Best 2 ch. Amp, for music, under $1k used


My current system consists of:
Classe ssp 25 pre-amp
Musical fidelity v-dac2 with Pangea p-100
Adcom gfa 545
Denon DVD 2900 used to play cd's
Paradigm studio 10 (planned future upgrade to studio 20's)

My question is: what amp would you recommend for my setup? I'm looking for better sound (fuller bass, better imaging, more power for higher volumes and more headroom etc). I'd like to keep it around $1,000, new or used.
By the way, there is a lexicon nt-312 for sale locally for $850. This amp is supposed to be the same as a Bryston 5b-st. Any input is greatly appreciated!
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Showing 2 responses by soix

If a McCormack DNA 0.5 Rev. A comes up I think it would satisfy all the requirements you listed. Should be right around your price range. Second the Odyssey Stratos recommendation as well. Older versions of the Bryston amps have a reputation for being a little clinical or sterile sounding. When I had one in my system my 0.5 Rev. A demonstrated significanly fuller bass/mids and more overall dynamic impact, which seems more inline with what you're looking for. Hope this helps and best of luck.
I'm gonna slightly disagree with Steveaudio here. While the stock DNA 0.5 is undoubtably a good amp, the 0.5 Rev. A is in another league. And if you can get one for an extra 500 bucks or so and still be in your price range--well--how many times can you jump several levels of performance for 500 clams in this hobby? Long story short, buying an already upgraded DNA 0.5 is a huge bargain considering what the upgrades cost and the significant performance advantages they provide. Just my $0.02 if you're considering a DNA 0.5.