dxt@hyperion.haystack.edu (David Tetenbaum) (08/11/90)
I want to replace my 20 year old AR amp with something more modern and powerful. The speakers are KEF 101's. My budget is about $400. I'm considering a used Apt preamp with a to-be-determined amplifier, also used. Does anyone have any experience and/or comments about the Apt amplifier vs. a NAD unit? How does a 40 w/c amp with "power envelope" stack up against a true 100 w/c amp? David Tetenbaum M.I.T. Haystack Observatory Westford, MA. email: dxt@hyperion.haystack.edu
drm2@mvuxn.att.com (David R Moran) (08/14/90)
NAD power amps have always been partly modeled on the concepts (some of them) in the Apt design (good current delivery into difficult and/ or low-impedance loads). A working Apt at a good price that is not too hissy should do you fine; a high-power NAD will go louder, briefly, and a lower-power one will not. By power I mean that what matters in audio in the home (depending on your speakers) is how much power a given design can put out for a half-second, say, into the load it will be driving. The only way to check this is to do it, alas. I do not think you will go wrong with either choice. A newish NAD might be marginally quieter than the Apt, which is by now probably a decade old....
mofo@bucsf.bu.edu (jason greene) (08/20/90)
I personally recommend ADCOM power amps. The capacitance of ADCOM amps far surpass any others. Just try lifting one up. Lifting a 200w ADCOM will give you a hernia. The best example is to take an Adcom and turn it off while music is playing; the sound will continue with no lessening in quality for no less than 30 seconds... and best of all, they're CHEAP (and, some can support _2_ pairs of speakers)
iwong@mdivax1.uucp (Ian Wong) (08/21/90)
In article <5811@uwm.edu> mofo@bucsf.bu.edu (jason greene) writes: > >I personally recommend ADCOM power amps. > >The capacitance of ADCOM amps far surpass any others. Just try lifting one >up. Lifting a 200w ADCOM will give you a hernia. > >The best example is to take an Adcom and turn it off while music is >playing; the sound will continue with no lessening in quality for no less >than 30 seconds... > >and best of all, they're CHEAP (and, some can support _2_ pairs of >speakers) Brystons Amps are also excellent. In fact they are now taking over Carver as the choice amp for professional applications. The reason: they are quiet, clean, powerful, and high current. Yes! You can turn off a Bryston and listen to it for atleast 30 seconds too!! Lifting up a Bryston is not recommended unless you want to pump muscles. All Brystons amps support 2 pairs of speakers. Bryston offers the following: 2Bryston 50w/ch [200w bridged mono] (8 ohms) ~$1000 ($CAN) 3Bryston 100w/ch [400w bridged mono] (8 ohms) ~$1700 ($CAN) 4Bryston 250w/ch [800w bridged mono] (8 ohms) ~$2200 ($CAN) 6Bryston 800w [mono block amplifier] (8 ohms) ~$2200 ($CAN) Take your pick! Both ADCOM and Brystons are excellent reasonably priced amplifiers. Ian. ...!van-bc!mdivax1!iwong