Hello All, I have a 100 watt Audio Research VT100 mk II amp, with an Audio Research LS-25 preamp. My speakers are relatively low in sensitivity, and I find that I must turn the volume up to 3 o'clock on the preamp to get enough volume for a loud listening experience. When I do that, I am introducing more background noise.
I would like to achieve a quieter noise floor. I am also curious about the limits of the 100 wpc amp with the Mira Monitors. Would an older Krell 200 watt class A amp "control" the speakers better? If so, what are the benefits of this? There are a few amps on this site that caught my eye, all about the same value as my amp, so I can potentially make a move with very little cost. Is this a good idea? How much wattage increase is necessary to get a significant enough difference? Would a jump to 150 watt solid state be sufficient?
here are the 3 amps that caught my eye:
Ayre:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-ayre-acoustics-v-5xe-amplifier-2016-02-05-amplifiers-h...Krell:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-krell-ksa-250-2016-02-14-amplifiers-91754-monterey-par...BAT:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/solid-state-balanced-audio-technology-bat-vk-250se-bat-pak-2channe...You can see my complete system here if you want to know more about the other components:
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5421Thanks!
Mark
