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PS Audio BHK 250 - Is it still a good amp?

I want to move away from tube power amps, but not tubes in source components.
Have read so much good about the BHK 250, but it’s an old lady now, and I wounder if there is something better out there for the same money.

This is what I want form a new amp.
  • Power to drive any speaker
  • Sound that reassembly tubes
  • In the same price range as the BHK

My current speakers are the Tekton DI, 4 ohm with a sensitivity of 96db. Would like to have a amp that can drive a 87 db speaker.
I also don’t want think about replacing expensive tubes, and live with the heat the generate.
There are many used BHK 250 in the states, But I live in Denmark and there are not many used BHK's in Europe

I would like to thank the audiogon community for there knowledge and there willingness to share and help, your are the best (:Just hope that we will get an updated platform to work on. The Audiogon software is so yesterday.
Wish you all a Happy New Year
martin-andersen
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Regarding the “drive any speaker” question, check PSA’s own forum to see BHk250 not able to drive Maggie LRS $650 speakers. Shut down when driven hard. Same owner I think said 250 could handle the 1.7’s but not the LRS
larryrs
132 posts
 
I remember that thread well and puzzled about it. I’ve never had any problem in driving either the 1.7i or 3.7i with the BHK Signature 250 and wondered to myself if 1. the LRS can be that difficult a load or 2. if there was a problem with the speaker itself. In any event, the starter of that thread rendered the discussion moot when he bought a pair of 1.7i’s. I can only go by my experience with the 250 and my 1.7i and 3.7i’s.
aberyclark
1,355 posts
 
There should be no problem with the 250 and the LRS. Maybe quite possible that the owner had the wiring backwards or something. Or one of the speakers or 25o has something defective. I would say many people buying $650 speakers may even be using A/V receivers, or something more economical than the 250. 
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
But there was a problem, and PSA both didn’t dispute and couldn’t explain. The amp was sent in to PSA for exam and possible repair and still repeatedly failed to be able to drive LRS on return.

Many on that forum that is monitored by PSA CEO and engineers stated similar “it should work” statements, but alas, it couldn’t drive that speaker for whatever reason. Something about the impedance curve of that speaker apparently is incompatible with BHK 250 when driven hard. At low/ moderate levels it was ok, but everyone needs to crank it now and then......

If it were able to drive the speaker, surely PSA would have forked over the $650 to acquire the speaker, tested and reported on the success to stem the embarrassing discussion. That never happened.

Now to keep in context it is fair to point out that is an unlikely pairing in real life. But it is also apparently untrue to say the amp can drive basically any pair of speakers, as the lowly Maggie LRS provide a humble counterexample
larryrs
132 posts
 
I agree there was a problem.  But, to the best of my recollection, whether or not the problem lay with that pair of LRS speakers was not investigated.  The problem was cured when they were replaced, however, with a pair of 17i's, which technologically are very similar to the the LRS's.  Again, I've had no issues driving my 1.7i's or 3.7i's with the 250.
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