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Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier

70.94.235.22
Posted on January 17, 2015 at 13:17:15
kathrynatrand@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 73
Location: St. Louis
Joined: December 25, 2007
 I am considering the older Krell Showcase 5. or 7 Multichannel Amplifier, 125W per CH. Or the Bryston 9B st, 120W per CH, maybe a Cary? I have a 5B st, and Anthem MCA 2, I am no longer using.
Both have XLR differential inputs, are a step up from the receiver amplifier sections, and the power rating is sufficient and stable, considering the wattage nearly doubles into 4 ohms, both about 200 watts into 4 ohms.
I would consider others, yet they have to have differential balanced input, not fully internally balanced.
Not interested in receiver type amplifiers like the Marantz MM7055, which states “140 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD, with 2 channels driven” and else where, it mentions this put out an additional 30 watts into a 4 ohm load. Same with most Rotel, and Nad products.
On the other hand, I do not need something as grand as the Mark Levinson No.535 Amplifier 200 Watts into 8 ohms and 400 watts into 4 ohms/ the Krell HTS model, which is about the same power?
My speaker are a mix of B&W and Martin Logan, which do not demand 4 ohm loads, however i like the stability of class AB higher current amplifiers’.
The amp would power centre, surround and back channels
price range, 1300 to 3000

 

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Parasound (nt) , posted on January 17, 2015 at 14:34:10
mbnx01
Audiophile

Posts: 7956
Location: Eagle, Idaho
Joined: October 22, 2004
 .










'A lie is halfway around the world before the truth gets its boots on'. -Mark Twain

 

Emotiva XPA-5, posted on January 17, 2015 at 15:51:23
rlw
Audiophile

Posts: 3347
Location: Near West Palm Bch, FL
Joined: August 29, 2006
 I think this meets most of your criteria. And the price is certainly good as well as the 30 day in-home trial and 5 year warranty...


-RW-

 

Used Proceed can be had for relative peanuts - either AMP or HPA series. N/T, posted on January 17, 2015 at 20:04:28
carcass93
Audiophile

Posts: 7181
Location: NJ
Joined: September 20, 2006
 N/T

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 18, 2015 at 00:39:48
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 For any of the higher power (200@8 or better) 5 channel amps, I'd heartily recommend a DEDICATED OUTLET with 20 amp service.

Lots of fans of the Emotiva while I love my A23 parasound (2x).

Would one of the more power efficient 'd' amps work? Some are available as 5 channel.

Also, Outlaw sells a nice little MONOBLOC which would work as well. I don't remember offhand, the power output, but it's within the OPs stated range.
Too much is never enough

 

Audio Refinement Multi 5 , posted on January 18, 2015 at 07:13:41
Wojciech
Audiophile

Posts: 4129
Joined: June 23, 2009
 I have Multi 2 and it's a very nice sounding, non offensive amp. I imagine it would match pretty good with B&W tweeter . Also it looks good ...fans of B$W speakers tend to be design conscious

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 18, 2015 at 13:00:32
kathrynatrand@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 73
Location: St. Louis
Joined: December 25, 2007
 yes, I have three.

I considered the Parasound; had just fair luck with last one I had, HCA 2200 II, I think?

 

RE: Used Proceed can be had for relative peanuts - either AMP or HPA series. N/T, posted on January 18, 2015 at 13:05:20
kathrynatrand@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 73
Location: St. Louis
Joined: December 25, 2007
 Can they be repaired easy? I agree, they were tops, and now usually older, and main company is out of business. Does anyone know if ML was picked up by another company, seems lots of models out there?

 

RE: Audio Refinement Multi 5 , posted on January 18, 2015 at 13:25:13
kathrynatrand@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 73
Location: St. Louis
Joined: December 25, 2007
 It looks well laid out; however it hasn’t the balanced inputs. Do not wish to belabour the ‘balances, or not balanced’ debate. It seems we all have our reasons on that subject.

If the ML was not 200@8-400@4m and perhaps 800@2, I would consider, yet I am not so much eager to go back to class A amps; mainly I keep my room too warn in summer.

Maybe Ayre is the answer, or the SST Bryston?

