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Amp recommendations

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the hi fi world in general. I was recently drawn to the sound of a display Martin Logan Montis at a Bestbuy store even though I was there for something else. I never knew speakers could sound that good. I have since been doing lots of reading, on this site and elsewhere, and this week purchased a pair of the Expression 13A.

So far this is the only gear I have; just figured  I should start with the speakers. I just have no idea what amp to buy. Much less speaker cables/streaming gear etc. I think every time I heard Martin logan speakers demoed (I've visited several stores) they were hooked up to Mcintosh tube amps. I visited a local high end AV store yesterday and he was pushing real hard for me to get the Mac..particularly the MA7900. They're quite expensive though, are they worth the price premium over other brands? I'd really like to get an Integrated amp because I don't want a lot of gear and it seems like it would keep the over all price down some. I'd like to get something that would sound great for ~$5k give or take, new or used. I don't mind paying a bit more, however, provided the additional money makes a real difference in sound quality.

I must admit I'm not well versed on all the audiophile jargon and have no idea what ohms, impedance, crossover etc mean so it's a bit hard for me to even know what will power my speakers. I don't know if getting a tube or SS amp is better for my speakers. I just want an amp that's low maintenance and sounds great for a reasonable price.

I'd appreciate some recommendations from you guys so at least I know where to start looking. Please let me know if you need any additional info.

Thanks!
Chuck.
devlep
donvito101
278 posts
 
You just spent $15,000 for speakers. You shouldn’t go cheap with the electronics. Pass Labs is a brand you might take a look at!
http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/119195/Pass_Labs-INT-60_60W_Class_AB_Integrated-Integrated_Amplifi...
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,284 posts
 
".....donvito101
137 posts
07-13-2017 7:10am
You just spent $15,000 for speakers. You shouldn’t go cheap with the electronics....."

+1 with emphasis added .

High-end speakers with a  cheap amp and source is a guaranteed recipe for a big disappointment trending toward disaster.

There is an inescapable truism in this crazy hobby: you only get what you pay for. Garbage in = garbage out.

Your speakers fed by cheap inferior strata upstream equipment will only graphically emphasize all the warts and shortcomings inherent. 

In brief, you would not wear cheap brown penny loafers with a tuxedo.
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 

I've also had a ML/McIntosh combo for several years, both much older models, and I agree with the synergy. I have tried a handful of different amps with these speakers and none sounded as good as the Mac combo. I'm not saying you should just buy the Mac but consider it as an option. Pass Labs amps are also very excellent but I wouldn't go for anything less than their XA100.x or X150.x models for your speakers.

donvito101
278 posts
 
@Kalali
The OP wants an integrated amp. What Pass have you owned to make that statement?
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
Agree with @donvito101 and @akg_ca on pairing your MLs with higher end gear.

If it were me, I would have reversed your spend. That is the 15K or less you spent on the speakers into a higher level front end. And the 5K on the speakers.

But it isn't me, and the OP has specified a 5K budget.

I believe there are certainly many used and even new integrateds, and some with DACs included, that will pair very well with the 13As, for his budget.

If you are open to separates, the latest Benchmark DAC/Pre with their latest AHB2 amp is another one to consider. And you can make this happen NEW, for 5K.

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