[coke]

I'm looking for a 2 channel amp to power a pair of Salk HT2-TLs.

I'd prefer something built to last with a good warranty.  Hope to get at least 10-15 years out of whatever I buy. My dad owns sansui equipment from the 70s which still works great (except for a small issue caused by me when i was younger.  Apparently you don't bridge an amp by tieing 2 + wires together  ), so I'm still under the impression that qualtiy equipment should be able to last that long.

Also, it would be nice if it has enough power for HT3s or HT4s.  I have a bad habbit of upgrading   

My room is currently powered off of a single 20A breaker.  My house layout makes it easy to add an additional line if needed.

Budget is $2000 max.  I don't feel that I have to spend that much, and would have no issues spending half that if I could get what I need.  It seems like spending 50% of the cost of speakers on an amp might be about right, but it could be a little high.

I would prefer to buy new or factory refurbished with full warranty.

Amps I've found so far.
Parasound - Halo A21 - $1850
Parasound - 2250 - $1000
AVA 440 - $1700
Emotiva -XPA-2 - $800
Emotiva XPA-1 x 2 - $1800


I can't think of a way to audition all of the amps, so I'm going to basically have to purchase off of recommendations and reviews. 

Any recommendations are appreciated.

[martyo]

If you are serious about HT3's, I'd recommend the 440H version of the AVA.

[Big Red Machine]

Well let me proselytize for a minute about some of your statements:

Planning to purchase with intent to keep 15 years is probably not going to work for you.  You said you like to upgrade so that's working against you from the start.

You'll probably need a good 150 wpc+ SS to handle all these speaker options you pointed out so that is going to cost you some dough right up front.

I'd buy used and save so you might be able to achieve your goal of enough power with that budget.

I'm not a fan of Emotiva or Parasound so I'd lean toward the AVA products but would get a 550 Ultra or double and you'd probably never want again given your three manufacturers listed.  The Parasound stuff is built to last while I don't feel that way about the Emo stuff having owned other models and currently own that brand.  Certainly the AVA stuff is built to outlast any of us.

I'm a tube convert now so anything SS just doesn't have any life to it for me now.  Sure, a hybrid sounds decent but a pure tube unit is even more engaging.

I'd like HT2 TL's some day and that's why I'm going to try the Dodd's from zapper to see if they are musical enough now, and if so, they have enough power for the HT2 efficiency later on.

So I would vote against SS amps but we also need an idea of the preamp you will use to say if it might be a good system match with SS amps or tube amps.  Every system should have some tube element to it IMO and I'm in the two-part tube mentality now versus the one-part tube camp, as in tube pre and SS amp mix.

I'd bet you might be able to audition more than you think, especially with enough crazies here willing to loan you gear to try.

[coke]

I'll add the 550 to my list.

Preamp and DAC haven't been chosen yet.

Budget for amp, preamp, and DAC = $4000

I'm putting a system together in stages.

1. HT2-TLs + 2 channel amp + receiver + old speakers for center and surround

2.  Subwoofer

3.  Salk center and surrounds

4.  Pre amp and DAC.


Although I have considered doing pure 2 channel setup first with HT2-TLs, 2 channel amp, preamp, and DAC.

[Big Red Machine]

Well one way to skin the cat is try SS all around, except for the DAC.  This might be enough to flavor the sound to your liking and can be, overall, less expensive to experiment with to see how the sound adjusts.

Heck, add the 440H as well.

So for now you have a receiver as preamp, correct?  Will you want a pre with HT bypass that is more of a 2 channel piece in the mix with a surround sound processor?  Sounds like you are headed toward a multi-purpose setup.  You might consider a 3 channel AVA amp then so the sound is the same across the fronts for HT as well.

You can ge a nice HT Bypass-equipped tube pre for approx $1k and a tubed DAC for less than $1k used, so you should be fine.  But the pre will be manual and probably not remote.

[coke]

Well one way to skin the cat is try SS all around, except for the DAC.  This might be enough to flavor the sound to your liking and can be, overall, less expensive to experiment with to see how the sound adjusts.

Heck, add the 440H as well.

So for now you have a receiver as preamp, correct?  Will you want a pre with HT bypass that is more of a 2 channel piece in the mix with a surround sound processor?  Sounds like you are headed toward a multi-purpose setup.  You might consider a 3 channel AVA amp then so the sound is the same across the fronts for HT as well.

You can ge a nice HT Bypass-equipped tube pre for approx $1k and a tubed DAC for less than $1k used, so you should be fine.  But the pre will be manual and probably not remote.

I'm selling all of my current equipment, and starting over. 

I don't have a receiver yet. 

I was thinking of getting a 2 channel preamp with HT bypass.

[K Shep]

IMO you are not going to hear much of a difference between solid state amps that are similar in power.  You are more likely to hear a difference between a tube and a solid state amp.  I believe in getting the most bang (power) for your buck.  So I would say between an AVA and a Parasound (I own an A21) solid state amp, go with what ever fits your budget. 

As Big Red shared, it is nice to have tubes some where in your system to soften any edges.  I am a proponent of the tube pre/ss amp setup. 

You can't go wrong with AVA or Parasound and you will find many members here who own a piece of gear from one of them.

[greenhouseman]

AVA gear seems to be a great match with all Salk speakers. If you need to have another option you might want to consider Wyred 4 Sound gear for ss applications, they also seem to be well liked within the community. Good luck on your quest

[martyo]

Big Red is right about the Ultras, I responded with the 440H to stay in your budget. I own the Double Ultra, but had a 440H in my system for a month while the Double was being built. It was a very nice amp, but I need more with my HT3's. Tubes somewhere/everywhere  in the chain for sure

In my experience SS or not, I've heard plenty of difference in "similiar" amps. 

