Please Recommend Solid State Stereo Amps

john1970 · « **on:** 22 Jul 2006, 10:52 pm »

To all AC members,

I am looking at upgrading my amp in the next two months. The amp must be solid-state (no tubes or hybrids) and deliver a minimum of 300 W / channel @ 4 ohms.

Please recommend...

Thank you,

John

tdangelo · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 10:59 pm »

I know you say hybrid is a no no but man - your really limiting yourself. The Butler 2250's are FANTASTIC hybrids who's performance far exceed's their cost. They run cool - tubes last practially forever with auto biasing and they can be left on 24/7 while only consuming 40 watts. Very sweet midrange and good bass.... Check them out

zybar · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 11:01 pm »

John,

Since you said no hybrid or tube amp, here is a list to get you going:

CI Audio D-200's
Belles Reference 350a
McCormack DNA-500
Odyssey Extreme Mono's
BAT VK-500 w/ BAT-PAK

George

tvad4 · « **Reply #3 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 11:17 pm »

How about Pass Labs X250, X250.5, X350 or X350.5, and McIntosh MC252, MC352 or MC402?

If I was looking at high wattage SS, I'd look carefully at Pass Labs and McIntosh.

zybar · « **Reply #4 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 11:27 pm »

Quote from: tvad4 on 22 Jul 2006, 11:17 pm

How about Pass Labs X350 or X350.5, and McIntosh MC352 or MC402?

If I was looking at high wattage SS, I'd look carefully at Pass Labs and McIntosh.

I can't speak for the McIntosh, but I would take all the amps (except for the Odyssey Extreme mono's since I haven't heard them in a system I know very well) I listed over the Pass.

As Spectralman said in one of his recent posts, the Pass amps have a layer to it that makes everything have a sheen or slight grit/glare. While not as bad as many other solid state amps, it is very obvious and bothersome in a revealing system.

George

George

PeteG · « **Reply #5 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 11:56 pm »

One amp that you should audition is Simaudio W-5 amp, it’s output @ 4ohm is 380.
It really takes control of your speakers and is very good with difficult loads.

And if you can swing it, the W-10 monos (1400 @ 4ohm) are a great step-up.
But they should be heard in your own system, not at a dealer (my opinion).

Pete

http://www.simaudio.com/moonw5.htm

kfr01 · « **Reply #6 on:** 22 Jul 2006, 11:56 pm »

How about a pair of JC1 monos:

http://www.parasound.com/halonew/JC1front.php (800x1 @ 4)

Or even the A21:

http://www.parasound.com/halonew/A21details.php (400@4, and can be had for <$2k)

None of us have really asked. What's your price range?

elcaptain88 · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 12:24 am »

For solid state only I would check out the Omegastar 300w equivalent at Audio by Van Alstine - avahifi.com.

alwayslearning · « **Reply #8 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 12:37 am »

Edge NL10.1 or 12.1 have great sound and are an excellent value used. They're also beautifully built and are well supported technically. Edge is certainly worth a listen.

john1970 · « **Reply #9 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 01:34 am »

To all who have given advice,

My price range is 2-4K. I would like to purchase new, but used could be an option.

Also some info on my current system:

Amp: NAD C372 (integrated with 150 W/ch @ 4 ohms) Would use as preamp with the new amp.
Source: NAD 502 CD player
Speakers: VMPS RM40s with upgraded (Auricap) crossovers
Cables: Belden cables from Bluejeans cable.

Thank you,

John

tvad4 · « **Reply #10 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 03:24 am »

Quote from: zybar on 22 Jul 2006, 11:27 pm

Quote from: tvad4 on 22 Jul 2006, 11:17 pm
How about Pass Labs X350 or X350.5, and McIntosh MC352 or MC402?

If I was looking at high wattage SS, I'd look carefully at Pass Labs and McIntosh.

I can't speak for the McIntosh, but I would take all the amps (except for the Odyssey Extreme mono's since I haven't heard them in a system I know very well) I listed over the Pass.

As Spectralman said in one of his recent posts, the Pass amps have a layer to it that makes everything have a sheen or slight grit/glare. While not as bad as many other solid state amps, it is very obvious and bothersome in a revealing system.

George

And there are others who would take the Pass over any other brand. It's really a matter of personal preference, wouldn't you agree? System synergy. Speaker synergy. He asked for options. I don't think he can expect anything more than a list of possibilities, and none of us knows what he will prefer.

Sim
Pass
Bryston
BAT
Ayre
Odyssey Audio
Edge
Belles....

He's going to wind up with the usual audio discussion board laundry list, and ultimately he's going to have to make an educated guess unless he first listens to a few matched with VMPS loudspeakers. Hopefully, some VMPS owners will offer some pertinent suggestions.

arthurs · « **Reply #11 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 04:00 am »

I'm not a big ss man, but I recently got to hear the Herron M1's for a bit and they are spectacular ss amps. They are on the lower end of your power target, but really worth a hard look, er listen...

kfr01 · « **Reply #12 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 04:02 am »

Quote from: john1970 on 23 Jul 2006, 01:34 am

My price range is 2-4K. I would like to purchase new, but used could be an option.

