3 ch amp for L C and R (1 Viewer)

[Eric D Wong]

Looking for 3 channel amp, around 100-200 wattx3 into 8 ohms. not
looking for anything super high end (krell, bryston, ) but something along the
lines of Adcom, Rotel, etc. I see the Acurus 100x3 looks appealing,
however its 4 ohm power spec isnt that great and the product is kinda
old but this is the closest I've found so far. Also the Rotel RB993, Adcom GFA 5503 (little pricey). or the monoblock route like 3 Marantz MA500/700s but thats getting pricey. Any suggestions?

BTW these would be driving Maggie MGIIIA mains and probbly a Magnepan center. Rears and subs handled by existing Adcom GFA 2535.

 

[GeraldK]

Since you're already using an Adcom for the rears, dig around for a used GFA-6000. It's a 5-ch (100x3, 60x2) I've been using to drive the three Def Techs up front for several years. Tried to find one on Ebay just before this post, but no luck.

 

[Rachael B]

The right person saw your thread today. I own the Adcom and the Rotel amps you're intrested in. I got the Rotel first because I got it new the year they made them. It was the best power amp I'd owned at that time. It's second place now. It draws alot of current and you cannot plug into wimpy surge/conditioner units. BTW, I use a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet to protect mine. It currently powers Atlantic Tech 250 series speakers to something near to the best they can be. I have used it to power Paradigm Monitor 7's and 11's and it did very well with them. It's getting towards the end of it's 5 year warranty with nary a problem.

The Adcom is now paired with the Monitor 11's. I'm not much for the warm and airy jargon. That stuff is greek to me. The Adcom is clearly a more powerful amp despite having the same power rate, 3 x 200, as the Rotel. It seems to impart a little more detail into SACD's. It definitely kicks harder on demanding soundtracks. It sounds better to me. It obviously could easily push somewhat less efficent speakers than I have. I've had the Adcom for a little over a year and have no regrets in purchasing it.

Rotel has the better warranty, 5 years as opposed to 2 years for the Adcom. Well, I quess the Rotel warranty is irrelevant now, eh! My first Rotel amp a 956 went 7 years before needing a minor repair. IMO, Adcom has the better amp and I think they stille make them...? The Rotel would do, but the Adcom would do it a bit better. You've narrowed to a pair of winners IMO. Best wishes!

 

[Alan Pummill]

Funny Eric, I'm also looking for a 3 channel amp to drive my new maggies.

Currently I'm running my front MG1.6's with a Rotel RB-990BX amp (2 x 200wpc). I'm running my MGMC1 surrounds and MGCC3 center with 3 channels of a Carver AV-705x amp (5 x 125wpc).

I plan on moving the Rotel to surround duty, and getting either a three channel amp or 3 mono blocks (with at least 200wpc into 8 ohms). When playing DVD's at near reference levels, which I don't often do, the red lights on the Carver are really blinking...telling me that I'm pushin it.

Remember Eric, our maggies are 4 ohm speakers that really hunger for power. You might want to find something closer to 200wpc. I'm thinking of getting 3 of the mono blocks from Outlaw, especially since my pre/pro is the Outlaw 950.

Good luck in your search for POWER!!

 

[Khoa Tran]

Earthquake Cinenova Grande 3ch and 5ch

300wpc into 8ohms

 

[John Robert]

These are big sounding amps, available online for staggering discounts. Your Maggies would love them...

John

 

[Alan Pummill]

I just pulled the trigger on a demo Earthquake Cinenova Grande 5.....can't wait to hear my maggies with this beast!!

 

[SteveL]

what about tha adcom gfa-5503. 200wx3 seems like a no brainer.
Steve L.

 

[Stephen D L]

What about the Denon POA-8300? There's one on ebay for $599 (no bids yet)

SDL (aka Steve L....not that Steve L)

 

[Ricky T]

Also:
Parasound 1203A 140x3 (400-500 used, one on ebay right now)
Parasound 2003A 220x3 (650-750 used)

 

[MikeTz]

You Maggie owners know those speakers need a lot of power to sound their best. If you are using the Maggies in conjunction with a powered sub then ~125w/ch into 8 ohms is probably OK. But without a powered sub I'd recommend you look for amps in the 200w/ch into 8 ohms class.

Magneplanar speakers generally have a 4 ohm nominal impedance (lower at certain frequencies) that is mostly resistive. The ramifications of this impedance require your amplifier to be stable into very low impedance (down to 2 ohms) and be capable of outputting lots of current.

Look for an amp that doubles its power going from 8 ohm loads to 4 ohm loads. This is a good indication that the amp will handle the impedance requirements of the Maggies and make them sound great.

Amps like that are made by Krell, Classe, Pass, BAT, Cary, Bryston, and others and tend to be expensive even when bought used. I have personal experience with the Bryston 5B driving the Maggies and it is an excellent combination.

Lower price amps that specify performance down to 4 ohms include ATI, Anthem, B&K, Parasound, Primare, and Rotel. I'm sure there are others but be careful to make sure they are specified to operate at 4 ohms.

I know you excluded the Bryston in your post but you might look at the used 5B prices because it is just the kind of amp that those Maggies love.

Good luck!

MT

 

[Alan Pummill]

Mike is correct. Until my Cinenova arrives, I'm still running my Magnepan MG1.6's with a Rotel RB-990BX 2 X 200wpc @ 8 ohms amp. This amp drove my Paradigm Monitor 7's great, but I can tell it's not up to the task with the maggies. I have blown a fuse in one of my maggies when I was playing a CD with extreme highs at a loud volume. The Rotel is rated at 2 X 330wpc at 4 ohms, but isn't even rated at 2 ohms.

On the other hand, The Cinenova is rated at 300wpc @ 8 ohms, 600wpc @ 4 ohms, and 1000wpc @ 2 ohms. I'm sure my speakers and me will tell a big difference with the added current of the Cinenova.

 

[Gary Sedlack]

B&K Reference series says the do. I am adding the Ref 200.2 to my system for my R&L fronts. It should be here next week I am looking forward to doing an A/B with my Sunfire CG.

Gary