Power amps for Sonus Faber

[IWC Dopplel]

Looking at options for running my Sonus Fabers for Film only (will not be used for 2 channel )

I have sort of decided on a Arcam AV8 or AV9 processor

Option 1 spend circa £2k exdem on :

Arcam P7
NAD M25
Parasound A51
Meridian G55
Something from Chord

Option 2 spend Circa £1k s/h exdem on :

NAD T975
Arcam P1000
Audiolab 3 x 8000m, 1x 8000p (will be over £1k)
Audiolab 8000 x7
TAG 100x5R
Smaller Parasound 5250

Any thoughts greatly appreciated

 

[crobo]

I ran some of those speakers with an Arcam P1000 and the sound was excellent. You can also bi-amp the fronts with the extra 2 channels, though one channel per speaker should be enough - they are not that demanding. A P7 would probably be an improvement but not, IMO, a huge one at all. To be honest, spending the extra £1000 on speakers would give you a much bigger return for your money. That would get you Grand Pianos (1st gen were very nice) or Electa Amator IIs (a really lovely sound).

 

[robfitzp]

I am a big Chord fan - for the prices they go for used there is nothing to touch them in terms of power and clarity in my view. I am biased - replaced a P7 with a Chord 1200c and rotel rb993 and want a Chord 1203 to match in due course.

Doug Brady have a used SPM1900 for about £2200 (5*135) and there is a 1200c/1203 combo in the classifieds at the moment.

Cheers
Rob

 

[alexs2]

Rob's comments above are good advice...I personally would go for either Chord or Krell,and possibly Bryston as well,but the first two do go very well with Sonus Faber.

 

[IWC Dopplel]

Rob's comments above are good advice...I personally would go for either Chord or Krell,and possibly Bryston as well,but the first two do go very well with Sonus Faber.

I am hoping to keep the power amp under £2k, but agree with your thinking

 

[Kenny Glasgow]

I agree with the above. Bryston, Chord and Krell all go well with the SF's

The TAG amps also sound very good and if you can pick up a 250x3R or 100x5R for a bargain price then you would a good combination.

I could never tell the difference between Bryston & TAG amps myself but both Chord & Krell have their own sound, if you know what I mean

One of the best combo's I can remember was the Krell integrated 300i with SF Electa Amators a good few years back in a work mate's house. It just sounded so good!

At the Scottish Hi-Fi & AV show a couple of years back they had one of the BIG Krell power amps with the Cremona's and they were very, very good together

 

[IWC Dopplel]

I agree with the above. Bryston, Chord and Krell all go well with the SF's

The TAG amps also sound very good and if you can pick up a 250x3R or 100x5R for a bargain price then you would a good combination.

I could never tell the difference between Bryston & TAG amps myself but both Chord & Krell have their own sound, if you know what I mean

One of the best combo's I can remember was the Krell integrated 300i with SF Electa Amators a good few years back in a work mate's house. It just sounded so good!

At the Scottish Hi-Fi & AV show a couple of years back they had one of the BIG Krell power amps with the Cremona's and they were very, very good together

Ken, I agree with your thinking

 

[Kenny Glasgow]

Ken, I agree with your thinking

So there is another!

 

[IWC Dopplel]

So there is another!

I think it's time for a coffee and a walk upstairs to my bookcases full of old mags ...

I love old mags, they come in so useful. I have heaps of Hi-Fi news and record reviews, HiFi world, home cinema Choice, What hifi etc, etc upstairs

I would love a stack of old forgotten Krell equivalents of the day. Musical Fidelity A370 and A470 power amps were nice for example. Just need more than two of them !

 

[Kenny Glasgow]

I used to have a MF P180 Power Amp that I had for well over 10 years and it never let me down.

I added a 250x3R for the fronts when I moved to a 5.1 set-up and used the P180 for the rears. I then go a TAG 60P (along with a Calliope Centre channel) at the time of the first sell-off direct from TAG for a crazy price and I sold the P180 for £400 to a guy who had another and wanted to use them as monoblocks (switch on the back of the amp).

I then got a TAG 100x5R to replace the 6oP which I still have. I did sell the Calliope to someone who couldn't integrate it with his Castle Harlech's so I bought it back.

Reason for doing that was I nearly got my hands on a pair of SF Grand Piano's and the Calliope uses the same drive units as SF. I still will get my set a set of SF's as I like their sound and of course they look fabulous

I used to keep all the old mags but put them in the recycling bin a few years ago before the days of ebay I had most of all the major mags full collection going back to the late 80's