Some amplifier questions

Tim, Thanks for the research. I really appreciate your detailed posts. I have read each one several times. I will be rereading the one about how to hook up the Oppo when it arrives.

Where I live ( in Oklahoma) there is no place besides Best Buy that carries audio equipment so no easy try outs for me. I am leaning more towards the Kef LS50s because review after review was so high on them. I also like the idea of a small bookshelf speaker on a stand. I was thinking that if I needed a center channel I could lay a single LS50 on its side. It will fit if I lay it down but I was going to try and get by without one if I could. I like the look of them a little better.

Right now, Second place would be the Goldenear Tritons. I read one review where they said the cheapest version, the 7, was also the best sounding. Anyway, I know they are great speakers and I haven't ordered any speakers yet so I will think on it for at least another day. I also considered the KEF R300 but now it is down to the Tritons and the LS50. I like the look of a speaker box more than a tower so that is influencing me.

I did order the Oppo 105D today. I haven't done as much research on amps so only the Emotiva XPA-3 is in the running. I would like some more choices. Is this amp really what I need or should I go up in price and if I do what would I be getting?

Wemfan,

I see amazon.com has the Emotiva XPA-3 for $800. My experience is that Amazon is very good about standing behind anything they sell with a simple return policy. It's good to save the packing until you're sure you got what you want to facilitate return if necessary.

db

Pgawan2b,

I respect your wife's grandfather's service and the sentimental value of his gift to her. To many a/v enthusiasts, however, anyone pairing $15k of electronics with a 42" tv screen is definitely guilty of some kind of offense. Personally, I'm somewhat offended just at the thought of it.

Sad but true,
Tim

Thanks for the kind words, Tim. He was part of a truly great generation.

Pagawan2b,

"Thanks for the kind words, Tim. He was part of a truly great generation."

You're welcome. I instinctively feel proud and grateful to the Americans of the WWII era, especially those who fought. They truly were a great generation; some have even called them the Greatest generation and I tend to agree with that.

Wemfan,

I completely understand if you go with the KEF LS50 spkrs on a nice pair of stands. I've read the reviews, too, and they are very highly recommended for both sq and value. If you do buy them, you may want to get a matching KEF center channel rather than position another LS50 on its side. I would call KEF, or a KEF dealer, and ask them for the best center spkr solution.
You also mentioned the Golden Ear Triton Seven towers as an option. These would also give you very good sq and value but, remember, the Sevens do not have built in subs/amplifiers like the Triton Threes do for $500 more. But you may find you don't require a sub in your smaller room, and lower volumes, with either the Golden Ears or the KEFs.

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice so it may be decided by which you consider the better looking or which fits your room best.

For a 3-ch amplifier, I think the Emotiva is a good match for both the Oppo 105 and the spkrs. In my opinion, if you want to look at amps that would be a possible step up in sq, I would look at a new or used Rotel, Wyred4 Sound, ClassD Audio, D-Sonic or Nuforce amp. Rotel offers both class A/B (same type as the Emotiva) and class D models. The others are all class D amps which are much more energy efficient and run cooler than the A/B amps. Which amp type sounds the best is debated on forum sites like Audiogon ad nauseum. I think class D sounds very good, when done right, and use a ClassD Audio 440CS unit as my main 2-channel amp with very good results. I use older used class A/B Adcom amps for my sub and surround channels. I'm considering replacing these 2 amps with a class D 4-ch amp soon, too, mainly to decrease electricity consumption, not for sq. reasons.

You can buy a new Emotiva XPA-3, like Dbphd mentioned, for $799 on Amazon. I also saw someone is selling one used on Audiogon now for $699 that he said is like new and hardly used.

Also I looked up KEF retailers in Oklahoma and saw there is one, called Bluespeed A/V in Tulsa. There may be others since I only looked up Tulsa on their 'retailer locator' at www.kef.com.

Best of luck,
Tim