Amp for VA Beethoven


Currently my system consists of a Sunfire Cinema Grand, Anthem AVM-20, Vienna Acoustics Beethoven (Bach surround, Maestro center), REL Storm III etc.

I'm moving to a bigger place and figured I'd take a shot at a 7.1 setup (I have an extra set of Bachs) so I'll need another two channels of amplification for the Beethovens. Despite the 7.1 setup, 99.9% of the listening is stereo. I really enjoy these speakers and have no plans to replace them any time soon. A pre will be added eventually, but I'm in no rush for that either. The Beethovens are a very musical warm speaker, but I don't want them any warmer. For that reason, I'm looking for an amp that is not at all warm or laid back. Budget isn't my greatest concern, but I'm not looking to spend 50% the cost of this whole system either--something in the realm of the surrounding components would be nice. But most importantly, something that will provide a clear improvement over the Sunfire in the current setup and be worthwhile hanging on to when I add a preamp down the road. Thanks for the help.
ultraviolet

Showing 3 responses by ultraviolet

Thanks for the suggestions. I hadn't considered any of those items. Any thoughts as to how the older Krell's would compare in this situation?
Well the KSA-250 Jmcgrogan2 mentioned has a lot of power. He also made a great point about hidden costs though with an amp that old. I've never heard any of the other amps suggested. A few years ago I heard a pair of Beethovens with Krell monos (no idea which ones) and they sounded truly amazing. That's why I brought up the older Krells. From a reliability standpoint, I'd love to have newer stuff, but it seems foolish to spend that much given the surrounding components. I appreciate the suggestions though. I am going to be buying used so I won't audition anything first. I'm just collectiong opinions based on other's experience.
Thank you very much. I will look for a good deal on a 4b-sst. I've tried searching on the forums, but can't find a good explanation of the different 4b models. I've come across the 4b-st, 4b-sst and the 4b-sst c. If anyone has any links that might explain this, or would like to offer a quick explanation, I'd really appreciate it.