Help! - Power Amp Upgrade

[DocSoul]

I currently have the Audiolab 8000P stereo power amp (100W per channel and a peak output of over 40 amps) hooked up to a Musical Fidelity F25 Pre Amp pushing through some Castle Acoustics Howard S2 speakers.

I really like my music tight, delivered fast and syncopated (I mainly listen to jazz funk / fusion). I want to considerably upgrade my Audiolab 8000P power amp.

I have listened to the Naim NAP 250 power amp (circa £3k) and it really sings. Is there anything else that I should seriously consider auditioning that can take the Naim on?

 

[CnoEvil]

You could look at MF M6 PRX.

 

[DocSoul]

Cool! Thanks for the tip CnoEvil. I'll definetley check it out.

 

[CnoEvil]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[toyota man]

Cool! Thanks for the tip CnoEvil. I'll definetley check it out.

Hi Doc Soul if the M6 power is anything like the M6i you will love it I changed my audiolab 8000a + 8000px bi amped for an M6i and I have not looked back I love the grip it has and you can listen even at low volume and it will still delight you

 

[DocSoul]

Excellent toyota man. I've already emailed Harrow Audio to set up a dem. Can't wait. Thanks for help 🙂

 

[CnoEvil]

You don't mess about!

EDIT. I came across this: http://hometheaterreview.com/musical-fidelity-m6-prx-power-amplifier-reviewed/

 

[ISAC69]

Ty to demo also cheaper than the Naim but very powerful :

ROTEL RB-1582 2X200W 8 into 8Ω

Audioab 8200MB 250W/Channel into 8Ω monobloks

 

[lindsayt]

DocSoul, would you like me to come to your next NAP250 demo with you? I can bring an interesting amp that cost me £150 that has a genuine chance of sounding better than the Naim.

 

[dsuciato]

If the Howard S2 bi-wired able, add another 8200P should work out great IMO for bi-amp. You won't be wasting nthe 8000P also less to spend, need only additional interconnect to hook-up the Ps.

 

[DocSoul]

Cool link. Thanks very much!

 

[DocSoul]

Thanks ISAC69, I did serioulsy consider the Audiolab's 8200 mono's. I think I'll give them a dem as well now. Thanks for the ROTEL tip as well 🙂

 

[DocSoul]

Really! Wow, what power amp would that be?

 

[DocSoul]

Thanks dsuciato that's a possibility for sure, although I've had my 8000P for a while now and was thinking of a change.

 

[bluedroog]

I’d have a look at Classe at the price point.

 

[Overdose]

I currently have the Audiolab 8000P stereo power amp (100W per channel and a peak output of over 40 amps) hooked up to a Musical Fidelity F25 Pre Amp pushing through some Castle Acoustics Howard S2 speakers.

I really like my music tight, delivered fast and syncopated (I mainly listen to jazz funk / fusion). I want to considerably upgrade my Audiolab 8000P power amp.

I have listened to the Naim NAP 250 power amp (circa £3k) and it really sings. Is there anything else that I should seriously consider auditioning that can take the Naim on?

Lindsayt has suggested an amp to match the £3k NAIM affair, a great solution if it works for you, but how about considering some different speakers?

£3K would surely get you a nice pair of speakers that would achieve what you want. I would have thought that a new amp would not return such large returns as a pair of speakers, unless the amp is stretched.

It would perhaps be best to first take up Lindsayts offer, perhaps in your own room, to demo your existing amp and the contender back to back. If the cheaper amp does the job, you will save a bunch of cash and or be able to get some new speakers to boot.

 

[Pete68]

The ATC P1 at £1800 would be well worth an audition. It gets a grip on just about any speakers and would come under your 3k budget.

 

[DocSoul]

Thanks Overdose. That's a good point. Something worth investigating before parting with my hard earned pennies!

 

[DocSoul]

Cool, thanks 12Designs. I'll check it out.

 

[davedotco]

Plenty of the usual suggestions but given that power amplifiers probably make the least difference in a system (unless badly mismatched) how about something completely off the wall.

For around the price of a Nap 250 you can get a pair of Harbeth Monitor 30.1 and a Crown XLS 2000 power amplifier.

The massive power capability of the amplifier will deliver quite astonishing dynamics with the 30.1, really something entirely different from what you are used to, and once heard rather difficult to get out of your head.

 

[pauln]

For around the price of a Nap 250 you can get a pair of Harbeth Monitor 30.1 and a Crown XLS 2000 power amplifier.

The massive power capability of the amplifier will deliver quite astonishing dynamics with the 30.1, really something entirely different from what you are used to, and once heard rather difficult to get out of your head.

Sorry but that can't possibly sound any good; it's not got a 20mm thick aluminium front. Where is the precision milled titanium volume knob and the mil spec japanese capacitors? Worst of all, it's sold in professional/studio equipment shops! It's just not HIFi! I think you've been spending too much time on the Harbeth User Group forum and got audiophilephobia.

 

[davedotco]

For around the price of a Nap 250 you can get a pair of Harbeth Monitor 30.1 and a Crown XLS 2000 power amplifier.

The massive power capability of the amplifier will deliver quite astonishing dynamics with the 30.1, really something entirely different from what you are used to, and once heard rather difficult to get out of your head.

Sorry but that can't possibly sound any good; it's not got a 20mm thick aluminium front. Where is the precision milled titanium volume knob and the mil spec japanese capacitors? Worst of all, it's sold in professional/studio equipment shops! It's just not HIFi! I think you've been spending too much time on the Harbeth User Group forum and got audiophilephobia.

I guess you must be right, the Crown amplifier has a class D power supply and probably does not produce the right kind of watts and weighs so little that it can be moved by a girl.

Anyway it is designed for professional use such as driving studio monitors so it can not be any good for hi-fi use, silly of me really.

There is such a thing as a Harbeth User Group? Is it like AA?

 

[lindsayt]

Really! Wow, what power amp would that be?

It's a Urei 6290.

I'd be interested to find out myself how the Urei compared to a Naim NAP 250 or 300 or 500. I'm contactable via PM on a number of other UK hi-fi forums under the same user name if you'd like to take me up on my offer.

Castle Howard S2's are decent speakers. Maybe you could find some other speakers you prefered to them for under £3k, maybe not.

 

[davedotco]

Really! Wow, what power amp would that be?

It's a Urei 6290.

I'd be interested to find out myself how the Urei compared to a Naim NAP 250 or 300 or 500. I'm contactable via PM on a number of other UK hi-fi forums under the same user name if you'd like to take me up on my offer.

Castle Howard S2's are decent speakers. Maybe you could find some other speakers you prefered to them for under £3k, maybe not.

Vintage pro amps, used to see them all the time in studios, driving 4300 series JBLs in the main. Not quite so common in the UK, the Crown/Amcron amplifiers were much more in evidence.

There was a time back in the late 70s when pro type amps were quite common in big systems, real high end hi-fi amps were just beginning to emerge on the UK market but they were still pretty rare.

Big Japanese ams ruled the uk market at tis time and despite some modern nostalgia most of them were really pretty poor, particularly on their phono input. These really opened the door to the new wave of UK manufacturers such as Naim, Creek, A&R Cambridge and the rest.

 

[Overdose]

The Urei 6290 is reputed to have a noisy two speed cooling fan. Apparently there is a fanless 6260 model.