looking for 2ch amp?

[madmax1]

I run 50% movies and 50% music on my system. Ihave a yamaha 2400 receiver, paradigm studio 20.s, paradigm servo-15 sub. On the music side i feel its time to upgrade to a nice amp. Was wondering any good ones in the $500 to $1200 range i could look at? Thanks in advance!

[RGA]

Why do you feel yu need to upgrade to a new amp -- what improvement are you looking for? Buying a new amp might make it better it might not.

[cam]

Why do you feel yu need to upgrade to a new amp -- what improvement are you looking for? Buying a new amp might make it better it might not.
but buying some An's will make everything better. I'm just having some fun with ya RGA.

[RGA]

Well yes the AX Two speakers might work indeed. Seriously though, identifying the heart of the reason you want to upgrade is not always easy -- people make a lot of assumptions as to what is the problem with their system - and many times it's not what one thinks is the problem.

I wish when I started out in this hobby that I listened a LOT more and read magazines a LOT less --- I'd have not wasted my time with receivers and subs and speakers that diodn't sound remotely like music (I managed to luck out with the particular Wharfedales I bought but the rest of the system was atrocious).

[madmax1]

When i play movies it sounds great!! But when i play music louder it doesnt sound full or it doesnt have the body? I'm not sure what you call it? I listen to classic rock, rock, pop stuff like that. I read alot of stuff that says in order to get better sounding music goto a seprate amp?

[E-Stat]

I wish when I started out in this hobby that I listened a LOT more and read magazines a LOT less --- I'd have not wasted my time with receivers and subs and speakers that diodn't sound remotely like music (I managed to luck out with the particular Wharfedales I bought but the rest of the system was atrocious).
You were reading the wrong magazines. TAS promoted listening and how to listen over thirty years ago. Sadly, it is not the same since HP had to sell the mag.

rw

[topspeed]

You were reading the wrong magazines. TAS promoted listening and how to listen over thirty years ago. Sadly, it is not the same since HP had to sell the mag.

rw
Not to hi-jack this thread, but when did HP sell it? I thought he was still a regular contributor w/ HP's Workshop, The Cutting Edge, etc.?

Madmax, before you go adding an amp, try tweaking your room environment and speaker placement first. Room acoustics will usually have a far greater affect on sound than a new amplifier. If that doesn't fix your problem, a new amp could be in the future. I would seriously consider used for your price point as you will be able to access components that would otherwise be far beyond reach. Think Bryston, PS Audio, Classe, Threshold, etc. There have been quite a few threads regarding excellent options around $1K here recently so do a quick search and you should find what you're looking for.

Hope this helps.

[Geoffcin]

I run 50% movies and 50% music on my system. Ihave a yamaha 2400 receiver, paradigm studio 20.s, paradigm servo-15 sub. On the music side i feel its time to upgrade to a nice amp. Was wondering any good ones in the $500 to $1200 range i could look at? Thanks in advance!

Also they are semi- interconnected through my preamp so I can run them together when I wish. My main amp, the PS Audio HCA-2, is a serious upgrade from ANY reciever, and can be had on the used market for about $850. I can and have recomended it to others without reservation.

Try Audiogon.com

[RGA]

madmax

It is my relatively new found opinion that a complete system approach is key when building a system. When people try to fix sound with amplifiers what they are saying is there is something i don't like and almost nobody ever cojnsiders the speaker as a problem...at least not at first. So they look up the latest and greatest amplifier that got a rave review in the press only to be replaced by a rebadged version next year and the old SS amp is now called outdated junk. SS technology just does not advance this quickly or at all in many cases.

If a sound is bright to you then perhaps we suggest an amp noted for not being bright etc...but all that does is suggest amplifiers to be used as tone controls.

It's also tough to make sweeping suggestions because for me personally I would scrap home theater all-together and build up a great two channel rig -- I have over 200 dvd movies and I run no surround system at all because the money i would require to get it to sound good to me I don't have...I have roughly $10k in a two channel system and I would rather listen to movies with this than a $10k Surround system from any other company I've heard.

