My Final Amplifier Purchase - What Would You Buy?


I'm a lifelong audiophile/music lover and earlier this week, I had a life changing event. As a result, I am now in the position of purchasing what is almost certainly my last power amplifier.

To quickly explain, I was just notified that my entire department will be outsourced, effective September, following the completion of a transition. The buyout is not great, but they do extend my service time for an additional period, allowing me to begin receiving my full pension in September. So essentially I'll be okay financially, but certainly not enough to buy this level of audio gear down the road.

So, what this leads up to is that I was in the market to buy a quality used power amplifier (up to $4000.00 budget)to upgrade my system. I can still manage to do that, but clearly need to do it soon while the paychecks are still coming in. In the future, I simply won't have the financial means for a purchase like this.

Thankfully, the rest of my system is solid, and this should essentially complete things for the future. I'm very happy with the preamp, but I suppose that could "possibly" change one day, maybe to tubes,in a break even trade, but beyond that,if it even happens, the system should remain what it is.

Current system:

Meridian G02 Preamp
Meridian G08 cd player
Olive D4 Music Server
Silveline 17.5 speakers
Marantz SA8004 SACD player
Bryston BDA-1 DAC

and the power amplifier that I will be replacing:

Atma-Sphere S30 MK III.1

I truly love the S30, but a friend recently upset my satisfied audio world when he brought over his new Plinius SA-103 amp and that changed everything. Even more than the sound of that amplifier, which was superb, it became readily apparent that the Silverline 17.5's really only open up and fly when given that kind of power (100 wpc or more.) I also tested it further with a second amplifier and verified that the power is key to really getting the most out of the speakers.

I have long been an avowed tube lover, but there simply are not many options with the kind of power I am in need of, that fall within my budget. I've included a few as options below that put out 75wpc, because in my experience, thats roughly the equivalent of 100 wpc in solid state.

In a perfect world, I would just move up to the Atma-Sphere MA Series, but my budget is far insufficient. Also, a key factor is that I have a small room, even the M60's which (might) have enough power, would create a literally sweltering environment. Trust me on this, I've even talked to Ralph Karsten about it previously, and he agreed.

Based on that, some earlier suggestions here in the forum, and a massive amount of research, I have narrowed things down to a number of choices, which are, from my perspective, likely the best options. What I am truly in need of are any thoughts, expertise and experience you might have had, especially with multiple amplifiers on the list. I have not actually heard any of these. Also, if there are better options that I've missed, please mention them.

Lastly, remember that I would be buying used to maximize my options and value. Thanks in advance for any assistance in helping me choose my best path here. The help is greatly appreciated.

What I have identified as good possible options:

Parasound JC-1's

Pass X250.5

Pass XA 30.5

Jeff Rowland Model 6 Mono's -(I fear these only appear extremely rarely though, and given their age, may need servicing and new caps,etc. possibly putting them out of reach)

BAT VK-75

Modwright KWA 100SE

Primaluna Dialogue 7 Monoblocks

An old Threshold S series thats been refurbished? - These have always fascinated me, but would it last another 20 years?

nightfall
As usual, Ralph is a class act. If the OP desires to keep the speakers, he happily recommends another vendor's amplifier. If the amplifier is to be kept instead, he recommends an appropriate speaker.

All the while cheerful, professional and open with respect to the sharing of knowledge.
True Wilysnet, Ralph has always been a nice guy and a gentleman unlike certain dealers around here that will go unnamed.
Missing posts??? Ralph recommended some higher sensitivity speakers to me in a post he made in this thread on Tuesday, which I read that night. Last night, the Audiogon forums were unavailable when I checked back. Now, both that post, and at least one follow-up to it are gone. And I do not remember the speakers he was recommending.

Whats going on?
New Rogue Amp

Goldprintaudio,

I did see those amps were shown at CES and was interested in hearing what they were capable of. I greatly respect Rogue, as an American manufacturer, and especially the value they offer. I've found the character of the M180's, which I had the chance to audition, just a bit lean for my tastes, though the bass control and slam is exceptional.

What can you tell me about the new Medusa amp?

"If you are open to new, be sure and check out Rogue's new hybrid amp, Medusa. 200wpc

I just got in my first demo unit, and I am amazed at how good this amp sounds."

****Rogue dealer disclaimer****
If you are worried about a fixed income someday, start reducing your expenses now, starting with this amp. Consider Class D for cheap operation in the future. You can leave it on all the time. Go cheap and if you want to make changes in the future, sell it and try again. $4000 can cover a lot of experimentation and that's what this hobby is, lol! Also get something stable into almost any load, unless you promise never to buy another pair of speakers again. There are a few pro amps under $600 that run quiet that might work. Also you have a lot of boxes...you might consider reducing and assembling a simpler system...recommend balanced.