Parasound or B&K or Outlaw Power Amplifiers

[majorloser]

My $0.02

I''ve had some bad experience with B&K 7270 amp. Three different time one of the amp channels blew. One time taking out my center channel speaker. All three times shipped back for service.

Now I can't complain about B&K's service department. Very nice to deal with and rather fast service. But wouldn't you think that three times is a little excessive? An +80 lb amp ain't exactly cheap to ship three times. I'm still using the amp now for my extra zones. It seems they finally got it repaired right. But it's given me a bad taste.

The Emotiva MPS-1 has lots of flexibility and lots of expansion capability.
http://www.emotiva.com/amplifiers.html

The Gemstone Blue Diamond is a beast.
http://www.gemstoneaudio.com/amplifiers/

Otherwise, I'd go with a stack of Outlaw M-Blocks.
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

But dreams are always a good thing
http://www.classeaudio.com/delta/amplifiers-menu.htm
http://www.krellonline.com/krell_series.php?id=15&page=evoS
http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shopdisplayproducts.asp?hid=1&id=14&cat=Power+Amplifiers&prodid=1115&product=MC2KW
http://www.lexicon.com/products/product-category.asp?cat=AMPS

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I would not mind getting that Outlaw Audio 300 watts RMS x 7 @ 8 ohms Amp or the Adcom 300 WPC x 7 amp.

 

[ManishKasera]

My $0.02

I''ve had some bad experience with B&K 7270 amp. Three different time one of the amp channels blew. One time taking out my center channel speaker. All three times shipped back for service.

Now I can't complain about B&K's service department. Very nice to deal with and rather fast service. But wouldn't you think that three times is a little excessive? An +80 lb amp ain't exactly cheap to ship three times. I'm still using the amp now for my extra zones. It seems they finally got it repaired right. But it's given me a bad taste.

The Emotiva MPS-1 has lots of flexibility and lots of expansion capability.
http://www.emotiva.com/amplifiers.html

The Gemstone Blue Diamond is a beast.
http://www.gemstoneaudio.com/amplifiers/

Otherwise, I'd go with a stack of Outlaw M-Blocks.
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html

But dreams are always a good thing
http://www.classeaudio.com/delta/amplifiers-menu.htm
http://www.krellonline.com/krell_series.php?id=15&page=evoS
http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/mcprod/shopdisplayproducts.asp?hid=1&id=14&cat=Power+Amplifiers&prodid=1115&product=MC2KW
http://www.lexicon.com/products/product-category.asp?cat=AMPS

Dreams yeah that's what this is until and unless my wife does approve my plan ;-)

Thanks for letting know you experience about B&K, I'll do some more research on that matter as I did no hear this before.

I would love to get ANY of the above.

 

[ManishKasera]

I would not mind getting that Outlaw Audio 300 watts RMS x 7 @ 8 ohms Amp or the Adcom 300 WPC x 7 amp.

How are Outlaw and Adcom in term of performance and reliability?

 

[ManishKasera]

Does anyone have any comments on B&K Reference 200.7 S2?
I can get it for $2,400.
While looking at buying individual amplifiers vs one for all speakers price difference is significant.
I know I said that I prefer to go with individual and know I'm asking this question.
Confusion confusion and more confusion.
I guess I should stop looking and any more stuff ;-)

 

[fmw]

How are Outlaw and Adcom in term of performance and reliability?

Had you thought about looking up the specification sheets for them? Those sheets will outline how they perform.

 

[ManishKasera]

Had you thought about looking up the specification sheets for them? Those sheets will outline how they perform.

I looked at the spec sheet but wanted to know user experience.

 

[ManishKasera]

Bummer, just got an e-mail from B&K.
According to it an internal change need to be perform to work with different voltage supply so truth is although they mention both voltage supply on the back of their receiver they are not supported.
Could any one please tell me the name of good amplifier brands that support both 110-230V without any modifications.

 

[Antus]

maybe u should try to listen to some of the amps you want to buy with similier setup you have.

personally, i don't like how B&K sounds when connect to B&W speakers. however, many B&W dealers have this setup as starting point for customers. u will never know how a system sounds like by just looking at spec sheet.

a well-designed multi-channel amps shouldn't have crosstalk or interfence problems between channels. if you buy ONE multi-channel amp vs. many amps, you can usually go higher end products. sometimes, cables are the result of crosstalk and interfence. i am not saying you should buy super expensive cables but a properly shielded cable would helps a lot.

amps from different companies have different design, gain stage, and properties. a 200W amp from one company can sounds very different from a 200W from another. i would like to stick with one company if possible.

i am curious which class A/AB amp can do 120V and 230V without any mods. unless you go with switching power supply (class D amp) the transformer for 120V and 230V are basically different. um...

