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What Solid State Amps don't sound good with Klipsch Speakers?


Zen Traveler

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The original Adcom 555 was like nails on a chalkboard but the newer 5500 & 5800 sound very smooth. Having worked with the repair tech's at Bob Carver's repair shop I was told that a lot of brand new amps back in the '80's / '90's were shipped back because of hum / buzzing sound complaints from predominately Klipsch owner's. Having owned probably well over 100 Carver amps myself I've only experienced this a couple of times on my Chorus II's though.

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...Having owned probably well over 100 Carver amps myself...

 

Perhaps a synopsis of your favorite and least-favorite models, in terms of sound quality--especially when driving high efficiency loudspeakers like Klipsch--would be useful to others here.

 

There seems to be a lot of older Carver amplifiers and preamps that continue to pop up by users on this forum..

 

Chris

Edited by Chris A
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I have been using a Marantz PM8004 integrated amp with my K-Horns and Heresy speakers as well as a pair of JBL L880 towers. These speakers are all on the bright side as you all know. This amp sounds very warm and seems to tame the brightness. I have a Teac DAC attached to it and running my iPod classic and even iPhone. I'm so surprised how good this sounds. Recently I decided to use my PM8004 as a Pre-amp and hook it up to a Marantz MM7025 power amp. The difference in sound was so amazing in a bad way. The sound was so clear and detailed and stereo separation was incredible. It was like listening to a completely different system. But now only very good recording sounded good everything else was harsh, bright and fatiguing on all speakers. 

IPod/IPhone was unlistenable. I bought the amp used but in very good condition (looks new). I ended up switching back to just PM8004. Right away sounded warm and so good. I'll try the amp in another system may be needs time to break in?  

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  • 2 years later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On ‎9‎/‎8‎/‎2015 at 4:19 PM, Khorn4 said:

 

 

I have been using a Marantz PM8004 integrated amp with my K-Horns and Heresy speakers as well as a pair of JBL L880 towers. These speakers are all on the bright side as you all know. This amp sounds very warm and seems to tame the brightness. I have a Teac DAC attached to it and running my iPod classic and even iPhone. I'm so surprised how good this sounds. Recently I decided to use my PM8004 as a Pre-amp and hook it up to a Marantz MM7025 power amp. The difference in sound was so amazing in a bad way. The sound was so clear and detailed and stereo separation was incredible. It was like listening to a completely different system. But now only very good recording sounded good everything else was harsh, bright and fatiguing on all speakers. 

IPod/IPhone was unlistenable. I bought the amp used but in very good condition (looks new). I ended up switching back to just PM8004. Right away sounded warm and so good. I'll try the amp in another system may be needs time to break in?

 

I found the mm7025 to be the clearest amp I've had in my system.  No hiss whatsoever.  I love my HK for two channel, even with a slight hiss, but that 7025 is so clean and clear.

 

I had an Emotiva XPA-3 I wasn't impressed with.  Don't know how to explain it, but it was bland IMO.

 

All were pushing ref ii's 

 

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On 1/12/2018 at 7:44 PM, thebes said:

What Solid State Amps don't sound good with Klipsch Speakers?

 

Answer: All of them!

Tubes rule!!!!

 

The Tube Collective (raised fist with red flag waving in the background)

You should be banned for bringing this smack talk to the SS sub forum. :P

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1 hour ago, Woofers and Tweeters said:

You should be banned for bringing this smack talk to the SS sub forum. :P

You can smack me but I'm sure it would sound distorted, not at all like a real smack. Trust me I know the sound of getting smacked around by teachers, parents, girls and then women, quite well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This amp sounds great with Heritage speakers.  I've used it to drive Heresy IIs, La Scalas, 510 JubScalas, 510 and then 402 JubScala IIs, and it (and its brother when powering bi-amped JubScalas), and it has always sounded great:  amazingly detailed, with power and authority, and pleasant for all-day listening.

 

The amp is the Yamaha MX-D1 dual-mono power amplifier.  It's dual-mono because the two amplifiers each have their own power supply, which you can see in the compartment at the left.  The black slabs with fins to the rear that you can see behind each amp section are all the finning the amp has, and all it needs.  There are vent slots in the lid of the housing, and the amplifier barely gets warm to the touch, even after playing all day.  That's impressive, because it puts out 500 watts per channel, according to Yamaha.  The two reviews I read measured its output at 505 Wpc (Stereophile) and 530 Wpc (an English audio magazine).

 

image.php?id=97750

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I just spent a couple weeks with the Emotiva A-300 and my RP28F’s. Compared to my Denon AVR-X4300 the Emotiva had a much cleaner sound. However that clarity came at the expense of leaner bass and spitty sibilants. Needless to say I was disappointed given Emotiva’s reputation among the online forums. The Denon was so much warmer sounding. It’s a surprising result because I had went in into purchasing the Emotiva thinking dedicated amplifiers should be superior receivers. So for now the Emotiva is going back and I’m sticking with the Denon to drive my RP28F’s. 

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18 hours ago, DerKommisar said:

I just spent a couple weeks with the Emotiva A-300 and my RP28F’s. Compared to my Denon AVR-X4300 the Emotiva had a much cleaner sound. However that clarity came at the expense of leaner bass and spitty sibilants. Needless to say I was disappointed given Emotiva’s reputation among the online forums. The Denon was so much warmer sounding. It’s a surprising result because I had went in into purchasing the Emotiva thinking dedicated amplifiers should be superior receivers. So for now the Emotiva is going back and I’m sticking with the Denon to drive my RP28F’s. 

Needs to be an XPA.

On 9/6/2015 at 10:29 AM, Schu said:

Yamaha and Heritage... GAK!

Got to agree there unless it is a much older amp or their new amplifiers, not the run of the mill receivers though a lot of folks like that pairing.  A lot of folks like turning up the treble too though, even with Klipsch speakers which are noted to be harsh and fatiguing. 

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I use a emotiva a-300 with my rp280f speakers and I'm very pleased with the sound. I use it with the matching pt-100 preamp. I don't have any of the problems you did. I know the preamp effects the sound and I'm not sure what you used for a pre but I love my a-300. Sorry you were not as lucky.  

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On 9/6/2015 at 8:29 AM, Schu said:

Yamaha and Heritage... GAK!

Yamaha RX-777 Bell's. Talk about BRIGHT and fatiguing. 

However, I have nothing but praise for Yamaha build quality inside of that unit. Each side almost a mirror image of the other half. Beautifully laid out.

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