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Which home theater amp and why?

PristineSound

PristineSound

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I will be building a home theater system soon, it will be a 7.2.4 system.

I would like the amp(s) to be as my final amp(s) as possible, which means I need it to be high performing, reliable and can stand the test of time of new surround formats to come in the next two decades or so. Hypex is not an option for various reasons that I rather not get into now.

Below are the options:
1) Monolith 33307 (11 channel) $2,500
The most convenient and fits my purpose exactly but may not be future surround format proof/friendly. It should have enough power for all of my speakers, especially LCR is 200w into 8 ohms.

2) 2x Monolith 14566 (7 channel) $3,880
The most flexible option, the most performant option, also the most expensive option.

3) 2x Outlaw 7000x (7 channel) $2,200
The most flexible and affordable option, but also likely the lowest performant amp of all 3 options.

Which option would you pick and why? What other options would you recommend (that is not Hypex)?
 
Last edited:
I don't understand your comment "and can stand the test of time of new surround formats to come in the next two decades or so". Power amplifiers don't care about surround formats. You just need to have enough amplifier channels to support a 7.2.4 system. Why wouldn't all of your options be "future surround format proof/friendly"?
 
Reliability of the three candidate amplifiers is unknown to me, but they're analog devices, and ought to be unaffected future digital audio formats. And if you're thinking about USA-based after-sale service and support, maybe, for a few years? But they'll be costly and inconvenient to ship anywhere, assuming that you keep the shipping containers.

But would I want big Class AB amplification? Nope! They're large, heavy, and they'll potentially increase the cost of any air conditioning you may be planning. Near the start of Colorado's extended hot spell, I fired up my little AVR for some movie-watching, but that was a mistake, as heat output from TV + AVR made the room miserably warm, and cooling it back down was no small feat.

If Hypex is a no-go, MiniDSP's ICEpower AMP-8 looks interesting.

My plan for increasing my system's number of Atmos-type surround channels in the future is to say "nope". I'm not an Atmos-disbeliever; I think it genuinely does enable more immersive sound which seems to float free of the speakers. But I remain skeptical of the value added by the additional overhead speakers.
 
Look into Anthem. I went with an MRX and love the thing. If you just want the amps, they have those as well. Their B stock and Black Friday deals can be crazy good deals.
 
JPA said:
I don't understand your comment "and can stand the test of time of new surround formats to come in the next two decades or so". Power amplifiers don't care about surround formats. You just need to have enough amplifier channels to support a 7.2.4 system. Why wouldn't all of your options be "future surround format proof/friendly"?
Click to expand...
Couple of decades ago, surround amps are typically 5 channels. A 5 channel amp is no longer adequate for today's surround formats.

You would need to get another amp.
 
JeffS7444 said:
Reliability of the three candidate amplifiers is unknown to me, but they're analog devices, and ought to be unaffected future digital audio formats. And if you're thinking about USA-based after-sale service and support, maybe, for a few years? But they'll be costly and inconvenient to ship anywhere, assuming that you keep the shipping containers.

But would I want big Class AB amplification? Nope! They're large, heavy, and they'll potentially increase the cost of any air conditioning you may be planning. Near the start of Colorado's extended hot spell, I fired up my little AVR for some movie-watching, but that was a mistake, as heat output from TV + AVR made the room miserably warm, and cooling it back down was no small feat.

If Hypex is a no-go, MiniDSP's ICEpower AMP-8 looks interesting.

My plan for increasing my system's number of Atmos-type surround channels in the future is to say "nope". I'm not an Atmos-disbeliever; I think it genuinely does enable more immersive sound which seems to float free of the speakers. But I remain skeptical of the value added by the additional overhead speakers.
Click to expand...
The Hypex are more money for equal channels. And the MP series have known reliability issues.

If I can get an Hypex NCx500 for the price of the monoprice, then decision would probably already have been made.

So, it's really a price issue I have.
 
PristineSound said:
The Hypex are more money for equal channels. And the MP series have known reliability issues.

If I can get an Hypex NCx500 for the price of the monoprice, then decision would probably already have been made.

