[zybar]

I recently purchased some used HT3's (thanks BRM!) and a Manley Shrimp preamp. I'm sure this combo has the potential to make me very happy, if I can find the right amp.

 - AVA Ultra Double 550.  (Thanks for the loan Marty!).  Nearly ideal. Mids and highs are nicely resolved and very musical. I only wish it had a bit more bass impact.

It's extremely rare, IME, to find someone who says that AVA amps lack bass impact. Since I've heard a number of AVA amps and have also heard the HT3s, I'd have to say the problem lies somewhere else.

Maybe it's your preamp that lacks bass impact?

Count me as extremely rare.

The context of my comment is in comparison with the other amps I listed (which all but one were more expensive than the AVA amp).

George

[jbtrio]

See if you can find a used Spectron Musician III SE mk2. on Audiogon.That amp mates wonderful with the Salks especially with a tube pre-amp, which you have. It really controls those woofers with an iron fist. The sound is fast, detailed,transparent, smooth with a deep,wide, soundstage. The highs are open,delicate,with nice decay.

 It won't give you added warm or bloom, but will be true to the source, IMHO.

Joe

[earsfirst]

Oh, for $5000.00, you could purchase two AVA Insight Double 440 or Insight 440H amps and an Insight Phase Inverter Bridge to drive the amps in mono, which will give you 1000 watts per channel of tight, defined, fast, deep and powerful bottom end with glorious mid-range and soaring and transparent top end.  I never heard anyone claim that the bottom end in the Insight amps was lacking, and, with the HT3's bass extension, you will have enough power to demolish your house without ever leaving your listening chair.

So assuming I'm content to leave my house standing, I can buy a single double 440H, if that's not an oxymoron, and still have no lack of bass response? More so than with an ultra double 550?

[earsfirst]

See if you can find a used Spectron Musician III SE mk2. on Audiogon.That amp mates wonderful with the Salks especially with a tube pre-amp, which you have. It really controls those woofers with an iron fist. The sound is fast, detailed,transparent, smooth with a deep,wide, soundstage. The highs are open,delicate,with nice decay.

"nice decay" sounds appealing, if it means what I think.  The Bryston 4B seemed to emphasize the leading edge of notes, which sometimes was good for drum beats, guitar chords, and such; but it seemed to lack follow-through on the duration and decay of notes, losing some of the musical beauty and at time exagerating sibilants, as in plenty of "sssss" but not enough "exy".  The AVA 550 is the counter-example, in my limited experience.

But wait, this is a dreaded class D amp!? And expensive! The iron fist bass control seems plausible but what's all this about the highs? Have you heard this yourself?

[oneinthepipe]

Oh, for $5000.00, you could purchase two AVA Insight Double 440 or Insight 440H amps and an Insight Phase Inverter Bridge to drive the amps in mono, which will give you 1000 watts per channel of tight, defined, fast, deep and powerful bottom end with glorious mid-range and soaring and transparent top end.  I never heard anyone claim that the bottom end in the Insight amps was lacking, and, with the HT3's bass extension, you will have enough power to demolish your house without ever leaving your listening chair.

So assuming I'm content to leave my house standing, I can buy a single double 440H, if that's not an oxymoron, and still have no lack of bass response? More so than with an ultra double 550?

You know, I don't know.  George doesn't think that the AVA amps have great bass response, and he has a lot more experience with amps than me. I am happy with my AVA amp, but I trust George's evaluation of equipment.  Notwithstanding, I seem to recall reading about a comparison in which the AVA Insight 440 had better bass extension than the AVA Ultra.  Martyo would be better to comment, however, because he has had both. 

[zybar]

See if you can find a used Spectron Musician III SE mk2. on Audiogon.That amp mates wonderful with the Salks especially with a tube pre-amp, which you have. It really controls those woofers with an iron fist. The sound is fast, detailed,transparent, smooth with a deep,wide, soundstage. The highs are open,delicate,with nice decay.

"nice decay" sounds appealing, if it means what I think.  The Bryston 4B seemed to emphasize the leading edge of notes, which sometimes was good for drum beats, guitar chords, and such; but it seemed to lack follow-through on the duration and decay of notes, losing some of the musical beauty and at time exagerating sibilants, as in plenty of "sssss" but not enough "exy".  The AVA 550 is the counter-example, in my limited experience.

But wait, this is a dreaded class D amp!? And expensive! The iron fist bass control seems plausible but what's all this about the highs? Have you heard this yourself?

FWIW, I couldn't live with the highs on a stock MK II SE model (especially for a $7k list amp).

George

[zybar]

Oh, for $5000.00, you could purchase two AVA Insight Double 440 or Insight 440H amps and an Insight Phase Inverter Bridge to drive the amps in mono, which will give you 1000 watts per channel of tight, defined, fast, deep and powerful bottom end with glorious mid-range and soaring and transparent top end.  I never heard anyone claim that the bottom end in the Insight amps was lacking, and, with the HT3's bass extension, you will have enough power to demolish your house without ever leaving your listening chair.

