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Buying a used amp ATI 1506 or Linn Chakra c5100 or RBH SA-200

I found some used amps for sale, wondering what you guys would suggest is the better buy for a 5.1 home theater setup. I'm using a mishmosh of craigslist finds as my speakers at the moment F - Klipsch KG4 C - Mcintosh cs350 S - Klipsch RF-42 II with a paradigm sub, currently driven by a onkyo707 avr from 2009. My room is pretty small (20x12ft) and I sit only about 8 ft away from the LCR. I'm leaning towards the Linn since I don't think I can take advantage of all the power of a class A 88lb ati amp. He's asking 500 for the linn, I'm going to go listen to a demo today and make sure its in good working condition, anything I should check specifically, and do you think $500 is a fair price, or should I try and offer something for the Ati? The ati seller also has a pair of rbh sa-200 hes selling wondering if those are good for LCR purposes particularly the mcintosh cs350 as it seems to want more power/headroom. Thanks for your help.

bobber23
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oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,811 posts
 

ATI makes great amps.  They are an OEM builder for many companies.    When I think RBH i think speakers ...not a bad thing as they make good speakers.  Amp is made in China though .....   

 

My vote would be for ATI .      Made in USA. Excellent support and quality for the $$$

auxinput
2,920 posts
 

If you can swing it, I would go for the ATI AT1506.  It's not actually a Class A amp.  It's a Class AB amp.  You want as much current capability and resolution for home theater, even if you are not going to use the power.  A bigger power supply generally results in a fuller smoother sound (even at low volume levels).

The Lynn is a real lightweight amp at only 56 watts per channel.  I suppose if you want a low profile amp, you can get it.  But I would rather choose the ATI.

As far as the RBH sub amps, you would need to also find a passive sub-woofer (essentially a subwoofer without a built-in amp).  This is not something that is readily available by many manufacturers and may not be as good as other sub-woofers with built-in amps.  I don't think this is going to result in something better than your current Paradigm sub-woofer.  Plus, these are rated at 200 watts into 4 ohms, which really means it is ONLY a 100 watt amp (into 8 ohms normal specification).

If you want a better subwoofer, start looking at stuff like Rythmik Audio, or even SVS if you have to go low budget.

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