Agoners: Need Advice! Have 3K to spend on an Amp, what do I do with no way to audition?

You mentioned, "no audition" as a concern.  Both Odyssey and Sanders(Magtech) offer thirty day, no questions returns.  Klaus' amps are made right here in the Indiana and fit well within your budget.

Pass labs if you can find one that’s not over 5 yes old in your price range.

2nd would be Parasound Halo A21 - simply Superb! Got 3 of them!

3rd would be "ClassDAudio" SDS 470C - AMAZING SS + TUBE sound for $700 (1st if you consider the value) - it can drive anything well.  Use it the most.
http://www.classdaudio.com/sds-series-amplifiers/sds-470c-class-d-audio-power-amplifier/

Pass labs if you can find one that’s not over 5 yes old in your price range.

bassdude,

Why must Pass Labs be less than 5 years old?

I have owned many Pass amps including some Alephs from early 90`s. The reliability is second to none. They are made to last from father to son.

i dont see how you can get any of the amps you listed for 3K, even second hand. If you want one that does it all, does it well if not very well, will last......., and stays in the 3K, there is the Benchmark AHB2 which is just quite incredible. However, the speakers being the most decisive equipment in a system, it will also depend greatly on them.

cohicks4

there are several excellent Audio shops in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.
Have you been to John Fort Audio? 

minorl-

offers poor advice.  Of course the customer has a right to change his mind if he does not like the gear or audition.

IF you want a brand new one, then you should simply buy a Parasound A21 and spend rest of the money for buying music or upgrading other components in your system.

if this is a 30 year amp, you simply need to audition...milpal likes the A21, I do not, and much prefer the Odyssey's - we're both right !!!

@silverfoxtv1800  Yes, a good amp or better yet, good monoblock amps will clearly surpass any receiver. There are too many compromises with too much going on in one box(e.g. separating power supplies reduces noise). You need to do some listening to some better systems and decide for yourself. Cheers,
Spencer

jafant,
I will check out John Fort Audio, thank you for the tip! I've received many recommendations for the Parasound Halo A21, that's the top contender for me right now.

Something you can audition locally:

Audio Research DS225 stereo power amp, silver
- solid state ARC amp delivering over 200 watts per channel with much of the beauty of their tube amps. Cool-running and compact. - used - $2700

http://audioconceptsonline.com/demo%20used.htm

Looks like they have a matching pream for sale also.  Personally I am using a Pass INT-150.  Paid a little over $3k for it used.  Lots of good choices  though.

When you narrow your search down to a couple of amps it would be great if you could afford to do a side by side comparison of these amps in your system. I find it difficult to try one amp at a time and then move on to another and then go by memory of the sonics of the first one.

I find it difficult to try one amp at a time and then move on to another and then go by memory of the sonics of the first one.

Totally agree, phd.This led to the Claylamack playoff in my system.   Without a direct comparison, it would have been very difficult for me to reliably choose which of the three fine amplifiers I enjoyed the most.

I agree with the side by side comparison gentlemen, I have two in mind for this s right now, and fortunately, both companies offer 30 day trials!   Thanks!

John, plinius  are very reliable, I have mine the. Original sa100, I choose between the pass lab too, they are both excellent amp, I choose the Plinius I think because of the tube sound and speed, either one can't go wrong..

<Krell dealer disclaimer>
At $3k you could grab a KAV-2250 and have money left over or possible even an EV2250e if you found a crazy deal.  They have Krell control, Krell bass, load of detail, separation, transparency, soundstage, musicality, realness, etc.  Good luck on your search.  :-)

<Krell-Pass owner disclaimer>

Have owned  KAV-2250  and FPB line. For $3k I would take Pass X series any day over the Krell.

As others have mentioned, my vote would be for a 2nd hand McCormack DNA500. There is one FS on Canuck Audio Mart at the moment asking $3kUS ($4kCAD), but if you keep an eye on USA Audio Mart they come up FS fairly regularly - http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649325741-mccormack-dna500/

We all accept Your option but the McCormack (maybe new) is not in the same realm as Pass Labs (maybe old) ...

+1 for Bryston. I have a 25 year old 3B still running perfectly. Had it serviced at Bryston a few years ago to give it a clean bill of health. I've never experienced better customer service than with Bryston.

The 20 year warranty mentioned above is also transferable between owners.

Yes Bryston is also very good, but sound wise (in my book) it is still miles behind Pass.

Want to do even better than Pass?
Burmester may be a contender (from 956 to up) but that may already be a taste war........?

Ended up purchasing a Parasound     A-21 on Saturday, loved the sound, price is great. Loved the rear gain controls for bi-amp adjustments in the future. Great power for jamming out, and low volume listening; had great depth and control. Listed to it on Martin Logans, and KEF Blades.  Loved the Martin Logan sound much better. Can't wait to here it on my 802s when it arrives. John Curl did it right... And for a great price!

Audio Classics in Vestal, New York.

All sortsa pre-owned monsters, and
new stuff, but $3K is not gonna carry
much weight in the NIB class.

Are you a McIntosh lover or hater?

Even their military surplus equipment is
elegant. 

Love McIntosh, just can't quite afford it!

Steve, 

I see this thread hasn't been added to in 2 years, but I figured I would toss in my thoughts &, potentially, resurrect it because there is some stellar info in it!

I would like to throw my "chosen path" to nirvana out there for thoughtful consideration.  Like most folks, my budget was limited [was not blessed with a golden spoon at birth & my profession required YEARS of education & training - lots of "poor years"], so I adapted by purchasing used equipment, initially from eBay <YUCK!> & now almost exclusively from A-gon. Out of that necessity, I discovered that it is massive fun to buy quality used equipment [that I could have NEVER afforded new], use it and either resell it or keep it, if I fell in love with it.  In fact, I even set up a separate checking account for my 'toy fund' - wife fully knowledgeable and very supportive [she has her own expensive hobby- photography].

I actually enjoyed the trade-in/trade-out ability to audition & play with equipment I have lusted for for year to be so much fun, I decided to keep that up.  Now that I am years into my profession, I am extremely fortunate to be able to afford much of the new, high-end stuff.  But, I grew up poor & that impact is deep.  So, I choose to buy/trade/resell/keep high-end used equipment & divert that extra capital towards other things that make my heart smile: charitable support of organizations that support & assist people-in-need & peoples-at-risk.  By no means is my musical enjoyment compromised + I am supporting good works to the benefit of others AND I am setting an example on how to conduct yourself as a good citizen of our world & culture to my daughters.  Talk about a WIN-WIN-WIN situation!

If you truly are dedicated to purchasing something new, instead of the 'big name' brands, google for small-shop craftsmen type vendors/builders.  Yes, substantially more challenging, but again my intrinsic frugality speaks, you're supporting individuals at the local level who still treat their work as a personal investment in an art form.  Odyssey comes to mine as does Emotiva [not truly in the league of Odyssey, but damned nice bang for the buck], as does ModWright [a bit pricier].
Good luck & I hope whomever reads my lengthy response derives some benefit.
http://www.odysseyaudio.com/index.html