Looking for an Amp or Integrated Amp with a solid midrange presence


I bought a pair of Omega Dyna 10 2-way speakers (8 Ohms, 91db sensitivity) that paired beautifully with my old Harman Kardon Twin Powered 930 receiver (1972) and PM 665 vxi integrated, that I'd swap out as the urge hit.  Over the past 6 months both units have needed repairs and after investing a fair amount over the years I'm reluctant to get these worked on again. Would anyone care to recommend a good amp that would have that deep musical weight the HK's provided? I tried the Yamaha AS801 but it was much weaker than the 100WPC implied.  My listening room is 14' wide by 16" deep.  Used for movies and 2 channel stereo only , no home theater .  Budget maximum would be $1500 range.

I appreciate everyone's feedback.

chip7936

The Rega Elex-R is well worth a look. Folks in several forums who know the amp, sing their praises, they loved, and keep them. The Elex-R is thoughtfully designed and the fit and finish is superb. The Remote works fine in spite of that it feels generic with too many buttons that do nothing. Balance, musicality are all there ! 70 watts per channel; I am not familiar with your speakers but based on recommendations here, I’m guessing the Rega will have sufficient power.
 

I brought the Musical Fidelity A1 home for comparison, and while the A1 sounded great, and might have been my choice for a couple of selections that I brought to the comparison, all in all I preferred the Elex-R. The on-board phono stage for Moving Magnet is also very nice.  They can be found from about $1000-1300

Hi Chip -

I owned several Omega Speakers over a 20 year period and can tell you that getting the amp selection right is critical to getting the most out of them.

So the obvious ... have you called Louis at Omega and asked him what amp(s), he would recommend?  Over the years, Louis has touted both tube and Class D amps for his designs.  I would be interested in what he would have to say.

I can tell you which amps to avoid with Omegas.  Rega Brio is one.  

Rich 

 

I know everyone will list their int amp as a recommendation, but I would really try to check out an Atoll IN200 evo (not older models).  The IN200 evo follows the same design as the IN300 (very well reviewed by A British Audiophile and the older IN200s did not sound as good / follow the same design).  Both the IN200 and IN300 are a full dual mono design with tons of headroom, include a very nice remote and great sounding DAC board options plus it is one of the very, very few to include a tape loop for multiple usages.

I would also recommend Audio Refinement (designed by YBA) and YBA integrated amps.  The newer YBA ones are not as good.

I agree the Elex-R sounds great with great build quality. Another fave of mine is the Rogue Sphinx. Tube pre-amp section and plenty of juice. Beautiful mids....

Rich;  I contacted Louis initially, and my error in not stating that initially.  Louis recommended Schiit but I'm not a fan.  Looks like I'll go with the Naim 5si which should hit Saturday, and I'll fire that baby up and settle in for a good long listen.  Thank you - and everyone else- for the thoughtful and informative replies.  I really appreciate all the insight everyone has provided. Brands I was never aware of were introduced and I can dig deeper into these also for future reference.  I'll post an update on my listening experience.  Thank you again.