your mls don't look especially hard to drive, so any of your choices should work, but i'd opt for the parasound, which is hard to beat without spending a lot more. i'd probably start with a 3 channel amp, since you can always add another amp.
Help picking an amplifier
Hey guys!
Had posted something similar before, but looking into finally adding a power amp. Setup below:
Martanz 7011 AVR
Martin Logan Ethos (fronts)
Martin Logan Motif X (center)
Martin Logan Motion 40 (rears)
Martin Logan Dynamo 1500 (sub)
My cabling will all be improved soon - but I have upgraded power cords on Ethos and Marantz
Obviously, I'm a fan of ML. I like the warm sound of the electrostat and Marantz combo, so I want to find something that will compliment them. Where I'm torn - should I get a 5 channel power amp, or would a 3 channel serve me well? I do watch a lot of movies/PS4, but the rears don't get used all that much anyways. I was thinking to save a little $$$, I could get a 3 channel to power just the fronts.
I know that electrostats are tricky, and I have been told to try out several amps. I think I have narrowed it down:
Rotel RMB-1575 (there's a great deal on one here)
Anthem MCA 325
Parasound A31
There could be others, but I know people have spoken highly of all of them. This will be my first amp, so I want to make sure I get something "decent" - doesn't have to be super pricey, as I would rather wait until I move houses to get into really high end stuff.
I'm a newbie on the audio side, I've always been more into the video stuff. Thanks in advance for any help/guidance/input!
Had posted something similar before, but looking into finally adding a power amp. Setup below:
Martanz 7011 AVR
Martin Logan Ethos (fronts)
Martin Logan Motif X (center)
Martin Logan Motion 40 (rears)
Martin Logan Dynamo 1500 (sub)
My cabling will all be improved soon - but I have upgraded power cords on Ethos and Marantz
Obviously, I'm a fan of ML. I like the warm sound of the electrostat and Marantz combo, so I want to find something that will compliment them. Where I'm torn - should I get a 5 channel power amp, or would a 3 channel serve me well? I do watch a lot of movies/PS4, but the rears don't get used all that much anyways. I was thinking to save a little $$$, I could get a 3 channel to power just the fronts.
I know that electrostats are tricky, and I have been told to try out several amps. I think I have narrowed it down:
Rotel RMB-1575 (there's a great deal on one here)
Anthem MCA 325
Parasound A31
There could be others, but I know people have spoken highly of all of them. This will be my first amp, so I want to make sure I get something "decent" - doesn't have to be super pricey, as I would rather wait until I move houses to get into really high end stuff.
I'm a newbie on the audio side, I've always been more into the video stuff. Thanks in advance for any help/guidance/input!
10 responses Add your response
The great deal like the Rotel is not the same as a great amp. That Rotel is a Class D design and were not well received when Rotel introduced them. Maybe this is why Rotel has gone back to Class A/B designs. Either the Parasound or Anthem will get the job done powering the front 3 which in an HT install, are the most critical. |
Add this 3 channel amp to your list! http://www.odysseyaudio.com/products-stratos-ht3.html And another! http://avahifi.com/products/power-amplifiers/synergy-amplifiers/home-theater-amplifier |
What did you ultimately do? I am just building a system. Need it all including the TV. Have been looking at the Marantz 7 channel AVR, Double Impacts that likely don't need extra power or Buchardt S400 - both with a center channel. I don't really have room for floor standing rears, but have 4 celing speakers I thought I would use for rears and height speakers. |
I think you should be more careful in amp selection. I see from specs of the Ethos the following: Sensitivity 92 dB/2.83 volts/meter Impedance Nominal: 4 ohms, 0.8 ohms @ 20 kHz Crossover Frequency 375 Hz 0.8 ohm !! Argh that is low. And 90 ish dB is ok not bad for sensitivity. You will need an amp that is made to be stable for low impedance. Going below 2 ohm is not a good start. |