2. amps-preamps
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Digital amps overhyped ?

I am looking for a new amp for my aerial's, I would love to get a classe 5200 but it is over my budget, I just read a glowing reveiw of the wired for sound amp, but I read conficting opinions on ice powered amps, also, I see a lot of them for sale on audiogon, since the wired for sound amp is a buy direct from company , I have no way of auditioning it, I do not want to go to the hassle of shipping it back if I don't like, the bottom line is, should I avoid ice power amps, I have been burned in the past on over hyped audio purchases, opinions?, thanks
128x128samski
lloydf
15 posts
 
I have the iceh2O amp and preamp from designer Henry Ho (iceh20audio.com) and I couldn't be happier. If you're wanting a warmer sound, you can always use a tube preamp. The preamp/tubes that you choose can make a very big difference.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
I said "Spectron" in my post and meant "Spectral". Sorry.

Dave
zapper
65 posts
 
I've had the Classe 400, and replaced it with Acoustic Reality 500w ICE amps. The bass is much better, defined, controled, etc. The mids and highs are more revealing, but that actually gave my speakers a boost they needed. The cost was less than half, no heat, no weight, great move for me.
classe30
31 posts
 
Hi Tan 43, 6 months to burn in?

If you are listening to your system, including just having it playing music in the background, say 7 hours a week, that equates to over 1500 hours needed to burn in a unit.

Please take no offense, I just find that extraordinary to take that long to burn any component/speaker straight from the factory.
Wow six months.

dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Regarding burn-in, I left Rowland Continuum 500 playing music 24/7 for two weeks to achieve 300-hours, from which point I've noted no further improvement. It's easy to set the volume down to where it's barely audible and just let it run a CD on repeat.

BTW, the Continuum 500 runs around 120-degrees in the armoire where I have it installed. That's much warmer than most ICEPower units, thanks to the Power Factor Correction unit intergral to the C500. Most ICEPower amps DO require more time to burn-in than the Continuum.

Dave
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