tcklze Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 Hello forum members, I stumbled across this forum a few months ago and have viewed it frequently since. I need some new Integrated Amp advise. I purchased a pair of Chorus II's in the early 90's, along with the Denon PMA 980R Integrated Amp in my profile. The amp was recommended by the sales rep at the store where I purchased it, but I never gave it a lot of thought. It's 90W and has served me well, but the input and speaker knobs jump at random. I went on line and found that this is a common issue with this amp. I've since cleaned the controls and its behaving so far. It got me thinking that maybe its time for a new amp. I've read where many people recommend tube amplification, and was wondering if you guy's could recommend a good integrated amp match for me. I've been looking at the Yamaha A-S1000 as well as the Onkyo A-9070. It's also been recommended that I consider the Rouge Sphinx or Cronus Magnum. I'd like to purchase new in the $1000 to $1500 range. Any suggestions or advise you could supply would be appreciated. I listen mainly at moderate levels, but love to crank it when the family is out of the house. My preferences are definitely in the classic rock vain, especially Zep, Floyd and Jethro Tull...Thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 NAD 375 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Kirk Posted December 21, 2015 Share Posted December 21, 2015 I too wanted to get a Rogue Audio Cronus integrated last year when I was ready to upgrade from an ancient NAD preamp/power amp combo. And then I looked at their prices and realized I'd never be able to sneak that past the wife. What I ended up with instead was a used Jolida 302 that had been gutted and hand rebuilt with audiophile-grade parts by one of the industry's most respected hot-rodders of tube amps: Bill Baker. I found it on Audiogon for $750 (half price) and it was being sold by a dealer near me. I am very happy with it. It is my second Jolida. Back in the mid-90s I owned a Jolida 502 that sounded absolutely magnificent with my Forte II's (it was my first tube amp) but economic hard times forced me to sell it. Here's the closest thing to that legendary model on today's market: http://www.musicdirect.com/p-257850-jolida-fusion-3502-tube-integrated-amp.aspx If you can stretch your budget just a tiny bit, you can get 50-60 honest tube watts (if you need that many). But with your Chorus IIs you might be surprised how much sound you can get on just 20 watts or so of tube power. Here is a sample option if you go with fewer watts: http://www.musicdirect.com/p-138509-icon-audio-stereo-20-pp-tube-integrated-amp.aspx Best advice, look up an audio dealer in your area and make an appointment. Try to bring home a loaner if you can and see how it sounds on your speakers in your room before committing. Don't be afraid of used or trade-in amplifiers, this is the best way to maximize your audio dollar. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MORE KLIPSCH PLEASE Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Hey tcklze..... 1st welcome to the forum.... You own one of my favorite Klipsch speakers....Those Chorus ii's rock for sure.... The Chorus speaker line was one of the 1st Klipsch I heard some 30 years ago that sound has stuck with me... Like most I have my own 2 cents to throw in the mix....With out question just a few watts will get those Chorus sounding good....and to my understanding "tube" amps really sound good with a lot of the Klipsch... As of yet I have not owned any tube amps...but give it time I'll get some...lol lol I have owned and heard quite a few SS amps with Chorus line of speakers... One amp that I freely recomend is the Carver line of amps...esp the TFM line of amps Bob built in the 90's... now you said you like to crank it up when the family goes out.....One of the bigger TFM line of amps will drive those Chorus speakers like few amps can reach...When I want to really pump out the jams at my house I will power up my TFM-55x....that amp will put out over 300 watts all day and run cool... That amp brings out that "chest" thump that those Chorus speaker have...again we know only a few watts get em sounding good...but I tell ya when those power needles start jumping past that 380 watts it's like a wall of sound hitting ya.....yea I LIKE it a lot...now I don't play music like that all the time cuz I do like to keep my hearing...But when I want to feel the music Carver TFM-55x for my Chorus ...and those Chorus can take power....they seem to like it past 200 watts....lol lol The down side to those amps... there getting old....there not cheap if you find a nice one...there are only a few places that can service those amps properly.... Most of my Klipsch are driven by Bob Carver power.... Well that's my 2cents....good luck.... Keep us posted.... MKP :-) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzog Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II. It has more than enough power to drive the Chorus and has the tube magic that is so special. I am using it to drive some Altec 19 and it's the best combo I have heard. Some day I'm going to try my Quartets with it. Definitely worth a try with the Chorus. