Amp Recommendations

[WDM]

I'm new to the Khorn club and looking for advice on what would be a good amplifier. I have a pair of 70's vintage Khorns. I'm planning on installing the ALK crossovers in the future. Currently I'm running them with a Linn LK100 amp. It sounds good, but most likely I could do better. I have an old Citation XX that puts out 250 watts per channel of juice at 8 ohms. I am also considering tubes. My local 'experts' are split down the middle on what to use: alot of clean power vs. low watt tubes. What to do?

[edster00]

Hi WDM,welcome to the BB!

I've opted for good clean power from low watt tubes! I couldn't be happier with my 2 channel rig.

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2 Channel System:

'78 Khorns w/ALK networks

Welborne Labs 2A3 Moondog Monoblocks

*coming soon* Supratek Syrah preamp

McIntosh MCD 7007 CDP

Sony S9000ES SACD

McIntosh MR-78 Tuner

DIYCable Twisted Cross Connect Speaker Cable

Silver Audio Hyacinth interconnects (preamp->amp)

DIYCable Superlatives (CDP/SACD/->preamp)

DH Labs Silver Pulse interconnects (Tuner->preamp)

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This message has been edited by edster00 on 08-26-2002 at 06:20 PM

[Mike82]

You have lots of choices and folks here fall into several "camps". My "camp" is SET. I never really cared for Klipsch until I heard them with SET. Prior to getting the Khorns, I was listening to the Lamhorn and SAP Quartette. SET offer, IMO, greater dynamics, a lower noise floor, and the best timbral resolution of any other style amp.

Forget solid state with Khorns. Sorry, if I offended anyone, but tubes rule with Klipsch (esp Khorns).

Popular choices here are the:

2A3-tubed Wellbourne and Wright Sound;

I have the Korneff 45;

Others tubes include the 300B, PX25;

I don't care for the hi-current SET (32, 52, 300BXLS) with Klipsch, although they work with med efficiency speakers.

Quite a few like push-pull (my choice would by EL34, EL84, 6V6- great tone, but kinda hard to find). 6550/KT88, IMO, are too heavy handed for Klipsch though.

Then there's the vintage "camp"- That's where I'd go if SET somehow vanished. A lot of the older gear had some exceptionally high quality power supplies and output transformers and still sound great.

A lot of people like the Mac gear, too.

Hope this helps.

Don't be afraid of the seeming low power of SET. You don't need a lot of power to make the K-horns sing!!

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2 Channel

Transport: CEC TL-2X

DAC: Audiomat Maestro

Pre-amp: Wyetech Jade

Amps: Jeff Korneff 45

Interconects/Speaker cable: Analysis Plus Solo Monocrystal

Power cords/line conditioner: CPCC Top Gun, Model 11, Super Power Block

Equip Stand: Grand Prix Audio Monaco

Belle Klipsch, K-horns

Second system- My dad's old Fisher 400-refurbished, Heresy II, Vecteur Variation CD player

This message has been edited by Mike82 on 08-27-2002 at 06:27 AM

[ChuckElliot]

On the solid state side:

I run a Bryston 2B-LP(60W/ch) on my Cornwalls. Over

the years (30) these speakers have had a lot of amps

connected to them: Crown, SAE, and others. The 2B has

the most solid low end and best definition of any I've

used. You can sometime see this amp on EBay for around $300.

[NOSValves]

Vintage Tube gear man hear they really make Klipsch sing and on the cheap !!!!!

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HH Scott 299 Amp

HH Scott LT-110B Tuner

HH Scott P-87 Turn Table

JVC JL-F50 Turn Table

Sony CDP-CA7ES CD Drive

1985 Walnut Heresey I W/Layne Audio Woofers

KSW-15 Subs>c>

[j-malotky]

WDM

I'll comment on the MAC side where Mike82 left off.

First off, it is very true that Khorns need very little power since they are so sensitive.

I prefer separates, having a separate amp for the R+ L channel. Having separates makes the 3D imaging from a 2 channel setup much more intense. I found that stereo amps have too many shared ground points.

With that in mind, I would recomend a pair of Mcintosh MC30 or MC40 monoblocks.

If you go SS, IMHO Macintosh makes the closest sounding SS amps that sound like tube amps. A real strong powerfull sound with a lack of extra added color.

With SS, get an amp that can be switched into a mono amp and run separates. Otherwise, you can always run in sterio and go mono in the future. I was real happy in the past with a pair of SS Mac 7200's which is way overkill on power. I have even seen people with mono 7300's and mono 352's (way overpower for Khorns).

I favor MAC's, first for the sound and second for the lenght of product life, they will last forever, just like your Khorns.

I must say I have heard other amps that sound excelent as well.

JM