Budget 2 Channel amp

[SpiritMachine]

Hello,

My wife will be getting a record player and some sort of basic receiver from her family for xmas. I have just bought two of the Energy Veritas V-5.1 Bookshelf Speakers after reading the review on this site ($200 on amazon btw). The RMS rating on these is 175W. I am looking to get an amp to pair with these speakers to get the most out of them.

Two questions:
1. Should I get an amp that can provide 175W per channel?
2. Suggestions for a good amp under $400. This would be used for the above speakers with music only.

Thanks!

 

[bikemig]

You probably don't need to buy anything. The speakers are 8 ohm nominal (4 ohm minimum) speakers and are spec'd at up to 175 RMS (per the Energy webpage). So the receiver that your spouse is getting may well be able to drive them just fine. Find out what kind of receiver she is getting and take a look at the specs on it.

 

[ImcLoud]

You have a few choices...

A pair of APA150's would be in your budget and when ran mono you will get over 150w @ 8 ohms, I have ran them at 4 ohms bridged for a long time and loud with no issues... Great sales price too, $240 for the pair is the cheapest I ever seen them , originally designed by emotiva bpa1... Also separate mono blocks will give you zero cross talk and balance control...


Dayton Audio APA150 150W Power Amplifier 300-812

Next would be an Emotiva
XPA-200 Stereo Power Amplifier | Emotiva Audio | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo ampli
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UPA-200 | 125W x 2 | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and monoblock amplifi

Neither of which would be a bad choice, but I would go for the dayton mono blocks they sound really good, make good power and for any a/b class amp under $1 per watt is great...

I would make sure the receiver has preouts before buying an amp...

 

[jcl]

You probably won't need an external amp. Before you buy an amp make sure your receiver will have preouts.

 

[agarwalro]

Before you buy an amp make sure your receiver will have preouts.

That's the prerequisite!

I'd say get a subwoofer, cross the Energy's over around 100Hz and you will not have to worry about the budget receiver running out of juice. Looking at the measurements for the speaker, if you add the center and surrounds, a 3ch amp for the LCR may be advisable.

 

[SpiritMachine]

That's the prerequisite!

I'd say get a subwoofer, cross the Energy's over around 100Hz and you will not have to worry about the budget receiver running out of juice. Looking at the measurements for the speaker, if you add the center and surrounds, a 3ch amp for the LCR may be advisable.

Thanks for the replies. I may see how the speaker sounds before getting an amp based on some of the above answers. These will not be my primary system as I have a complete set up in the basemet with TV/Sub etc. This is just for listening to music in the living room and when entertaining guests. No way the wife will tolerate a sub in the livingroom...

 

[ahblaza]

Thanks for the replies. I may see how the speaker sounds before getting an amp based on some of the above answers. These will not be my primary system as I have a complete set up in the basemet with TV/Sub etc. This is just for listening to music in the living room and when entertaining guests. No way the wife will tolerate a sub in the livingroom...

Whether you decide on an amp of not you MUST see if your receiver has pre-amp outs.

 

[agarwalro]

This is just for listening to music in the living room and when entertaining guests.

Background listening levels should be fine.

No way the wife will tolerate a sub in the livingroom...

Here on AH we believe in asking for forgiveness after the fact rather than permission before the purchase . Throw a vase on it and call it an end table .

 

[ImcLoud]

Background listening levels should be fine.

Here on AH we believe in asking for forgiveness after the fact rather than permission before the purchase . Throw a vase on it and call it an end table .

Or put a clear plastic hose to it, and say its an oxygen machine the doctor said you need to use , only bad part is you will need to wear the oxygen mask while watching tv.. Obviously there are few more bad parts, that just a joke..

Seriously though get a sub that doesn't look like a sub, the 1010i is on sale {I never heard one, but just bought one, fingers crossed}, because most towers just don't sound great with the lows, and that will free up a lot of power if your rec isn't trying to power the lows... I am hooked on 2.1 or 2.2 systems since I switched from 2.0....

 

[ahblaza]

Or put a clear plastic hose to it, and say its an oxygen machine the doctor said you need to use , only bad part is you will need to wear the oxygen mask while watching tv.. Obviously there are few more bad parts, that just a joke..

Seriously though get a sub that doesn't look like a sub, the 1010i is on sale {I never heard one, but just bought one, fingers crossed}, because most towers just don't sound great with the lows, and that will free up a lot of power if your rec isn't trying to power the lows... I am hooked on 2.1 or 2.2 systems since I switched from 2.0....

I'm really tempted to pick up a couple of those 1010i's myself for $600. I don't need them but they look so good. The wife may not think so since I just brought a beast into the house, PSA XV15 with a second on the way, I sound like a proud father expecting his second child, but I think you will like the 1010i.
Cheers Jeff

 

[zieglj01]

I'm really tempted to pick up a couple of those 1010i's myself for $600. I don't need them but they look so good. The wife may not think so since I just brought a beast into the house, PSA XV15 with a second on the way, I sound like a proud father expecting his second child, but I think you will like the 1010i.
Cheers Jeff

You may need to stay off the site, for a while.
Or everytime you buy something, give 10% to Charity.

 

[Alex2507]

No way the wife will tolerate a sub in the living room...

That's why all our wives are in the kitchen. What would she be in the living room for?

Look, it had to be said.

 

[ahblaza]

Kitchen

That's why all our wives are in the kitchen. What would she be in the living room for?

Look, it had to be said.

You took the words right out of my mouth, and who better to say it than you Sometimes though, I wish she didn't spend so much time in the kitchen, I would have less visits to the toilet room.

 

[ahblaza]

Can't

You may need to stay off the site, for a while.
Or everytime you buy something, give 10% to Charity.

I do give to charity, the Jeff Nordi Foundation, after all I am an alcoholic audioholic Seriously you're right about staying off the site, but I really do give to legitimate charities, so much seems to come back to me from giving, try it Jim, give me something and just wait for the rewards

 

[zieglj01]

try it Jim, give me something and just wait for the rewards

I would - however, my mind is slow - it will take about 10 years,
to figure out what to send you.

 

[ahblaza]

I would - however, my mind is slow - it will take about 10 years,
to figure out what to send you.

I can wait