A good sounding amp for my GoldenEar Refderence


Hi Everyone out there!
I am a Home Theater guy with an appetite to always try to upgrade something in my system.
Just recently I went from the GoldenEar Triton Ones to their Reference for my front L & R.
I am now deciding to do music streaming and will use Tidal as I hear it is the best sounding music that one can rent.
I have 12 channels for HT
 2 front L & R
1 center Golden Ear XXL
2 inwall sides
2 inwall rears
4 Atmos
1 additional centre above myu XXL that I use every now and then when I think it may help me hear dialogue a little cleaner (it works some time)
I have a Classé CT5300 running my three front speakers + 2 rears
the other 7 channels are run by an Emotiva XPA-7
Anyone have any experience with my Reference speakers to tell me if I should go to monoblocks (or another 5-channel amnp) for them and a 3-channel amp for my centre + 2 rears?
Looking for some guidance!
Steve
128x128eternalcamper
I don’t do home theater but my Triton Reference speakers were used with a Conrad Johnson MF2550  250wpc solid state amp which sounded thick, slow and syrupy and now with a McIntosh MC152 150wpc solid state amp which is a keeper, it sounds perfect with the T Refs. 
How do you like the Golden Ear/Classe pairing right now? If you like your current pairing now and since you already have the Classe CA-5300 five-channel amp, you can look for a used Classe CAM-300 monoblock amps or the CAM-600 monoblock amps, which will have same sonic signature and tonality with your CA-5300 amp. And you can move your CA-5300 to power your center and surrounds. 
What is your HT preamp processor? 

CaphillI have had my 2 amps for a number of years so I really do not know how the T Ref would sound with any other amp.
I am using the Marantz AV8802A and was thinking of upgrading to their new one, the AV8805, but am not sure if this would be a good move now.
I think I may see (hear) better results with another amp for my Reference but am not sure.
Steve
Eternal it really depends on budget, personally have always felt that the Classe amps are a little on the dark side of neturality. 

The Golden Ear Reference tend  to be a bit on the warmer/softer side therefore an amplifier with great transparency and punch in the midrange would be our recommendation. 

Therefore, like Stereo5 said a warmer amp like CJ or Classe would not be our first pick, amplifiers with great transparency are Hegel, and Nuprime belive it or not has launched a new version of their older reference amps which were fantastic. 

Also there is a strong buzz from TJ anyway on the new Coda Series 8 amplifer. Coda stuff is fantastic slightly warm, just a smidge but not dark, fast clean great punch and many of their amplifiers run class A for anywhere from 5-25 watts, totally a sleeper.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ
Agree with @audiotroy  that a more upfront, dynamic amp might be a nice marriage with the Golden Ears.  Without such an amp. even if played loudly, the GE's can sound a bit flaccid.
@audiotroy
@hifiman5
@eternalcamper

The older Classe amps are slightly on the darker warmer side and might be lacking transparency but the latest generation of Classe Delta series such as the OP’s CA-5300 amp is very neutral with great dynamic and excellent transparency and punch. The newer latest generation of Classe Delta series amps sounded very different from older Classe amps. The latest generation Classe Delta amps sounded very transparent with excellent details, nuances, speed and excel in PRAT and very punchy.

In my dedicated HT room I do own the latest generation of Classe Delta series amps such as the CAM-600 monoblock amps, CA-2300 amps paired with all B&W 800 series D3 speaker surround system and my HT system sounding massively dynamic with lots of dynamic headroom, excellent details, transparency, clarity, speed PRAT. Actually these latest generation Classe Delta series amps excel in details, transparency and speed.
And the noise floor is unbelievably low. Very quiet design amplifiers especially the CAM-600 monoblock amps.

However, I have never heard the Classe amps paired with some Golden Ear Technology speakers before so not sure how they would pair. Well, the OP apparently has been using the Classe CA-5300 five-channel amp, which is the latest generation of Classe Delta series amp, to drive his Golden Ear speakers. But I personally have never heard the pairing before. All my Classe Delta series amps (latest generation) are paired with the newest B&W 800 D3 speaker system in my dedicated HT room. They sounded great together. Not sure how the Classe would sound on the Golden Ear speakers.
I have T1s with a XXL center.  When I went from driving the center with a multi channel Parasound A51 to a JC1 monoblock like the other two front channels, the sound cleared up and improved quite a bit.  Maybe if you used a comparable monoblock for your system to drive your center, it would help.  I'm using an old Denon AVR-X4000 processor that I hope to upgrade soon.  I've been thinking about the T Refs, but haven't been able to demo any.
Hello 12blistn
Just saw Bryston 7BSST Mono Blocks on Kijiji and will try to listen to them as soon as I can.
I have not heard of anyone pairing the Reference with Bryston but was wondering if anyone out there has heard/using them now!
Look forward to some personnal experience!
Steve
Dave & Troy,
I have read your reply to me a number of times, and tried to find Audio Doctor on the web, with no results as I do not think I have found your store.

I am asking to clarify your response about Nuprime amps that you mentioned. As I have stated before, I was going to look into mono amps from Bryston but really do not know anything about the Nuprime line.
Please comment on what you would suggest for me for the Reference speakers