I respect fully most people probably won't be in my camp - at least not on this forum. My opinion is first start with the cues that we as listeners know -- I know nothing remotely what a Dinosaur crushing a car and roaring sounds like - nor do I know what a T2 after turning to glass sounds like when frozen and then shot into a million bits - I do however kinda know what a Piano sounds like and Sarah Mclachlan sounds like and what Drums sound like live. So if a speaker and system can do these things well they will do the Dinosaur well or music in movies well. Now the dilemma do I buy two speakers that do it well or 5 speakers that don't? The latter system will give me rear noise and a center speaker that will ground the film's soundstage and imaging well but uit still doesn't do a piano well.

It sounds to me like you have a home theater system. Keep it all as is and use it as a home theater system. Indeed, I am building a home theater when funds become available and after I have completed the 2 channel rig.

No crime in having two totally separate systems - I have considered Paradigm as a complete surround sound package to go with my Marantz reciever - but I doubt I'd want to listen to music on it...which also brings the rub --- SACD multi channel music...If I want this in the mix - then receivers and the Paradigms have to be tak out of the mix (for me personally) and then I'd have to go with a speaker for music --- and then the price skyrockets.

Indeed two separate systems also avoids taking a bath on trade-ins -- and allows you to have a different brand different kind of speaker/amp system.

Indeed, when I build my home theater it will be a serious piece of advanced SS technology with an active element to it - right now it would be a Bryston/PMC comb(though there could be changes). For listening to music though well I'm on that path in my signature.

[theaudiohobby]

I do however kinda know what a Piano sounds like and Sarah Mclachlan sounds like and what Drums sound like live.

I will take to task here, can you tell a Steinway from Bosendorfer from a Baldwin from Steinberg, early Yamaha or a late Yamaha? Can you tell Stradivarius from a Guerneri or from an Amati? Even Sarah Mclachlan, do you know the precise settings that the recording studio thought optimal for her voice on the day?

Judging accuracy solely by ear is harzardous business because you just do not know the vintage of the recording is, Yes you can judge whether it sounds nice, but when you start saying how a piano should sound, different pianos, different sounds, so what piano sound will that be?

Summary, your analysis is a bit too simple and does not take into account a lot of musical valid variables. Neither is your critique about SS amplification technology valid, the advancement of hybrid and Class D topologies is a testament to that fact, even on the traditional analog amplification front, companies such as Lavardin have move the game forward a few notches. And some of these results have been verified in controlled listening tests.

A complete system approach is probably a more stress free way of achieving good and great sound on occasion, but the 'best' sound will only be achieved by a mix and match approach, why? All the best audio components designers do not reside under the same roof.

[RGA]

Tah

Your argument is dubious because what you are after is subtleties of different pianos where I am talking about just fgetting the basic notes correct and a C on any of them is still a C on any of them...McLachlan and Krall largely play the same live as they play on their albums (some to many are also live). So when Krall plays Departure Bay it is readily apparent ot me which speaker has a clue as to reproducing the instrument body and fundamentals therein. Peter Qvortrup probably could tell you which piano and which violin with the largest personal collection maybe in the world so you living close to him may want to ask him. Steven Rochlin being a drummer probably has a fairly good idea of how they should sound.

I think AN does quite alright building top-flight componants under one roof -- indeed Quad, Linn and Rega are not too horrible at it either. Peter is smart enough to hire people whio can engineer the sound he is after when it is beyond him -- that means contracting out some of the best people in the industry to achieve it. Vanden Hul, SEAS, Goldring, Rega, Vifa, Snell, Voyd, Systemdek, Andy Grove, Sonic Frontiers, Foster, Phillips, Sony, Helius, bosendorfer, Black Gate, and probably bags I don't know about, and then adding their own expertise -- transformer design, amplifier design etc.

I suppose you're correct in that not all of this can technically be viewed as "under one roof' since much of it is taking from other companies,' past and present, experts.

[theaudiohobby]

Your argument is dubious because what you are after is subtleties of different pianos where I am talking about just forgetting the basic notes correct and a C on any of them is still a C on any of them You obviously do not know much about pianos, the character of a piano is determined by the subtle differences in the rendering of the basic notes. And yes, some speakers come closer than others and the ability to render those subtle differences accurately is what makes a great speaker.

Peter Qvortrup probably could tell you which piano and which violin with the largest personal collection maybe in the world so you living close to him may want to ask him. Peter may be able to tell you how certain pianos sound like and own the largest personal violin and piano collection in the world, but what does that have to do with your point? STOP NAME DROPPING.