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 (edited) Tcklze, Welcome to the forum. I have no problem at all suggesting the Yamaha A-S1000 or the Onkyo A-9070 to drive your Chorus II's. As a matter of fact I had a Denon PMA-1080R(bigger brother to your 980R) driving my forte I's and it was one of my favorites. I would love to see Denon try their hand at some modern integrateds like they did in the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. The mentioned NAD C375BEE would also be a winner. Bill Edited February 27, 2016 by willland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube fanatic Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 There's no question that tubes are the way to go with Chorus II speakers. They are so efficient that even a few watts is far more than is needed for you to get blown out of the room. As was suggested above, a home audition is the only way to find out if you like the sound; and companies like Decware offer a return privilege if you are not satisfied: http://www.decware.com/newsite/homepage.html In the Talkin' Tubes section there's a lot of discussion about just how little power is needed with most Klipsch speakers. And, with the right amp, the synergy is so good that you are not likely to ever want to return to solid state equipment! Maynard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcklze Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I appreciate all the feedback. I will definitely take all of your suggestions in mind. I ultimately need to decide whether to go SS or tube. My choices to consider for SS are as follows: Yamaha A-S1000, Onkyo A-9070, NAD C375BEE, Marantz PM8005, and Anthem 225. Incidentally, the CD player I plan to get is the Onkyo 7070. Would the Onkyo 9070 be the clear choice if I go SS, since they're the same brand, or would that even come into play? As far as tubes are concerned, the Rogue Sphinx looks promising, and potentially the Cronus Magnum (although it is quite a step up in price.) The Decware brand also looks good as well. Please keep the suggestions coming, and I will keep you posted...Thx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Bum Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) Hola tcklze. If you go tube, particularly a flea watter, it's good to have a larger amp as a standby. I love the kooky SET imaging trickery, and it works about 90% of the time. It's that other 10% when you just have to rock out in proper disturb the neighbors fashion that a large amp comes in handy. I switch up between a 2 watt SET and a ss ATI. I like the choices in your ss list so far. I might suggest that you consider one of the mid-tier Yamahas for the sake of their variable loudness control which is absent on their top shelf models. I find it quite handy, and you probably don't need more power than they provide. Something like the R-N701, for example. Kind of similarly, I also like that Marantz integrateds have tone controls for mids too. I have the precursor to the NAD C375, for use with smaller, much less sensitive speakers, but when I tried it with my fortes it did them and the music justice, if a bit of overkill. Gobs of power, as in flex the windows levels. Other nice feature: dual pre-outs, one set you can trim back 12db (handy for feeding subs, level matching amps if you bi-amp, or feeding an external amp for the Hafler ambience rear speakers). They're hot, too, +/-7v, able to drive insensitive pro amps to full output (if you happen to need even more power than the NAD brings, although it's hard to imagine that in a domestic situation). As for Decware, their 4 watt Mini Torii sounds like it has more balls than their 6 watt SET. It's their best match with Klipsch IMO. Edited December 24, 2015 by Ski Bum 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Incidentally, the CD player I plan to get is the Onkyo 7070 I like matching components visually(and synergistically) in my 2-channel rigs so I would say yes to the 9070/7070 combo. On the other hand(s), the NAD 375BEE/C565BEE, Yamaha A-S1000/CD-S1000, Marantz PM8005/SA8005, combos would be good choices also. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Kirk Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 For sale by a forum member. A lot of amp for the money! https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/150556-nad-c370-integrated/#entry1740016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwgorman Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Luxman SQ38u Those little NAD 3020s always did well with Chorus IIs to my ear too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YK Thom Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 (edited) I'm a bit biased and have a "thing" for NAD and or Marantz. Don't think you can go wrong with either. Edited December 27, 2015 by YK