Ideas for an amplifier?


Hi Gentlemen,

i was thrilled at receiving a second hand Maraschino Cherry and was looking for another one. A gentleman on eBay had two that were sold for $1,000 pair, less than half price new. Then I found out that the Digital Amplifier Company is essentially defunct with the untimely death of its owner, Mr. Tom O’Brien. RIP

Perhaps people are worried about parts and repair. 
 

I did a lot of reading on amps but I don’t have your experience. There is certainly a lot of hype about class D amps but one also has to watch out for the class D amps that are for low frequency subs only.   I’m not married to the idea of a class D amp and am open to suggestions. 
 

When I was young the Krell amps were amongst the best. Judging from the price it seems that is still the case. I have a McIntosh mc2100 but I just need more juice.  Most hifi stores think the newer amps have less THD than the older ones. 
 

i was reading something about a kind of impedance that needs to be matched with speakers, not the 4 ohm 8 ohm thing. Something about feedback. I didn’t understand it first time reading through it. I think it wax late before bed. 
 

at the end of this I will put the list of equipment I have. Maybe someone can suggest an amp around $1200 to $1500 on the used market?  I, like most men, just came up with that number as what I would like to spend. Once guys pull a number out of their hat it is hard to change it even though there was no logic to coming up with it. 
 

The main reason for reaching out is so that I don’t make a mistake buying an amp that everyone knows to be harsh or a great THD on paper but not smooth. 
 

Ok, here is what I have to play with now, thanks to some earlier suggestions by Dugeon. 
 

Sony HAP Zies 1tb DAC NAS

Speakers:  Vandersteens, Maggie III, Monitor Audio Silver bookshelf, B&W Nautilus SCM-1’s. 
 

PS. The Vandersteens are power hungry. All the others are good. 
sub:  RBH (don’t like it because it can’t handle much power before sounding flop flop from overdriving them)  driven by a Yamaha 2500 in mono mode. 
 

Please only nice positive comments. Thank you. 

128x128geworthomd

I have some 2Cs, and they are not really that power hungry.
They are a relatively easy load to drive.

I currently have a PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP (88w/ch or 44 in triode, and the sound fine and have plenty of SPL)

If you can wait a month, I got some Topping A90 amps ($160 USD) and an AIYAMA ($70) to try with some surround sound speakers.
Is so, then I could hook them up.

 

One the multi $1000 end:

  • There are the Purifi based, like March Audio, Buckeye, etc.
  • And @Atmasphere is popular with the Vandy crowd, and Ralph has a new class D out, or coming out.

And lots of other amps Vandy users are using on the Vandy forum… so it might be worth asking there?

 

May you suggest a like for Ralph. I cd not find them on Google. 
 

on a completely separate and unrelated question, why are kit amplifiers that you assemble yourself sold so cheaply?  Do they circumvent an import tax. I wouldn’t buy one but the old days of Heathkit must have been fun

I have a McIntosh mc2100 but I just need more juice. 

The McIntosh is a 105 watt per channel amp. If you need more power than that you will need to look at amps that typically cost more than $1000. 

I’ve had good luck driving Vandy Treo CT’s with a Belles Aria integrated, which can be found used for $1200-1500 from time to time.  Only about 60wpc.