Personal amp evolution


Seeing the over night success of the speaker evolution thread, it may be interesting to see what type of amp(s) we have all run. Same deal as the other thread-we will sort of create a puzzle of our systems you'll have to visit multiple threads to put everything together!!! ;)
For me I started:
Adcom GFA-565 monoblocks
Rotel RB-990bx
Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 5
Balanced Audio Technology(BAT) VK-60

either a CAT JL2, BAT VK-75se or Tenor 75Wp on the horizon.
tireguy
I will list home theater amps only.
(1) Pioneer 497?? Cost 250.
(2) Kenwood 509 cost 399.
(3) Nad t761 cost 500 (rebuild).
(4) Audio refinement pre 5 and 5 marantz ma500 monoblocks cost 800 for pre 750 for monoblocks.
(5) Next came audio refinement multi 5 cost 1250.
(6) Finally!! Audiorefinement Pre 5 (cost 800) Audiorefinement Multi 5 (cost 1250) and Audiorefinement Multi 3 (cost 675) and Nad 2400Thx (cost 250). I biamp with the multi 5 for the mids the multi 3 for the tweeters and the nad 2400thx for the surround tweeters. I use a 5 channel 2way diy crossover (cost 300) and 8 diy passive volume controls (cost 530). Total cost around 3800 for killer amp and pre sound with great analog volume control.
The nad has seperate volume controls. I can change the volume on any of the 5 tweeters (Focal Tlr) or any of the 5 mids (Focal 7w's). Sub amps are another story. I lot of this gear was bought and sold right here on audiogon. If I was to do it all over I would buy 5 Nad 2400Thx amps around 250 a piece with The Audiorefinement pre 5 cost 800 and the 5 channel 2 way crossover cost 300. Total cost would be 2350 a saving of around 1500 and less cables. Phil
Principal 2CH systems:

*1950s vintage Pilot tube mono receiver with RCA speaker (mid 60s)

*Kenwood receiver with Altec VOTT(early 70's)

*Technics receiver with ESS AMT1 (late 70's)

*Nakamichi Stasis receiver with Fried floorstanders(mid 80's)

*Bryston 4NRB with Magnapan 3.3R(early 90's)

*ARC VT130 with Wilson W3/P2(mid 90's)

*BAT VK75SE + Cary 2A3SE w/Merlin VSM (Y2K to present)

The modder's bug struck me around Y2K & has extended the life of my current amps for the foreseeable future...V-Caps almost deserve a category of their own.
NAD 302, Yamaha Reciever rxv1092, Krell kav400xi, Krell Evo600 monoblocks. I think I will keep the evo600s for a long, long, time. They are great.
Since I'm a manufacturer, I've stayed off this thread, but re-reading it- well, I am still an audiophile.

My first amplifier was a Knight Kit KA-95, which was a 35 wpc EL34-based integrated amp. From there I had a variety of Dyna St70s, MkIIIs, HK Citation 1 & 2 (all of which had to be repaired before I could use them). I also ran a Southwest Technical Products Tiger, which was a 100 watt/ch transistor amp, on the woofer section of my speakers (the mid/tweeter section used an EL-34-based Ampex amplifier). Ultimately began building my own amps from surplus chassis and the like in the mid- late 70s. Finally, I wanted my own chassis, drew a picture of it and got the sheet metal made up. That particular amp was a one-off, and it actually came through the shop for minor repair about a year ago. So its survived for 30 years.

These days I'm running a set of MA-1 MkIIIs.