[Paul K.]

I use a Quad 909 power amp in my system, which are driving a pair of MTM speakers which use an ML-TL very similar to what I designed for the HT2-TLs (but not the same drivers).  My Quad is rated at 140 wpc into 8 ohms and 250 wpc into 4 ohms.  There is a used 909 on Audiogon for $899 (list is $1599).  The 909 has plenty of power and control at both ends of the spectrum and has a very engaging midrange (some say tube-like in the midrange but I can't confirm that from personal experience).  Before the 909 I had Meridian 557s which were a bit more powerful but also sort of sterile.
Paul

[TJHUB]

It's nice to see a few people here with similar thoughts to mine regarding tubes.  I've only just gotten started with tubes over the last couple of months, but already there is no way I'd get away from them in my music setup. 

I'm very happy with both the sound and features the setup I have listed in my sig.  I can't as of yet comment on any AVA gear, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from Parasound.  Emotiva is a tough one, mostly because of the fan boys they have on their forum, but I did really like the IPS-1 7-channel class H amp I used to run from them.  Personally I think you'd probably be fine with any amp listed in the original post.

I've had many tube lovers steer me away from tube amps if you need higher power.  I'm not too certain a tube amp would be good for a setup that doubles for HT.  Just something to consider.  I think you can get a fantastic sounding setup with SS amps combined with either a tube preamp or DAC.

Features and price, I think the Parasound 2100 preamp kills anything else available right now.  The analog bass management (for 2-channel) and HT bypass while powered off are real key features.  Sound wise, the 2100 performs very well looking past it's low price.

I think there is something to be said for SS for HT applications.  I think the need for very dynamic range and "sharp edges" for dialog and effects all point to SS.  You can get that tube sound for music and SS for HT with either a tube preamp or tube DAC depending upon your setup as others have already stated.  For me, since I love the feature set and price of my Parasound 2100 preamp, I chose to try a tube DAC for music.  I LOVE my tube DAC for music.         

[Big Red Machine]

Eventually I will go with tubes in the HT and I believe they will do fine if you get above 100 watts.  I know the Butler amps are hybrids but put out 150 wpc and the dynamics reportedly do not suffer.  I'' have to try the Dodd's in the HT.

The Emotivas put out but for 2 channel I cannot say they are very musical and if you can avoid them for serious listening and budget reasons combined......  I prefer a Wyred over an Emo for stereo duties if pressed.

[zybar]

I'm a tube convert now so anything SS just doesn't have any life to it for me now.  Sure, a hybrid sounds decent but a pure tube unit is even more engaging.

Welcome to the club Pete.   

George

[Nuance]

Jeez...after reading this thread I'm starting to wonder about tubes...STOP IT!   

[Big Red Machine]

I'm a tube convert now so anything SS just doesn't have any life to it for me now.  Sure, a hybrid sounds decent but a pure tube unit is even more engaging.

Welcome to the club Pete.   

George

I want to kick myself for taking so long.  What an idiot!  I've missed out on a ton of enjoyment with that tube pre/SS amp combo.

Now whether or not the Dodd amps are "tubey" enough for me we'll see.  Have a Mapletree pre to mate with and see if there's harmony there.

[martyo]

I'm a tube convert now so anything SS just doesn't have any life to it for me now.  Sure, a hybrid sounds decent but a pure tube unit is even more engaging.

Welcome to the club Pete.   

George

I want to kick myself for taking so long.  What an idiot!  I've missed out on a ton of enjoyment with that tube pre/SS amp combo.

Now whether or not the Dodd amps are "tubey" enough for me we'll see.  Have a Mapletree pre to mate with and see if there's harmony there.

Hey Pete, the local dealer here has used Atma-Sphere MA-1's for $7500, less than 1/2 the $17k for a new pair.

[zybar]

I'm a tube convert now so anything SS just doesn't have any life to it for me now.  Sure, a hybrid sounds decent but a pure tube unit is even more engaging.

Welcome to the club Pete.   

George

I want to kick myself for taking so long.  What an idiot!  I've missed out on a ton of enjoyment with that tube pre/SS amp combo.

Now whether or not the Dodd amps are "tubey" enough for me we'll see.  Have a Mapletree pre to mate with and see if there's harmony there.

Hey Pete, the local dealer here has used Atma-Sphere MA-1's for $7500, less than 1/2 the $17k for a new pair.

I have no doubt that those amps would work very well.   

George

[floresjc]

I'd highly recommend the AVA Double 440. I think I paid $1875 for mine and its worth every penny. Its under your budget, has a very liquid sound, and is very solid in terms of build. This thing may outlast me, and I'm only 27. When I was going to get HT3's, this was Frank's recommendation given my budget, and you honestly don't need to spend more unless you want a hybrid or tube system because you prefer that sound.

[coke]

Started with budget of $2000 for speakers, $800 or so for an amp.

Auditioned speakers, and budget had to be increased to $3000

Didn't like those, so increased up to around $4000-$5000.


And now I'm being recommended tube components lol.

 $3000 system is turning into $10k+ 

[oneinthepipe]

$3000 system is turning into $10k+ 

That can easily happen.  There is a lot of great electronic gear on the used market, too, and the costs are less. Good quality amplifiers tend to last a long time, both functionally and in sound quality. 

I also like tube gear, and I really like the HT2-TL with an AVA Ultimate 70.  The HT2-TL can easily be driven by a 30 watt AVA UltraValve, the Ultimate 70's replacement, if your room isn't too large.  There had also recently been a few AVA Ultra-series amps for sale.  An AVA Ultra 550 sold last week for the unbelievable price of 1200.00.  Frank also generally has used gear on his website.