (alot) warmer than the NAD, with more bass and overall power. The NAD did just get back from the shop where they replaced the whole tone board. This caused the NAD to seem extremely bright, and base deficient. Seriously, it wasn't just my ears, I could see that the woofers were barely moving. This doesn't surprise me as the NAD took quite awhile to produce bass when I bought it new, I have no idea why this is and have no experience with the burn in theory, except this.

I hope to get an ADCOM preamp before making too many comparisons, but I will get back to you all. thanks for your input. BTW, price was a big driving point, for the money, it's hard deal to beat. I think that at the price points I was seeing, I was ready to try the Emotiva XPA-2, if only they would have had them in stock this story might have ended differently.

I did check on all the amp suggestions you gave, and made the best choice I could based on price/availability/compatibility. Thanks again for your helpful suggestions!

[SEAWOLF97]

Adcom GFA 555. $260.

Congrats on a nice purchase .... quite sure you'll enjoy yours as much as the rest of us do
...

>> couple of quirky things: when you power it off ..the light stays ON abt 10 seconds while the caps are draining, also mine makes a funny little fairy fart through one speaker when that cap finally empties.

On my 555, I found a CL ad : "dead amp..free to good home" and picked it up. main external fuse was OK , and then opened it a found 2 card fuses were blown ..they are standard size/amperage so its NBD to replace.

Was happy enough with it that went looking for an Adcom preamp ...their web site used to show the complete vintage products with specs/features ....I wanted a remote and when I discovered that they made pre's with FM tuners (gTp-xxx) , wanted that too ...the chart showed which to get , so went looking for a GTP-500 mk2 ....in a short time up popped one on CL ...they go between $75-150 ....on this ad an Orthodontist wanted $125.....when I called him , he asked if I wanted the "Adcom phase inverter" too ??

had NO idea what that was, but he gave me model number ...GDA-600 . Well, thats Adcoms DAC (it has a phase invert switch)....had no experience with a DAC , but negoed the price to $130 for BOTH.

had looked up the DAC and they sell $200-300 on eBay, but wasn't sure where to use it. Slightly earlier I had traded my cheapo L7's for a huge Sony Vaio laptop (19 inch RGB screen) and wasnt sure what to do with that either ....looked at the laptops specs and it has optical output on the audio ...SO, connected the laptop via mini-toslink to the DAC to my preamp to the 250Ti's .....a very smooth/warm sound ...everybody likes the combo ...Adcom seems to be good "bang for the buck" and has served me well so far..

Oh yeah...I was selling TT belts on CL ....one guy asked if I was open to trades ?? He needed 2 belts and a headshell ....he came over and traded an Adcom 5.1 amp in super condition (and its configurable to 2 channel) ..currently no place to use it..


Adcom GDA-600 DACs Reviews
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/digit...7_2738crx.aspx

here is a white 555 at abt the predicted price:
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ele/2480138925.html