So assuming I'm content to leave my house standing, I can buy a single double 440H, if that's not an oxymoron, and still have no lack of bass response? More so than with an ultra double 550?

You know, I don't know.  George doesn't think that the AVA amps have great bass response, and he has a lot more experience with amps than me. I am happy with my AVA amp, but I trust George's evaluation of equipment.  Notwithstanding, I seem to recall reading about a comparison in which the AVA Insight 440 had better bass extension than the AVA Ultra.  Martyo would be better to comment, however, because he has had both. 

Just to be clear, I listened to the single model listed, not the entire AVA lineup.

I thought the AVA was a solid product, nothing less, nothing more.  My opinion is simply that, an opinion and shouldn't count more than other people's opinion. 

Now if I can convince oneinthepipe to make the 30 minute drive and come on over (hint, hint), he can hear my system and have a reference for what I like and how my system sounds.  That might put greater or less emphasis on my opinion in his eyes.

George

[martyo]

Hey buddy, good to finally see your first posts, especially with such a perfect username. I'll pm you some links to previous threads about some of the gear and opinions expressed here to give you a more complete picture. 

[BrianM]

I thought the AVA was a solid product, nothing less, nothing more.

Denon, and NAD, and Rotel, are "solid products."  The AVA FetValve amp is a superlative product, especially for the price, and imo outperforms its share of amps costing significantly more.

[earsfirst]

You know, I don't know.  George doesn't think that the AVA amps have great bass response, and he has a lot more experience with amps than me. I am happy with my AVA amp, but I trust George's evaluation of equipment.  Notwithstanding, I seem to recall reading about a comparison in which the AVA Insight 440 had better bass extension than the AVA Ultra.  Martyo would be better to comment, however, because he has had both. 

Marty has been a huge help, providing demos, loans (gear not $$), and advice.   
I certainly value his opinion and comments, but it's interesting to hear other perspectives as well, especially on the Insight/Ultra bass comparison.

[nicksgem10s]

I had a Symphonic Line integrated amplifier that sounded excellent with Salk HT3 when I had them in my system.

I believe I have read about other Salk HT3 owners having very good results with Odyssey Stratos Extreme monoblock amplifiers.

I have heard the AVA amps with HT3 a number of time and believe there was a pretty good synergy, especially in Jim's system.

Bigredmachine needs to chime in on this thread since I believe he has probably tried more amp combinations with the HT3 than anyone in the world.

[earsfirst]

Many thanks for all the feedback.

Recommendations have included:
 
McCormack DNA-500
Modwright KWA150
Moscode 401HR
Parasound (model?)
CI Audio D-200
Clayton S-40
Spectron Musician III SE mk2
TRL Samson monoblocks

I haven't ruled out AVA, actually the Ultra Double 550 is my mental reference.

My auditions so far have all been free loaners (hence the small number). Looks like the buy-to-try approach is the remaining option, at least for vendors with a satisfaction guarantee.

For what its worth, TRL told me its so hard to keep up with demand for Samson monoblocks that they "no longer have the time to offer a return policy."

[lonewolfny42]

earsfirst...

For $5000 or less?

This would be my choice....Link...

And yes....I've heard it with the HT3's....a very good combo....a solid foundation...

[earsfirst]

I had a Symphonic Line integrated amplifier that sounded excellent with Salk HT3 when I had them in my system.

I believe I have read about other Salk HT3 owners having very good results with Odyssey Stratos Extreme monoblock amplifiers.

I have heard the AVA amps with HT3 a number of time and believe there was a pretty good synergy, especially in Jim's system.

Bigredmachine needs to chime in on this thread since I believe he has probably tried more amp combinations with the HT3 than anyone in the world.

I don't mean to speak for BRM but I have heard him highly recommend the W4S SX-1000. I'd love an audition, but W4S wants a 15% restocking fee on returns and I find that hard to accept.  I want the return option because I have this preconceived notion that class D doesn't do high end, and I want AVA quality high end.

[zybar]

I had a Symphonic Line integrated amplifier that sounded excellent with Salk HT3 when I had them in my system.

I believe I have read about other Salk HT3 owners having very good results with Odyssey Stratos Extreme monoblock amplifiers.

I have heard the AVA amps with HT3 a number of time and believe there was a pretty good synergy, especially in Jim's system.

Bigredmachine needs to chime in on this thread since I believe he has probably tried more amp combinations with the HT3 than anyone in the world.

I don't mean to speak for BRM but I have heard him highly recommend the W4S SX-1000. I'd love an audition, but W4S wants a 15% restocking fee on returns and I find that hard to accept.  I want the return option because I have this preconceived notion that class D doesn't do high end, and I want AVA quality high end.

