Looking for advice on what amplifier to purchase to to properly drive my 3 McIntosh LCR 80s
Speaker sound level is lower than I would like due to the relatively low sensitivity of 81dB that the LCR80s have. I am able to drive them with my Carver (125W) or my Anthem (140W), but I'd like a bit more sound power out of them.
I'm seeking advice on what Amp to choose that would provide adequate sound levels at a distance between 8 and 14 feet, has a neutral to slightly warm sound and have the build quality that should allow me to use this amp for many years to come.
Below are two amplifier options that I believe will help me with my sound level issue, but I I'm seeking additional opinions. If another brand/model may pair better with the McIntosh LCR80s I'd be happy to hear about them as well.
- Anthem 525 (ii) (225W/channel)
- Parasound Halo A51 (250W/channel).
Note: I am fully aware that there are many speakers on the market with a higher sensitivity available, but the home theater that I am building is in a common space and I have some clear spousal design inputs that required the following:
- Spend what you want, but keep the room uncluttered.
- No floor or stand speakers
- Speakers must either be in wall or on wall.
- Speakers also must not be giant or ugly.
We chose the LCR80s because they were the rare speaker that met all the constraints, yet still sound great (to me). Unfortunately they come with cost of being significantly more power hungry than a higher sensitivity speaker.
Current System: 7.2.4 system
Anthem MRX 1140 (140W/5 channels; 65W/6 channels)
McIntosh LCR80s (Front, Center, Left) 75-300W, 81dB sensitivity
Energy RC-6Cst & RC6W in wall speakers (150W) - Rear and back
Klipsch CDT 3800 cii (100-200W) - Height Speakers (likely will re-matrix 4 of the 140W channels from the Anthem MRX 1140)
Sunfire HRS12 (1000W) - Subwoofer x2
Thank you in advance,
Dan