Your Favorite Power Amplifier that you have ever owned or currently own and what makes it your favorite

[Gary_G]

Hard to sit a beer on top of those speakers.

NO ONE puts anything on top of those speakers!

 

[NiagaraPete]

NO ONE puts anything on top of those speakers!

You can’t sit a glass on my Genelec’s either.

 

[gene_stl]

I like this thread

I have three Pioneer Series Twenty M-22 Class A power amps. I have always loved that they measure like high end preamps, and they still do.
Similarly I have a Quad 405 and my new young friend who was doing some measuring for me said "I will have to get myself one of those" about the 405.
I also have a Spec 4 which has just continued to run and behave perfectly since the mid to late seventies.

I have been expanding my holdings for multi channel (7.2) expansion staying with multi amping. I have but haven't opninionated yet a variety of Crown AB amps and also several Hafler MosFet amps which I at least expect to enjoy.

If I won the lottery I would buy a HUGE stack of Benchmark AHB2 and might also hire Tom Christiansen to make me special multichannel amps to turn my collection of NS1000Ms active. I expect that will happen anyway but I will probably have to do the labor. I am also tempted by an Involve Audio six channel power amp that is only about $600. It is class D. It uses TI chips.

Just as people like music that was current when they were at a certain age in their mizzabul excuses for lives, I think people really like the amps that they had when they first really got their starreos sounding the way they hoped and expected them to. In addition to the above I have had a lot of different other ones. Dyna Mk III and Mk IVs. MacIntosh MC 40 MC 60 and MC 75. I liked those amps but got rid of them in the early seventies when KT88s became difficult to obtain. (Very ironic that I hated the GE 6550s which frequently got gassy and blew up, and now another of my young audio friends "likes" GE tubes for his tube stuff. I always looked for Genalex of england gold lion KT88mps) I also had an SAE mk IVB which seemed fairly blameless. and , and, and,..........

 

[rgpit]

Over the last 55 years I've owned so many. But the Benchmark AHB2 is unquestionably my favorite. I honestly can't think of a reason to make a change. If I ever need more power I'd get a second one and bridge them.

 

[Willem]

Of all the amps I've owned the one I still wish I had was the Quad 405 (but only with its companion 33 preamp). Because of its form factor. Smallish and compact, no-nonsense aesthetics. And Peter Walker, who is one of my audio heroes.

My first real amp was a Quad 33/303 combo, bought as a first year student in 1971. I still have it (just like the ELS57 speakers that I bought a few years later). In Europe this was just about the most transparent set you could have, and it still sounds very good.
The Quad 33 preamp is a beautifully clean design, and it has a few cleverly adjustable input options, but the push buttons were less than reliable, and it does not measure up to current standards. I replaced it by an RME ADI-2 DAC. The 303 was replaced by a refurbished Quad 606-2 for more power to drive my new and less efficient Quad 2805 speakers in a large room. For my desktop system I bought a refurbished Quad 405-2, used with an ODAC and a passive volume control. The Q 405-2 is beautifully small indeed for this much power.

 

[EJ3]

Easy for me, AHB2. Compact, light, quiet as a mouse, clipping lights, bank vault built in safety systems, speakon connectors, superb customer service and reliability record, great resale value. Pricey if you need to go mono but for me it's the last amp I need to buy.
and almost forgot, external gain settings.

External gain settings: a feature that the NAD 2100 has that the 2200 did not. I found them to be a conundrum, as I had specked my equipment for what the max gain would be.
But now, many years later, I see a use for it.

 

[Nigel Pickmere]

My Powersoft 2404 + DSP & Armonia software 4 x 600W with control of crossover, EQ , current limiting, tuning, delay all built in!!

 

[EJ3]

2nd in place is the NAD 2200, comparably small housing and 100W@8 Ohm but an insane amount of peak power (see the review here). I own two of them waiting for the output relay exchange. After that I'm inclined to sell at least one, maybe both since they just occupy space and collect dust.

This is the favorite that I have ever owned (and still do). One of the 6 that I own was the one reviewed here. 3 are waiting on the new year to start the process that was done (by Peter at Quirk Audio) to my 3 that are in current use (one for the left channel and one for the right channel [both running bridged mono] and one running stereo but 4 ohms {for the pair of custom modified by me subs}).
What makes it my favorite: Subjectively, I really like it
Objectively (I don't have much money in them) here is why (from here):

EDIT: adding Lab Input Measurements
Lab Input Measurements
I was surprised that the frequency response was not flat but was relieved to see later in the thread that this is due to insertion of low and high pass filters. So here is the frequency response with Lab input that doesn't have such a filter:

Response now (in green) as it should be, ruler flat to below 10 Hz, and well extending past the 40 kHz limit of this measurement.

I figured the filters may be adding some noise/distortion so re-ran the dashboard again:

Distortion doesn't change but if you look at the noise floor at 20 Hz, it is down by some 10 dB. That improves SINAD a couple of dBs, making the amplifier stand out even more!

And signal to noise ratio:

Conclusions
Nice to see innovation like this from equipment that is over 30 years old! Shame on manufacturers that produce amplifiers for much less power, more distortion and higher prices these days. No, you don't get a fancy case here and sheet metal is strictly budget category. But you are not going to sit on the amp. The guts are where it matters and NAD 2200 delivers.

