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  3. 1170999828

The Best Amp for the Price of Dirt

The Berringer a 500 Reference Amp that can be purchased on Musican's Friend web site for 194.00( each) to your house in the US of A w/ a 2 year warranty is a KILLER. I have several amps and these are scarey. Granted they were designed overseas & built in China... However, they are 19lbs GIANTS . Don't take my word go to the "Audio Critic" web site for a full review. This is my one an only give-away . Use it or loose it. Best to 'All
crem1
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
The SI website specifically mentions modifications to the IC chip, and shows circuit board photos that seem to indicate increased capacitance among other changes.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Zaike...I checked the website and since I last looked at it they have added the comparative pictures of the circuit boards. They are certainly giving you a lot more capacitors. Interestingly the specs are about the same, eg: THD+D 0.04% at 9 watts into 4 ohms.

My take is that for $30 it's worth trying just out of curiosity, but at $160 or thereabouts there are many alternatives.
crem1 OP
672 posts
 
Check out the tnt web site that containes a rave review on the sonic impact ($39 ) and the T- Preamp ( $ 80'ish) for 15w @ 8 ohms w/ high eff speakers of your choice. Appears to be one way to go . Lots of DIY tweeks to ramp-up the amp .

The current issue of TAS has a combo review of a NAD int.amp and CD player for $700. More bread no tweeks. Perhaps another alternative.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Eldee: Are any of these many alternatives at $160 for something with an equally small footprint/portable? And are any of them new, or would they all be 'vintage'?
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Zaike...Portable? Not that I know of. But the Behringer a 500 mentioned by the thread starter would compete on price. I have a Panasonic multichannel receiver SA XR-70 that I use for TV and DVD viewing, which includes five amps comparable to the Sonic Impact (but more powerful) that I picked up at Best Buy for 200 and change. It drives three Dynaudio monitors, very well I might add. There is a big difference between $30 and $159.
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