2. amps-preamps
  3. 161302-150442

Amplifier upgrade advice under $2000

Hi!  I have a new pair of speakers on order and want to upgrade my power amplifier to be ready when they arrive.  My current system is Klipsch Heresy III, Onkyo M504 amp, MiniDSP SHD preamp/streamer/room correction, and SVS SB12 sub.

Scheduled to arrive in December are Ohm Walsh 2000.  Research indicates these like a lot of power.  If the Ohms don’t work out I’ll shop for a used B&W 804, so still probably needs good power.

So, with a budget under $2000, wondering if I can get something that sounds significantly better than the Onkyo.  Used is fine.  Brands I have seen come up in the price range are Classe (ca-150), Vincent (331MK), Krell, PS Audio, Parasound, Bryston, etc.

I want to know if this would be a significant upgrade in this price range.  My sense is that brands like Rotel, Adcom, Emotiva, etc. would probably not change the sound all that much.  I also have a Crown ps-400, for example, that sounds pretty much identical to the Onkyo.

I recently tried out a Rogue Atlas Magnum tube amp.  It sounded great with the Heresys, a definite upgrade. Unfortunately  it created a loud speaker hum that I was unable to fix.  But it did make me crave the tube sound.  But it seems like finding a high powered tube amp to work with the Ohm Walsh is going to be challenging.

Sorry for the rambling, basically, is it worth spending $1-2K on a new amp or should I wait until I can get into a higher price range before ditching the Onkyo (which has those awesome green meters!).  Thanks!
judsondickie

Showing 1 response by mike_in_nc

mike_in_nc
1,122 posts
 
I have an SHD in one of our systems and think it’s great.

You have a lot of good recommendations already for power amps, so I’ll keep this short.

I owned the AVA Fet Valve 400R and liked it a lot. It has been improved by AVA since and now is available with balanced inputs, if you want them. Frank is great to deal with, and the gear competes with more costly stuff, for sure.

Also, you might find a used Bryston 4BSST for about $2k. While that’s two generations behind current, it is a great amp -- it still might be under warranty, too. I owned its bigger brother (14BSST), which replaced a conrad-johnson MF-2300 and was better than the c-j in every way, at least with all the equipment I tried it with.

Have fun with your Ohms! I knew John Strohbeen at MIT (when he started Tech HiFi). He is a really great guy, and sincere.

P.S. The Bryston is rated at 300Wpc into 8 ohms, or 500Wpc into 4.

More to discover