What are the recommended solid state amps for use with Khorns?

[mark1101]

What do you use / recommend?

How many watts is it?

Ever use a tube pre with it?

[NOSValves]

Say what? the answer is none of course []

[tidmack]

Craig,

I wouldn't expect a different answer from you! Mark, I heard a pair of horns with my Mac 2105 and was really impressed. The guy I bought the amp from had horns at the time and used them for my audition. I will say that I haven't heard a lot of Mac SS, but the 2100, 05, 2125, etc. sound pleasing to my ears.

Jeff

[Cody_Mack]

Say what? the answer is none of course []

Gonna stir it up again, arncha? []

[mark1101]

Say what? the answer is none of course []

I suppose there are no right or wrong answers........wise a$$[]

But......I would really like to know what people think are some good s/s amps, and how much power they are using.

[jackpod]

I use a mac MC150, has 150 per channel, I have seen the meters approach 15. Being a Mac guy, any of the SS macs that have autoformers should fair well

[PrestonTom]

It is an interesting question. I am also interested. I have tried a number of amps and the issue I keep coming back to is that they need to be quiet and they need to provide a clean signal at low levels ( I am using Klipschorns and Cornwalls on occassion).

I was unhappy with Dynaco 120

I am somewhat satisfied with a Hafler (100 watt)

I am fairly satisfied with an Adcom 5XX series (Nelson Pass designed - I used the 60 watt version)

I am fairly satisfied with a Carver TFM (100 watt version)

Harmon Kardon 100watt int amp sounded okay

I have heard other K-Horns with Luxman (sounded good)

I would like to try Bryston and Parasound (one ones that are Class A at the low levels).

Again my tastes are dictated by a desire for an accurate reproduction (warts and all).

I also do not want an exaggerated bass (frequently the result of a distorted signal IMO). Nor do I want the signal to rolled off at the high end, some would call this being overly bright. Really the amp should not be an equalizer.

The issue of tons of watts and tons of current are not critical for the efficiency and impedance of a Klipschorn. A clean signal at a low level however, is the critical issue. Many of the amps I have demo'ed do have high current capability and are usualluy less than 100 watt, but I have never heard my amp/speakers ever go into clipping. BTW, the pre-amp I am using is "passive" - an Adcom SLC (basically an attenuator but as neutral as can be...). There are some amps I will shy away from if there input impedance is not high enough.

Good Luck and let us know your results.

-Tom

[tigerwoodKhorns]

QSC PLX 1202 -200 wpc. Works extremely well, and plenty of power for K Horns. You shoudl be able to pick on eup very cheap on eBay.

I am currently using high powered Brystons with other speakers. Very nice. Because you only need 100 wattts or so with K Horns, you shoudl be able to get a Bryston for under $1K that has ten years or more left on the warranty. Very clean power that shoudl work very well with horns.

Extremely low budget - Teac AL700P. About $100 and clean as can be. You should try just for the sake of trying.

[Dylanl]

Ah come on, a nice low end Yamaha from Best Buy would sound sweet.

LOL

[WPM]

Went to a Klipsch Audio Dealer in Northern California a few years ago, and they were driving their K-Horns with Quad electronics. Not the all-tube Forty II amps, mind, but the SS stuff, i.e. 99, 909, etc. Sounded bloody good to me. Can't be all that bad if it drives their new ESL's.

William

[pmsummer]

You'll find most any McIntosh will sound nice through Khorns, IMHO.

[rcarlton]

You'll find most any McIntosh will sound nice through Khorns, IMHO.

I agree...running McIntosh MC-250...works for me. Someday might try tubes.

[cjgeraci]

When I am not running tube pp amps, I use QSC PLX 1202s (pro amps) across the front with Belles, 200 watts per channel. The QSCs sound good without a tube pre (no hash glare or grain), but sound great..... with a tube pre. As Chris noted, you can find them cheap on ebay.

Tried Rotel, B&K and some other ss amps before with Heritage, and the QSC did better than all. Some of those other amps had much more glare and pinned your ears back at the upper ranges. Not the QSC. Smooth yet detailed. Its a dirty little secret that just might drive up the prices of used QSCs if everyone finds out.

