Secondhand amp

[admin_exported]

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

 

[matthewpiano]

I'd add the Pioneer A400 to that list. Its an excellent match to the Marantz CD player and one of the best amps you could buy under £150. Plenty to choose from as well if you are patient.

 

[Anonymous]

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

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

 

[Anonymous]

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.

 

[Anonymous]

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

 

[Anonymous]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Anonymous]

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

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone else got any advice? Would be much appreciated.

 

[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.

 

[bretty]

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.

 

[a91gti]

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

 

[Anonymous]

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.

 

[Anonymous]

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]

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...

 

[Anonymous]

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...

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]

2075s and Sandwiches are types of Leak speaker.

Here's a 2075...

et voici un sandwich...

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

 

[Anonymous]

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

Here's a 2075...

et voici un sandwich...

... 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]

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]

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..

 

[Anonymous]

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]

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...

 

[a91gti]

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...

Oh Pooh!

 

[Anonymous]

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.