Looking for a beefy HiFi amp...

[Electricblue]

Hi guys, it's pretty much as the title says.

My current hifi setup consists of 4 vintage Pioneer speakers (all rated at 120w Max Power each. So probably about 50-70w RMS. They are 8 ohms each.), and a cheapo 300w PA power amp.

The speakers are connected in parallel pairs to the L and R outputs on the amplifier.

The signal itself either comes from my dvd player, tv, mp3 player or PC through a DIY Phono Selector.

I'm looking for a more pleasing sound in general than my current amp. Not particularly fussy about the truest representation of my music or whatever, I just want it to sound reasonably flat/natural and overall pretty good with nice low end.

Thing is, all the nice hifi amps I've seen on the net (Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Technics) have a pretty weak output. Usually about 40w a side. I'm looking for at least 150w RMS per side.

Is there anything out there that would fit the bill? What are the differences between PA and HIFI amps of the same power?

If anybody could shed some light, that would be great!

[kurosawa]

PA costs more. Maybe you could find the cheapest answer in automotive gear.

[Electricblue]

I could go for car stuff, but I would have to find a beefy 230v-12v power supply and that could get expensive. I'm pretty set on second hand vintage hifi stuff

[1958Bassman]

Originally Posted by Electricblue

Hi guys, it's pretty much as the title says.

My current hifi setup consists of 4 vintage Pioneer speakers (all rated at 120w Max Power each. So probably about 50-70w RMS. They are 8 ohms each.), and a cheapo 300w PA power amp.

The speakers are connected in parallel pairs to the L and R outputs on the amplifier.

The signal itself either comes from my dvd player, tv, mp3 player or PC through a DIY Phono Selector.

I'm looking for a more pleasing sound in general than my current amp. Not particularly fussy about the truest representation of my music or whatever, I just want it to sound reasonably flat/natural and overall pretty good with nice low end.

Thing is, all the nice hifi amps I've seen on the net (Cambridge Audio, Marantz, Technics) have a pretty weak output. Usually about 40w a side. I'm looking for at least 150w RMS per side.

Is there anything out there that would fit the bill? What are the differences between PA and HIFI amps of the same power?

If anybody could shed some light, that would be great!

What model are the speakers? If they're the HPM series, don't over-power them by too much. The surrounds are old enough that I would expect to read that they disintegrated soon and if they're intact, the cones can fracture- they're really brittle.

Look for Sony Audio Lab or ES integrated or pre/power amps-really good sound and reasonable prices. I have a Sony TA-F6B from '73-'78 and it was rated at 100W/ch, .1Hz-200KHz +0db/-1dB at less than .1%THD and when I had a service tech connect it to the distortion analyzer, it hit 176W/ch at all of the same specs and tolerances. It has moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) phono preamp, too. I would tend to stay away from most receivers that were made in the early-mid '70s and anything that had florescent displays.

One thing to consider- most home audio wasn't designed to work with a 4 Ohm load. The speaker selector A+B setting puts the speakers in series. There are exceptions, though. For a good, reliable power amp that has plenty of output, look at the Sony TA-3200F. It's nothing fancy but it's a work horse. We used to put those in bars. It has two sets of input jacks and power limiting.

[eulogy77]

i use my mesa strategy 500 as a home audio and it sounds great, i use a crossover to split highs to channel a and lows to channel b, its also my bass rig amp, at 190 watts per side is more than enough for home audio and its dead quiet

[dhsierra1]

For clean high power on the cheap look for a used Crown D-150A or D-300A for even more oompf. Either the older silver face versions or the relatively newer black faced Series II. Either can be had from 150 to 300 US$.

The speakers are always the rate limiting step in any system, I'd be looking at having a pair of something good rather than 4 lesser ones before worrying about a more powerful amp.

If you're DIY inclined I'd go with an Eminence Beta/Delta/DeltaPro 12 in a ported/tuned cab with an Econowave horn for the mids/highs. Very smooth sounding, a lot like the old Klipsch Heresy's but updated and a bit more high performance. Also very efficient so your watts go further.

[Electricblue]

Originally Posted by 1958Bassman

What model are the speakers? If they're the HPM series, don't over-power them by too much. The surrounds are old enough that I would expect to read that they disintegrated soon and if they're intact, the cones can fracture- they're really brittle.

Look for Sony Audio Lab or ES integrated or pre/power amps-really good sound and reasonable prices. I have a Sony TA-F6B from '73-'78 and it was rated at 100W/ch, .1Hz-200KHz +0db/-1dB at less than .1%THD and when I had a service tech connect it to the distortion analyzer, it hit 176W/ch at all of the same specs and tolerances. It has moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) phono preamp, too. I would tend to stay away from most receivers that were made in the early-mid '70s and anything that had florescent displays.

One thing to consider- most home audio wasn't designed to work with a 4 Ohm load. The speaker selector A+B setting puts the speakers in series. There are exceptions, though. For a good, reliable power amp that has plenty of output, look at the Sony TA-3200F. It's nothing fancy but it's a work horse. We used to put those in bars. It has two sets of input jacks and power limiting.

They are S-Z92 speakers. Just some nice chunky speakers from the 80's. My friend had a pair in the back of his car as subwoofers... (disconnected the mid and tweeter) He ran them LOUD playing dubstep rubbish all the time. They survived, so I decided to get a pair.

They sound amazing, better than my father's Tannoy 607's IMO.