So, it's really a price issue I have.
Click to expand...
Price aside, would it really need to be Hypex for all channels? L, C (especially) and R, I could see. But power-wise, the other channels are mostly loafing, and seem like an easy place cut costs with minimal impact on your audio experience. And IMO, even L and R are optional unless you also plan on doing lots of 2-channel listening through the system.
 
I'd generally call them multich amps except for the one with less power for surround channels, I guess that is more a home theater amp :). That's the one I wouldn't want particularly, tho would depend on what surrounds you use and how far from your lp etc. I prefer at least 200wpc into 8 ohms as a power amp starting point. The Monolith 14566 would be more my choice. I wouldn't even consider the Outlaw.
 
JeffS7444 said:
Price aside, would it really need to be Hypex for all channels? L, C (especially) and R, I could see. But power-wise, the other channels are mostly loafing, and seem like an easy place cut costs with minimal impact on your audio experience. And IMO, even L and R are optional unless you also plan on doing lots of 2-channel listening through the system.
Click to expand...
It doesn't need to be Hypex on any channels, which is even more of a reason why I say Hypex is not an option.

An 8 channel Hypex NCx has a starting price nearly equal to two Monolith 14566. Even the MP series have a starting price of $1,675 for an 8 channel and the MP series has reported reliability issues. And by virtue of saying no Hypex because of the cost, it extends to no Purifi.
 
JeffS7444 said:
Price aside, would it really need to be Hypex for all channels? L, C (especially) and R, I could see. But power-wise, the other channels are mostly loafing, and seem like an easy place cut costs with minimal impact on your audio experience. And IMO, even L and R are optional unless you also plan on doing lots of 2-channel listening through the system.
Click to expand...
And the AMP8 is $2200 for an 8 channel and that does not include tariffs.
 
Chrispy said:
I prefer at least 200wpc into 8 ohms as a power amp starting point.
Click to expand...
That is a lot of power for surround and height speakers. Of course, having too much is always better than no sure if you have enough.

I want to lean towards 2x Monolith 14566 but it's going to cost a pretty penny.
 
PristineSound said:
That is a lot of power for surround and height speakers. Of course, having too much is always better than no sure if you have enough.

I want to lean towards 2x Monolith 14566 but it's going to cost a pretty penny.
Click to expand...
Depends on a few things. I use mine for multich music as well as movies. Many surrounds are short on sensitivity and are placed at distances that can be problematic. I'd definitely rather have too much rather than not enough, tho. Monolith pricing is pretty good....ATI, the actual maker of that model, tends to be pricier. I'd still rather buy Hypex myself, tho.
 
Chrispy said:
Depends on a few things. I use mine for multich music as well as movies. Many surrounds are short on sensitivity and are placed at distances that can be problematic. I'd definitely rather have too much rather than not enough, tho. Monolith pricing is pretty good....ATI, the actual maker of that model, tends to be pricier. I'd still rather buy Hypex myself, tho.
Click to expand...
Some of the older model Outlaw was also made by ATI, their new models are not. Based on some testing done by Amir on the older Outlaw models, they don't seem to be all that.
 
PristineSound said:
Some of the older model Outlaw was also made by ATI, their new models are not. Based on some testing done by Amir on the older Outlaw models, they don't seem to be all that.
Click to expand...
Yes, some other models were made by ATI for Outlaw, but not the 5000/7000 series amps. Not sure what you're referring to on any models reviewed by Amir, got links?
 
PristineSound said:
I would like the amp(s) to be as my final amp(s) as possible, which means I need it to be high performing, reliable and can stand the test of time of new surround formats to come in the next two decades or so. Hypex is not an option for various reasons that I rather not get into now.
Click to expand...
Hard call, the very cheap price of the Outlaw scares me on that basis alone?
The Mono 7ch now showing a price of only $2,000 but shows unavailable?
Mono 11 at $2,500 looks to be a deal on A/B and is available.
I'm liking that one and it's Made in the USA to boot ! WooHoo.
I'll need to replace my Adcoms one day.v :(

JeffS7444 said:
But would I want big Class AB amplification? Nope!
Click to expand...
I would, if for no other reason than nostalgia, plus like me, it's Made in the USA ;)
 
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