Getting my Vantages Soon!---Amp Advice Please

[Huey]

I learned something the other nite about amplifier power.
I called my dealer to see what he had in stock, any demo specials, whatever, to drive my Ascent (i)s. He suggested a Primare I21 75 wpc integrated that he has on demo ($1,000). I told him that wasn't enough power, and he insisted I audition it. Hey, I like to check new stuff out as much as the next guy, so I told him I would. When I'm carrying a piece back home to audition, I usually drive really fast because I just can't wait to get it home and listen. But this time I just drove nice and slow because I knew it would be underpowered and a disappointment.
I'm buying that amp to replace a Quicksilver tubed linestage and a Sunfire 325 wpc Stereo II. No 2 ways about it - Beautiful sound, plenty of power. If the Primare is 75 wpc, then that Sunfire must be about 100 wpc, because there really wasn't that much difference in SPLs. At really loud levels, the Sunfire bests the Primare. But at levels that I listen to about 99% of the time, the Primare sounds much better. It has way more detail.
So, you learn something new every day. If I had Logans with a powered woofer, I'd start with as refined an amp as I could afford and not worry a whit about watts. If I found it didn't have enough power, only then I look for something bigger.

I agree. I still can't wait to switch on my system in the evening and listen to those Aerius' sing to me :music:

 

[Craig]

No, they are black on black. I couldn't bring myself to fork over the extra $$ for custom finish. Now I need to pull the trigger on an amp and some speaker cable!

You can't play the speakers without an amp. However, you can get away with cheap cables and still have decent sound. I'd wait to buy good cables until later. They do make a difference in some systems but there usually not a good bang for the buck.

Some bad news...It looks like the Parasound is too deep to fit in my home theater credenza. The sucker is 19 3/4" deep and the interior of my credenza is 20". Back to the drawing board in a sense

I've run into that problem before. That's why I don't even bother to use the back panel on my credenza. It just gets in the way, makes cabling difficult, impedes ventilation and you can't really see it anyway.

 

[Brian_74]

You can't play the speakers without an amp. However, you can get away with cheap cables and still have decent sound. I'd wait to buy good cables until later. They do make a difference in some systems but there usually not a good bang for the buck.

Can I use my HK receiver, albeit at low volumes, until I can get an amp? I wasn't going to break the bank on cables anyway. Thinking about SignalCable Ultra or Silver Resolution in a bi-wire configuration. Which would you suggest?

I've run into that problem before. That's why I don't even bother to use the back panel on my credenza. It just gets in the way, makes cabling difficult, impedes ventilation and you can't really see it anyway.

Yeah, but in this case, the shelf isn't deep enough to support the back feet of the amp.

 

[Craig]

I've never used Signal cables but I would certainly consider those. They're about as good as you'll find in that price range.

You can cut a 3/8" small sheet of plywood or other wood panel of your choice (painted black to match your shelf) to place underneath your receiver to support the rear feet. Size it to fit on top of your shelf but extend it an inch or two beyond the rear of the shelf. A 16x16 plate of glass (smoked or black for aesthetics) will also work. Of course this will only work if you have the back panel of the credenza removed.

 

[transam]

Some bad news...It looks like the Parasound is too deep to fit in my home theater credenza. The sucker is 19 3/4" deep and the interior of my credenza is 20". Back to the drawing board in a sense.

Can anyone comment on ATI? 1800 series.

If i were you i would make it fit. I own the halo A21, modwright pre , ascents and it's pretty sweet. This amp is huge that's how you get all that class a power damping factor of 1100!:rocker:

 

[Brian_74]

Just wanted to let you all know, I got an amp! After some good feedback from a couple of the members here, I bought a Sunfire TGA5200 off the 'Gon. So far I'm very pleased with it. It will play louder than I ever need and Holy Bass Batman Right now I'm using the current source outputs, but plan to switch it up in a couple months and see what the difference is.

 

[asindc]

If i were you i would make it fit. I own the halo A21, modwright pre , ascents and it's pretty sweet. This amp is huge that's how you get all that class a power damping factor of 1100!:rocker:

I second this recommendation. I just bought the A21 to go with my Vantages. The bass response is sweet! Tight, authoritative, and clean. I run it with an ARC LS-17 pre and an Oppo 970HD into a Benchmark DAC-1. If you run it with a very good pre, I think you will like the results.

EDIT: I see that you got your amp. I have a Sunfire as well, and I think they are very good bang for the buck. Enjoy!