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Looking to Develop A Short List of Amplifier Candidates For A Pair Of JBL 4367 Speakers

Over a number of years I have owned JBL 4365 and eventually moved on from them. I tried a pair of Martin Longan CLX ART, but my room was not well suited for them. A failed experiment with a lot of lost hours in it. I ended up coming home to JBL and acquiring a pair of 4367.

They are a lovely speaker and are well suited for my 15' by 19' by 8' room. Controlled directivity from the horn augmented by minimal room acoustic panels and a light touch with the Trinov DSP system works for me.

The amplifiers I have been using are a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks. But the reality is they are massive, are way too much power for a pair of 94 db efficient speakers, cannot be moved by me alone, and are just wasted in this application. So they have been sold and are pending pick up when the new owner gets back from vacation.

So I am developing a short list of amplifiers. Going through the whole gamut, tube, solid state, and Class D. On the 4365 I once tried a pair of Audio Mirror Reflections since in my past I was a user of Single Ended Triode amps. But even with "larger" SET power, the woofers on the 4365 were not well controlled at all. Another failed experiment. With the 4365 I had used a PS Audio BHK250 with decent results, a pair of AVM Audio Amp Essential monoblocks with excellent results, and a H20 Audio 250 Signature Class D amp with interesting results. The AVM and Classe have provided the best results so far.

So the question is, are there Class D amplifiers that meet the sound quality requirements these days. I have seen some amps using a Hypex or Purfi module with a tube front end. Also have heard the latest generation Orchard monoblocks are worth looking at. Anyone have any other candidates, or thoughts?

In the past JBL was known to mate well with tube amplification. But I imagine this is going to have to be push/pull. In the past I have owned Dynaco and then Quicksilver before I went to explore the world of SET amplfiers. When I bought the 4365 I had thought they were going to be agood match with my Electraprint amplifier, but I was completely wrong on that one. What power level would I have to reach with tube amplification?

Finally in terms of solid state, the choices are huge. I know McIntosh was often a favored pairing, but I have never been a fan of the brand. I wonder about some of the solid state Conrad Johnson offerings, but I think they may be getting long in the tooth these days. I have thought about BAT. I actually have a First Watt F7 here that is my back up amp and it runs them better than a person would have imagined. The latest generation of AVM is now a hybrid, and ownership by Burmester might be a good thing, I would like to think I could get service in the US for them.

Any thoughts or experiences you want to pass along would be greatly appreciated.

neonknight

Showing 2 responses by neonknight

neonknight OP
432 posts
 

Just wanted to take a moment and say thanks for all the posts, I have read and thought about every one of them. 

 

Class A is intruiging but I am not wild about the heat generated in the summer. I have a closed off listening room and even with the Classe I get a fair amount of heat build up. I leave my SS gear on 24/7 and that is not a great idea with class A amps. 

I do shop the pre owned market quite a bit. I have always wondered about the Rowland Class D amplifiers, but it seems like most of those are earlier generation Ice modules, and I wonder how they compare to the new Purfi or Hypex offerings. 

I was reading a technical piece from the designer of the Purifi I believe, and his take on GanFet was quite interesting, in that the devices itself is not a game changer in terms of its relation to other output devices, but rather the circuit architecture matters more. Which leads me back to Purifi or Hypex. What seems to be the main variable is what is used for the input buffer, whether it be tube or certain kinds of high performance op amps. But on the other side of the coin folks seem to say good things about the Orchard Audio amps based on GAN Fet. 

One other thought I had is the Odyssey amplifiers. I have heard Klaus pieces at a couple of shows and they always intrigued me. I also remember a few posts of early failures on amps, but that was a number of years back. 

What I would like to stay away from is back breaking amps that take a huge amount of real estate in my system. Ideally I would like one I can house in my credenza. 

 

The Classe leave in about 2 weeks. For an interim I can run a First Watt F7 till I find something that catches my eye. 

I do appreciate all your thoughts and insights. 

neonknight OP
432 posts
 

@atmasphere 

So I ordered a set of amplifiers today. Decided to give a pair of the Atmasphere Class D amplifiers a go. I heard them a year or two ago at the Pacific Audiofest. Granted it was under show conditions and with unfamiliar gear. But the potential was there. I then have followed owners experiences over time and it kept my curiosity alive. Finally I had a phone conversation with Ralph at Atmasphere and my impression is that he is a straight shooter, polite, and patient person. Not a bunch of bullshit, just no nonsense engineering based answers. So I am going to give it a go.

 

i have read all the posts here and many are intriguing. The MC2 amps piqued my interest. JBL has often been paired with commercial/professional amplifiers and it is probably an option worth exploring. I just don’t know if these amps can be found in the US market. 
 

Finally I have a First Watt F7 in my garage. In many ways it has similar voicing to the Classe. It’s a great safety net for me while I explore a few different avenues. 
 

It has been awhile since I listened to Class D amplifiers. In the past I found them too smooth and lacking in harmonic texture and expression. I am hoping Ralph’s design has overcome those limitation! 

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