Audio research 100.2 any good ?????


I am thinking of buying a audio research 100.2 amp . I am driving monitor audio silver 8 speakers and want a nice warm sound . Is the audio research a good amp @ only 100 watts per channel , or should i step up to a parasound a21 ?
nesto719
I have a 100.2. Excellent amplifier. A couple of things to keep in mind is that AR will not service the amplifier (not even recap it) since the transistors are no longer available. If those transistors are damaged or stop working while in their care they are basically screwed and owe you an amplifier. Second thing is that the rail voltage is 50 volts and the power supply caps are rated at 50V instead of 63V. This will definitely shorten the lifespan of the caps. Replacing those caps are a pain in the neck as you have to practically take apart the amplifier. It took me the better part of two weekends to change out those caps so a professional shop is going to charge quite a bit to do the job.

Before you buy, you have to look under the top cover and make sure those power supply caps are not bulging on top or leaking.
Seperates are certainly great, but not always better.  Depends on your long term goals and your system.   If you're going to keep your MA speakers for awhile I'd look into an integrated that has the features you like.  Creek, NAD or Rega is where I'd start.  The new Creek 50A or 100A integrateds are very smooth and accommodate future phono, tuner and Dac modules.  I had the 50A and it was very good driving Tannoy Precision 6.2. Your source and cables will make a difference as well.  Do a little research and better yet some auditioning if you can.  Try not to get overwhelmed.  The search can be fun.  Keep us posted.  Regards.....

All great replies !!! Thank you . It's good to know that the 100.2 can't be serviced by audio research . That will definently help steer my direction beingbthatbthe amp I'm looking to purchase is online and definently won't be able to see it in person before purchasing . I'm definently gonna hang onto the speakers for awhile , so I will look into those integrated models . Thank you all again !
The 100.2 is great amp. I owned one and only moved to a bigger amp because of speakers that demanded more power. It will play just fine on you MA Silver 8's no problem and can reach a lot deeper than your current speakers. Parasound A21 is a nice amp but not as musical as the 100.2. NAD... really? I've owned NAD and very good for the money but we're not even in the same league here. The Parasound Halo Integrated is a good all around unit but it is not going to walk over a 100.2 with a great preamp. I had at the time a ModWright SWL 9.0 SE which was a great combination. Using your Marantz to drive the 100.2 will hold it back, so if that is your likely setup I'd consider an integrated as well but it's going to take something above the stuff noted above to outperform a 100.2. If you are thinking of a 100.2 you really need to mate it with a equally good preamp or you'll never hear how nice the 100.2 is. I know your speakers very well, so I can say with experience the 100.2 will likely have you moving up the Monitor Audio line so be aware of that. 
What integrated amps do you suggest that will match the 100.2 in musicality ? What preamps do you suggest ?