 

[mike c]

Could any one please tell me the name of good amplifier brands that support both 110-230V without any modifications.

i am curious which class A/AB amp can do 120V and 230V without any mods. unless you go with switching power supply (class D amp) the transformer for 120V and 230V are basically different. um...

there are Outlaw amps that are user switchable. www.outlawaudio.com

Parasound amps are user switchable 110-220v www.parasound.com

there are Emotiva amps that are user switchable too (based on the pics on their website, but when asked, they say they need to modify it themselves) www.emotiva.com

 

[ZoFo]

Heat is not a problem in the ID Amps

I had a Parasound A/B 2-channel Amp years ago that you could fry on; I now have multi-channel amps from Internet Direct companies like Outlaw and Emotiva and they absoultly do NOT run hot. The Outlaw 7700 is a class A/B Amp built in California and it hardly gets warm, my Emotiva Amp is a Class-H and it does not even get warm - seriously the Pre-Pro gets MUCH hotter then the Amp and there would be no problem even stacking other amps or components on top of it - it really runs that cool.

The only amp that I now own that doubles as a space heater is my tube-amp.

 

[majorloser]

You could cook meat on my B&K 7270. Even while sitting out totally in the open.

 

[Seth=L]

Sunfire and older Carver amplifiers run very cool as well. I believe the Multichannel Carvers were Class H as well.

 

[ManishKasera]

there are Outlaw amps that are user switchable. www.outlawaudio.com

Parasound amps are user switchable 110-220v www.parasound.com

there are Emotiva amps that are user switchable too (based on the pics on their website, but when asked, they say they need to modify it themselves) www.emotiva.com

Both of these companies have switchable power supply only on less powerful amp. Once you hit 200/250W mark both of these require modifications by professional electrician.

 

[jcPanny]

Axiom amp

Check out the new Axiom amp in your price range.
http://www.axiomaudio.com/A1400-8.html
Its dynamic assignment of power to each channel makes it a very flexible HT amp and would make it easy to upgrade to a 7.1 HT. Also looks like it has a 110V or 220V selector switch on the bottom.

I have the entry level Emotiva LPA-1 amp and it runs cool. My Yamaha receiver used as pre-pro generates much more heat. One of the products Emotiva is working on for 2008 is a 500 Watt x 2 bridgable amp.

 

[PENG]

i am curious which class A/AB amp can do 120V and 230V without any mods. unless you go with switching power supply (class D amp) the transformer for 120V and 230V are basically different. um...

It could simply be a matter of having a transformer (yes internal) that has taps to change the transformer winding turns ratio. Nothing to do with the class of amps.

 

[mtrycrafts]

personally, i don't like how B&K sounds when connect to B&W speakers. however, many B&W dealers have this setup as starting point for customers. u will never know how a system sounds like by just looking at spec sheet.

It certainly will give you a great idea what to expect and not to expect from that amp. Not rocket science.

.. a 200W amp from one company can sounds very different from a 200W from another. i would like to stick with one company if possible.

How so? Why do you think this? What supports this claim?

 

[mtrycrafts]

You could cook meat on my B&K 7270. Even while sitting out totally in the open.

Isn't that the best place to cook meat, in the open? You wouldn't want the grease to splatter on your other gear now, do you. LOL

 

[ManishKasera]

Guys Halo A23 is suppose to deliver 400W @ 8Ohm, I'm thinking to use it for my center channel and A21 to use for Front L/R.
Any thoughts.
Then when I'll have more money I'll have something for rear, may be not so expensive. In the men time I'll feed them from my YAMAHA RXV-2500 (125W * 7).

 

[mike c]

Guys Halo A23 is suppose to deliver 400W @ 8Ohm, I'm thinking to use it for my center channel and A21 to use for Front L/R.
Any thoughts.
Then when I'll have more money I'll have something for rear, may be not so expensive. In the men time I'll feed them from my YAMAHA RXV-2500 (125W * 7).

that sounds great to me!