Secondhand amp

admin_exported

New member
Aug 10, 2019
2,556
4
0
Visit site
I'm looking to buy a secondhand amp to use for stereo use instead of my Denon AVR 1909. List of candidates so far includes Marantz PM6010 SE and KI versions and PM66 SE and KI versions, along with Arcam 7 and 8's. I'll be listening to rock, orchestral rock and metal from a Marantz CD63se. Will these be suitable amps and give me a noticeable improvement over the 1909 or should I be looking at something better. I have a budget of upto £150.

Thanks for any advice.

Nick
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
matthewpiano:I'd add the Pioneer A400 to that list.

Ah yes, I forgot about that one. Add that one to the list too.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
i would also recommend the Pioneer A400 - i own two, a standard A400 and the A400GTE both are excellent amps. I used to own an Arcam Alpha 8 but found the standard A400 superior in every respect.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have a pioneer A400 .... paid £70 for mine off ebay ....mint condition.... does the job and happy for the price paid .... dont think I could have done better for the price
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
to put it in some context, the a400GTE i bought off ebay for £85 held its own in a demo against current amps costing £750 - £900 (Arcam A28, Cyrus 8vs2, Naim Nait 5i and Roksan Kandy K2)!
Now that i have made quite a few mods to it (costing about £100), it blows away those amps and i would be happy to match it against any amp costing ~£1500 - £1750
 

Tesler

New member
Oct 2, 2007
38
0
0
Visit site
You can stick me on the list of advocating the Pioneer A400. Bought mine new in 1990 and the C63se a few years later.

Still HiFi heaven for me after all these years.
 

JoelSim

New member
Aug 24, 2007
767
1
0
Visit site
I bought an A400 in 1990 and it's still being used by my dad. A good amp, but not a patch on an Arcam A85 which you can pick up for £250 ish second hand.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Well I wasn't expecting quite a response like that for the A400. I'd heard it was good but didn't expect to have so many people recommend it. Would this be a noticeable step up from my Denon 1909? Has anyone any experience with the A400X which I've seen available?

Cheers
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
I'd give another vote for the A-400, even over the A85 JS suggests above.

The A-400/A-400X thing tends to divide opinion: some prefer the later X version, others feel it's a slightly watered-down sound compared to the classic original.

I think I'm in the latter camp...

The KI amps are also well worth a listen, especially if you can find a clean PM66KI.
 

bretty

New member
Jul 20, 2007
248
0
0
Visit site
The Marantz is a very good amp.

Also, I would add some of the early Technics amps, the class AA ones.

I heard the Marantz 10 months ago, when I was auditioning systems. I plumped for the Cyrus 2 eventually, but the Marantz was good.

I heard two of the Technics a few months ago and was really, really impressed with them. They go for peanuts, too. I'll try and find the models the I heard.

EDIT - The two models that I heard have sold, but the models were:

Technics SU-V470

and:

Technics SU-V460

I'm actually gutted that the dealers sold both, I wanted one for the bedroom set-up.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Andrew Everard:
I'd give another vote for the A-400, even over the A85 JS suggests above.

The A-400/A-400X thing tends to divide opinion: some prefer the later X version, others feel it's a slightly watered-down sound compared to the classic original.

I think I'm in the latter camp...

The KI amps are also well worth a listen, especially if you can find a clean PM66KI.

What would be a reasonable price to pay for an A400X Andrew? I was looking at one on a certain auction site but it's now up to £100 inc p&p. Maybe a little on the high side I feel.

I think I'll bide my time and do a bit more research and wait for the right one at the right price.

Thanks for your advice and if anyone else wants to throw a few more ideas into the ring then feel free.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
andrewknight:In the interest of variety I have to mention the Creek 4040s2, great sound and great price.

I nearly bought one of those years ago but went for a rotel pre/power combo instead. It's amazing the stuff you get rid of and then years later wish you hadn't. I got rid of an Audiolab 8000A and replaced it with one of the very first Denon AV receivers with just Dolby Digital for laserdiscs. How I wish I'd hung onto it.... and the Rotels too.
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
nibbo:What would be a reasonable price to pay for an A400X Andrew? I was looking at one on a certain auction site but it's now up to £100 inc p&p. Maybe a little on the high side I feel.

I don't I'd pay that much - I'd probably hold out for an A-400.

Mind you, for that kind of money I might get sorely tempted by something like this...

Leak-2000.jpg
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Andrew Everard:
nibbo:What would be a reasonable price to pay for an A400X Andrew? I was looking at one on a certain auction site but it's now up to £100 inc p&p. Maybe a little on the high side I feel.

I don't I'd pay that much - I'd probably hold out for an A-400.

Mind you, for that kind of money I might get sorely tempted by something like this...

Leak-2000.jpg


Pardon my ignorance but what on earth does this mean?

'It has outputs for two pairs of speakers and would power a pair of 2075's or sandwiches beautifully.'
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
2075s and Sandwiches are types of Leak speaker.

Here's a 2075...

leak2075.JPG


et voici un sandwich...

Sandwich600c.jpg


... so-called because the mid/bass cone used a polystyrene core between two layers of aluminium foil.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Andrew Everard:
2075s and Sandwiches are types of Leak speaker.

Here's a 2075...

leak2075.JPG


et voici un sandwich...

Sandwich600c.jpg


... so-called because the mid/bass cone used a polystyrene core between two layers of aluminium foil.

Hmmmm, can't see the misses allowing that lot in the living room some how.
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
nibbo:Hmmmm, can't see the misses allowing that lot in the living room some how.

Why, how many misses do you have? You don't have to convince all of them - a majority vote should swing it...
 

a91gti

New member
Jul 9, 2009
28
0
0
Visit site
Ah beautiful! I had a pair of Sandwiches years ago and they were fantastic. mind you my dad still has a pair hidden away (one day!) in mint condition. Oh and his system features the monster 3090's..
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Andrew Everard:
nibbo:Hmmmm, can't see the misses allowing that lot in the living room some how.

Why, how many misses do you have? You don't have to convince all of them - a majority vote should swing it...

Only the one...isn't that enough?!!!
 

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
Visit site
andrewknight:Ah beautiful! I had a pair of Sandwiches years ago .

If it was a quadrophonic system, it would have been a round of Sandwiches.

Don't worry, already got it...

1077-1-900.jpg
 

a91gti

New member
Jul 9, 2009
28
0
0
Visit site
Andrew Everard:

andrewknight:Ah beautiful! I had a pair of Sandwiches years ago .

If it was a quadrophonic system, it would have been a round of Sandwiches.

Don't worry, already got it...

1077-1-900.jpg


Oh Pooh!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Just getting back to my original post, how would the Arcam Alpha 7 or 8 compare to the A400 and Marantz KI's? I've heard they might not be too good with heavy rock.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts