LoLo Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 Just blew my wad and purchased a new set of reference 3s. These have integrated wonderfully with my Denon 3803, but I just have this feeling that a separate multi-channel would do these new speakers more justice. With such great sesitivity on these BadBoys I was looking to stay in the 150WPC realm. So far I have considered Rotel, Outlaw, Parasound, Proceed, and Odyssey. I was wondering about, and would be most appreciative of any feedback and/or experiences y'all have had matching amps with the Ref-3 series. Thanx ahead of time for any input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo357 Posted February 20, 2003 Share Posted February 20, 2003 LoLo- Welcome! There is a lot of information on this board, so you should be able to get the information that you want. I have an Anthem MCA2 hooked up to my Rf 7's and I love it. I am getting an MCA3 soon when I get my center channel to complete my set up. If you notice when you shop for amps, the Anthem has very little THD compared to any amp on the market in just about any price range. I'm sure you will get several responses to your post, and that should get you going in the right direction. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kain Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Check out the Parasound HCA-1205A! EXCELLENT amplifier! Parasound has a very nice warm sound that mates very well with Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Costich Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 ---------------- On 2/20/2003 3:48:34 PM LoLo wrote: Just blew my wad and purchased a new set of reference 3s. These have integrated wonderfully with my Denon 3803, but I just have this feeling that a separate multi-channel would do these new speakers more justice. With such great sesitivity on these BadBoys I was looking to stay in the 150WPC realm. So far I have considered Rotel, Outlaw, Parasound, Proceed, and Odyssey. I was wondering about, and would be most appreciative of any feedback and/or experiences y'all have had matching amps with the Ref-3 series. Thanx ahead of time for any input ---------------- If you have the Proceed on the list, then the Aragon 2000 series amps are in your price range. Aragon amps have always been the best value in high amps from their first one, the 4004. Have a listen. You won't be disappointed. Call Aragon tech for more info. The people there use them with their Klipsch. I'm not just suggesting Aragon because it is now a Klipsch product but because I have been happily using their products since the beginning, before it was Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrPyro Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 LoLo- Welcome to the forum and congrats on your purchase. I recently added the Parasound HCA-1205A that Kain suggested. It's is a good amp, however, I have not head a significant difference between using soley the 3801 compared to the 3801 + Parasound combo. Yes, its a better amp, and I have noticed a slightly better soundstage, better/tighter base, and lower noise levels. But is it worth $1000?? hmmmm, good question....I'm really still deciding on that. However, I am sitting at home for Mr FedEx to arrive, who has my Upgraded Arcurus ACT-3 Pre/Pro. So, I'm hoping that a better Pre/Pro will improve my opinion of the Parasound. Garbage In = Garbage Out. -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoLo Posted February 21, 2003 Author Share Posted February 21, 2003 Hmmm... very interesting Dave, I never quite considered the Denon garbage, but then again I have never really had the chance to compare it straight up to a separte pre/pro. The 1205 was/is at the top of my list as Kain suggests, but you bring up an interesting point in saying that the amp paired with the Denon doesn't bring significant sonic improvement. Has anybody out there found a good amplifier match for the aforementioned Denon and Ref-3s...? As of now the para-1205 and rotel-1075 and their accompanying "warm-ish" sounds are heading the list due to the bang-for-buck value of each. Would love to hear from anybody who can relate. Thanx again all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabulousfrankie Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 I found the addition of a Parasound HCA-855a to my R*-3II system was a significant step up in quality over the amplification of my Yamaha RX-V995. I recently added a HK AVR-520 and found it's internal amplifier's to sound similar at low volumes only. Even though it sounded similar, it seems to lack the excitement the Parasound brings. When the HK amp is pushed hard, things seem to lack the definition the Parasound brings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.