theta intrepid or b&k 7270 amp? (1 Viewer)

[Karl L]

I'm at somewhat of a crossroads deciding which one of these amps to purchase. I'll be using a Pioneer 49-tx as a pre, and it will be driving Nautilus 804's and an HTM1 up front and center, Def Tech bp2006tls for sides, and a Def Tech 2300clr in the rear. The problem I'm having now is that while I'm getting a nice wide soundstage, its without much depth, and everything sounds somewhat muffled. The Theta has five 100w channels, while the B&K has seven 200w channels. I've heard the Theta might have better depth and clarity over what I'm getting now and over the B&K, however I don't want to be under powered even though the volume hardly ever goes above medium listening levels. I've also heard the Nautilus 804's need a fair amount of power, so that has me concerned as well. Price wise I should be able to get them both for about the same. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance, Karl

 

[Justin Doring]

The B&K has more power, but the Theta is a better amp. If you like the sound of the Theta, I'd probably pony up the extra bucks for the Dreadnaught, as your N804s will appreciate the power. You also might want to consider the Classe' CAV amps as they mate excellently with B&Ws.

 

[Scott Oliver]

100 W witht the Nautilus 89dB sensitivity will give you ~107dB. I think that will more than meet your power needs. 100 more watts is only gonna give you about 5 more additional dB's.

My vote goes for the Intrepid.

 

[Karl L]

Thanks Justin. To bad I just can't swing the extra dough right now for the Theta Dreadnaught. If I can get a used Classe 150 from my local dealer for the same price as a used Theta Intrepid, should I go for the Classe? Besides the difference in power rating, what would be the noticible difference between the two? Which one would give greater clarity at lower listening volumes, and get rid of the muddiness I'm hearing right now in my current setup?

 

[Karl L]

Thanks for the input Scott. Which one do you think would provide more clarity at lower music listening levels? Would the wattage of the two amps have anything to do with that?

 

[John A. Casler]

Two Words:

"CineNova Grande"

YGM

John

 

[Justin Doring]

Wattage isn't about volume. It's about a happy, stable amplifier with lots of power in reserve, which translates into control and effortlessness.

For example, lets take two different amplifiers by the same company in the same series: the Krell FPB-200 and the FPB-600. These amps should sound the same when putting out 100 watts and connected to the same speakers, right? Wrong. The 600wpc amp will sound better, more controlled, and less compressed. An amp is analogous to an engine. Say a Saturn with a 3.0 V6 is accelerating and only using 100hp. and 100 ft. lbs. of torque at 3000 rpm while a Corvette with a 5.7 V8 is accelerating using the exact same hp. and torque at the same rpm. Which automobile will feel more powerful and accelerate more effortlessly? Do you get my point?

Karl, I prefer Classe' amps with B&Ws, and the extra 50 watts won't hurt, so I would probably go for a used CAV-150 over a used Intrepid. My advice is to audition both with your speakers at home or at the dealer, if you can, and decide which one you like better. Both amps should give great clarity and get rid of whatever muddiness you're currently experiencing.