Hard to say, I can think of the following spec highlights for comparison, and you'll be the judge:Yeah but, does that mean the MCA is better then?
Nah, I got nothing after your coverage! I say just keep what he's got more because he's already got it and it's more than sufficient in any case. Neither brand gets me excited, tho.Hard to say, I can think of the following spec highlights for comparison, and you'll be the judge:
A51 has better numbers in the following:
- THX Ultra2 certified
- 2.2 kVA encapsulated toroid power transformer with independent
secondary windings for each channel- High bias Class A/AB operation
- 164,000 μF power supply filter capacitance
- Slew rate: 130 V/µsecond
- input impedance 47 k Ω unbalanced; 94 k Ω balanced
- ACD 250 W/400 W, 8/4 Ohms, 0.2% THD at full power
- Damping factor: 1100 at 20 Hz
MCA525 has better numbers in the following:
Note1: A51 offers no 2 Ohm rating, though the slightly more powerful two channel version, the A21+, measured 620 W at 1% THD, both channels driven, and into 2 Ohm, 900 W with one channel driven.
- 600 W rated into 2 Ohms at <1% THD
- SNR, IEC-A, ref. 225 W . . . . . . .120 dB Vs A51's 112 dB IHF A-weighted (Note: no idea what IHF is, probably an old standard, so this may be be an apples to apples comparison).
Note2: The MCA525 specs did not include any ACD output rating, or its there and somehow I missed, may be @lovinthehd can help fill in the blank again.
MCA 525 has worse numbers in the following:
I would say the A51's specs would impress audiophiles more, whereas for practical use, the MCA525 is probably better because of the much lighter weight.
- Slew rate: 30 V/µsecond
- <1% THD at rated output
- Channel separation, 100 Hz to 10 kHz >65 dB Vs A51's Inter channel Crosstalk > 78 dB at 1 kHz > 63 dB at 20 kHz so I would say the A51's a lot better based on the typical shapes of XT vs freq., that the MCA's would likely be a few dB worse at 20 kHz. Both, based on specs are no better than the AVR-X3700H, SR6014, and much worse than the X3600H measured by ASR, but I guess only golden ears know the difference in use.
- Input impedance 10 k Ω unbalanced; 15 k Ω balanced
- Damping factor: 300, 20-1,000 Hz (Note: 300 should be more than high enough)
To me, it would be a tough call, good thing I already have a MCA and Halo amp, albeit the older two channel version (MCA20 and A21).
If you need the power, and want to stick with class AB then of course the P5 is Anthem's flagship power amps, more comparable to Parasound's JC Monoblocks and is well above the A51 in terms of specs and build quality.
Yeah the future is high quality class-D like the ATI AT525NC (200x5) and others.At 130 pounds weigh and takes up two dedicated 15 A outlet, I don't see the point. If you really need that much power, class D amps will be your friends, look to Hypex, Purifi etc. Again, the likes of P5 are real deals when it comes to high current, but they are electronic dinosaurs.
What’s weird is the ATI amp and the Monoprice amps have the exact same specs... except the Monoprice is half the price... weird!!!!
Some tweeters are hard to take for long periods- it may be an inherent flaw, might be bad crossover design, etc. When JBL came out with their Titanium domes in the late-'80s, I couldn't take it. A few years later, I heard the MB Quart titanium tweeters for car stereo and I liked those but when I would hear JBL Ti tweeters, I still didn't like them, so it's not as simple as saying that my hearing changed. I like textile domes and some ribbons, although I admit that I haven't listened to many different speakers lately.
If an amplifier needs two dedicated outlets, why would they not just use one 240VAC circuit?
ATI offers both 15A/120V and 20A/240V power cords as options. But yeah, most people will get the 15A/120V option.
Why do you think it was the amp particularly? Did you test those same speakers with other electronics that time? I'm not a particular fan of the Klipsch myself, but sounds a bit much even for them, particularly at moderate spl.
I initially had a Denon x8500HA with a Parasound A31 and decided to downsize my components (physical dimensions) so tried the following:
Sounds very strange for all that harshness you're experiencing.....what doesn't sound harsh particularly?
It's specifically the higher frequencies.
Maybe its just not a good pair for Klipsch speakers and/or I am over-sensitive or something.
I meant more what gear do you not find harsh particularly? I've never noticed anything that needed "pairing" particularly outside of typical things (impedance needs, power needs, sufficient sensitivity for your pre-amp).
Parasound amplifiers are the nicest and also emotiva xpa3 was ok, not harsh.
Or perhaps simply your testing methods. You doing any blind level matched listening tests? Speakers are the general way to improve audio, not the electronics, though.
