2 channel guys, advice?

[pne]

lately i've been shopping around for something to replace the sonic t-amp that's powering my triangle zerius floorstanders. The t-amp is detailed and the clarity is very good, but I'm looking for a musical amp that has the power to convey the 'feeling' in the music. I want an amp that won't distort when i want to crank up the music, and one that will reproduce drum kicks and explosions faithfully. I want an amp that will fill out the bottom end so I will be able to feel the music. i've been demoing some integrated amp's locally in the $1000 range and they are not impressing me. I've listened to tube and solid state, so many that the model numbers and names have escaped me. Only one system really impressed me with it's musicality and low end, and that was a naim pre/power combo with matching cd player and powersource. (again the model# escapes me) however this i was told would cost me $15k. my question is how can i get that similar sound for $2000 max, new or used? Perhaps i am at the point where what is holding my system back is the speakers? what do you guys think?

note- thet speakers are 92db efficient, in a room roughly 14x13ft with minor treatment.

 

[bundee1]

I would look at a 50W class A amp. With 92db 50W should be more than enough power and Class A amps are noted for their sweet sound. That should compliment the Triangles slightly tipped treble. Maybe a used Forte amp?

 

[gpalmer]

You might also consider the Sunfire amps. They can be picked up cheap used and have a somewhat warm sound that would tend to get rid of overenthusiastic treble. If your speakers are biampable you could pick up one of the 5 channel amps and have at it, although I think it'll get loud enough without that.

I wasn't clear from your post, are you interested in a pre?

 

[Gopher]

If you are able to budget $2K max as stated, I honestly wouldn't waste much time considering integrateds. I would defintiely be shopping used and looking into seperate all tube amps/pres.

I purchased an upgraded Minimax preamp today to play with for a grand and change new. Based on reviews that might be a great place to start looking (looks like a used stock unit went for $500 not too long ago).

I've also had some expereince with VTL Tiny Triode monoblocks which are rocking little amps that I suspect would sound marvelous with a lusher preamp like the minimax (not to try to sell you on these in particular, but if you do become interested in them, shoot me a PM I have a pair for sale).

http://www.onhifi.com/product/vtl_tt25amplifiers.htm
http://www.vtl.com/pages/tt25Review.html
http://www.audioreview.com/cat/ampli...6_1583crx.aspx

Good luck on your way! Theres plenty of great options in your price range.

 

[jumping jupiters]

Not sure if your 2K mark needs to include a Pre Amp as well, but SS Conrad Johnson amps have one of the closest to tube SS feels out there and they offer plenty of power (although I agree that 92db can be pushed hard with far less power than CJ's offer).

I've fallen in love with the sound coming from Musical Fidelity's A5 integrated...at 250 watts it slams my 89db Spendors. Though it may be a touch more sterile than you are looking for...I like the "down the middle" sound.

 

[euclid]

my .02 would be to get a nice headphone amp that double as a preamp, the gilmore gs-1 or wooaudio3 for example, 500-800$ plus you can sell an existing headphone amp you have if it does not sound as good for home use.

then spend whatever you have left over on a 2ch amp or pair of monblocks that suits your speakers.

id just browse the audiogon amp classsifieds and see what fits into your price range, then research what you find appealing.

then again you could just say screw it and go for a set of parasound jc1 halo monoblocks and vr4jr in biwire. should be the last upgrade you need to make for awhile, the cost is about 6k used which i think is resonable considering the reported performance from this combo. youll be selling your existing system to make up some of the cost anyway

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

May want to look into a used McIntosh integrated.

 

[Ferbose]

Finding a more powerful amp that clearly outclasses T-amp is indeed not an easy task, even if one is willing to spend 30 times more than T-amp.
I just compared three integrated amps in the <$1k range to T-amp:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=129665

T-amp performs as good as tube amps near $1000 in the first 5 watts. I think you may consider a Jolida JD102B. Though the unit I heard is is modified, I doubt if the stock version would sound too different. Its 20 watts of tube power is equivalent to 40W of SS power and should be enough for your speakers.

Another option is to get a Teac AL700P class-T power amplifier. It supposedly sounds similar to T-amp but has 30W. Then add a decent tube or SS pre-amp around $400-500. I never heard the TEAC amp.

 

[Asmo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne lately i've been shopping around for something to replace the sonic t-amp that's powering my triangle zerius floorstanders. The t-amp is detailed and the clarity is very good, but I'm looking for a musical amp that has the power to convey the 'feeling' in the music. I want an amp that won't distort when i want to crank up the music, and one that will reproduce drum kicks and explosions faithfully. I want an amp that will fill out the bottom end so I will be able to feel the music. i've been demoing some integrated amp's locally in the $1000 range and they are not impressing me. I've listened to tube and solid state, so many that the model numbers and names have escaped me. Only one system really impressed me with it's musicality and low end, and that was a naim pre/power combo with matching cd player and powersource. (again the model# escapes me) however this i was told would cost me $15k. my question is how can i get that similar sound for $2000 max, new or used? Perhaps i am at the point where what is holding my system back is the speakers? what do you guys think? note- thet speakers are 92db efficient, in a room roughly 14x13ft with minor treatment.

