Recommended Class A/B Amplifiers (affordable)

[Monkey4054]

Hi all,

 

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what some of the best reasonably priced, reasonably powerful, and reasonable compact class A/B amplifiers are. Also, any that should be avoided?

 

Reasonably priced/sized/power amps along the lines of:

 

Schiit Vidar

Plinius P10

Rotel

Parasound

Rega Elex-R

Cambridge Audio CXA81

Exposure 

Roksan etc...

 

I might be looking for one of these amplifiers soon. It needs to have enough power to drive a 4-ohm speaker but nothing too massive, hot, heavy, or expensive.

 

Any opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[rantan]

 

It really depends on what your budget may be and if you are seeking an integrated amplifier or a pre/power/set up.

[andyr]

You don't have the Australian designed/assembled AKSA amps on your list, James.

 

See Hugh Dean's web-site:  www.aksaonline.com

 

If you wanted to hear one before ordering ... I suggest you email Hugh and ask him what customers he's got, in Brisbane.

 

 

[Monkey4054]

6 minutes ago, rantan said:

 

It really depends on what your budget may be and if you are seeking an integrated amplifier or a pre/power/set up.

Hi there, that's a good point.

Most likely a power amplifier looking to get a NAD C658 or similar for pre-amp/streaming/room correction. 

Budget = max $5k new RRP (like Plinius P10) preferably much less.

 

Thanks!

 

9 minutes ago, andyr said:

You don't have the Australian designed/assembled AKSA amps on your list, James.

 

See Hugh Dean's web-site:  www.aksaonline.com

 

If you wanted to hear one before ordering ... I suggest you email Hugh and ask him what customers he's got, in Brisbane.

 

 

Thanks! I'll check it out now. My list was just examples of reasonably priced class A/B amps, not a definitive shortlist. 

[075Congo]

Another is the Musical Fidelity M5Si Integrated @$3800. 150 watts per channel......good reviews. I have just bought the MF 6Si Integrated for my system @$5100 (minus some haggling). Talk to The Audio Tailor in Brisbane.

[TaylorMusic]

Plinius is competitive in this price range. 

[blakey72]

Which speakers are you going to be running?

[joz]

Check the Elektra HD in the classifieds.

 

Uber capable and excellent sounding..

[Jakeyb77_Redux]

3 hours ago, joz said:

Check the Elektra HD in the classifieds.

 

Uber capable and excellent sounding..

I’d pick this well before any of the above mentioned.

[075Congo]

Just wondering what sort of info is needed for these types of topics. Takes a while to get the info assembled. My current integrated amp is a Yamaha Integrated (A-S2200) and it is a real killer......previous integrated amps have been MF6Si.....COPLAND CSA-150.......ESOTERIC F-05. The Yamaha is at least as good as these.......budget $5K......talk to Brisbane Hi Fi for a demo.

[Jakeyb77_Redux]

41 minutes ago, 075Congo said:

Just wondering what sort of info is needed for these types of topics. Takes a while to get the info assembled. My current integrated amp is a Yamaha Integrated (A-S2200) and it is a real killer......previous integrated amps have been MF6Si.....COPLAND CSA-150.......ESOTERIC F-05. The Yamaha is at least as good as these.......budget $5K......talk to Brisbane Hi Fi for a demo.

It’s all just different horses for courses. 

As a long time Yamaha vintage amp collector I bought and A-S1100 and also a A-S3000.

Hugely disappointing sound wise. Built like a tank but sterile and un-engaging. With no sign of headroom and incredibly underpowered.

I’ve also had the MF 5si and it was similarly sterile but had lots of power. Just boring to listen to. The $2 remote control they provide is also a huge let down when spending that much money. 

Speakers used were Focal Aria 926, JBL S4600, Yamaha NS-1000 and results were same across the board for me. 
The elektra does SQ in spades. Dynamics and separation and headroom that is enormous. It will also run any speaker you throw at it and is a lot cheaper and has local support if needed. Granted you would need to add a preamp.
But everyone has different tastes 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Jakeyb77_Redux

[rantan]

55 minutes ago, Jakeyb77_Redux said:

 

As a long time Yamaha vintage amp collector I bought and A-S1100 and also a A-S3000.

Hugely disappointing sound wise. Built like a tank but sterile and un-engaging. With no sign of headroom and incredibly underpowered.

I’ve also had the MF 5si and it was similarly sterile but had lots of power. Just boring to listen to

 

Agree 100%

 

The Yamaha models in particular are the ultimate example of the whole, being so much less than the sum of its parts.

 

I think bleached, boring and bland would probably cover it.

[blakey72]

Something smooth and engaging? This should be on the list:

https://thehifishop.com.au/collections/power-amplifiers/products/exposure-3510-stereo-power-amplifier-1

[dennist]

Another good quality integrated to  consider is Marantz.

[Peterbean]

Sugden is good, the new stuff is pricey the older stuff less so

[SonicArt]

On 27/06/2023 at 12:49 PM, Jakeyb77_Redux said:

Hugely disappointing sound wise. Built like a tank but sterile and un-engaging.

 

I think this comment can sum up a LOT of equipment out there, and gear certainly doesn't need to be expensive to provide a lot of musical enjoyment. This comment fits my experience with class D perfectly, and I must admit similar response to Yamaha amps.

I played around with class D for a few years, nothing I did in system could ever get it to sound "live", to sound like music should. I pulled out my old NAD 304 in frustration, pulled the bridging bars out and ran the power section, wow! the music was back, sure it lacked the ultimate in everything, but it was enjoyable to listen to, it made music, typical of NAD and especially this vintage it punched way above its ratings, at the same time I was restoring a Haffler DH220 for a local chap and listening to that brought my mind back into focus of where I had lost the plot  

I pulled my "SUMO the NINE" off the shelf of shame, almost 4yrs or so it was sitting there with a dead channel, I stripped and rebuilt it fixing what turned out to be a simple failure, and I was back with 60w of pure class A loveliness...

