Amplifiers you use

[stephenmarklay]

I was wondering what you all are using to power all these great builds I am seeing.

Before having kids I had some higher end equipment and really enjoyed some of it. My favorite, and one that I regret parting with, were some VTL tube monoblocks. I had some lesser tube amps and enjoyed the smooth laid back sound.

A few years ago I bought and NAD D3020 class D amplifier that has been power my living room. But I completed a garage system and that amp with it’s flexible inputs (apt-x bluetooth and digital inputs) is now in the garage.

I needed something so I looked in craiglsist and found a cheap Onkyo A-9010 integrated amp that have generally positive reviews. He wanted $125 and now it is sounding great powering my Kef LS-50’s.

I also have a PE 2.1 class D amplifier running a soundbar and it is perfect for that. However, I don’t think it is as good as the NAD but the price difference is a about 10x so that is fair.

I like integrated amps a lot and will probably pick up some more of the budget oriented ones.

I would love to hear what you guys are using.

[djg]

I have a bunch of amps. Right now I'm using an older Yamaha 7.1 HT in 5.1 mode, with an Outlaw Audio monoblock for the horn sub. An Adcom 4 channel amp for the LXminis, along with a Dayton 8" DSP 250 watt sub.

My PC is using a Class D Audio kit amp and another Dayton 8" DSP sub. I'm going to swap in the Sonance buyout amp I bought thanks to Wolf's alert in the forum soon. I've never heard it. More under my bed and in the basement. I have reached the "what am I going to do with all this crap" stage of life.

[dynamo]

Primary: Rogue Sphinx v2 w/ RCA cleartops

Additional channels: JBL s400thx, Sonance Sonamp 275SE

HT: Pioneer Elite Vsx 49Txi

Measuring: 80s Yamaha 2ch integrated w/ direct and tone bypass

Others: A few 80s/early 90s Denon 2ch receivers

[stephenmarklay]

I have looked at Rogue stuff in the past and would like to try one of them.

[dynamo]

It’s decent. I wish now I had the v3 which involves the tube preamp circuit in the preouts. The v2 couples the tubes only to the ucd boards and not the preouts.

If I did it again though I’d perhaps consider the Pharaoh. Almost twice the power and some better parts.

I used to have an ARC LS7 paired with a Primaluna Prologue Four. I wanted a simpler setup, with remote, a decent phono preamp, maintaining a tube preamp with the bass control of solid state amplification. I sold these to fund the Sphinx. I got what I wanted, but also lost some things, like the massive soundstage and a lot of “magic” (I’ll spare you additional subjective audiophool words, I’m sure you catch my drift).

The Sphinx is just a clean reliable unit that does its jobs. The ability to tube roll easily is nice. The old clear top rcas are easily obtainable and work well in them.

[billfitzmaurice]

I have a Sony STR-DH550 5.1 receiver, with a 100w plate amp driving my sub. With the high sensitivity speakers I have it's all I need.

[Brian Steele]

Yamaha RX-V673 for the main HT system
Denon PMA-250II for DIY loudspeaker testing / measurements
I've also got the Dayton DTA2.1 in use - for the small 2.1 system I put together for my youngest daughter. It works quite well for that purpose.

[johnnyrichards]

Theta Dreadnaught I, Emotiva, a Denon AVR, an older Onkyo 2 channel receiver, a few of the Dayton APA things, a couple little chippies from SMSL.

[tom_s]

I have a middle of the line Onkyo HT receiver for the video rig, but I only run 2 channels and don't watch much TV.

For the "HiFi" system it's nothing fancy, but I do have a good variety to play with. I usually have a Parasound HCA 1000a hooked up. It's proven to be bullet proof so far! I sometimes throw a DIY gainclone, Audio Research D52b, Marantz 1070 integrated, or a Dynaco ST70 in the mix just for something different.

I'm also collecting parts to build some Pass F6 monoblocks.

[stephenmarklay]

Those John Curl parasound amps are supposed to be great. I would love to find a good deal on the integrated amp they sell. I think I have a gain clone chip I never used. I also rebuilt a few St-70’s and I really enjoyed modding them.

[Dave Bullet]

A Cambridge Audio Azur 840w I got 2nd hand. Picked up another as well as the matching 840e pre-amp. Going to use this with a Marantz SR-6300 receiver for an active 3 way design

[Psycoacoustics]

A modded B&K st140 with a Conrad Johnson PV10 pre.

Also a rebuilt Harmon Kardon Citation 16 and 17 pre.

Marantz 2252b that’s stock and a Marantz 2252 non b version that I just finished rebuilding.

i like Vintage! Have fun, Mark

[stephenmarklay]

I have rebuilt some older tube amps in the past and loved them. I hope to find time to do that again. I know of those Citation amps and yeah your collection looks pretty nice

[Geoff Millar]

Well, I'm a real troglodyte in this company: our main amp is a Yamaha RX-596 stereo receiver, over 20 years old and lacking modern features - but it sounds great and has 80w RMS /ch power. Build quality is excellent, with one curious exception: an input selector which sometimes has a mind of its own. It runs Curt Campbell's Slapshots and a sub.

The garage has a Dayton DTA120 mini amp running Paul Carmody's Classix II and Curt's Tritrix, plus there's a Yamaha RX-367 5.1 receiver awaiting a room.

So, nothing vintage or fancy but we're happy.

Geoff

[stephenmarklay]

I had an older Yamaha 5.1 receiver that I was using in my living room and never had any complaints about it.

[Carbon13]

For my 2 channel mains (klipsch fortes) I alternate between a Fisher 500c tube amp and a solid state Yamaha cr2040. Mainly playing vinyl off an ARXA and TD124.

Surround sound is all Emotiva (umc200 and upa700) driving a 5.1 overnight sensation setup with swope sub.

My office is a marantz 2240 used as a pre into a marantz 140, driving a pair of classix iis.

Garage is a pioneer sx650 driving a pair of really underrated kenwood ls-890s.

Also have a kenwood kr-7600 squirreled away somewhere. Yes, I may have an audio problem....

[tom_s]

Carbon13 - Seems a few of us have that same problem! I really need start selling off my vintage audio gear - mostly silver Pioneer, bought when you could still get it pretty cheap. Now it's just taking up too much space in the man cave.

[Paul K.]

In my primary audio system I'm using a Wyred4Sound ST-500 MK II power amp (~250 wpc/8 ohms and double that into 4 ohms) driven by a Wyred4Sound STP-SE preamp. Several months ago I tried out a Parasound Halo A23+ power amp (160 wpc/8 and 240 wpc/4); it was very good but not any better than the ST-500.
Paul

[Adam_M]

I have 10 channels of Nord MP NC252 driving LX521's, as well as a Marantz SR6011, and a couple older Onkyo and Integra receivers around. I use a dayton APA for measurement. Subs have PE plate amps.

One of my quarantine projects is a set of LxMinis, and I've got 2 stereo NC252 amps coming in for a price that was truly about the same price built as I could have bought the case, and components for.

...Needless to say, I"m hooked on the nCores.

[silverD]

For HT duties, Yamaha RX-A810. But for stereo, I'm always swapping stuff around. Music Hall A25.2, Fosgate Audionics 4100, 3e Audio TPA3255, ICEpower dual mono BTL 125asx2. Whatever is connected at the moment will be fed by either an SMSL SK10 DAC or one of several pi/DAC combos running Volumio.