Does he Krell Showcase seem anaemic?

 

RE: Parasound (nt) , posted on January 18, 2015 at 13:30:19
kathrynatrand@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 73
Location: St. Louis
Joined: December 25, 2007
 lol!

another idea
Cary
"The Model 7.125 is a seven channel power amplifier rated at 125 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load and 190 watts per channel into a 4 ohm load. The rear panel has XLR and RCA inputs and a remote turn on trigger. With its power output it is capable of driving most multi-channel speaker systems. Quiet, low distortion operation with unmatched reliability."

pretty close to Bryston 9B st with 7 channel?

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 18, 2015 at 14:40:33
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 I'm sorry. THREE? Dedicated outlets? Outlaw Monos? 'd' amps?

The HCA gear has been replaced with the HALO line in the upper tier and a real good line of more affordable amps, cd players and 'other'.


Too much is never enough

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 18, 2015 at 15:31:00
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Kat,

look into Rotel.

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 18, 2015 at 17:20:01
kbuzz
Audiophile

Posts: 660
Joined: November 11, 2000
 Can't say enough good things about the 9b. I've used it as a two channel amp on many occasions. Just wish I da more room in my cabinet for it. It's very large.

If you have room, I would seek out a used Bryson and call it a day....

 

RE: Audio Refinement Multi 5 , posted on January 19, 2015 at 00:12:40
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 Without belaboring the balanced / unbalanced debate, you MIGHT want to check out the other thread on that subject which was started just today, Sunday.

There ARE a few advantages, centering on LONG RUNS, but IMO, depending on the number of 'conversions' between balanced and UN, might NOT be to your sonic advantage.

By the time you get to the SST or SST2 Bryston, it is quite improved over the originals
Too much is never enough

 

Butler TDB-5150, posted on January 20, 2015 at 09:56:19
triode
Audiophile

Posts: 439
Location: south Florida
Joined: January 18, 2001
 5 channels with tube driver and SS output. Sonics are somewhere between PP tube and Class AB SS.

"Your liver suffers dearly now for youthful magic moments...so rock on completely with some brand new components"

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 20, 2015 at 14:34:05
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46295
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 There are a couple used Pass Labs X5 5-ch amps on Audiogon. Just search on "Pass Labs" and you'll find them in the list.

I had the 3-channel Pass Labs X3 for a while and it was very good.





 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 20, 2015 at 20:34:28
Mr Peabody
Audiophile

Posts: 1109
Location: St. Louis, MO, USA
Joined: August 14, 2010
 One of the best values in multichannel amp has to be the ATI, either 2000 or 3000 series. They do require a 20 amp wall outlet though. You shouldn't worry about the power doubling into 4 ohms that just shows current for good control and reserve power. There is a dealer in our area if you are interested.

The Halo & Pass are also good suggestions. Parasound's Halo is a higher quality product all round from the HCA. I am a Pass fan and would give it a high recommendation if it would be for music & movies.

The Krell is not thin in my opinion but as all Krell the bass is controlled with an iron grip so there isn't any bloom, the bass is tight and hits hard.

I know you said no Rotel, but if this is only HT have you looked at their digital amps? Very reasonable priced with good performance IMO.

 

RE: Moderately priced 5 channel amplifier, posted on January 20, 2015 at 22:51:10
Disbeliever
Audiophile

Posts: 1877
Joined: June 1, 2012
 Rotel as far as I am aware do not make digital amplifiers only Class D with performance not good enough for use with B & W speakers. Furthermore I am unable to understand why anyone would even consider a moderately priced 5 channel amplifier as IMO a good AVR is a much more sensible & practical proposition.

 

Outlaw Audio 7500, posted on January 24, 2015 at 00:32:11
JoeKool
Audiophile

Posts: 896
Location: NYC
Joined: May 9, 2003

200W X 5 @8ohms, $1,600.

 

Outlaw has a new 5 channel amp...., posted on January 26, 2015 at 09:40:54
Jive Turkey
Audiophile

Posts: 2409
Location: far left, geographically speaking
Joined: May 5, 2010
 ...at $599. I don't know how it sounds.

See ya. Dave

 

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