Looking for a 3 Channel Amp Recommendation

[IrienUK]

I picked up a PAM253 last weekend from Amazon UK. I intend to post a longer set of comments in the 3eAudio/PAM thread elswhere on the forums, but overall it works, and does what it says on the tin. I bought it to replace a 2-channel Behringer A800 (purchased based on ASR value-for-money recommendation) because I wanted to include the centre channel and have 12v trigger that worked (I bought a french thing for the A800 but it packed up after 18 months).

I am a bit cloth-eared - can't say as I notice much of a difference - had hoped for more, but it works. That's not intended as criticism, just that my receiver is a Yamaha A6A and I can't honestly say I'm hearing a difference with the centre on the PAM.

Compared to the Behringer my *totally subjective* comment is that the behringer give a bigger soundstage but since I haven't run receiver-calibration since changing, this could be affected by soooo many other factors. I also find the treble quite sharp/bright/borderline-shrill on the PAM when listening to things like the whistles at the start of MIke Oldfield's Return to Ommadawn, or the clocks at the beginning of Time (Pink Floyd). Both sounded a touch uncomfortable, although this is possibly by design.

For movies, TV and gaming I have found it to be fine, perhaps even excellent. Essentially no complaints. In fact, I'll probably go and put a movie on now

Otherwise, it does what I wanted, and was a darn sight cheaper than a BASX A3+ here in the UK. Also the ALSOZONE logo isn't backlit, thank goodness.

 

[dpippel]

Yeah either way works.
I was using some AIYMA ones for surround channels. You get shorter speaker cables, and potentially easier wiring dramas.
But yeah, I can see a 3 or 4 channel amp.

I sort of doubt that there is a lot of truth in this hypothesis:



Is there “breathing room”?
Sort of reminds me of the short film about Mark O’Brian.




How does the whole enchilada work and sound with the vinyl ?
It is almost always the case that speakers make much more of a difference than amps. (I have no idea what those Onix ones sound like.)
One review said that they were 6 ohms, so it is not that they are all that power hungry.

I’d say pocket that $1000 if it sounds good with 2 channel. Or focus on 2 channel, as the video sort of distracts one with the 5.1.4. For AV work another sub could make sense.

Appreciate the feedback. If I move my front soundstage speakers (two 6-ohm and one 4-ohm with efficiency ratings of 87dB and 88dB) off of the AVR to an external amp, then the receivers internal amp is no longer pushing those loads and is only providing power to my two surrounds and four front/rear presence speakers. More juice available for them if needed. That's what I meant by "breathing room." This of course would have no impact when listening to 2-channel, but for 5.1.4 home theater I think it would be advantageous. Also, new speakers are definitely not in my budget at present and I have no space for a second sub, so I'm working with what I've got in that regard.

Amazon delivered the PAM253 this morning, and I'm surprised at how light it is! Today or tomorrow I'll get it hooked up and do some listening, and I'll see what's what. I don't expect to hear a night and day difference, but an incremental improvement is likely I think. I'll post here once I've evaluated things, and I'll let you all know if I can live with that company logo or not.

 

[mns3dhm]

Howdy all. I'm planning on offloading amplification of my three front channels to an external unit to give my Yamaha RX-A8A AVR internal amp some breathing room for surround and presence speakers. My fronts consist of two Onix Rocket RS750s and an Onix Rocket RSC 200 (Bigfoot) center channel, which are fairly power hungry. I was considering the Emotiva BasX A3+ until I read Amir's review of the A7+, which has some issues that I'm sure would also be present in its smaller sibling.

So, I'm asking for recommendations from you all for a good, powerful 3 channel amp that won't break the bank. My budget is $1K but I'd rather spend less than that if possible. My home theater is a 5.1.4 setup that I use for watching movies and listening to vinyl. My initial research has found that 3 channel amps in my price range aren't all that common. What about the Outlaw 5000X? Should I consider it even though I'd not be using two of its five channels? Thanks in advance for any input.

I owned that amp when I had a 5 channel setup and it worked flawlessly. Its SINAD is not nearly as good as modern class D amps but it’s probably not audibly noticeable. It’s built like a tank and weighs 54 pounds so make sure your rack can support it. I’d also make sure there is adequate ventilation surrounding it as it runs hot when pushed.

 

[dpippel]

I owned that amp when I had a 5 channel setup and it worked flawlessly. Its SINAD is not nearly as good as modern class D amps but it’s probably not audibly noticeable. It’s built like a tank and weighs 54 pounds so make sure your rack can support it. I’d also make sure there is adequate ventilation surrounding it as it runs hot when pushed.

Thanks. I assume you're talking about the Outlaw?

 

[mns3dhm]

Take a look at the Buckeye Hypex NCx252MP 4-Channel amp. It doesn't look like much, but it is in your price range, is well-constructed, offers a spare channel, and measures very well.

Buckeye Amps

Buckeye Amps utilizes the most advanced audio amplifier technologies available. Authorized seller for Hypex and Purifi Class D amplifiers. Based in the US. Free shipping and worldwide service!

www.buckeyeamp.com

I agree this would be a good choice and I’d definitely consider it particularly if weight or heat dissipation are important considerations. Pretty sure Buckeye will custom build a 3 channel configuration for a reasonable price.