Krall largely play the same live as they play on their albums (some to many are also live). So when Krall plays Departure Bay it is readily apparent ot me which speaker has a clue as to reproducing the instrument body and fundamentals thereinAs proud owner of two Krall albums, she sounds slightly different in Live in Paris and "The look of Love" on the same songs because the recording perspectives are diffferent.

I think AN does quite alright building top-flight componants under one roof -- indeed Quad, Linn and Rega are not too horrible at it either. Peter is smart enough to hire people whio can engineer the sound he is after when it is beyond him -- that means contracting out some of the best people in the industry to achieve it

I will repeat what I said verbatim

A complete system approach is probably a more stress free way of achieving good and great sound on occasion, but the 'best' sound will only be achieved by a mix and match approach

Reason, the best components in each category do not rest under the same roof, some of the best people in each category are not available on the open market and there is a small matter of intellectual property rights to consider.

[Geoffcin]

Please keep your comments directed at the thread in question.

[E-Stat]

Not to hi-jack this thread, but when did HP sell it? I thought he was still a regular contributor w/ HP's Workshop, The Cutting Edge, etc.?
He continues to contribute but had to sell the magazine a while back. Seems a former business manager was somewhat asleep at the job. The current format is not his idea.

Geoff - hope this quick answer was ok. My response is not yet another AN lovefest. :)

rw

[Geoffcin]

He continues to contribute but had to sell the magazine a while back. Seems a former business manager was somewhat asleep at the job. The current format is not his idea.

Geoff - hope this quick answer was ok. My response is not yet another AN lovefest. :)

rw

Toche'! Then perhaps we can start talking Sound Labs now?!

[theaudiohobby]

I run 50% movies and 50% music on my system. Ihave a yamaha 2400 receiver, paradigm studio 20.s, paradigm servo-15 sub. On the music side i feel its time to upgrade to a nice amp. Was wondering any good ones in the $500 to $1200 range i could look at? Thanks in advance!

The right amp may may do the trick on your speakers, allowing them to produce a much better sound than you previously thought they were capable of. I will look in the direction of the Evo or the Pathos Classic One, I prefer the Sharp SM SX1 to both, but at 50Wpc it may be a tard underpowered for your needs.

[JoeE SP9]

I run 50% movies and 50% music on my system. Ihave a yamaha 2400 receiver, paradigm studio 20.s, paradigm servo-15 sub. On the music side i feel its time to upgrade to a nice amp. Was wondering any good ones in the $500 to $1200 range i could look at? Thanks in advance!
If you are not satisfied with your music the music may be part of the problem. Many popular music CD's are so badly engineered that the better your rig the worse they sound. I bought a Sugar Ray CD after hearing it on the radio. When I first played it at home it made my rig sound like it was broken. It was gritty and grungy and sounded like there was water in the microphones. I have since been informed "it's supposed to sound like that". It sounds awful.

[madmax1]

How is a Clausse CA-200 amp used for $1000.00 is that a good deal or not?

[madmax1]

The right amp may may do the trick on your speakers, allowing them to produce a much better sound than you previously thought they were capable of. I will look in the direction of the Evo or the Pathos Classic One, I prefer the Sharp SM SX1 to both, but at 50Wpc it may be a tard underpowered for your needs.

I found a Clausse CA-200 for $1000.00 is that a good deal? Looks like a nice amp.

[saradindu bose]

How do you rate Audio Analogue's Puccinni and Primo series?
With regards

[nomar]

I run 50% movies and 50% music on my system. Ihave a yamaha 2400 receiver, paradigm studio 20.s, paradigm servo-15 sub. On the music side i feel its time to upgrade to a nice amp. Was wondering any good ones in the $500 to $1200 range i could look at? Thanks in advance!

for music side try "class A amp", like monarchy audio or any mosfet amp. I have Denon Avr2802 very nice for movies but for music I like best my B&K combo with 200w/channels enough to drive my bi-amped paradigm studio 60.

[grigore]

Listen to an IN 100 amplifier from Atoll- it is very musical, good sounstage, very clean and open midrange and a very detailed sound from the highs untill bass. It is a High-End Amplifier but with a budget price! You will love it!

[nomar]

There are lot of musical amps in the market. it's the users' reference to their taste and type of music and should much to their front end.

[nomar]

classe amp I haven't heared yet but from the people who use it said that it's fine it's on your own personal taste.