Hello Everyone! First I really appreciate any input you might have for me!
I am very new to the audiophile environment. I have a Jeff Rowland Coherence One preamp and an Oracle Delphi MK II Turntable with Alphason HR 100s tone arm, and a Micro Benz Glider M2 MC cartridge. I also have a Parasound Dac.
I am borrowing a Bryston 3b to power my speakers.. however I need to buy my own.
Bryston is great! however I need more power for my NHT VT-2.4 speakers which has a 88db sensitivity and are 6 ohms.. However they sound great with my other pair of ADS L810 speakers which are 88db and are 4 ohms...
I would like like to buy an amp and spend about $1.000
Since the OP likes his amp (just not enough power) the obvious thing to do is to get speakers that are easier to drive! If you want good sound, don't make your amplifier work hard (or it will make distortions causing the system to sound less detailed and harsher).
Its easy to find a speaker that might be as much as 6db more efficient that won't sacrifice bandwidth or detail. That's the same as increasing the amplifier power by a factor of 4. Think about it.
As per your prior post you'll likely be getting new speakers within a year and you'll want to match those with an amp that sounds and works best with them, so my advice is to buy a decent used amp with good resale value now so you can potentially sell it later at little or no loss. There's a good McCormack DNA125 for sale here now that should nicely meet your needs now and give you low-risk flexibility for the future. If it turns out you really like it and it works well with your future speakers you even have the option to upgrade it at SMcAudio later to turn it into something quite special. Anyway, hope this helps and best of luck.
Another vote for the Odyssey Khartago. It's hard to beat in this price range. Buy used and you won't be waiting months for Klaus to build yours. He's a busy man for a reason.
I'll second (and third) the Khartago as I've had one. ZERO grain (like 25 speed Kodachrome film, meaning "better than anything YOU got" as we would say to other fellow photographers). The Khartago avoids, as JV said in his TAS review, any sense of black half dots across the presentation (aka "grain), and better than the Parasound or even the Hegel H80 I've had. AND, I think Klaus gives you a 30 day return period. (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong)...
Although I've never heard it, I'd go with the Odyssey Khartago with a budget of $1k ... for all the reasons stated earlier. If you check over at the audio circle dot com, you'll read about the Odyssey line garnering "best in show" against some fairly impressive gear, priced much higher. My suggestion: go ahead and pull the trigger. This is a hobby that requires some auditioning, trial/error. You're only going to get so much from asking folks who've all got there own preferences and biases. Just my 2 cents.
You can get excellent class AB amps used for 1k. Not everyone needs overbuilt class A monoblocks...although they are nice. Stick with brands like Rega, Parasound, and Marantz as they are safe bets.
Class D Audio 470 C...300 watts 8 ohm and 600 watts 4 ohm.
Have a listen to one and then judge for yourself ! Shockingly good for $700.00 It is a very VERY nice sounding amp and performs way above the asking price.
Octave RE 320 or MRE 220's or the RE 320 w/Super Black Box. I am waiting to recieve two Super Black Boxes for my MRE 220's and will write a review after I've put them through the paces.
I would suggest a used Sunfire 300, those are load invariant, high current. Run cool and sound wonderful. You could pick on up for anywhere between $5-800 send it in to be recapped and updated for another $300 and it'll drive your speakers without issue.
Should you find that you need even more, simply purchase another one and bi amp.
Ive been running them for over 20 years on all sorts of speakers and ive yet to run out of or feel the need to look for something else.
I have also measured peaks of 136db while enjoying the Eagles farewell tour DVD and that is like being there live! When I felt my amps, barely warm to the touch.
I would never imagine that 88db/ 6 ohm speakers in a 14x16' room need a high power amp (unless their specs are misleading). I think you'd be hard pressed to beat the already mentioned Parasound A23 at that price point. That amp should provide more than enough power for your needs. You can likely find a lightly used one for less than $900.