Thom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcklze Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 I've been demoing a Rouge Sphinx this weekend in my house, and I can't believed what I've been missing these past 20+ years! I knew the Chorus II's had a good track record, but they've never approached the sound quality that this amp is supplying them. My wife, who incidentally couldn't care less about sound quality, even commented on the improvement in the sound. I guess the Denon Integrated I've been driving them with all these years just wasn't a very good match. I also noticed with the Sphinx, the soundstage, depth, clarity etc., has been greatly improved. My ears no longer feel fatigued at higher volume. Not sure if it's the pre-amp tube section, or the overall hybrid design of the Rouge, but I'm sold. I was totally expecting to have to up the ante and get the Cronus Magnum, but the dealer didn't have one in stock to audition, so I took the Sphinx home, and haven't turned it off! It's probably just as well that I didn't get to hear the Cronus, as I'm sure it would have been even better, and it saved me spending almost double. I appreciate all the advice and feedback, and am glad I found this forum! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Kirk Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Rogue makes a quality product and they make it right here in the USA. I just wish I could afford their products! Until I get a few more raises, I'll have to settle for the cheap Chinese stuff... I notice the Sphinx has phono inputs. Two questions are begging to be asked: 1) have you tried spinning vinyl through the Sphinx? 2) how did it sound? Discovering there's a quality phono preamp built into your 100 watt hybrid integrated makes the $1300 asking price a WHOLE lot easier for a cheapskate like me to swallow.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Kirk Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 Speaking of cheap, those speaker binding posts on the back panel of the Sphinx look similar to the kind found on Toolshed Audio's hand-made boutique tube amplifiers. Rogue uses them too so they MUST be good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I can 2nd on the Yaqin. I have the older version of the above mentioned Integrated amp. The MC-10L. It is rated at 42 WPC and on my Forte II's I never have to go past 11 0'clock. I changed out the original Chinese tubes to the Russian made 6N1/6HN1's and can say there is a difference to my ears with them. I used NOS tubes on it. It has 4 inputs on it and when biased correctly really does a nice job with things. I also have 2 other tube amps, a SET, and a SEP, and they all do well with volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcklze Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Yes, I briefly tried the phono stage on the Sphinx, and it immediately exposed the flaws in the stock interconnect that was supplied with my Project Debut Carbon. This was not evident with my Denon integrated. I swapped it out with the ancient nacamichi cable that ran from my tuner and it was an instant improvement. I'm currently researching a new phono interconnect, so until I decide on one, I've been strictly playing cd's. Incidentally, the Sphinx I'm demoing is the original version, while I await the upgraded version 2 with supposedly improved headphone and phono stages. After getting into cd's back in '90 or so, and setting vinyl to the side, I purchased the Debut Carbon a few months back, and have just started to spin vinyl again. When I get the new amp, and have some time to spend with the phono stage, I'll give an update. It did sound good however, but I'll need more time before I can provide a thorough review. As far as the speaker terminals are concerned, it's my understanding that Rogue went with a standard terminal to keep costs lower. They work great with my bannana plugs and feel solid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Kirk Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Good to hear it! You've got a solid system there. My dig at the speaker terminals was a lame attempt at humor and a (too soon?) re-visit of a recent kerfuffle I started over on a different thread. I got labeled a "troll" for pointing out a cheap part on a rather expensive piece of gear and nobody seemed to be able to comprehend anything else I had to say. I'm ready to laugh about it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 There were a few who got it, and they were chastised like you were. As I am not very educated in tubes, I held back my opinion. But a few who I am friendly with who got it as bad as you did and also agreed with you emailed back and forth with me. There are few on here I really appreciate and respect opinions of as they are not leaning one way or another, but just state the facts. They seem to come from the same "section" on this forum. On a separate note, my Denon cartridge is opening up more and more with music as I play it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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