Recommended Modern Amps

Another :thmbsp: for the Arcam A19. Besides sounding great it is built to a high standard too. I love mine.
 
I have had my A-S700 for a few days now and I am blown away. For the money I do not think you get any better sound!

And its a good looking piece of kit too.

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The TPA3116 ( using a new chip from T.I ) is beyond amazing with near SET like performance.

At $20 it destroys the concept that you get what you pay for.

Yes... An no...
recent listening tests prove very expensive amps win against this one.
But it is a very very good value for the money, mainly with mods.
I don't want to change mine for another amp.
it sounds incredibly perfect for me.
But with all my mods, shiiping costs, time, etc... it is not $20 :)
 
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Yes... An no...
recent listening tests prove very expensive amps win against this one.
But it is a very very good value for the money, mainly with mods.
I don't want to change mine for another amp.
it sounds incredibly perfect for me.
But with all my mods, shiiping costs, time, etc... it is not $20 :)

Without mods the $20 TPA 3116 combined with the $35 Astron linear ps will go toe to toe with the best. Totally out classed the Classe integrated I sold.
 
I recently purchased an Arcam FMJ-A19 integrated amp from Audiophile Liquidator. They generally sell for $999 but it is still selling for $778 at Audiophile Liquidator, plus shipping.

I was skeptical that a 50 WPC, chip based amp would out perform my very minty NAD C 162 preamp and my slightly tired Rotel RB 980BX power amp (120 WPC). The sound went from slightly brittle top end and over extended bass to very smooth, yet detailed. The sound stage improved significantly as well. The Rotel would do deep bass somewhat better. The Arcam has no tone controls which does bug me with some old LP's that don't have much dynamic range. But mostly, such refined sound from IC chips is amazing. Overall much better than the discrete component based Rotel that preceded it.

Audiophile liquidator scares me:
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/directory/audiophile-liquidator
 
Today I received an Onkyo A-9050 in the mail. I ordered it Christmas evening. It sounds better than my Pioneer AVR, which is no surprise to me or any of you. The amp is better, and the DAC is better too. I bought it rather than a Yamaha due to the digital inputs and DAC inside. So with two upgrades in this stereo in the last ten days, I am quite happy. Now that the Sony SS-CS5 speakers have broken in, they sound very good. I have wanted an integrated amp for a long time, and now I have a good one. Peace and goodwill.
 
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Without mods the $20 TPA 3116 combined with the $35 Astron linear ps will go toe to toe with the best. Totally out classed the Classe integrated I sold.

So where do you get such an animal? I have no skills. Can you buy assembled?

Tell me more. At that price point what does one have to lose??

Baffled and Hopeful..
 
Pretty pleased with the Topping TP-30 I got for office use. I'm sure the DAC is the weak link, but considering I got it gently used on ebay for 40-something dollars. I have no complaints.
 
Take this integrated amplifier...

Jolida JD102


Add these speakers...

Focal 806V


Be prepared to be amazed. For me, this combination has the best sound quality, very crisp and natural, and it seems to me you experience a 3D sound, a sound unlike anything I have ever heard. This has been the best experience since I got back into audio the past 3 years.

If anyone is fortunate to audition this combination, be prepared to bring them home. :music:
 
Hi, first of all thanks for this thread been a big help. Now that thats out of the way can any one tell me if pyle products are worth looking into for a home theatre setup. Or is it cheapo ebay crap. Trying to find 3 amps for the set up 50w perchannel is more than enough. My budget is low if there is a better product let me know please. If not might go with 3x audio source.
Thanks

Don't know if you ever got an answer. Pyle products would typically be considered cheap around AK. However, if your budget is indeed low, you could order one from Amazon, try it out, and then return it if you are dissatisfied with it.

There are numerous used (not necessarily vintage) options available to you. Onkyo, Yamaha and such are typically decent manufacturers that you can trust. Used ones are on eBay a lot. If you have a question about any of the ones you see, post a question here and I'm sure you will get some replies.

