What Power Amplifier Should I Buy?


I am looking to increase my system power. I currently am using a Bryston 2.5B cubed, which is specified at 135 Watts/CH. I am using Revel f208 speakers crossed over at 120 Hz to a 15" HSU sub. The f208 speakers have 88.5 dB sensitivity (Amir measured 88-89dB SPL at 1W into 8 ohms). I sit about 7.5 feet away from the speakers and listen up to 92 dB SPL, but mostly stay between 80-90 dB SPL at my listenin g location.

I have not had power issues. I've never seen a clipping light. I just want more oomph. I've never had a power amp with more power than the 2.5B cubed.

My budget is about $5K. I have been looking at some used 4b cubed amps.

My preamp is a vintage ML No. 38s. Digital from Bryston BDP-3/BDA-3 combo. Analog using Koetsu RS and Shelter 901 cartridges into an SUT (20x) followed by a very vintage Paragon System E used as a phono preamp (I have fully repaired this preamp, particularly the power supply).

I like the sound of the 2.5B cubed. I had a Cary 120 tube amp for some time, but grew tired of the heat and the continuous maintenance, including the insane prices for tubes. I did not experince that great "tube sound" that others rave about. I sold the Cary and went back to the 2.5B cubed.

Will the 4B cubed disappoint?

What other amps should I consifder, new or used?

Thanks for your help!

 

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xkevemaher

It sounds like you don't use much more than 3-5 watts per channel now.  Why would an amplifier much more powerful than the 135 watt per channel amp improve on the matter?  It seems like the only metric people care about is power, so more must be better.  It simply is not the case.  There is much more to achieving good sound than can be measured, whether that measurement is power, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, slewing induced distortion, signal to noise ratio, damping factor, etc.  If if were the case that we can determine quality by any set of measurements, there wouldn't be such a vast array of market choices, alternative designs and fundamentally different approaches to design; things would be narrowed to the objective "best" at each price level.

You should make an effort to hear for yourself an array of amplifiers.  You should not dismiss any type of amplifier based on limited experience with one particular amp; that would be like dismissing all American-made cars based on your experience with a Pinto.  I don't subscribe to the "tube sound" or "tube magic" idea because there is a VAST difference among tube amps (more variability than there is among good solid state amps) and there are many that, to me, anyway, sound more brittle, harsh, and unpleasant than most solid state amps (I particularly don't like most high-powered tube amps employing tubes like the KT88).

 

 

I’d look at the VTV Purifi amps.

 

before you get a new amp consider lowering your crossover frequency to around 70 Hz and if possible and high pass the input to your Bryson at 70 Hz. You can get some inexpensive FMODs from Lincoln Labs to try it out. 

I've had a Levinson preamp (326s) and it did not have the bottom end kick that others do.  It does other things well, but that's not a strong suit.  If the pre is holding back the low end it won't matter what amp you put behind it.

Sub, or better still subs in stereo are going to make a marked improvement in your system. That’s where the oomph is! Cheers 

Your amp MIGHT not be the cause of lack of umph. My recent experience with my ~3 year old Emerald Physics 3.4s (12" coaxial driver) in a large room I long felt that I needed subwoofer reinforcement UNTIL...

This is a mind blower and YMMV (though I doubt It) I recently addeed a single Vera-Fi Snubway (search forum for comments), admittedly plugged into a Core Power 1800, itself plugged into a 20amp dedicated line is, in a word, unbelievable. Since inserting it (it simply plugs into the wall or whatever PLC you might have- MSRP $295!!!) ) I rarely miss having a sub

HTH