Suggestion between benchmark Ahb2, Bob carver crimson 275 and rogue atlas magnum 2 amos


First ever post here. I have a peachtree nova 150 integrated amp, KEF LS50 metas, a Bluesound node, a vintage technics turntable and a schiit mani phono preamp. I am making the move to a separate amp and preamp. I have a preamp (a rogue rp-1) on order and I’m looking for an amp. I think I have it narrowed down to a Benchmark AHB2, a Bob Carver Crimson 275 or a Rogue Atlas Magnum 2. would appreciate any input the group might have or any alternate suggestions.

pwoodard922

@pwoodard922 , I had the Crimson 275 in my system for a couple of weeks. While it was a nice package (small footprint, lightweight, beautiful aesthetic, easy to bias), my unit had a terribly loud transformer buzz. If you go with the Carver, I'd suggest Jim Clark Stereo and their true to word return policy. They were great to work with and had me return the unit to Wyred4Sound who actually build these units.

The amp did no harm to the sound, but I felt my Bob Latino ST-70 was every bit its equal at half the price. However the ST-70 throws more heat and is more work to bias.

 

jasonbourne52,

Why so angry? Don't be misled from an article based on one of those anti-audiophile web sites. The equipment that was tested is questionable so are the motives.

ozzy

I’d be reluctant to send my preamp output through a powered subwoofer crossover in order to high pass the satellites. If the Metas can’t deliver the SPLs you want then you need speakers that can. But I suspect that you have already decided they meet your volume needs, so do augment their low end with sub(s), but listen to compare whether using an HPXover kills your soundstage. 

my own experience owning the carver 275, has, like others been positive - i have had mine for over a year, and run it daily - i was sufficiently impressed with the unit i took the time to share my experience and thoughts on it... https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/shootout-primaluna-dialog-hp-integrated-carver-crimson-275-elekit-300/post?highlight=crimson%2Bharbeth&postid=2127188#2127188

i spent my own money to buy the amp, i own it, i have no other relationship with carver, its people, its dealers

the nasty commentary and incendiary linked threads with the nonsense posted earlier needs to be read carefully and followed through to its conclusion... that ’carver ruining tubes’ article has no substantive info itself, other than referring to another asr thread, where a pre-production kit not made by the carver factory was disassembled, calling out ’problems’

at the end of the thread, jim clark, one of the main carver usa dealers, chimed in and put the nonsense to rest

my question is --- have the lame usernames (or should i say mindless ’parrots’) here who highlight these threads to put down the product, have they owned the amp? even with carver providing a 30 day money-back no-questions asked trial?

this is the major problem with forums like this, people without names, identities, backgrounds, qualifications, biographies, not even their actual systems disclosed can throw dirt, bitch, moan, take down products, just by showing a link to another site -- where more nameless, faceless people take potshots and talk as if they are holier than thou... to me, this maddening, cowardly, ultimately lamer than lame

as i said earlier, if the op is serious about learning about the amps his post asks about, it is easy enough to try them for himself and ignore the posters here whom are the figurative ’slovenly four hundred pound loser, wearing the wifebeater sitting on a futon in his dying grandpas basement, with week-old pizza boxes and a circa 2002 emerson boombox as his ’stereo’, yet posting on high end boards, saying "oh man look at this thing, what garbage that is... arf arf..."

in my view, this is the true garbage and pollution on the forum