 

[mns3dhm]

Thanks. I assume you're talking about the Outlaw?

Yes. Audioholics reviewed it (with measurements) many years ago if you want to look at performance data. The short version is it did well on the test bench and they liked it.

 

[dpippel]

Yes. Audioholics reviewed it (with measurements) many years ago if you want to look at performance data. The short version is it did well on the test bench and they liked it.

Amir also reviewed and measured the 5000 (not the X) several years ago. Gave it pretty good marks and a recommendation:

Outlaw Model 5000 Multichannel Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Outlaw Model 5000 five channel home theater amplifier. It was kindly purchased by a member and drop shipped to me. Despite the number of channels and power of each, the Model 5000 costs only US $649 though shipping adds fair bit to it. The...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Chrispy]

Yeah either way works.
I was using some AIYMA ones for surround channels. You get shorter speaker cables, and potentially easier wiring dramas.
But yeah, I can see a 3 or 4 channel amp.

I sort of doubt that there is a lot of truth in this hypothesis:



Is there “breathing room”?
Sort of reminds me of the short film about Mark O’Brian.




How does the whole enchilada work and sound with the vinyl ?
It is almost always the case that speakers make much more of a difference than amps. (I have no idea what those Onix ones sound like.)
One review said that they were 6 ohms, so it is not that they are all that power hungry.

I’d say pocket that $1000 if it sounds good with 2 channel. Or focus on 2 channel, as the video sort of distracts one with the 5.1.4. For AV work another sub could make sense.

Why would shorter speaker cables matter particularly?

 

[Steve Dallas]

I agree this would be a good choice and I’d definitely consider it particularly if weight or heat dissipation are important considerations. Pretty sure Buckeye will custom build a 3 channel configuration for a reasonable price.

The NCoreX NCX252 modules Buckeye uses each include a power supply and stereo amp, so an odd number of channels is actually more expensive than an even number, e.g. 4 is less expensive than 3.

The 4 channel amp has two boards, each with a PS and 2 channels of amplification:

 

[Holmz]

Why would shorter speaker cables matter particularly?

Some amps can go into oscillation. And the more capacitance or inductance helps that to happen.
It is one or the other.

And particularly with the rear surrounds, there can be many meters between the front and the back.
Plus the speaker cables are more expensive than XRL cables in terms of the amount of copper.

I have never heard longer speaker cables sounding better than shorter ones.
I suppose that some 10 or 12ga cable might do things fine. But I’d rather use a 20’ XLR and 2’ speaker cable than a 2’ XLR and a 20’ speaker cable.

 

[Chrispy]

Some amps can go into oscillation. And the more capacitance or inductance helps that to happen.
It is one or the other.

And particularly with the rear surrounds, there can be many meters between the front and the back.
Plus the speaker cables are more expensive than XRL cables in terms of the amount of copper.

I have never heard longer speaker cables sounding better than shorter ones.
I suppose that some 10 or 12ga cable might do things fine. But I’d rather use a 20’ XLR and 2’ speaker cable than a 2’ XLR and a 20’ speaker cable.

Good grief you adjust cable length for ****** amps? Weird. You "hear" differences in cable length without regard to gauge/impedance, etc?

 

[Holmz]

Good grief you adjust cable length for ****** amps? Weird. You "hear" differences in cable length without regard to gauge/impedance, etc?

I am not sure what is catching your ire today, but it is pretty much a fact that a mono block amp can be placed anywhere, which includes being close to the speaker.

There is nothing weird about the impedance being something that has *”times length” in the equation.
So making length smaller is making the impedance smaller.
It is just a fact of physics… there is nothing weird about it.

But you do you and use what ever amps you want.
It does not generally make much of a difference… but shorted is always better… providing the cables reach.

 

[dpippel]

Update: After living with the ALSOZONE PAM253 for a week and mostly enjoying it, I felt that something was lacking. Punch perhaps? It definitely woke up my system compared to just using my Yamaha RX-A8A amp section for 5.1.4, but I still wasn't totally satisfied. My interest got drawn to Outlaw Audio's Model 2220 monoblock amp as an alternative. Granted, three of them worked out to be twice the cost of the 3eAudio piece and are a different topology, but everything I read seemed to check my boxes. So I ordered a trio.

I've never used monoblocks for amplification before, having always preferred the compactness of a multichannel design. The three 2220s, however, could easily be tucked out of sight in my media cabinet, and amir's review along with the subsequent comments on this old school beast drew me in. Man, I'm glad that happened. A stack of three is pretty bulky, but this amp REALLY delivers exactly what I was looking for. Punch and dynamics are positively great, and I love what I'm hearing AND feeling. Atmos tracks just kick. Two of my reference 4K titles are Top Gun: Maverick and Blade Runner 2049, and they sing now. I can feel the low end in my butt, and the improvements over my AVRs internal amp are significant. The PAM253 is going back and the triple stack of 2220s now has a permanent spot in my system. For the money I think they're phenomenally good.

Thanks to all of you for your input and recommendations!