Amplifier upgrade advice under $2000


Hi!  I have a new pair of speakers on order and want to upgrade my power amplifier to be ready when they arrive.  My current system is Klipsch Heresy III, Onkyo M504 amp, MiniDSP SHD preamp/streamer/room correction, and SVS SB12 sub.

Scheduled to arrive in December are Ohm Walsh 2000.  Research indicates these like a lot of power.  If the Ohms don’t work out I’ll shop for a used B&W 804, so still probably needs good power.

So, with a budget under $2000, wondering if I can get something that sounds significantly better than the Onkyo.  Used is fine.  Brands I have seen come up in the price range are Classe (ca-150), Vincent (331MK), Krell, PS Audio, Parasound, Bryston, etc.

I want to know if this would be a significant upgrade in this price range.  My sense is that brands like Rotel, Adcom, Emotiva, etc. would probably not change the sound all that much.  I also have a Crown ps-400, for example, that sounds pretty much identical to the Onkyo.

I recently tried out a Rogue Atlas Magnum tube amp.  It sounded great with the Heresys, a definite upgrade. Unfortunately  it created a loud speaker hum that I was unable to fix.  But it did make me crave the tube sound.  But it seems like finding a high powered tube amp to work with the Ohm Walsh is going to be challenging.

Sorry for the rambling, basically, is it worth spending $1-2K on a new amp or should I wait until I can get into a higher price range before ditching the Onkyo (which has those awesome green meters!).  Thanks!
judsondickie
They're only 88dB, as measured with the misleading 2.83volts instead of 1 watt. When you realize what's going on you will understand why however much you may like the way they sound its pretty much impossible to find an amp to drive them well at anything above background level. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEcFkSQMc8g
I had a pair of monitors rated at 85db and my 90W integrated drove them just fine to levels that could get me kicked out of my place. 

That video is a great primer (saw it awhile back) on what to look out for and what to beware of but the way mc presented it is a bit misleading. In that video it's states that 2.83V can be as accurate as 1W if other considerations are accounted for but not many do it the proper way anymore.

All the best,
Nonoise
Get a Parasound Halo integrated (older model) used for under 2K.  It has 160wpc into 8 ohms and 240wpc into 4 ohms.  It is an excellent sounding integrated and probably light years ahead of your Onkyo.  Unless things have changed, Onkyo was never that good to begin with.