paul32579 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I have '90 Khorns powered by a Sansui G-8000. Had this setup about a year. The house is rocking, but I'll bet I could do better. I was thinking of getting an Adcom 5500 with 220 wpc. Or shopping for something else, but don't know what to look for. I know Sansui has a following, but I have to have the loudness on to suit my tastes. This seems to raise the higher frequencies also, which don't need to be. Without breaking the bank, what's worked for you the best?[H] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEvan Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I don't think you'd gain anything by moving to the Adcom. I'd suggest a Scott integrated...299 or 222. You'll have all the loud you need and the synergy is just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcarlton Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I've used a McIntosh MC275 which sounded sweet. It is now running my Cornwalls. The Khorns are now using a McIntosh MC2100 which is working very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I'd vote no on an Adcom, not a very sweet sounding unit. Thanx, Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylanl Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Dynaco is another reasonably priced option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David H Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I am partial to the 6BQ5/EL84 amps like to Dynaco ST-35. These sound excellent on KHorns. I think the Scott mentioned is also a 6BQ5/EL84. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebrof Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I agree that the Adcom would probably not be a good choice. I owned the 555 in the past with Magnepans and I don't think it would be a good match with KHorns from what I heard. I drive my KHorns with low power tubes and like it better than the SS integrated and receiver I've tried. But it all depends on what you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.dow Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 i have a sansui G7700. i like it. it drives my rf-7s sometimes. i have sampled a few ss amps with my khorns and settled on a 9w 300B tubed integrated amp . i think khorns do have a upper limit for watts per ch...... its 100 (400w peak) i think peak is for transitory passages , not sustained. do you listen to your music with headphones off of your sansui ? if so how do you like that ? just curious. happy listening. paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 i have a sansui G7700. i like it. it drives my rf-7s sometimes. i have sampled a few ss amps with my khorns and settled on a 9w 300B tubed integrated amp . i think khorns do have a upper limit for watts per ch...... its 100 (400w peak) i think peak is for transitory passages , not sustained. do you listen to your music with headphones off of your sansui ? if so how do you like that ? just curious. happy listening. paul 300B's are my favorite tube for klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul32579 Posted August 2, 2009 Author Share Posted August 2, 2009 I suppose I'm like most rock afficionados. Looking for, say, the best buy. You want your system sounding good at low levels, but when it comes time to crank it (as in, "Time," by P. Floyd) you want it tight and clean. I know most everyone likes tubes the best, but I just want "clean, clear, and tight" up to the max operating level. I don't want to fuss with old stuff anymore, but then, I don't want to break the bank with new. I demo'd these Khorns in a 2-car garage on an Adcom. My listening room is the size of a 1-car garage, concrete block walls (I'm in Florida) with stone floors. Doesn't take much power to make your ears bleed. Anyway, I think the Adcom sounded cleaner throughout the operating range. It was "tight," but maybe I'm wrong in comparing it to the Sansui. I guess I'm looking to upgrade out of the old Sansui to something newer, and Adcoms are priced right (used.) So, I don't know what I'm looking for, except trying to get the biggest bang for the buck on something newer that requires less maintenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Paul, What kind of budget do you have?? I have / had about 6 sansui amps (all awesome) but have done much better on my K-horns..... Mac 250/2505 SS sounds very nice for Vintage SS, but still not there. I've run some Nelson Pass....but still a bit shrill and pricy Mac tube 275....nice very nice but I prefered a dynaco type design....NOS valves VRDs kick *** IMO MY Sansui AU-111 is a rare and famous tube amp from the pinnacle of Sansui design....but I like it for my heresy and Corns.....not the K-horns after much trial and error I found Rogue Audio!!! They make some $10K mono blocks and $8K preamps, but don't let that scare you..... I was testing their 150 monos (about $6k ) and the owner of the shop asked "do you really need that much power? " Well no......so he said (and I do trust this guy, been dealing with him for years) listen to the Rogue "Atlas" entry level amp..... it has the same enginering, parts as the big boys just at a entry price point, and it's probably their best , sweetest sounding amp" I can go on forever but at a start price, of $1395 (mine was 1895 with magnum upgrades) it IS the best sounding amp on my khorns that I have ever heard period......I doubt most $10k amps would sound any better, some a lot worse... tight tight bass and mid bass....feels like your being spiked in the chest with a vollyball....crystal clear and transparent mids and highs....hugh sound stage.....blah blah blah....just find one to listen to well it doen't hurt that I'm running a JM BBX w/ 6h30 and cream......probably one of the best pre's made at any price just food for thought......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuisis Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I just acquired my khorns a short time ago and have tried two scott integrateds, an hk 730, mc2100, but have settled on two MC250's run in mono through my Peach. It sounds best to me, may be overkill with an actual power rating of about 140 watts each in mono, but it's clearer than any other set up i've used so far. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul32579 Posted August 2, 2009 Author Share Posted August 2, 2009 By Jove! You're reading my mind. A Rogue Atlas sounds like just the thing. I might be able to get a Sansui AU-9500. How do you imagine the two would compare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 By Jove! You're reading my mind. A Rogue Atlas sounds like just the thing. I might be able to get a Sansui AU-9500. How do you imagine the two would compare? If you were going to go Sansui I would Highly recomend a AU-11000 ..... (Groomslakearea51 resident forum expert, runs 4 of them in tandem in his "wall of voodoo" ) I've had 2 of them and they did sound very very nice, but still a vintage design and IMO not as good as a great modern design would be with speakers as revealing as Khorns....and that to me is the crux of the situation....... With 89db-92db speakers, you need much more power and they are a lot more forgiving than 105db sensitive Khorns I've had many other speakers that it really didn't matter which amp (except for power rating) they all kinda sounded the same.....blah compared to the heritage line up (not to say there aren't other great speakers out there....I just hav'nt owned them) I'd love a set of Sonics or Harbeth 2 ways......... the Sansui Au-11000 or 9900 sounds great with cornwalls as did my Mac MC-2505...... I'm assuming your zip is 32579.....Florida? I use Larry from Hollywood sound in Hollywood florida...... brutally honest....if you could test drive an atlas, I think you would be very impressed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Ohhh I just looked up and your in the pan handle....thats a haul!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul32579 Posted August 2, 2009 Author Share Posted August 2, 2009 What would the Au-11000 have over the G-8000? OK, I ran a test with the Sansui G-8000. I played "Children of the Sun," by Billy Thorpe. Good test. The G-8000 registered 10 watts (at 3 on the volume dial) at the loudest I was comfortable running the Khorns. However, I would rather have turned the system up to 5, but I think I hit the limit on the Khorns. Now, I'm going to ask some Really Stupid Questions (RSQs), because I've only had this system six months, and for Ten Years before that I ran a Technics SA-818 and Bose 901 Series VI, and what I have now is Good God! better than that. You know the nature of the music lover's illness. This is a Very Good System (VGS), but I need more bass, clean, tight, I want my stomach vibrating. Trying to find the hard hitting bass with the clarity of the Khorns. Thinking of a sub-woofer. I tried a 45-watt Pioneer with the Khorns, thinking that if 10 watts should rock - well, they 45 watts didn't. Why would 10 watts of tube amp be any good? The G-8000 is around 125 watts. Is there some ratio of output to usable sound that makes 125 watts at lower levels so much more powerful than the 45 watts on the Pioneer? Am I asking too much of Khorns? I'm looking for massive sound. Wonder if I should be shopping for commercial DJ equipment? ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpines Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 More amp watts won't get what you're looking for out of those Khorns. It sounds like what you want hit you in the gut bass from about 80hz down to supplement those Khorns. You want a FAST sub. A FAST sub is JL and and a JL F113 is the smallest you'd want to go with a pair of Khorns. That's $2000 - $2.300 on Audiogon. Go cheaper and you'll get boom boom but not the same speed so it'll sound muddy sometimes, particularly at high db's. Cheaper is Hsu, Velodyne, Paradigm and of course........ KLIPSCH. You'll need a pair of the Klipsch's to keep up with those Khorns though. Back to your original amp request, if you want a reasonably priced amp with plenty of real grunt for those Khorns, buy these; http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1254158396&/McIntosh-MC7100-Like-new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I agree with wpines....if it's stomach thumping bass you want, you will need to go with subs.....but is that what you really want??? or is it tight chest bass? like you can feel the thwack off the kick drum in the chest with every beat? If so IMO you'd want a very clean, transparent system that won't "muddy the waters" or color the source material.....that way you get great separation and really "feel"all parts of the music. Lot's of 5 watt set- 20 watt OTL amps can do that in goobs with khorns...... 25 watt PCATs can blow of the roof....Pass Aleph 3 @ 30 watts.... can knock you over.......heck Mcintosh 501 monos sound nice but with any of them you'll only be using a small fraction of available power......then there is your front end!!!! Is that up to snuff? GIGO...... don't matter what amp/speakers your running if your pre is old and wooly sounding, and your playing poorly recorded source material on poor quality players........ one thing not to overlook is your listening space.....floor treatments, walls, ceiling height, size of the room, furnishings??? your room acoustics are probably one of the most important aspects of your system....thats why one person can have amp A and speaker B in his room and swear by it and somebody else, the same equipment and it sounds like crap....... some rooms just swallow bass. My advice is to take it very very slow....listen to as many different combos as you can, and again slowly formulate a game plan ....from front end to listening space.......then like the rest of us you will want to upgrade again and again chasing your tail like a mad dog, finally throwing your hands up in the air and say "you know ....that G-8000 really did a nice job for the money....why the hell did I give it to my brother in law!!!! " to answer your question....I don't know that the AU-11000 would sound any better than your G-8000..... I've just never been a receiver guy.... good luck on your quest and welcome to this insanity.....your in good highly medicated company [][][] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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