I had some lesser known equipment by Technical Pro (google it) that did the job for me. They are on about the same level as Pyle, and I had a receiver for about 2 years and it did pretty well for not a lot of money.

Perhaps some others will chime in here on this.

Best wishes.

Hal
 
Over the last couple years I've had several integrateds, went through a vintage kick, and then modern. My background is solid state. I tried tubes and it was empty for me. All of the vintage units I restored. Here goes my recommendations of what I know (all played with LS-50's, Arcam rDAC, SVS subs, MiniMac, Pure Music):

1. Luxman L-505ux
2. Sansui AU-717 (amazing amplifier, best value)
3. Accuphase E-202 (more accurate than 2 but slightly more boring)
4. Pioneer SA-9100 (warm sound)
5. Prima Luna Dialogue Premium ($3400 upgraded with kt150's, go figure)
6. Pioneer A-71 (bump by the SA-9100when I got it)

I'm going to work with the Luxman for awhile.
 
Very Highly recommend the NAD 375, or 326. Both of these amps can take a low impedance load that makes my Pioneer SX950 go into protect within seconds, and drive it like a house on fire. And sound "Live front and center" while doing so. Either one, take your pick. With any modern loudspeaker. The only difference will be size of the cracks in your foundation.
 
Over the last couple years I've had several integrateds, went through a vintage kick, and then modern. My background is solid state. I tried tubes and it was empty for me. All of the vintage units I restored. Here goes my recommendations of what I know (all played with LS-50's, Arcam rDAC, SVS subs, MiniMac, Pure Music):

1. Luxman L-505ux
2. Sansui AU-717 (amazing amplifier, best value)
3. Accuphase E-202 (more accurate than 2 but slightly more boring)
4. Pioneer SA-9100 (warm sound)
5. Prima Luna Dialogue Premium ($3400 upgraded with kt150's, go figure)
6. Pioneer A-71 (bump by the SA-9100when I got it)

I'm going to work with the Luxman for awhile.

Love that beautiful Luxman. That's an integrated I would definitely consider.

Interesting rankings, I think our cochleas may be similar. :D
 
On the cheapest and dirtiest end of the scale, the Yamaha R-S201? Girlfriend just picked one up and I paired it with my AR7's. A little too dark for my taste but have held onto them until now because of the rich and full bodied quality of their midrange. The upstart Yamaha receiver doesn't degrade that fine quality much. We laid around listening to a variety of stuff tonight and I found myself thinking that there was a little receiver I could live with if I had to.

Favorable first impression, I look forward to spending more time with it. And the GF is stoked

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81ka5nTkBQL._SL1500_.jpg


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Only modern amp I own is a crown xls 2500. Nothing much say about this amp that I already shared here on audiokarma really. It's lightweight, very powerful with good amount headroom, very clean sounding, has all the necessary connectors anyone ever needs, very good noise floor, very effective and nice built-in crossovers and peak limiters, ect. Probably best amp purchase I ever made and does it sounding nice, clean and effortless with my large altecs and technics sb7000a speakers. I highly recommend it if people don't let the the idea that it being pro gear and it being class d design bother you. I probably end up sticking with crown from now since I always had good performance with their amps.
 
My current amp is an Ayre AX7e and is by far my favorite. I don't have a huge room and do not need more power. I like that I get full sound at very low volume.
 
Only modern amp I own is a crown xls 2500. Nothing much say about this amp that I already shared here on audiokarma really. It's lightweight, very powerful with good amount headroom, very clean sounding, has all the necessary connectors anyone ever needs, very good noise floor, very effective and nice built-in crossovers and peak limiters, ect. Probably best amp purchase I ever made and does it sounding nice, clean and effortless with my large altecs and technics sb7000a speakers. I highly recommend it if people don't let the the idea that it being pro gear and it being class d design bother you. I probably end up sticking with crown from now since I always had good performance with their amps.

I have been seriously looking at the Crown lineup the past few days. I have a Pioneer SX-A9 2 channel integrated amp that I am using right now but was looking at adding an amp to the pre-outs and using it as a pre-amp. Would you recommend doing this?
 
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