FWIW, check out the review on the Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 in the latest issue of "The Absolute Sound". 

Pretty positive review.

If you want to stick with Class D, I also suggest you try and audition the CI Audio D-200's or D-500's.

I liked aspects of what the D-200's did on the HT3's when I tried that combo.

George

[Nuance]

There are generally two types of people/sides when it comes to amplifiers.  One side believes they make a noticeable difference, and the other side believes a well engineered amp will sound no different than the next. 

My opinion is that amps don't add much to the sound if they are properly designed, so you're not going to gain a ton (unless you're comparing SS and tubes).  However, if the rest of your system is strong, you'll be more likely to notice those subtle changes, or perhaps you'd never notice at all...who knows?  This topic is subjective, so you really do need to listen to everything you can.  If while listening you hear no differences between amps, go with the cheapest solution with the most amount of power (in order to control that 10" bass driver).  If you do, narrow your search down based on listening and research, and try to bring the final candidates home for an audition. 

I recommend the McCormack DNA500 and would also add a used pair of Parasound JC1 monoblocks to the list.  You may be able to find a pair for $5000ish.  If you find you don't hear any difference between amps, get two Emotiva XPA-2's ($800 each) or two Parasound 2250's and run them in mono. 

Happy hunting.

[Philistine]

Many thanks for all the feedback.

Recommendations have included:
 
McCormack DNA-500
Modwright KWA150
Moscode 401HR
Parasound (model?)
CI Audio D-200
Clayton S-40
Spectron Musician III SE mk2
TRL Samson monoblocks

I haven't ruled out AVA, actually the Ultra Double 550 is my mental reference.

My auditions so far have all been free loaners (hence the small number). Looks like the buy-to-try approach is the remaining option, at least for vendors with a satisfaction guarantee.

For what its worth, TRL told me its so hard to keep up with demand for Samson monoblocks that they "no longer have the time to offer a return policy."

Earsfirst
It's clear you have a strong idea on the ideal sound you're looking for, and selected robust candidates in your audition list.  Clearly you're only going to find the one that works best for you by listening at home in your system.
Vendor satisfaction/return policies all vary, both in written form and also in written form vs reality - some vendors make you jump through hoops and question your judgement, while others make it pain free and some even have a high restocking fee.  In addition, when I've been very keen to audition gear and been unable to obtain it from the vendor, I've bought used and been able to resell at minimal or zero cost.  Anyway, just a few ideas and good luck with your choice - it will be interesting to get feedback on your progress.
Phil   

[oneinthepipe]

Now if I can convince oneinthepipe to make the 30 minute drive and come on over (hint, hint), he can hear my system and have a reference for what I like and how my system sounds. 

George

Whoa hoa, I am there.  PM sent.

[boatschool02]

Earsfirst,

Where do you live?

Right now I'm using the following with my HT-3's:

Wyred ST-1000
Wyred Special Edition Pre-amp (first review to be out soon)
Raysonic CD-168
Reality Cables (shipping this week)

I've also used the Odyssey Mono SE's.  I agree with the other posters, you need to hear for yourself and decide.

On Wednesday, a BAT VK-75SE will arrive.  I've been told I'll need to get another and run them as mono's but I'm really interested to hear the HT-3's with some tube muscle.

They're great speakers.  I finally feel like my system is respectable.  If you or anyone else is willing to make the drive to Newport, RI, you're more than welcome to listen/compare as much as you like.

Luke

[funkmonkey]

I am not sure what your budget is, but if it is up to $5K you might want to look at the Modwright KWA150.  I have heard and read nothing but great things about it, and it sounds like it might be a match made in heaven for the HT3.  I know that Funkmonkey uses a Parasound that he really enjoys with his HT3s....

I use four channels of a Parasound Halo A-51, in a passive bi-amp configuration to drive my HT3s.  It's the only amp I have used on them and have no complaints, but also nothing to compare it to.  From all that I have read the JC-1's are even better performers, but I wanted a 5 channel (well at least three) amp so I could drive the front three speakers in my combined 2-channel/HT set-up.

I've heard some great things about the Modwright KWA-150 as well.  Even though I initially balked at the wattage rating, I think that amp (or two as mono-blocks) could be a great combination with the HT3s.  But, pricey.

The McCormack DNA-500 was top of my list before I got the Halo, after much research.  If I was able to separate my HT from my 2 channel rig I would pick one of these up (used) or try to get a demo Modwright for the 2 channel, and keep the Halo for the HT.

I have also heard the HT3s driven by a 140watt/ch Yamaha AVR and they sounded good enough to sell me on the speakers.  So, like others have said already, it is going to get down to your personal preference; in your room; with your pre-amp and source equipment.

Best of luck to you, I am sure no matter what amp you choose (with enough power) the HT3s are going to sound great.

Cheers
-Funk