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1k used Integrated amp- Plinius?



I'm looking to spend 1k (used) on an integrated SS amp for my PSB Stratus Mini speakers. I listen to mostly rock, alternative, some rap and other popular styles of music. Not a big fan of classical and female vocals only consists of about 5% of my music collection. Also, Im in a small bedroom so I listen to music veeery low so I need an amp that sounds good at low volumes.

After some research the best I came up with so far is a Plinius 8150 or 8200. Im open to any comments regarding these amps, or if theres a better choice out there for me.

Thank you,

dave123456
pdreher's avatar
pdreher
1,208 posts
 
I owned the Plinius 8200 mkII and agree with Philjolet's assessment. A good integrated at that price point that would sound decent at low volumes.
dave123456 OP
51 posts
 

It looks like the two top contenders right now are the Plinius 8150 and Classes CAP 150/151 . Has anyone directly compared the two and if so which is better for rock music?

Thanks for the help
ferrari
617 posts
 
Back in 2001 at a store in Denver heard both the Plinius 8150 and the Classe CAP 150 in a side by side comparison. The Plinius was a special order for a customer while the Classe 150 was there as a trade in. Both units were played through a Wadia CDP and the speakers were floorstanding Usher. I cannot really recommend either one of these for rock music. These units excel at jazz and classical. Rock sounds okay through them, but to my ears neither really involved the listener in rock music. Although to be honest the Plinius was brand new and was being tested before delivery. Once it has logged some hours it may have been acceptable for rock music.

One intergrated that came through here about two years ago that I can recommend for that genre of music is the Musical Fidelity A 220. Puts out 50 WRMS per channel at 8 ohms and doubles that to 100 WRMS at 4 ohms. Biased heavily into Class A output and runs at about 130 degrees farenheit. Needs plenty of space to ventilate the heat generated by the A 220. So you may want to put this one on your short list. Also the Denon PMA 2000 IVR is a fine choice, does not run as hot as the Musical Fidelity A220. The Denon delivers 80 WRMS into 8 ohms and 160 WRMS into 4 ohms. The more I think about it the Denon just may be what your looking for, based upon the information provided by your post.
jt3
33 posts
 
I just bought a Music Hall Mambo, class A. It was relatively inexpensive and has decent reviews on many sites.

Worth looking into, certainly fits your budget.
dave123456 OP
51 posts
 
Ferrari,

It's funny that you mention the Denon because I was actually considering that awhile back but for some reason lost interest. Maybe because I thought 80 watts wouldnt be enough for my speakers ( everyone recommends at least 150?) but maybe ill keep my eyes open for one used at the right price.

I forgot to mention that at times my speakers can be somewhat slightly harsh in the upper midrange, so I want an amp that wont highlight this area.

What about NAD seperates? How would the NAD 162 pre amp and 272 power amp sound compared to the Denon any idea?
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