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best used amp for 300- 400

I have a system composed of a rotel rcd970 cd player, rc990 preamp, rt940 tuner, acoustic reasearch turntable with denon mc cartridge and old infinity Qe speakers and am looking to replace my amp an old dying adcom gfa-2. I have heard a rotel rb 980 in the system and it was decent but not great i am trying to find an old bryston 3b but any suggestions would be welcome, my price range is less than $400 including shipping so closer to $350 would be ideal. I listen mostly to classic rock and ska, so i want power and good bass but also want good upper frequency perfomance as well. Thanks
sailor720
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Nix on the B&K stuff. The bass is soft and does not meet your criteria. The ST-140 seems to have trouble with lower impedances to boot. But nice midrange, good soundstage and a bit soft. Caters to the "solid state like tubes" crowd.
mwilson
430 posts
 
Viridian is correct about the ST-140 having trouble with lower impedances, I have experienced this in extreme cases. I wouldn't pair it with a 4ohm speaker on a bet. The bass is not as big as "muscle amp" bass, but I find it voluminous with correct speaker matching. I can't speak to the Infinitys you own. "solid state like tubes" - this guy is right on. Probably explains why I moved up to a CJ Sonograph 400 in my main rig.

There's also a Mccormack DNA .5, just listed for $550 (steal)... out of the pricerange, but damn!
cowman
26 posts
 
I would buy the VSP Labs Transmos-150 for sale here on A-gon. I had one in my home a year ago and passed it on to a friend. The description is apt. A superb value!
nearsota
46 posts
 
I bought a used ST-202 and had it Modified from Sound Unlimited in Bristol,CT..I had Magnepans which are a difficult load to drive and there were no issues.
Matched with a Rotel Pre-Amp it sounds exceptional.I would like to try having a Tube Pre-Amp next.

I am using it to drive Mod. NEAR M15's at the moment and the M15's which drop to around 5 ohms I believe!

You can find Modified Models on A-Gon for around $400.

Good
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