I also echo Chris' comments about the little Teac chip amp. Sounds clean with anemic bass if you do not get into it (Loud). Beware the clipping though if you like it loud at times.

I have also heard some nice McIntosh ss, as mentioned above.

Carl.

P.S. Some have also liked Carver Pro amps at times. Others have said they are still too harsh, and still others talked in terms of being rolled off on the top end. Cannot vouch for them - never heard one.

[pmsummer]

Hey Ron,

I'm setting up an AK-Get-Together in Fort Worth soon (probably).

Southside on a Saturday afternoon. A few audio set-ups, and a few of

the products created in the warehouse/sample room we'll gather in.

Keep your eyes peeled!

[Deang]

http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/805cia/

http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=ACIAD%2D100

[dbflash]

I used a Parasound HCA1500 for a couple years until the tube bug caught bit.

No complaints. Sounded good with both SS pre and tube pre.

If i was looking today I would look at a Mac. I bought a pair of Heresy's from a guy who had just bought a mac something and it sounded awesome. He had them hooked up to the Heresy's and wow they sounded so clean.

He had a brand new pair of Khorns, but when I walked into his room the first thing I really saw was those blue meters. I don't remember the model, just that he had just bought it, it cost $7,500 and he hoped his wife didn't notice it.

Let us know what you end up getting.

Danny

[mark1101]

http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/805cia/

http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=ACIAD%2D100

Hmm......constant impedance networks might work good with these[]

[khorn#1]

Mark,

I've got a Mac mc-402 (400 x 2) hooked up to 2004 k-horns. It has been a very good match for two years now. Some would say and I agree to some extent this is overkill as far as running k-horns but I have plenty of headroom which is important to me as I like to light up the k-horns every now and then, which by the way have never let me down. To me its a perfect match as far as solid state and if I'm not mistaken Paul Klipsch himself recommended Mac amps for his Heritage line. I purchased my amp new which was not cheap but I consider Mac amps to be the Harley Davidson of the audio industry, great design and build quality and will last for years to come. Keep a check on Audiogon.com, there are usually several Mac amps for sale that will offer you great solid state performance as well as a good used price.

[khorn#1]

Danny,

I'm the guy you bought the Heresy's from, we need to hook up and have a jam session. I owe you a six pack anyway, so I guess I need to pay up and I would really like to hear your setup.

Randy

[garyrc]

I have used the following Solid State amps with my Klipshorns; they are rank ordered for quality, with #1 being the best sounding.

1) Luxman L 580 100 wpc integrated amp. Best sound, slightly warm.

2) NAD 272 Power amp, possibly higher resolution than the Luxman, above, very good sounding, but not as warm as Luxman. The NAD got an excellent review from The Absolute Sound. It is rated at 150 wpc, the equivalent into a Klipschorn of about 2,000 wpc into a typical speaker of 90 dB / 2.83 wts / Meter. Rocks the floor, creates a wind in the listening room that will flap one's pants legs with timpani and the like (not exaggerating).

3) Yamaha 135 wt power amp. Not as good, but still O.K. On the meter ("peak reading," Yamaha claims) very loud was 6.3 watts -- once I got it up to 25 wts, with all the doors and windows shut tightly, and neighbors three houses down let me know they enjoyed the music (Mahler). Don't buy a 25 wt amp though, because there are superbrief unread peaks that are much higher, in theory.

4) While one of the above amps was in for repair, I used a Marantz solid state 16 wpc amp! It wasn't terrible, but it didn't sound nearly as good as any of the above.

Paul Klipsch used to amuse himself at Hi Fi shows by driving a Klipschorn with a hidden, battery operated, transistor radio (probably 3 wts), getting it good and loud, and then pulling it out and revealing it. That was as much a demonstration of his personality as it was of his speakers. When he switched over to a nice McIntosh or Marantz tube amp what the listeners heard was higher quality, rather than higher volume. I don't recommend this, though, because low powered amps driven into clipping can annoy or burn out tweeters.