Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
About 25 years ago I had a new Threshold S500SE Stasis Amp to run my
Acoustats 2+2s. Not too swift back then & misled by the salesman to buy the most expensive amp he had in the store to run my Acoustats. A friend came to my house and tried his rather diminutive but front heavy amp. It simply outclassed the Threshold, especially in the bass. This SS amp had a plain 19 inch faceplate with a rocker power switch. It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. I really would like to have an amp like that now to drive my woofers with my tube amp on top. I don't know if it was a Hafler, Adcom, or something like that with 2 large tubular handles. Any ideas out there? I would be most appreciative. Thank you. west |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
west wrote: It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. Amps meeting that description were made by Harmon Kardon (Citation series), Hafler (DH500 for one) and several others. If you can find a HK Citation 16 (the version w/o the LEDs), that would make your day. No fan, no frills. I keep the one with the LEDs, but it came both ways. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"Soundhaspriority" wrote in message
... "west" wrote in message news:M8W3h.8760$Wd5.5720@trnddc05... About 25 years ago I had a new Threshold S500SE Stasis Amp to run my Acoustats 2+2s. Not too swift back then & misled by the salesman to buy the most expensive amp he had in the store to run my Acoustats. A friend came to my house and tried his rather diminutive but front heavy amp. It simply outclassed the Threshold, especially in the bass. This SS amp had a plain 19 inch faceplate with a rocker power switch. It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. I really would like to have an amp like that now to drive my woofers with my tube amp on top. I don't know if it was a Hafler, Adcom, or something like that with 2 large tubular handles. Any ideas out there? I would be most appreciative. Thank you. west Did it have a fan? Did it have external heatsinks? I forgot to mention that it had a huge external heat sink on the left side and right side in the back, no fan. The heat sinks seem to be larger than the amp part. No heat sink in the middle part of the back that's where the cabling connectors (in/out) went. west |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"west" wrote in message news:M8W3h.8760$Wd5.5720@trnddc05... About 25 years ago I had a new Threshold S500SE Stasis Amp to run my Acoustats 2+2s. Not too swift back then & misled by the salesman to buy the most expensive amp he had in the store to run my Acoustats. A friend came to my house and tried his rather diminutive but front heavy amp. It simply outclassed the Threshold, especially in the bass. This SS amp had a plain 19 inch faceplate with a rocker power switch. It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. I really would like to have an amp like that now to drive my woofers with my tube amp on top. I don't know if it was a Hafler, Adcom, or something like that with 2 large tubular handles. Any ideas out there? I would be most appreciative. Thank you. .... sounds like it might be an early Bryston, maybe the 3 or 3B or an early Mark Levinson, could be a Belles too |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
west wrote: I forgot to mention that it had a huge external heat sink on the left side and right side in the back, no fan. The heat sinks seem to be larger than the amp part. No heat sink in the middle part of the back that's where the cabling connectors (in/out) went. That sounds very much like the blank-face version of the Citation 16, A squat amp with the heat-sink fins almost as long as the rest of it, thick wire handles, connections center rear, heat-sinks to either side. 10 output devices per channel. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"Soundhaspriority" wrote in message ... "west" wrote in message news:M324h.1200$244.55@trnddc01... "Soundhaspriority" wrote in message ... "west" wrote in message news:M8W3h.8760$Wd5.5720@trnddc05... About 25 years ago I had a new Threshold S500SE Stasis Amp to run my Acoustats 2+2s. Not too swift back then & misled by the salesman to buy the most expensive amp he had in the store to run my Acoustats. A friend came to my house and tried his rather diminutive but front heavy amp. It simply outclassed the Threshold, especially in the bass. This SS amp had a plain 19 inch faceplate with a rocker power switch. It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. I really would like to have an amp like that now to drive my woofers with my tube amp on top. I don't know if it was a Hafler, Adcom, or something like that with 2 large tubular handles. Any ideas out there? I would be most appreciative. Thank you. west Did it have a fan? Did it have external heatsinks? I forgot to mention that it had a huge external heat sink on the left side and right side in the back, no fan. The heat sinks seem to be larger than the amp part. No heat sink in the middle part of the back that's where the cabling connectors (in/out) went. west You say, "the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components". This is an important clue. Did you happen to see the insides, and notice that the circuit board(s) were rather small? Bob Morein Dresher, PA (215) 646-4894 Yes, the circuit pcb was small. The transformer, which took up most of the space made the amp unbalanced and front heavy. Remember, the 2 handles in the front were round cylinders. This was a high current amp. BTW: I'm not absolutely sure if the plain black front panel was a full 19 in. wide. west |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
west wrote:
About 25 years ago I had a new Threshold S500SE Stasis Amp to run my Acoustats 2+2s. Not too swift back then & misled by the salesman to buy the most expensive amp he had in the store to run my Acoustats. A friend came to my house and tried his rather diminutive but front heavy amp. It simply outclassed the Threshold, especially in the bass. This SS amp had a plain 19 inch faceplate with a rocker power switch. It had a plain black front panel with 2 hefty black metal posts for handles. The front to back was small and the amp seem to have a minimum amount of components, but was heavy. Nothing fancy. I really would like to have an amp like that now to drive my woofers with my tube amp on top. I don't know if it was a Hafler, Adcom, or something like that with 2 large tubular handles. Any ideas out there? I would be most appreciative. Thank you. west The description sounds like a Phase Linear amp. I had an old Phase Linear 400, which I sold on ebay, since they are still pretty hot items. Here's a link to one now. I don't know if they made black ones. http://cgi.ebay.com/PHASE-LINEAR-400...em290047375260 |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
west wrote: Yes, the circuit pcb was small. The transformer, which took up most of the space made the amp unbalanced and front heavy. Remember, the 2 handles in the front were round cylinders. This was a high current amp. BTW: I'm not absolutely sure if the plain black front panel was a full 19 in. wide. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi The above is a link to the Citation 16, albeit with tiny images. They came in black and silver fronts, LED meters and no LED meters. Phase Linear did not make black-fronted units. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi Top Right shows a "black box" Dynaco 400, which came with handles as you describe, But that unit had a continuous vertical heat-sink and space for a fan, something you would not likely mistake. And the Hafler DH500 has a relatively small heat-sink as compared to the depth of the entire chassis. Adcom (and Bryston) as I remember put their heat-sinks along their sides and were pretty complicated inside (relative to the P/L or H/K). But, are you trying to find *that* amp or a very good power-amp in general? Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"Peter Wieck" wrote in message
ups.com... west wrote: Yes, the circuit pcb was small. The transformer, which took up most of the space made the amp unbalanced and front heavy. Remember, the 2 handles in the front were round cylinders. This was a high current amp. BTW: I'm not absolutely sure if the plain black front panel was a full 19 in. wide. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi The above is a link to the Citation 16, albeit with tiny images. They came in black and silver fronts, LED meters and no LED meters. Phase Linear did not make black-fronted units. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi Top Right shows a "black box" Dynaco 400, which came with handles as you describe, But that unit had a continuous vertical heat-sink and space for a fan, something you would not likely mistake. And the Hafler DH500 has a relatively small heat-sink as compared to the depth of the entire chassis. Adcom (and Bryston) as I remember put their heat-sinks along their sides and were pretty complicated inside (relative to the P/L or H/K). But, are you trying to find *that* amp or a very good power-amp in general? Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA Well Peter, the speakers I'm trying to optimize have a very low impedance and require lots of current (Infinity RS IIIB). They sound very satisfying with my tube amps during soft passages. The aforementioned amp would do the job but wouldn't be as musical or sweet. So I plan on separating the (2) 12 in. woofers that are in series from the mid & EMIT. In a nutshell, I want an amp just to drive my woofers (4 ohms total) with tight, well damped and delineated drive. Any other reasonably priced SS (gasp) amp you can think of? Thanks. west |
