power amp recomendations

[batman]

just wondering of any you,s guys had any recomendations for a power amp / mono,s that would be a good improvement on my audiolab 8000m,s....cheers dudes

[Duvet]

Maybe worth holding fire Batman as this lot are hitting the streets soon

[Filete]

Haven't heard the audiolabs, but I definately recomend you to find a Pass Labs dealer and Listen to them.

[Duvet]

How much you looking to spend my caped crusader

[Effem]

Same as what like he said up there ^^^

Same too depends on partnering equipment of course, plus what sort of noises your lugholes like to hear. Fast and dynamic, or slow and sloppy?

[batman]

duvet ,those silver mono,s look rank .......as for cost about £1,500 - £2,000

[Duvet]

Well if you go second hand my friend that gives you alot of options. I'll ignore the othercomment .

[Duvet]

BAT VK-220 second hand £1495 . Interested i'll pm you the link. Oh 125 watts into 8oms and doubling as impedance halves.

[Effem]

Awesome amp for around £1600 secondhand





PS Audio Classic 250 power amp



[*]250W stereo 8 Ohms [*]500W stereo 4 Ohms [*]1000W mono 8 Ohm [*]1800W mono 4 Ohm [*]40 output devices [*]Built-in Power Plant [*]2 800 va toroidal transformers [*]Dual WBT binding posts [*]RCA and XLR inputs


No doubt someone will mention others like Bel Canto, Tact, etc as alternative digital class amps

[Effem]

PS Audio have also just released the GCA series of amps too.



What's so special about these you ask? The majority of evenhigh endamps have a damping factor of at best around 100 but these new amps have a damping factor starting at a 1,000 which is ten times that amount the best can manage.

Whoopee! you may say, but damping factor is the number given to denote an amp's ability to control speaker cone excursions, so the higher the figure, the better the 'grip' on the music.

Availability is the problem rather than the price as the UK distributor isn't the best there is and that's why the brand is very poorly served in the UK IMHO

[mosfet]

Whoopee! you may say, but damping factor is the number given to denote an amp's ability to control speaker cone excursions, so the higher the figure, the better the 'grip' on the music.

Another one of those measurements Frank, like the power rating of an amplifier, that doesn’t really tell the whole truth when seen as a figure in isolation.

An amplifier with a high damping factor is generally a good thing (like an amplifier with plenty of power) but if the amplifier is being used to drive a highly reactive load (read loudspeakers with large drivers) then it’s no better at ‘gripping’, maybe worse, than an amplifier with a lower damping factor driving a less reactive pair of loudspeakers with a more benign impedance curve. If this isn’t explained by a manufacturer who trumpets damping factor as a selling point then they’re not really telling the whole story.

Figures and measurements eh? It's enough to turn anyone subjective!

[Effem]

mosfet wrote:

Figures and measurements eh? It's enough to turn anyone subjective!

I'm starting to think that subjective is the only way Mossie when the objective isn't being wholly accurate!

[brizonbiovizier]

Bryston? Chord? Plinius? Gamut? Chapter?

[batman]

thanks for all your input chaps . i am starting research now with these names recomended

[Picard]

try bel canto as well.

[Biscuit]

Effem, do you know of anywhere in the UK that sells PS Audio kit. The GCA 'integrated' looks quite interesting, but the distributer website is so poor, I have no idea of where to look!

[Effem]

I know what you mean Russell the UK distributor's website is dreadful. I've asked PS Audio if they want a better UK distributor than the current set of plonkers they have **WINK**WINK**WINK**

Best thing to do is contact direct PS Audio in the states sales@psaudio.com

and tell them you want more info and maybe purchase one of their products.