B&K amp a good argument for cheaper separates?

[gcmarshall]

so, my B&K reference 200.2 amplifier arrived. i installed it precisely per the instructions. it is plugged into a dedicated 15 amp circuit. i noticed the following....while it appears to play clearly, it plays noticeably weaker than the audiosource amp one/a's i had been using for my fronts. the B&K is rated 225 wpc and the audiosource rated at 200 wpc (i was running 2 audiosurce amp one/a's in mono/bridged mode).

several times, i completely shut down the system, unplugged everything and switched between the audiosurce amps and the B&K amp, playing the same 1 or 2 songs. consistently, i had to have my volume on about -20db with the B&K to achieve the same volume and feeling that i had with the audiosources playing at about -30db.

amazingly, the audiosource amps (which sell for less than $200 each...so, less than $400 for a 2 channel audiosource solution) sound more robust than the $1500 B&K amp. that being said the B&K seems to play a bit crisper or more accurately or tighter. this is all just based on about an hour of initial testing. more to come.

but, what gives? what do you thing about the volume issue above? any other thoughts?

 

[highfihoney]

are you refering to the difference in your volume dial setting if so there are several reasons why the audiosource is louder at the same dial setting.

your audiosource amps have 25 more watts over the b&k & the audiosource amps have adjustable gain which is more than likely set much higher than your b&k,the higher you set the gain on the audiosource amps the faster (lower volume dial setting) they will reach full power amplification.

i think its more of an issue with gain as oposed to the extra 25 watts the audiosource amps have over the b&k.

 

[gcmarshall]

highfihoney,

thanks for the suggestions. i forgot about the gain control knobs on the fron of my audiosource. that could be it.

the B&K is the one with a claimed 225 wpc, while the audiosource claims 200 wpc. so, from a claimed power output standpoint, the B&K should be a fraction beefier. however, hopefully, the gain control feature on the audiosource amps explains the volume discrepancy and why the audiosource amps, though less powerful, play louder than the B&K at the same volume setting on my receiver. i do have the gain controls on my audiosource amps turned up to the max setting.

if anyone has any other thoughts, they are appreciated. i need to dedicate some more time to really sit down and listen to the B&K before i come to any conclusions on its performance.

 

[jcPanny]

A/B test

Using a test tone and SPL meter, adjust the gain control on the Audio souce so that it matches the B&K and you don't need to change the receivers volume knob to switch between amps. Then have a friend swap the RCA cables so you can do a blind A/B listening test.

 

[mtrycrafts]

so, my B&K reference 200.2 amplifier arrived. i installed it precisely per the instructions. it is plugged into a dedicated 15 amp circuit. i noticed the following....while it appears to play clearly, it plays noticeably weaker than the audiosource amp one/a's i had been using for my fronts. the B&K is rated 225 wpc and the audiosource rated at 200 wpc (i was running 2 audiosurce amp one/a's in mono/bridged mode).

several times, i completely shut down the system, unplugged everything and switched between the audiosurce amps and the B&K amp, playing the same 1 or 2 songs. consistently, i had to have my volume on about -20db with the B&K to achieve the same volume and feeling that i had with the audiosources playing at about -30db.

amazingly, the audiosource amps (which sell for less than $200 each...so, less than $400 for a 2 channel audiosource solution) sound more robust than the $1500 B&K amp. that being said the B&K seems to play a bit crisper or more accurately or tighter. this is all just based on about an hour of initial testing. more to come.

but, what gives? what do you thing about the volume issue above? any other thoughts?

Others mentioned why your experience had problems. The position of a volume control on one amp has no bearing where the position on another make will be regardless of the power. That is not how to compare them, but as was suggested, matching levels with test tones.

 

[gcmarshall]

thanks all.

aside from the sound level item i started this thread with (which may not be an issue at all), i have to say this amp performs very nicely. at the risk of using terms i may or may not be using in the correct context, here are some random brief comments: bass is solid and tight. music sounds very rich and clear. the presentation of most music is very powerful. the amp clearly gives me so much clarity and power that i often find myself listening at higher levels than previously and not realizing until i stop to think about it. ....sort of like driving a high end lexus -- it doesn't feel like you're going 85 until the officer tells you that's how fast you were going.

previously, i had 3 audiosource amp one's (run mono at 200 wpc) driving my front 3 speakers and my yamaha handling my back 2. in that prior setup, i sensed that the rear surround effects in movies lacked the same oomph that my front 3 speakers had. now, i have my B&K driving my main left/rights, one audiosource (mono at 200 wpc) driving my center, and the remaining two audiosources amps driving my rears. the surround effects are more pronounced and, thus, the movie experience is that much improved.

for $2100 i have 5 separate amp channels at or over 200 wpc. for 2 channel music, the B&K does a commendably job thus far. for both music and movies, separate amps have been a notable and enjoyable improvement for me. i sort of have the best of both worlds - a very good 2 channel amp for music. and, 5 amps for movies, without spending a fortune on name brnads all around. the audiosurce amps are priced right for those like me who watch the occasional movie, but enjoy heart pounding effects when i do crank up the flicks. one downside is i have 4 power cables for my separate amps, in addition to my receiver, and other components, tv, sub, etc.

reliability for the B&K is unknown at this point. i will keep a close and careful eye on it and will report any problems if they arise.

 

[zumbo]

Now it's clear. Sounds like a kick-@** set-up.