2. amps-preamps
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B&K-ish suggestions for main system?

Hi,

I have an old B&K ST-140 which I love. Warm, non-fatiguing, etc, etc. Got lucky on that one.

I am looking for one or more amps for the main living room 5.1 system with more or less the same sound. I figure I could use multiple old ST-140s or 202s, but I would love any other brand suggestions - and up around 200 RMS if possible to drive the B&W speakers.

To me, lots of equipment is way, way too bright and harsh. Feels like hammering a nail into my forehead. So I was super happy to run across the B&K. Are there other brands that would have the same non-harsh tone in a three or five channel amp? I gather from this site that maybe the newer B&K amps don't quite fit the bill.

As a point of reference, I have a small tube amp in the other room I also like a lot.

Thanks for any thoughts, and hopefully for saving me from multiple big black amps stacked three feet high. :-)
brettc27

Showing 1 response by bdgregory

bdgregory
1,708 posts
 
I'm also a big B&K fan. The other brand that may meet your criteria would be Conrad Johnson, but they will be somewhat more $ for comparable power output. For example the CJ MF2100 is a 100 w/c and they generally sell for $450-550. This is a 1995 vintage amp. The newer models MF2250 up the power and sell for ~$1000. Go to the higher power units and you're pushing $2000 for 200 w/c. The CJ 5 channel offering MF5600 is 125 w/c and sells used for ~$2000+.

I had a B&K AV5125 (predecessor to the Ref 125.5) and it was a wonderful amp. I only sold it because I went to B&K M200 mono blocks in my home theater.
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