#10
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"Peter Wieck" wrote in message ups.com... west wrote: Yes, the circuit pcb was small. The transformer, which took up most of the space made the amp unbalanced and front heavy. Remember, the 2 handles in the front were round cylinders. This was a high current amp. BTW: I'm not absolutely sure if the plain black front panel was a full 19 in. wide. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi The above is a link to the Citation 16, albeit with tiny images. They came in black and silver fronts, LED meters and no LED meters. Phase Linear did not make black-fronted units. http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...-8&sa=N&tab=wi Top Right shows a "black box" Dynaco 400, which came with handles as you describe, But that unit had a continuous vertical heat-sink and space for a fan, something you would not likely mistake. And the Hafler DH500 has a relatively small heat-sink as compared to the depth of the entire chassis. Adcom (and Bryston) as I remember put their heat-sinks along their sides and were pretty complicated inside (relative to the P/L or H/K). But, are you trying to find *that* amp or a very good power-amp in general? Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA The handles were not like the Dynaco 400. They were thick cyliders that were braced in the center. The tops & bottoms did not bend back toward the panel. west |
#11
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
west wrote: Any other reasonably priced SS (gasp) amp you can think of? Thanks. Does it want to vintage, and what is 'reasonable'? The Dynaco 416 is a very high-powered amp stabile into a nominal 2-ohm load, as is the Citation 16. $400-$600 is about the going rate for either of them in good-to-excellent condition. The DH200, DH500, and a couple of others along similar lines come to mind. Both of those should be well under $400 with patience. I would avoid Phase-Linear and Crown products as *to me* they sound like glass in a blender. Of course, there are more than a few non-vintage amps that will do the trick nicely as well. There are others here more expert than I on current choices available, some at very good prices. Where are you? Are there any equipment dealers in your area that also deal in used equipment? If so, TRY to audition some options ahead of committing to any given choice. No apologies for SS necessary. I keep four tube amps and at this moment only five SS amps. They each have their place in the Choir. Peter Wieck Wyncote, PA |
#12
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"west" wrote in message
news:3ml4h.1955$9t4.315@trnddc03 Well Peter, the speakers I'm trying to optimize have a very low impedance and require lots of current (Infinity RS IIIB). They sound very satisfying with my tube amps during soft passages. The aforementioned amp would do the job but wouldn't be as musical or sweet. So I plan on separating the (2) 12 in. woofers that are in series from the mid & EMIT. In a nutshell, I want an amp just to drive my woofers (4 ohms total) with tight, well damped and delineated drive. Any other reasonably priced SS (gasp) amp you can think of? Thanks. If you're looking for resaonably-priced power amps that can handle tough speaker loads, pick from the many fine pro audio amps designed for driving 2 ohm loads. You then get to figure out whether you can put your subwoofer amp in a place where a cooling fan won't bother you, or whether you need to get a power amp that lacks a cooling fan. If you want something that is low priced and gutsy here's a pretty fair starting place: http://www.behringer.com/EP2500/index.cfm?lang=ENG |
#13
Posted to rec.audio.tubes
|
|||
|
|||
Quest for Old Amp
"Soundhaspriority" wrote in message
The cheapest way for you to get lots of tight bass is a bipolar amp. Obviously, a true believer in the myth that different output devices must sound different. Skip the Haflers, which I love; the old Dynas could be blown by your setup. More likely, they wouldn't be happy with the reactive load, and would sound like mush when pushed. The most effective way to get it is with a cheap professional amp. But avoid Behringer, because their quality control is terrible. While I'm not a big Behringer fan, I've got a number of pieces of Behringer electronics, and none failed in the first 10 years I owned it. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
XP-Driver for my Music Quest 8Port/SE | Pro Audio | |||
XP-Driver for my Music Quest 8Port/SE | Pro Audio | |||
2004 Nissan Quest "Dash" | Car Audio | |||
XM in Nissan Quest | Car Audio | |||
ISO Music Quest Frame Lock Manual | Pro Audio |