2. amps-preamps
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Picking an amplifier

I have the following speakers:
NHT 2.1 Front LR 200W @ 6ohms
NHT AC1 Center 150W @ 8 ohms
NHT SW2 Subwoofer 200W @ 8 ohms
The rear speakers are inconsequential (and boxed up) they might come out to play when I move to bigger digs.
I’ve been using NHTs 214s and 216s, (think lightbulbs) but the market is drying up. I remain unconvinced they are worth the shipping & costs to repair.
My (current) short list of replacement amps:
Outlaw Audio model 770 7 (7 channels)
Bryston 9B ST (5 channels) (2 years left on warranty)
Parasound 5125 (5 channels)
The budget is $1000, I have located sources for all three at or below $1000.
Any/all discussion of suitability, repair outlook, and peanut shells welcome. From a listening perspective, I've been fine with the NADs, but am priced out of the newer models. Nuts, I might even repair the NADs if I find the right person with the skills & tools.

shalmaneser
shalmaneser OP
55 posts
 
Having a blast going through everyone's ideas. I'm likely to keep the PC as the data source connected optically/COAX to a pre/pro. Computers have plenty of software for equalization & effects.  Until it goes through a DAC, it's still data. 
What do you get when you breed a neutral amp to a warm speaker?
What do you get when you breed a warm amp to a neutral speaker?
What do you get when you breed a warm amp to a warm speaker?
Is warm accumulative? Warm + warm = even warmer?
I'm guessing: warm drifts the result. It doesn't seem reasonable that neutral in a speaker puts the neutral back into the result.

2psyop's avatar
2psyop
779 posts
 
Almost all Diana Krall’s recordings are done well. I think the best album is one she did with her husband Elvis Costello (The Girl in the Other Room) Rumors are flying they are splitting up, hope not.

shalmaneser OP
55 posts
 
2psyop: Did you see Costello on an episode of Two and a Half Men? 
I'm still working my way through Krall's discography. Wonderful stuff. 
shalmaneser OP
55 posts
 
All I can find on this one is good hardware reviews, nothing about it's sonic signature. Has anyone heard this amp? Sonance Cinema 5150 ULTRA THX
auxinput
1,538 posts
 

It looks like the Sonance was made by ATI for Sonance company.  The older ATI amps tended to be very strong muscle in the bass, but tended to be somewhat bright.  I have also heard that you need to turn on the volume pretty high before you get the dynamics.  My gut feeling is that the Sonance will not be as good as the Outlaw in sound quality.

Quick question.  You said you are connecting from a computer using digital optical cable.  Are you using the toslink output from the computer motherboard?  Or are you using a toslink output on a soundcard?  If it's a soundcard, what is the exact brand/model of the soundcard?  Also, what operating system are you running?  (i.e. Windows 7, Linus, Mac OS 10).

Neutral amp to a warm speaker will obviously be somewhat warm.

Warm amp to neutral speaker will be the same.

Warm amp to warm speaker will indeed cause an even more warm sound.

Different pieces of equipment can compensate for each other (like pairing a bright/cold preamp with a warm amplifier).  With a warm preamp you can start to lose resolution in the sound waveforms.  It is important to know that once you start losing resolution, you can never get it back.  For example, if you have a very warm preamp, putting a high-resolution amplifier and speakers will not "magically" bring back the resolution in the original waveform.

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