Check out Channel Island Audios D-100 Mono Block Amps
http://www.ciaudio.com/D100.html

http://www.stereophile.com/amplifica...cia/index.html

Good reviews, they are $1600, you would need a pre-amp of course, I would recommend also, a good headphone amp like the GS-1 or something like that if you are using headphones too.

If $1000 integrated amps don't impress you, then I would definetly start looking at other poweramp/monoblock/preamp setups, you will have to spend cost to $2000 to get into something good though, but you should be happy hopefully then

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pne lately i've been shopping around for something to replace the sonic t-amp that's powering my triangle zerius floorstanders. The t-amp is detailed and the clarity is very good, but I'm looking for a musical amp that has the power to convey the 'feeling' in the music. I want an amp that won't distort when i want to crank up the music, and one that will reproduce drum kicks and explosions faithfully. I want an amp that will fill out the bottom end so I will be able to feel the music. i've been demoing some integrated amp's locally in the $1000 range and they are not impressing me. I've listened to tube and solid state, so many that the model numbers and names have escaped me. Only one system really impressed me with it's musicality and low end, and that was a naim pre/power combo with matching cd player and powersource. (again the model# escapes me) however this i was told would cost me $15k. my question is how can i get that similar sound for $2000 max, new or used? Perhaps i am at the point where what is holding my system back is the speakers? what do you guys think? note- thet speakers are 92db efficient, in a room roughly 14x13ft with minor treatment.

Triangle speakers are well known for being in the "open but slightly bright" school of design, not a natural mate for T-amp at all.

For best bang-for-buck in that price range, I would look into Marsh A200S or A400S used on Agon. I've seen A200S go for like $800 all the time, and it's a great amp, not "for the price" but Period... The Absolute Sound highly recommends A400S, and A200S is supposed to sound even sweeter than its bigger brother. I have the A200S, I wouldn't hesitate to put it up against anything without any worry of embarrassment...

 

[nanahachi]

Gopher is a good guy to talk to, heed his advice!

since I just picked up a poweramp for my speakers, I'll share my thoughts: do a search on agon, audioasylum, and the like for your exact speakers (or that brand) and "amp" and see what comes up. again and again, a certain brand of amps was recommended for my speakers, a brand that I was totally unfamiliar with previously. but they do go together like PB & J.

good luck

 

[jefemeister]

I haven't tossed out this recommendation in awhile: Volksamp Aleph 30. Great amp, can be had cheep, more than enough power. I haven't heard it, but I am familiar with the Pass Alpeh amps (model 3 included) and love them. Supposedly the Volksamp branded alephs are even better.

 

[yidimsum]

I have to second the VTL TT-25 monoblocks. I had a pair of the older version around 1.5 years ago. They use the EL-84 tube that has become famous by groups like the Beatles that used them in the Marshall tube guitar amps back in the day.

For the money these are the best in my opinion - I regret having sold my pair. I upgraded to a pair of retail $5.5K Manley 300B monoblocks, and although the sound is slightly more vivid, more palpable and emotional, the VTL TT-25s really were in the sameclass.

Give the VTL TT-25s a try! They are pretty hard to come by nowadays because the new version was released as a limited edition. Make sure to get the new version because they have IEC and biasing is much simpler (with the older version you pretty much had to dismantle the unit).

http://www.high-endaudio.com/RC-Amplifiers.html

From the above website:
VTL TINY TRIODES (NEW OR USED)
The best amplifiers ever made by VTL (with the possible exception of their rare and expensive direct-heated-triode models). These are real sleepers with excellent speed and detail like good solid-state amps, but they also have the natural body and richness of tube amps. Even the bass is excellent, with the right speakers. They don’t have a lot of power, only 25 watts per channel, so speaker choice is critical.

They can be improved quite a bit with modifications.
1. Changing the coupling capacitors.
2. Adding power supply shunts.
3. The feedback capacitor can probably be completely removed
4. The feedback resistor can probably also be changed (increasing the value reduces the amount of feedback.)
5. If you can get away with less power, you can even remove one push and one pull output tube per channel that are closest to the chassis. (the bias must then be changed).
Don't attempt these modifications unless you know what you are doing!

These amplifiers are far superior to others we have heard using the EL-84 output tube. Don’t be fooled by their small appearance, they sound "big". They are an incredible "tweeter amp" too. Manley Labs also has its own version of this amplifier that is supposedly even better (both in sonics and build quality), though it costs a little more. We haven't heard that model yet.

 

[Pars]

Take a look at the Odyssey Stratos (150w/ch) www.odysseyaudio.com, sometime available on Audiogon used. These are a tweaked licensed Symphonic Line (German) offshoot.

20 year warranty (transferable), really good build quality, sounds very similar to my brother's Counterpoint tube/SS hybrid. I have one and love it with my Von Schweikert floorstanders.

 

[yage]

Haven't seen it mentioned here, but I would also consider Plinius and Sim Audio integrateds...