Cheap 3 channel used amp (1 Viewer)

[Jason Kolczak]

I've been shopping for new speakers but have found by little Denon AVR-2800 needs a little boost of power if I want to start looking at 4 ohm and non-efficient speakers.

I've been on the forum a couple days looking for amps and have been doing various searches for 3 channel amps and am probably more confused now than before.

Right now I have Klipsch Cornwalls, but will be replacing those with some monitors since I live in an apt. As far as what speakers I'm looking at.... there's a huge range and I've barely begun to scratch the surface on auditioning. So far I've listened to Boston VR-M60 (like the sound, but the tweeter is a bit harsh when turned up), Sonus Faber Concertinos (Sounded really good with a sub, not as great w/out one... but I do have a sub. So far my first choice), Monitor Audio (S2 I believe, sounded like crap.. Gold series sounded a whole lot better but is out of my price range), Vienna Acoustic Bach (Didn't get a change to really listen to them. They didn't have the Haydns in stock), and NHT SB-3 (Something was missing, not sure what though. I want to listen to the M5).

The amp I'm considering is the Denon POA-8300. It goes for under $500 on ebay and audiogon. What other amps should I look at?

I listen to music 80% of the time and I listen mostly to Rock (Radiohead, Audioslave, Sublime, etc.).

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Jeff]

I'm actually selling a Parasound HCA-1203A, Three Channel amp, which I can tell you is not an easy one to find. It's 140 watts per channel and I will be advertising it in the Hardware For Sale/Trade section soon. It's in fantastic shape and has been lightly used over the last few years, and comes with both original boxes and manual.

I won't go any further since this is not the right section to be advertising this. You can email me if you're interested or wait for my ad. I'll have photos of it and specs.

Jeff

 

[Ricky T]

I've owned both amps, you should be happy with either in this price range. The Denon is unique in having one power transformer per channel.

I think Jeff and I bought/sold some Parasound gear a few years ago

 

[Claude M]

you should be able to do an mca3sI (anthem) for that amount

 

[Charles Gurganus]

I'd settle on what speakers you are getting as that would affect your amp choice IMO.

 

[Jason Kolczak]

Thanks for the info.

Charles
That's part of my problem. I can't evaluate all the speakers I want to, so I'm going to try and buy the amp first and then buy/sell speakers as I can afford so I can evaluate them in my apt. This way I know the amp will be able to drive whatever speakers I want to audition instead of using the receiver, which will not be able to drive some of the speakers I'm looking at well enough to give them a fair evaluation.

For instance, I may buy the Concertinos and find some used Totems. I'll buy the Totems and compare them to Sonus Faber and keep whichever I prefer. Then after I sell the other pair I may try to get some Dyanaudio Audience 42s and do the same thing.

 

[JamieS]

I bought one of these form a guy in Ontario used a month or so ago. I use it for the fron 3 speakers in my HT setup with my Rotel 1055 running the rears. I can say that it has pleny of power. Seems very well built doesn't run too hot. Only thing I don't like is the noise floor is a little higher than I expected. Its not like I can hear a buzz from my listening postion but when standing a couple of feet away there is a slight buzz from the amp. Nothing that distubs my listening but if I were a critical music listener in a quiet room listening to classical or something I might notice.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know more about this amp. Inexpensive 3ch amps are a bit rare and the parasounds have tested out to produce sometime closer to 150W than 140 they advertise.

 

[Jeff]

I have absolutely no noise on either of my Parasound amps. (I'm selling a HCA-1500A as well). I do use cheaters though, because I have a ground loop at my place. With the cheaters, they are dead quiet. Because they turn on remotely, I never touch them so it's safe for me to use them.


Ricky - Good to see you're still around. I haven't been around here in ages.


Jeff

 

[JamieS]

Just to update I tried isolating things and sure enough my cable is causing a ground loop buzz. I can quiet it a little with a cheater but am reluctant to do so. I will explore having the cable company do something first. Even with the loop eliminated (unplug cable there is a slight (very slight) hiss from the pParasound but not much.

 

[Jeff]

The cable company probably won't do much of anything. What you can do, for a couple dollars, is use a pair of 75/300 baluns back-to-back in your CATV lead. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can email me. You'll get the same results as disconnecting the cable.

But, for me that will only eliminates part of the problem. I get huming from my outlet as well. The cheater takes care of that. I suggest, after using the baluns, you temporarily try a cheater and see if it eliminates the huming even more. If so, then you can maybe take steps to find out where it is coming from, without using it.

Jeff

 

[JamieS]

Thanks I acutally read the same thing a little while ago. A trip to pricess Auto and 4 $ later the problem is fixed. A very slight HISS from one ch if you put your ear to the speaker all other are 100% dead quiet.