I am running Adcom 555 high current amps you can pick-up a nice one for less than $500.00. My speakers are Kef 104.2 reference series and found them not long ago for like brand new for $275.00 for a pair! - check that the tweeters and cones on the speakers to make sure they are solid and don't need work. ( Twenty-five years ago I spent $1000,00 a pair and that was half price) I also have a audio alchemy DAC and Digital interface pro 32 with the upgraded chip and software it comes loaded. A DAC unless you are buying a $1000.00 Cd player is a very big upgrade to any system and worth every penny!! This maybe old school and if you can afford the best that I am happy for
you but unless I hit the lottery I am very happy with my old sound system. I don't know where these people work or if Mommy & Daddy gave them them money for $15,000 amps, speakers and DAC, ect. This cost me approx 1500.00 for everything and this system will Rock your living room with nice clean detailed sound without mortgaging your house.
My limited experience, CJ tube vs Bryston vs McIntosh vs Adcom. CJ good customer service, probably beyond your budget but I really enjoy my MV60SE. Bryston overall my favorite, awesome service, warranty and quality. If the 3B-SST isn't enough amp, $1000 may not come close. McIntosh, great sound quality but no better than CJ or Bryston, not so great service IMO, and pricey. Adcom, huge bang / watts for the buck on the used market, but does not have quite the sound quality of the others.
There is a Harman Kardon HK 990 on Agon right now....great review in Stereophile...I was curious myself awhile back and was going to buy one but none were available at the time.
Bryston is great! however I need more power for my NHT VT-2.4 speakers which has a 88db sensitivity and are 6 ohms.. However they sound great with my other pair of ADS L810 speakers which are 88db and are 4 ohms...
I would like to buy an amp and spend about $1.000
Do you mean to say you can't adequately power a pair of 6 ohm/88db speakers with a Bryston 3B that outputs 120 wpc in 8/220 wpc into 4? What kind of room do you have - an auditorium?
Also, your ADS L-810's are 6 ohm nominal, 4 ohm minimum at 88db, an almost identical load as the NHT's. The Bryston would be more than enough for either of speakers in a normal sized room.
If whoever your borrowing the Bryston from won't sell it to you and you can't find a good used model, then I suggest the Parasound A23 - 125 wpc into 8 and 225 wpc into 4 and call it a day.
Thank you so much "yogiboy" Good reviews plus 20 years... Sounds very appealing...:) 30 day trial Is something I can do.. I also do appreciate "Bradf" your thoughts as well on these amps..
Thank you all for your suggestions.
I inherited these NHT speakers. I will definitely get new speakers next year.. Then I will definitely need all of your help again.... As I stated, I am new to the audiophile environment and love listening "Classical,jazz,blues and always oldies.. I am very happy, fortunate to have a dedicated music room which is 16X14FT. Which is small..
Thanks again everyone I very much appreciated... Ugur
if you cant find a 1000$ amp to drive nht's satisfactorily then i suggest you just give up on this hobby. seriously, the nht's are not what most of this group consider primo altho i had them over the years and liked them a lot for slam and general sound, nothing amazing but still fine. you could find numerous used ss amps under a grand and find it pleasing. frankly i think the speakers are the limiting factor in this query. keep the speakers and dont listen to the negativity.
@shinemaster , No ,but they have a 30 day return policy with a 20 year warranty . The amps get good reviews and the price is within your budget,so why not give them shot?
Maybe not the powerhouse amp suggested above by uberdine, but I spent quite a number of years with a Parasound Halo A23 which definitely falls within your price range. It's rated at 115 watts/channel and has a very attractive sound--tending towards "sweetness" but still very detailed. It gave me a very satisfying musical experience and I think you might find it worth auditioning.
Hi Ugur, and welcome! The NHTs look like a difficult speaker to drive, what with a an inbuilt subwoofer and extra rear-firing drivers. Unless you REALLY like them I would suggest trying different speakers before you worry about a power amp. Speakers are the most difficult part of the chain to get right: If you look at a frequency chart for top model speakers they're all over the place, whereas modern amplification is basically perfect. Amps are expensive though so if the Bryston (a very powerful amp) isn't cutting it, and you definitely want to keep the NHTs, I would look at a Class D Audio SDS-470C which is well regarded and inside your budget. I've never heard them but people with difficult to drive Panel speakers seem to rave about these amps. Basically you need an insanely powerful amp for those speakers, 200 watts minimum depending on the size of your room. You're going to get a million different suggestions though so, take what everyone says, including me, with a grain of salt. The other option is to buy and sell on the used market until you find something you like. It won't cost anything other than time and you can try out all the usual suspects.
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