What power amps really have 'it?'

DonQuixote99

DonQuixote99

just give me some truth
By 'it' I mean really good sound. Not necessarily amazing world-class audiophile sound for the golden-eared with perfect sources to match, but first class none-the-less. Distinct, sparkling, airy, powerful, without audible limits at loud in-home listening levels, even with fairly-demanding 4-ohm speakers (AR-3a, for example). Examples of amps with 'it' that I have had: Marantz 2230, Sansui G99X, Adcom GFA 5300.

What I want is 'it' in a power amp of 160 wpc/8 ohms or more, to run the front mains in a dual-use HT/stereo setup. Don't need the 'one best holy-grail amp,' just suggestions for the watch list. Price matters, but we can pretend it doesn't for watch-list purposes.

The floor is open!
 
There are too many to mention, but you have embarked on a journey which may lead you, one day, to WOPL. Look for a high damping factor, high current delivery, and a good amount of headroom, as watts do not tell the whole tale. Massive power supplies are a plus, especially if there is one for each channel.

For instance, I found a nice Kenwood piece cheap the other day at an estate sale. It boasted 100 watts, but just didn't satisfy, especially in the lower registers. So, a few days later, I bought an 80 watt Yamaha amp with a massive power supply, and it satisfied and even exceeded my expectations.
 
Last edited:
Splatter Pak said:
There are too many to mention, but you have embarked on a journey which may lead you, one day, to WOPL. Look for a high damping factor, high current delivery, and a good amount of headroom, as watts do not tell the whole tale. Massive power supplies are a plus, especially if there is one for each channel.
Click to expand...

Yep a WOPL will peel the paint but blow you away with power, sweetness, tight bass down to 10Hz, dynamics and headroom :music:

You can have them in two flavors as seen below 500w and 1000w versions, 4ohm loads no problem but if you really crank for an extended time, a set of quiet fans is a must

dGl2W4b.jpg
 
Splatter Pak said:
Northwinds, I figured that this thread would draw you. Thanks for the backup.
Click to expand...

I have my WOPL500SS thundering right now :D

Distortion is so low on these amps it's not even worth measuring and the noise floor is ridiculous now, like a big black hole of silence

I have had the meters flat to the right and you can keep turning the volume until your speakers

A/ Melt voicecoils
B/ Internal speaker protections trip
C/ Cops show up

I have yet to get my 500 to clip because my 300w CV's shut down long before and take about 10-20 minutes to reset themselves but I have not smoked a driver yet
 
DonQuixote99 said:
By 'it' I mean really good sound. Not necessarily amazing world-class audiophile sound for the golden-eared with perfect sources to match, but first class none-the-less. Distinct, sparkling, airy, powerful, without audible limits at loud in-home listening levels, even with fairly-demanding 4-ohm speakers (AR-3a, for example). Examples of amps with 'it' that I have had: Marantz 2230, Sansui G99X, Adcom GFA 5300.

What I want is 'it' in a power amp of 160 wpc/8 ohms or more, to run the front mains in a dual-use HT/stereo setup. Don't need the 'one best holy-grail amp,' just suggestions for the watch list. Price matters, but we can pretend it doesn't for watch-list purposes.

The floor is open!
Click to expand...


FWIW, in my HT/music system I use pro audio amps. The QSC PLX 3402s I use for the main speakers are 700wpc at 8 ohms, 1,100wpc at 4 ohms, and rated for 2 ohms operation. Even with those, I've occasionally flickered the clipping indcators in a moment of passion. :)

Knowing how loud you want, listening distance, and sensitivity of the speakers will provide a very good starting point as to how much amp power you actually need. You can pick your own personal flavor once some facts of operation and expectations are known.
 
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Northwinds said:
I have my WOPL500SS thundering right now :D

Distortion is so low on these amps it's not even worth measuring and the noise floor is ridiculous now, like a big black hole of silence

I have had the meters flat to the right and you can keep turning the volume until your speakers

A/ Melt voicecoils
B/ Internal speaker protections trip
C/ Cops show up

I have yet to get my 500 to clip because my 300w CV's shut down long before and take about 10-20 minutes to reset themselves but I have not smoked a driver yet
Click to expand...

You forgot:

D/ The mouse dies
 
Grateful: Thanks.

WOPL guys: I'm sure they are spectacular amps, but 500 and 1000 watt amps are overkill, not what I'm after, even if they truly have 'it.'

Whoaru: consider the power question solved. 160 wpc/8 ohms sb plenty. I like louder levels than many, but not insanely loud, and it's only an 11 x 16 room, with listening distance of (wait for it) seven feet. Consider the AR-3a the stressing case for speakers.

The question really isn't power. The question is sound quality. Some amps have 'it,' some don't.
 
Forget all your marantz, pioneer and sansui's (especiallly sansui, overrated in my experience) and look at jvc's jr-s600, if you can appreciate the looks its a fine receiver, ok not stricly just an amp, and incredible value for money
 
If you can ever find a Counterpoint NPS-400, this amp does IT for me in both 2ch and as main L/R in HT.
 
sansui b-2301 has everything you could want from a power amplifier. fast deep bass, sweet midrange and crystal clear top end. to boot 300w per channel 8 ohms and 685w in 4 ohms :)
 
Technics SE-9600... often overlooked,but can sound really special (especially with it's matching SU-9600 pre-amp). Nice looks/design with exceptional build quality too!
Although,when I listen to mine I'm always careful/wary not to accidently touch those large exposed caps even after switching it off!
 
Adcoms aren't bad. I see the build quality is there, usually good damping. Not an arm and a leg usually. I don't like the fact there is no speaker protection but the Phase Linears don't have that either.
 
grateful said:
Dynaco ST400.
Click to expand...

Second the ST400 and other variations on that amp, 410 and 416. In particular the 416 as it had double the number of output transistors as either of the other two, and would presumably source more current into the load, though the 400 is no slouch in that department either.

As a recent McIntosh user, I would point to any of their amps with that power level, but at what cost of course.

I would also add the Harmon Kardon Citation 16.

Shelly_D
 
Don't laugh ok....

Toshiba SC-335 w/ a good preamp will make you smile and won't hurt your wallet. If I was not lucky enough to own a WOPL, I would probably be running a 335 because they sound damn good. They are also reliable and can get seriously loud if the need is there. It even looks sort of like a Phase Linear 400. Closest thing I could compare it to is a Proton AA series amp in SQ, very dynamic also

TOSHIBA%20SC+SY%20(1).JPG
 
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