Upgrade in five channel amplifier


Current System:

Classe SSP 60 Processor
Sunfire Signature Grand Five Channel Amp (Original Version)
Sonus Faber Grand Piano Homes, Solo and rears
Heavily modded Pioneer DVD Player
Velodyne 12" Sub
MAS Speaker and Interconnects

I am overall happy with the sound of my system during movie and concert playback. When I listen in two channel is the problem. The music is uninvolving and I have a hard time listening at length. Thought about replacing the GP Homes but others have convinced me this may not be the way to go. What five channel amp for around 4K used would be more musical than the Sunfire. Listen to mostly jazz and male and female vocalists.

Would I be better off with a excellent two channel amp and a good three channel amp?

Here are some brands that I may consider but have not auditioned:

Theta
Butler Audio
McCormack
Conrad Johnson
Pass
Vecteur

All comments are welcome.
hiflyer

Showing 2 responses by jmcgrogan2

I doubt you'll find musical satisfaction chasing the multi-channel path. Sell the pre/pro and the multi-channel amp, and don't look back. Buy a good stereo preamp with HT throughput and a stereo amp. Then compliment it with a pre/pro & mutli-channel amp or receiver that will only be used for surround and center channel purposes.
I chased music along the multi-channel path several years ago and also tired of lack of emotional involvement when listening to two channel. I'd been through many pre/pro's and multi-channel amps, all to no avail. Now my two channel rig has a list price of over $60K, and two channel music never sounded so good. I'm over 90% music now. I still have an integrated HT. I find that a Denon receiver drives the rears nicely, and I run the FR & FL outputs from my Denon receiver in through my two channel preamp, allowing me to use my main speakers for HT. Add a subwoofer, and I'm very happy with my HT also.

It's much easier to find a two channel system that does HT well, than it is to find a HT system that does two channel well, IMHO.

Cheers,
John
Clayton amps, good choice. I have a pair of M100's running now.....sweet....

How about something like this:

Cary SLP-2002 (highly modded)

I have no affiliation with the seller.
BAT, Sonic Frontiers, Classe, Blue Circle, many others out there. A couple bucks more and I've got a Mark Levinson 38S I can sell you.

Happy Hunting,
John