A budget amp.

 

Silver Member
Username: Disco_stan

Minnesota

Post Number: 188
Registered: Dec-03
Well I'm just looking for a flat sounding amp budget quality amp in the home audio that I could use at for home for studio use. Something thats around 60 through 90 watts will be plenty of power for my room size. And keep in mind, the flat response.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 5379
Registered: May-04


What does "flat response" mean? Any amp will show flat from 20 to 20KHz on paper.
 

Silver Member
Username: Disco_stan

Minnesota

Post Number: 189
Registered: Dec-03
Well....I ment that the amp doesn't have any special hype to it...no boost or cuts. Does that make any sense to you? Sorry I should of explained that better
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 3695
Registered: Dec-03
You mean, no treble, bass and mids adjustments? No DSPs or those gimmicky theater, disco, jazz club effects?

Let us forget about watts, what is your budget?
 

Silver Member
Username: Disco_stan

Minnesota

Post Number: 190
Registered: Dec-03
Yes that is correct.

Ooooh lets say under 500-600 its not much but thats my budget.
 

Silver Member
Username: Cheapskate

Post Number: 279
Registered: Mar-04
pretty much what you said... a totally NEUTRAL amp.

alot of people seem enamored with "warm" amps. i think i lean a little more towards "bright" amps as i like treble extension more than bass.

if you're doing home studio... uncolored is ESSENTIAL. instead of recommending a specific amp, i'd recommend you look into powered monitors as many of them have +- response of 2dB or better.

that's MORE neutral than you'll get with "the best amp in the world" with a peaky (+- 3dB TYPICAL) speaker. many "high-end" speakers are rated as bad as +-5dB!

an integrated amp/speaker that's designed to be flat will likely be more neutral unless you invest in expensive monitors like the long out of production time aligned (forgot the make) towers that sold for $20K pr. with +- 1dB.

if you have the budget and want the amps that most get out of the way of the sound, halcro has a reputation as THE most uncolored and neutral, but unexciting amps ever made. they're also very expensive. for LESS than the price of a high end amp, you could easily buy an amplified monitor that has better synergy and neutrality if just a little bit of easily fixable bass roloff.

if you bought a powered monitor that's +- 1.5 dB 20-20, you'd definately have a relatively neutral "amp".

maybe you might prefer an $800 pair of powered mini monitors and a subwofer.

there's a reason you see affordable mackies etc. sitting on top of $200,000 mixers in studios.

food for thought.
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 3714
Registered: Dec-03
we are talking good ol' stereo right?
Do you want integrated or just a power amp?
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 3715
Registered: Dec-03
For integrateds try these

Marantz PM7200

NAD C320BEE

Creek A50i this one is a no frills integrated amp and hopefully should provide you with the requirement you are looking for. I've used these with a pair of Cremonas, highly recommended. not the specs you are looking for, but it will do the job. Source ->Amp-->Speakers.

your mileage may vary.
 

Silver Member
Username: Disco_stan

Minnesota

Post Number: 191
Registered: Dec-03
Oh just a stereo amp, just something that would come close to my requirement. In the studio I would be using it just as another reference for playback, shortly I will be purchasing a pair of active monitors,
[quote]if you're doing home studio... uncolored is ESSENTIAL. instead of recommending a specific amp, i'd recommend you look into powered monitors as many of them have +- response of 2dB or better.[/quote]
I believe that these monitors have a +- response of 1.5 which isn't bad for 500 a pair, Yamaha MSP5 studio monitors.

Berny, I will check out Creek A50i and do a bit of reading on that. thanks
 

Silver Member
Username: Cheapskate

Post Number: 307
Registered: Mar-04
from what i VAGUELY remember from way back when audio magazine was still in print, adcom gear is very neutral.

oddly enough, it's virtually impossible to find reviews for adcom. it's almost like the entire audio press is snubbing them.

if you can find reviews check them out. i've seen adcom amps selling for under $200 on ebay.

i can't name any specific reviews, but the $300 each norh monoblocks that operate in class a sound interesting in theory at least as they have the same components as much more expensive gear. if nothing else, they look like $5000 amps LOL
 

Silver Member
Username: Cheapskate

Post Number: 308
Registered: Mar-04
i was brought to norh's website based on rave reviews of their dirt cheap tube amps.
 

New member
Username: Vm8444

Post Number: 9
Registered: Aug-05
mccormack or odyssey amps are good,,try an intergrated by nad is ok,,but try this jungson

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1130200822
or plinius 8150
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1131075897
 

Silver Member
Username: Cheapskate

Post Number: 317
Registered: Mar-04
like vince said... mc cormack amps have a great reputaion for neutrality. in my recent wandering around in amplifier reviews... i've seen alot of reviewers making references to their aragon amps as references.

back to the norh gear, a company called IRD is still selling their version of norh's le amp 1 for abot $500 a pair. these amps HAVE gotten great reviews in the 100wpc range and are cheap. their bass in particular gets kudos for being effortless.
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