Quote

But everyone has different tastes 

You know I think this is right and wrong at the same time, over the years I have been in many lounge rooms, helped many set up their system, and heard (to my ears) many mismatched, or poorly set up systems and almost every time I have changed a system so it sounds balanced, musical, dynamic (to me) they owner hears the same things...

I think we are all more similar than one imagines.

[blakey72]

2 hours ago, SonicArt said:

I think we are all more similar than one imagines.

I think people 'think' it sounds good but don't really realise until they actually hear 'good'.

[THOMO]

It seems to me this thread is just another one that highlights that the important thing is matching the amp to the speakers to your listening preferences.Some people loving /some people disliking the same amp.

I have several systems and they all only sound their best with different power amps.They can sound unrecognisable with different speakers and it would be very easy on listening to the wrong combination  to conclude that they are not very good.An amp like my Usher R1.5 for example seems to sound its best only when it is driving low impedance "difficult" speakers -like it needs to be working hard to sound good.Other amps I have are the opposite of that.

Then you can throw preamp/power amp synergy into the mix which seems to be equally unpredictable.

I have heard those modern Yamaha amps sounding superb with some speakers [Yamaha NS5000s for example]-far from being sterile and unengaging.

The NAD 304?I have one of those in a cupboard somewhere.They are quite odd sounding things really-very low resolution and  midrangey sounding -but can see how that might work on some speakers.

 

[POV]

On 01/07/2023 at 8:39 AM, SonicArt said:

 

I think we are all more similar than one imagines.

 

Yet I have owned more than 30 systems and listened to countless amplifiers in my current reference system, and I have (at least) 15 amplifiers here now, and my favourite by far is Class D.  I even prefered it to my Gryphon (now sold), and I compared them extensively.   So it would appear that you and I are not similar.   

[POV]

On 15/05/2023 at 3:22 PM, Monkey4054 said:

Most likely a power amplifier looking to get a NAD C658 or similar for pre-amp/streaming/room correction. 

Budget = max $5k new RRP (like Plinius P10) preferably much less.

 

If you are going with the NAD C658, why not at least trial staying in the NAD family?  The C298 meets your requirements, matches stylisticlly witht the 658 and sounds amazing.  Totally stable with 4 ohm and lower (despite what some people say I have actual real world experience with it!)

[rantan]

2 minutes ago, POV said:

Yet I have owned more than 30 systems and listened to countless amplifiers in my current reference system, and I have (at least) 15 amplifiers here now, and my favourite by far is Class D.  I even prefered it to my Gryphon (now sold), and I compared them extensively.

 

Geez!

 

I can scarcely believe what I have just quoted. For once, I am utterly lost for further words except to say that it is your absolute right to an opinion.

[POV]

36 minutes ago, rantan said:

 

Geez!

 

I can scarcely believe what I have just quoted. For once, I am utterly lost for further words except to say that it is your absolute right to an opinion.

 

Perspective is important.   Mine is a cost no object custom designed and fully profesionally treated room, coupled with an extensively calibrated system using a pre-amplifier with extensive DSP and EQ.  In this circumstance the amplifier you want in my view is one that provides zero colouration and ultimate transparency.   The NAD M23 is a close as it gets to a perfect amplifier when viewed from this regard.

 

I've come to learn that many folks come from a space where their listening environments are overly reverberant, overly reflective acoustic environments and consequently look for amplifiers that add warmth, colouration and romanticise the sound of their systems.  Others have great rooms that are well treated  and just prefer the warmth and fuller sounding midrange of class A.  This is of course fair enough and people should obviously build a system that makes them happy.  It's possible to do this though (and even advocate for it) without misguided criticism of alternative approaches (not saying you are doing that Rantan)

 

Not commenting further on it so as to not take the thread further off track, and because I can't be bothered getting into another debate with the anti class d brigade

Edited July 2, 2023 by POV

[JukKluk2]

38 minutes ago, POV said:

 

Perspective is important.   Mine is a cost no object custom designed and fully profesionally treated room, coupled with an extensively calibrated system using a pre-amplifier with extensive DSP and EQ.  In this circumstance the amplifier you want in my view is one that provides zero colouration and ultimate transparency.   The NAD M23 is a close as it gets to a perfect amplifier when viewed from this regard.

 

I've come to learn that many folks come from a space where their listening environments are overly reverberant, overly reflective acoustic environments and consequently look for amplifiers that add warmth, colouration and romanticise the sound of their systems.  Others have great rooms that are well treated  and just prefer the warmth and fuller sounding midrange of class A.  This is of course fair enough and people should obviously build a system that makes them happy.  It's possible to do this though (and even advocate for it) without misguided criticism of alternative approaches (not saying you are doing that Rantan)

 

Not commenting further on it so as to not take the thread further off track, and because I can't be bothered getting into another debate with the anti class d brigade

Why not  invite @rantan around for a listen so that he can hear it for himself? An added plus would be that with that light bulb in is mouth you will save on the cost of lighting for the duration of his visit,

Edited July 2, 2023 by JukKluk2

[POV]

Just now, JukKluk2 said:

Why not  invite @rantan around for a listen so that he can hear it for himself?

 

I've thought about doing that and actually would love to have an old fashioned GTG, but my wife is very private and super sensitive on the subject of internet strangers (long story with some traumatic history).  I was planning on doing a build thread of the new room for people's interest and she wouldn't let me do that even.

[JukKluk2]

1 minute ago, POV said:

my wife is very private and super sensitive on the subject of internet strangers

SNAP!!