Need your recommendation on a 5 or 7 channel amp


I'm new to this site and need some recommendations on 5 or 7 channel amps. My current home theater system consist of the following:
  • Sonus Faber - Sonetto III front speakers
  • Sonus Faber - C1 center
  • Sonus Faber - in wall rear 562
  • Marantz AV 7706 processor
  • Golden ear XXL sub
  • Sony 325ES projector
  • SI screen
Amps that I'm looking at are as follows and would like some input which to get or other recommendations:
  • Parasound A52+
  • Parasound A51
  • Audio Control Savoy G4
  • MarantzMM 8077
Thanks for your help!!
singere

Showing 4 responses by auxinput

I think the Sonus Faber are excellent speakers to listen to.  However, they do use their silk dome (soft dome) tweeter which is not as fast and high resolution as the metal/beryllium/diamond tweeters out there.

You also chose the Marantz AV7706 processor, which is an excellent choice as it has really nice power supply and discrete audio stage.  However, it is voiced very slightly on the soft/warm side because it softens and rolls off the high frequencies.

For this reason, I would probably avoid the Parasound and Marantz amps.  The Parasound are extremely clean in the midrange, but they have a dry type of sound and they do not have the highest resolution in high frequencies.  The Marantz typical voice is on the warm side, so I would be cautious about that amp as well.  You may end up with a HT system that is not exciting enough.

I would lean towards the Audio Control amp because I'm assuming it is going to be a faster responding and more transparent / exciting amplifier.  Another amp you can look into are the ATI AT4000 or AT6000 series amps (ranging from 2 channel to 7 channel models).  They are excellent quality and have a lot of current capability and fast response.

The Audio Control Savoy G4 is likely a very good amp, but it is very light at only 43 lbs.  For a 5 channel amp, this means the transformer and power supplies are not that large and are not going to push as much current.  The smaller size ATI AT4000 range from 77 lbs (2-channel model) up to 119 lbs.  The larger AT6000 range from 107 lbs to 165 lbs.  This weight tells you that it contains very large transformers and power supplies that can give you enormous amounts of current.  The ATI amps are also fully differential/balanced amps.  The Savoy is sort of balance for 2 of the channels since you can "bridge" them for double power.
Likely current capability.  The AT182x series uses smaller power supply capacitor banks and I don't think it's a fully balanced/differential amp (it's a single-ended amp board instead).

AT1820: 22,400uf power supply capacitance per channel, 4 output transistors per channel

AT4000: 46,200uf power supply capacitance per channel, 12 output transistors per channel

AT6000: 59,400uf power supply capacitance per channel, 16 output transistors per channel

In laymens terms, the transistors are what generate the output voltage/current required to drive the speaker.

The AT4000, being a fully balanced/differential design, will have a stronger control over the speaker drivers and likely have more punch/drive when compared to AT1820.  The bigger power supply of AT4000 will result in stronger bass/midbass and also smoother audio through the rest of the frequency range.  That being said, the AT1820 series is likely still better than the Savoy G4.

@wheelndeal1099 - interesting.  I would like to hear your thought once you get the 3300 burned in.  I'm wondering if you might feel somewhat of a mismatch here.  The PS Audio BHK is a nice amp, but it's somewhat on the mild side (unless you replaced the input stage tubes).  The McIntosh is also laid back.  The ATI, on the other hand, is very likely to be fast responding and very forward in comparison to the BHK/McIntosh.  It could get a little bright, especially with those Kef metal dome tweeters.

Yeah, I never said that Parasound rolls off the high frequencies.  If you read carefully, my quote was "but they have a dry type of sound and they do not have the highest resolution in high frequencies".  I have tested Parasound JC1 and A21 amps in my system.  I have an extremely high resolution system using rhodium plated connectors everywhere and B&W Diamond tweeter speakres.  I have tested several different amplifiers in my system and my description of Parasound stands.  I'm not saying this isn't a good amp, but combining Parasound with Sonus Faber may not be the right answer, especially for home theater (and other reasons such as gold-plated connectors being very common in systems).