Handling Heavy Amps


There are several amps I’m interested in possibly purchasing but I’m dissuaded because of their weight. I’ve had lower back issues so I need to be careful. I live alone. Even if my wife was still alive she would not have been able to help much. Also Children live far. I see that many of you have these 60-100 pound behemoths and I wonder how do you manage. If I buy from my dealer he’ll load it in my SUV. However when I get home it will be difficult to get it out and onto the garage floor where I can place it on my handcart. Then when I get it next to my rack I need to maneuver it out of the box and up onto the rack. I guess I would need to see if my dealer would deliver it and place it on the rack. Probably for a fee. So that may work. But then if I need to paint, move furniture, resell the unit whatever I would need help. I think I can handle up to 40lbs. So how do you handle these amps? Is it a concern for you?  I’m spoiled by my Benchmark 12 lb AHB2. It’s also the reason I’ve been investigating Class D amps. 

jfrmusic

I carried my 180lb Krell FPB 600 upstairs by myself.


You are strong, or I'm weak. :-) I could only manage about 100lb in my prime. 

Stereo equipment should be something you set up once and very rarely move around, if at all. Do you go to a church or have friends with "children" 30 and younger in good health? Ask for help. Most people would be happy to help - and get the chance to hear what a good system can sound like. Kick 'em a few bucks for their time and trouble. 

Otherwise, go for a lightweight Class-D amp or integrated and call it a day. Not worth screwing up your back to hear some music, even as much as we love it. 

Even for instance if you had a good gun collection and needed a safe, you aren't going to be lifting something weighing 500 lbs. You'd be smart and hire some people. 

Anyone in the central NJ area - my audiophile friends and I will come help you with your equipment. Cost - join our small group which casually gets together to have a bite to eat, share a good glass of wine and listen to each others systems and music.

My friends just helped me move my almost 200 pound mono-block amplifiers and a LOT of my other stuff (do we ever realize how much stuff we have?).

Just before this move, it was moving our (now recently deceased) friend's heavy speakers! I'm no spring chicken but I keep myself in good shape - and I am very grateful for their help - on both occasions.

Come join us - we're not perfect but we're a good group :-)

As a result of being a very social individual in relation to my audio hobby. I have different ways that I fulfill a social activity. One being I am occasionally a exhibitor and more regular an attendee at Enthusiast orientated Audio Meet Ups / Events.

One such Event is a weekend affair and the intention is to extend the experience to others, hence it is attended by the Public, usually approx' 500 Paying Visitors come through the door.

Using a event as the above and recollecting the visitors met or witnessed in a exhibition room.

There is plenty of evidence that both Male and Female do like to be visitors, Females/Males as a Partner or Females witnessed as a Group.

There is also plenty of evidence to show that the age range of attendees is quite diverse as well, from Teens and ascending in age to where being of a good old age is quite obvious. My friend from a local HiFi Group and with a history of regularly attending the above event, has thrown in the Towel on the Long Days out last year at the age of 85, to assist with his home audio system management, he went over to active speakers Two Years ago and absolutely loves the idea, as it has made a change where usable space is improved on in the downsized home.

There is plenty of evidence to show that individuals with an interest in HiFi have a variety of health issues or disability that can be seen to be an impediment to there managing a Audio System.

"Where there is a will, There is a way"

There is plenty of devices to be found that assists an individual partake in a interest, with additional assistance more of what would be viewed as impractical can be achieved as well.

At the Public attended event, there is a side exhibition, which is the System in a suitcase, which is where regular exhibitors/attendees bring a system that is packed into a suitcase.

The intention is the system owners have been building a second system over the years, which is one that they are familiar with and best if used as a second system and have noticeable attractions to their main systems.

The idea is to show new to audio types, that a system can be produced that will fit into a suitcase and be quite attractive in comparison to the usually difficult to grasp main systems that can be seen in use.

A place such as this event is a great place to carry out the demonstrations as so much is to be experienced under one roof. 

The system in a suitcase are always very popular stop off's, and are a constant queue of individuals wanting to make inquiries about ease of acquiring and costs associated, their faces are a picture, when learnt much is a used purchase and will not be much more than £500 inclusive of suitcase 😁.

If only, the so called experienced types who purport themselves as having a superior status, through their having thrown away substantial monies and time into their audio hobby, could be as thrilled about meeting with others and showing a lesser system, as the newbie individual expresses their thrill, when taking their first steps into audio.

Is this newbie individual, not where all of us time served types have evolved from.

 

How about 30 lb. monoblocks that will power (beautifully) nearly every speaker. Westminster Labs REI   100/200/400 into 8/4/2 ohms, sliding Class A design, cool running and low power drain when in standby mode.  They aren't inexpensive at $33K a pair but they are state of the art (SOTA).  Von Schweikert uses them now and at the Munich show, I heard that half a dozen of the top speaker manufacturers used them outstandingly.