kragee59 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 Greetings! I have a pair of new (to me) Khorns which I plan to use in a new house. They’ll be in corners on a 23.5 foot wall in a 23.5’ x ~45’ room with a 14’ vaulted ceiling. We listen to classical, jazz, and vocal/guitar (James Taylor, John Prine, Steve Goodman). We plan to stream from iPhone/computer to an Apple TV. Very little CD listening, no vinyl. Right now I am using a museum-quality Sony AV receiver which will be retired with the new purchase. I’m thinking about an integrated amp, but haven’t ruled out separates. It seems like I’ll need a DAC, so I’ve looked at several integrateds with built-in DACs also. I’d like to spend less than $1200-1500, but could go a little higher if it was a really good deal. Suggestions for amps, separates, DACs? thanks, Kim 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budman Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) welcome to the forum Kim, and congrats on the k-horns. if you post your location you might have some members near you that you could go listen to their rigs to get some ideas. we want pictures of new to you k-horns Edited April 16, 2015 by Budman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 (edited) If you use solid state equipment, use a brand that has a good rep, like NAD or Luxman (the latter would put you over-budget). There are many people here who use tube amps with Khorns, La Scala IIs, Lascalas, Belles, etc. They can advise you. They report very good results. Do expect to have orchestral climaxes, rip-roaring Jazz, or Blu-ray movies at life-like peak levels? If so, in a truly huge room like yours, you will need more power than the smallest tube amps provide, IMO, even with Khorns. PWK found, in one test, that moving from 2 feet away from a Khorn (on tweeter axis) to "normal listening distance of 16 feet" (three doublings) one needed about 10 times the power. It's good you have speakers as efficient as Khorns in that room. I know you seem to be primarily into 2 channel music at the moment, but a room like yours seems to be crying out to be a combination music listening room and home theater, with something like a LaScala II as a center. I once thought I'd stick with 2 channel, period. Boy was I wrong! I'd be biased in favor of a good AV processor-preamp (not an AVR), and a good power amp of 100 watts or more per channel, all channels operating (which is often not the case with AVR specs). Does streaming from an iPhone/computer provide as good a quality as SACDs or DVD-As (or Blu-ray movies) with a good universal player, like OPPO? Khorns will reveal problems in program material. Edited April 16, 2015 by garyrc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richieb Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 This question can open a can of worms just like a "which oil is best" thread in the auto/bike forums. So many quality options. Should make for good reading. Tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ69 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I'm a tube guy most of the time but a very nice integrated is the Music Fidelity M3 or one of their older offerings. I have two friends that run these and they are very nice sounding. http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MFM3SI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I just left the same recommendation for the Heresy amp guy. NAD D 3020 http://www.amazon.co...s=nad amplifier Teac A-H01 http://hifiheaven.ne...CFQoKaQodSGIA_Q Both have built in DACs. I have the Teac and it sounds great with K-horns, the NAD gets great reviews and has a Hypex amp inside. The new class D amps sound great on big horns, kind of fusion between the best of tubes and SS. The organic warmth of tubes with the clarity found in good SS. Both Teac and NAD have higher priced models than the ones above but I stopped looking after trying the less expensive Teac. It is very good, though my K-horns are not my primary critical listening system and I was thus a little more easily satisfied. I wish I had tried the NAD unit as well given the gushing Stereophile review, but the Teac was good enough so I couldn't justify spending more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trentster5172 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 I love my Emotiva XPA-1L monoblocks! You can run them in class A. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twistedcrankcammer Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Greetings! I have a pair of new (to me) Khorns which I plan to use in a new house. They’ll be in corners on a 23.5 foot wall in a 23.5’ x ~45’ room with a 14’ vaulted ceiling. We listen to classical, jazz, and vocal/guitar (James Taylor, John Prine, Steve Goodman). We plan to stream from iPhone/computer to an Apple TV. Very little CD listening, no vinyl. Right now I am using a museum-quality Sony AV receiver which will be retired with the new purchase. I’m thinking about an integrated amp, but haven’t ruled out separates. It seems like I’ll need a DAC, so I’ve looked at several integrateds with built-in DACs also. I’d like to spend less than $1200-1500, but could go a little higher if it was a really good deal. Suggestions for amps, separates, DACs? thanks, Kim Greetings to YOU Kim, 20 to 24 feet between your Klipschorns is PERFECT in my opinion. My brother in Laws room is 24' by about 38" not shure on long wall, it might be a couple feet longer and the K-Horns really open up with at least 20 feet between them. I have owned several pairs of Klipschorns and presently own seven of the Pro version of the Klipschorn that was used in movie theatres. If you want to buy tubes, I am not the guy to ask, but if you want a solid state amp and are not afraid to buy a used one, let me recommend a Nakamichi PA-7 at 200 watts per channel or a Nakamichi PA-7II at 225 watts per channel. These amps sold for around $2,900 new around 1989 to 1994. I own four of them to use 7 of the 8 channels to drive my Pro Klipschorns. These Amps can be found fairly easily on eBay for a somewhat scuffed up PA-7 for $600 to a very nice example for around $1,000 for a PA-7 to $1,200 for a nice PA-7II. They weigh 75 pounds a piece and you will not find anything close to this build quality without spending $5,000 or more new. Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kent T Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 If you do not wish tubes. I recommend low damping factor early transistor amplifiers. 40-50 watts/channel clean is plenty. McIntosh MA 5100 or MC 2505 all you really need. Sansui 4000 in good order also excellent with Klipschorns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montego Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 decades of Prine & Goodman thru Khorns & McIntosh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khorn4 Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 I use a Marantz PM8004 integrated amp. I really like the sound of this combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Panza Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 He hasn't been back since April 30th... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 In your price range, op, amp sound or one of those first watt products might be hard to beat. Id be happy with either even though they are very different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcox00 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Hi Kim, I have a very sweet playing Single Ended tube amp for sale on the forum here (below link) that I honestly think would be a great match for your very efficient Khorns. Let me know if you might be interested in further discussion or research. In any case, enjoy your journey. Pete https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/158039-ampsandsound-bigger-ben-se-amp/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenTacey Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I recommend using two Carver M-400's switched into mono mode, simple switch with y connector from a separate solid state preamp circa 1980. You will get tube sound from these. One Amp per speaker starting over 500 watts per channel with bass damping factor over 150 Frequency Response 1Hz to 250kHz. Specifications like these costing under $600? The sound is fantastic. I am using one Carver to drive the bass though my Hafler amp can do the same task. What I did cost me $378. Carver driving bass 293 watts per channel .05 THD and Hafler driving midrange and tweeters 250 watts min per channel .005 THD using a pair of Klipsch R28-F. My room is exactly half of the room you describe. I use a $300 preamp I bought in 1989 that has less than .005 distortion. I listen to the exact same music you do though John Prine is getting old! What I have resembles the $75,000 bi-amp tube and preamp CD player electrostatic speakers I listened to and tried to match. I have succeeded using about 1 watt and the ability of my amps to deliver the dynamic range to crest those crescendo's without clipping. Research go to some high end shops listen then shop on internet for antiques avoiding high prices for high quality powerful solid state with high damping factors... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Panza Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 OP hasn't been back since April 30th... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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