2. amps-preamps
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Threshold, Levinson, Bryston, Krell, ?others? used amps


Hi All.  I'm looking for a bang for the buck, diamond in the rough, 200-ish WPC power amp that will hang really tough with what's out there today in the vintage or recently new realm.  Trying to keep $$$ under 2K.  I currently own a Nakamichi PA-7 (Nelson Pass Stasis design).  Looking for an amp that is great at doing the disappearing act, smooth sounding, but not colored, and with lots of authority.  I realize that there are as many opinions on this as stars in the night sky but thought I would ask anyway.  Been considering a Threshold S/500, Levinson 23.5, Bryston 4B family.  Any standouts that I should try to find?  Let's hear from you.
mjt_tx
mjt_tx OP
3 posts
 
most likely upgrading to the 4B3 at the end of the summer

I'm wondering having not done the homework yet, what the major benefits in the new cubed series are.  What are your big draws here?
masi61
97 posts
 

I have only auditioned the 2.5B3 amp along with the BP-17cubed preamp. I compared these to my 4B2 amp/BP-26 preamp/MPS2 external power supply that I currently have.

My current components are powerful and musical but lack some detail which obscures my ability to really follow the song more naturally. The interplay of the different instruments, vocalists and background vocalists has more clarity and depth to it which really gets you enjoying some of your recordings that you thought were "bad" recordings. Often times these aren't "bad" recordings, they are more often layered, complex recordings that are more difficult for the gear to render the meanings the right way.

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,251 posts
 
Odyssey Stratos amp. Around $1700.00 new and 160wpc. Doubles to 4 ohms and very stable at 2 ohms. Lifetime warranty. Very sorry I sold mine, should have kept it as a back up. Made in Indiana as well.
decooney
1,900 posts
 
@mjt_tx 
"I currently own a Nakamichi PA-7 (Nelson Pass Stasis design). Looking for an amp that is great at doing the disappearing act, smooth sounding, but not colored, and with lots of authority". 


What do you not like about the Nak PA-7?

Has it ben recapped and biased by capable tech lately?
mjt_tx OP
3 posts
 
Honestly it hasn't.  I was going to check the bias and idle current measurements in the next few days.  It isn't bad at all.  Frankly, I'm wondering if it isn't the reason that Threshold sued Nakamichi and thus Nakamichi came out with the PA-7ii shortly after the suit was resolved.  The PA-7 was a nice jump up from my old Adcom GFA-555ii's and I'm wondering if checking out some of the class leaders' products from back in the day would be yet another jump or if the PA-7 is at the peak of the curve and then you start seeing diminishing returns for dollars spent.
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