John:

If used is an option, check this deal out:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=21140

Guy is selling 9 (wow) Parasound JC1 mono blocks for $1950 each. 800x1 @ 4ohms. I don't think you'd ever need more power. 25 watts of class a power before switching to ab.

Lots of really good options in the 2-4k range.

Bob Reynolds · « **Reply #13 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 05:41 am »

Hi John,

It's hard to do better than a Bryston. Exceptional engineering, build and warranty. Of course, you pay for that. You can usually get their pro amps at a discount through pro audio dealers. I can suggest one if you wish.

Parasound should also merit consideration.

The best value I know of is from ATI. Their multichannel amps with balanced amp modules are an amazing value. For stereo the AT3002 is $2K (300w @ 8, 450w @ 4). Assuming your speakers support biamping, the AT2004 is $2100 (4 channels, 200 @ 8, 300 @ 4).

Sound City is an authorized dealer that usually discounts and has free shipping:

http://www.soundcity.com

It does not matter whose amp you end up with as long as the output impedance is low (pretty much a given with solid state) and the available power is adequate to drive the speakers. Your list of associated equipment shows that you have a keen eye for value and a level head. Congrats -- it's tough to do in this hobby.

-- Bob

tvad4 · « **Reply #14 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 06:28 am »

I have owned or auditioned three ss amps that sounded better than either my Bryston 4B SST or 14B SST amps, so I will respectfully disagree that you can't do much better than a Bryston. If you're looking purely at specifications and warranty and value, then that's one thing. But, if you're listening to what your system sounds like, then that's another thing entirely.

However, I realize one usually has to travel down the road for oneself to see what lies over the hill.

Frihed91 · « **Reply #15 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 10:06 am »

No one has even questioned this. Why do you need this kind of power and high current? Are you playing impossibly difficult-to-drive 4 ohm speakers at 120 dB in Carnegie Hall? (Does this mean 600 Wpc at 8 ohms?)

I urge you to reconsider, rethink and understand why you need this kind of power. There is a lot of marketing hype and misinformation out there regarding the need for power. An outstanding high current amp (that has both high current and excellent across-the-board sonic characteristics at high power output levels at all frequencies) is NOT cheap to build.

This is not attack. If you know your business, great.

Good luck.

zybar · « **Reply #16 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 12:12 pm »

Quote from: tvad4 on 23 Jul 2006, 06:28 am

I have owned or auditioned three ss amps that sounded better than either my Bryston 4B SST or 14B SST amps, so I will respectfully disagree that you can't do much better than a Bryston. If you're looking purely at specifications and warranty and value, then that's one thing. But, if you're listening to what your system sounds like, then that's another thing entirely.

However, I realize one usually has to travel down the road for oneself to see what lies over the hill.

Agreed!

china · « **Reply #17 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 02:11 pm »

Hello,
I would like to recommend a Chinese manufacturer, Dussun (Korsun),
the one that I would like to suggest is the Model V8i. In the United States, Dussun is distributed by "AAA-Audio.Com." It is a 250 watt per channel intergrated amplifier selling for around $1,600?? It was sold in the United States under "Red Rose Music" for around $7,000 at the time. You can check some of the reviews and you might just like it for the price. I believe a Mr. Ping is the owner of "AAA-Audio" and I am sure that he will help you if you ask. As always, all the best.

Sincerely,

China

Carlman · « **Reply #18 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 02:37 pm »

Quote from: china on 23 Jul 2006, 02:11 pm

Hello,
I would like to recommend a Chinese manufacturer, Dussun (Korsun),
the one that I would like to suggest is the Model V8i. In the United States, Dussun is distributed by "AAA-Audio.Com." It is a 250 watt per channel intergrated amplifier selling for around $1,600?? It was sold in the United States under "Red Rose Music" for around $7,000 at the time. You can check some of the reviews and you might just like it for the price. I believe a Mr. Ping is the owner of "AAA-Audio" and I am sure that he will help you if you ask. As always, all the best.

Sincerely,
China

If you have a financial interest in Dussun or other gear, please post ads in the Market Square. Do you have proof that these amps are also sold as 'Red Rose Music'? If not, please do not misrepresent other companies while schilling another.

-C

fredgarvin · « **Reply #19 on:** 23 Jul 2006, 03:34 pm »

Oh so we must have proof now? :scratch:Doesn't everyone know that Red Rose sources chinese products? Hello? How about the ribbon monitor. Sheesh, suddenly you can't shill on Audiocircle?

Well I guess if he's selling them... Anyway having been an owner of VMPS, I would agree with John1970 that high-current amplification will bring out the best in them. Also amps known as "bright" are not a good match imo.