2 channel amp for Rocket 850's

[fernalfers]

Hi right now i have a 5.1 setup using a Yamaha RV-X1700 receiver. I want a good 2 channel amp to power my Rocket 850 signatures. And i don't want a cheap amp, but i also don't want to break the bank. Basically i want a dedicated 2 channel amp to get the most out of my 850's.

Any suggestions?

[Otto]

Well, what's your budget?

I'd definitely go used from AudiogoN. Here are some examples:

Adcom for $400.
Cary for $850.
Old-school Bryston for $300.
PS Audio for $550.

Going up in price a bit:

Classe for $1,100.
Krell for $900.

I personally have Sunfire Cinema Grand that I like very much. There's a similar 2-channel model here, but I think it's a little high at $1k -- you might be able to get it for less.

Another amp I have that I like a lot is the Audio Alchemy OM-150. I bought that amp used almost 10 years ago, and it was my first foray into separates. I still have it, and am glad I do. A very nice amp if you can find one.

Good luck!

[fernalfers]

Now how much of an audio difference is putting a dedicated 2 channel amp into my fronts then just using my receiver to power all 5 speakers at 130watts/ch?

[Otto]

When only listening to 2-channel music? I guess you could say it depends. Are you speakers power hungry? Do you listen at high levels? Some people will say it makes no difference and some will say they hear differences in anything and everything you can imagine (including various amps).

In the end, it's hard to say exactly what differences you'll hear. I think it'll be somewhat subtle, but still noticable.

[jackfish]

You don't need much power for those as they are pretty efficient. A couple of Outlaw M-2200 monoblocks for $624 are nice. The Emotiva BPA-1 bridged for 150 watts for $260 a pair would be a very cost effective solution. However, you probably need to at least double your current power to hear much of a difference in output and dynamic headroom. The amplifier section in the Yamaha is pretty good. You might hear a difference with 200 watts per channel, but should definitely hear one with 300 watts. You might consider two Audio Source AMP300s ($600), one for each channel bridged for 470 watts per channel.




I picked up a couple of restored Phase Linear 400s (http://hometown.aol.com/phasetek/) for $400 each which sound great.

[hifibuyguy]

Just remember as the saying goes "if the first few watts are CRAP then why do I want 200 more?" I think your in the right direction...There are some great amps out there..Krell KSA are older but nice, Mark Levinson, Bryston 4BST,Classe, Adcom 5802 can be had for about $900 and has had great reviews. One of my all time fav's is the Mccormack DNA series. It all depends on $$

[doctor subie]

I don't own one, or even heard one, but I've only heard good things about Vincent amplifier...http://www.vincent-tac.de/

I'm giving serious consideration of picking one up to replace my Adcom GFA 555MkII for my Thiel 2 2 stereo setup (to be partnered with a Melos SHA-1 tube preamp)...