NOTE: the output relay on stock 2200 gets corroded and fails over time. There are videos and DIY threads on how to upgrade the relay there to fix the problem. The unit tested here has that fix. Other than that, there are not reports of many other reliability issues even though NAD products are often said to be less reliable than other brands.

Overall, I am happy to recommend the NAD 2200. I almost gave it the highest honors but given the upgraded nature of the test unit, and the fact that used amps may have issues, I avoided that. But you could have easily pushed me to give it the golfing panther.

I am editing this because I forgot to mention DISTORTION and POWER:
It is power measurements where the magic of this amplifier comes to life so let's look at that with 4 ohm load first:

We can see a kink in distortion when we hit 200 watts as the unit sails past that to produce whopping 337 watts per channel, both driven! Per design characteristics, you can have much more during momentary peaks:

Wow, we have one kilowatt of power coming out of this amp in short duration

 

[NiagaraPete]

This is the favorite that I have ever owned (and still do). One of the 6 that I own was the one reviewed here. 3 are waiting on the new year to start the process that was done (by Peter at Quirk Audio) to my 3 that are in current use (one for the left channel and one for the right channel [both running bridged mono] and one running stereo but 4 ohms {for the pair of custom modified by me subs}).
What makes it my favorite: Subjectively, I really like it
Objectively (I don't have much money in them) here is why (from here):

EDIT: adding Lab Input Measurements
Lab Input Measurements
I was surprised that the frequency response was not flat but was relieved to see later in the thread that this is due to insertion of low and high pass filters. So here is the frequency response with Lab input that doesn't have such a filter:

Response now (in green) as it should be, ruler flat to below 10 Hz, and well extending past the 40 kHz limit of this measurement.

I figured the filters may be adding some noise/distortion so re-ran the dashboard again:

Distortion doesn't change but if you look at the noise floor at 20 Hz, it is down by some 10 dB. That improves SINAD a couple of dBs, making the amplifier stand out even more!

And signal to noise ratio:

Conclusions
Nice to see innovation like this from equipment that is over 30 years old! Shame on manufacturers that produce amplifiers for much less power, more distortion and higher prices these days. No, you don't get a fancy case here and sheet metal is strictly budget category. But you are not going to sit on the amp. The guts are where it matters and NAD 2200 delivers.

NOTE: the output relay on stock 2200 gets corroded and fails over time. There are videos and DIY threads on how to upgrade the relay there to fix the problem. The unit tested here has that fix. Other than that, there are not reports of many other reliability issues even though NAD products are often said to be less reliable than other brands.

Overall, I am happy to recommend the NAD 2200. I almost gave it the highest honors but given the upgraded nature of the test unit, and the fact that used amps may have issues, I avoided that. But you could have easily pushed me to give it the golfing panther.

NAD design was always pretty top end. But build quality and lifespan has always been questionable.

 

[EJ3]

I have quite a few power amplifiers, but my favourites are the pair of Sony TAN77es (I actually have three- one as a 'spare'). They are always around and most often connected. When I want to up the stakes, each one of the pair can run as a single 600w@8R/~1kW@4R monoblock.

View attachment 222673

Shown with an SMSL class D toy amplifier for scale.
View attachment 222674

YES! to METERS!

 

[EJ3]

NAD design was always pretty top end. But build quality and lifespan has always been questionable.

I have 2 NAD 2100's & 6 NAD 2200's. I don't use them as step stools or seats. None of mine have ever quit for any reason whatsoever. So I can't say what has happened to other peoples but I never had a quality issue (all of mine where built in Japan). I have heard that ones built in other countries had problems but I don't know for sure.

 

[restorer-john]

I have 2 NAD 2100's & 6 NAD 2200's

4 pairs of NADs. Impressive.

 

[EJ3]

4 pairs of NADs. Impressive.

Three of the NAD 2200's are in current use (as described in post #108). 2 of the other NAD 2200's are waiting to get their turn with Peter Williams at Quirk Audio and the third 2200 that is also at Quirk Audio will likely be sold. The two 2100's are running bridged mono from the pre-out of my ADVENT 300 in a background music system in my mother's living room (a DUAL 1226 playing her native Austrian LP's). I never had any electrical malfunctions with any of my equipment as far as playing music was concerned. The ADVENT 300 FM section developed some minor station drift (still staying on the station but enough drift to get noise & not be centered in the stereo signal) as it warmed up. The temporary solution (for many years) was to adjust the Vernier dial a bit and you were dead on until the next time it warmed up. The drift issue was fixed a long time ago and an FM alignment done. I have no further problems to report with any of my gear (now or then [I have been heavily involved with stereo gear since 1975]).

 

[anmpr1]

The Quad 33 preamp is a beautifully clean design, and it has a few cleverly adjustable input options, but the push buttons were less than reliable...

Yes. The 33 had the 'feel' of a table radio--buttons and such. But it's ergonomics were first rate, given its smallish form factor.

If there is something to be said for a microprocessor controlled touchscreen menu tree, I guess it is that buttons, switches, levers, and knobs won't ever go bad.

 

[TonyJZX]

I dont thnk *most* here gets the joke. In Australian vernacular, a paid of nads is a pair of testicles... a set of bollocks as the British would say???

I'm exactly sure if its the best I've ever had but I think I logged most hours on a Parasound 1206 THX.

70lb of Taiwanese iron. It currently resides in my garage.

 

[EJ3]

I dont *most* here gets the joke. In Australian vernacular, a paid of nads is a pair of testicles...

Also here in the Southern part of the US. Not far from here is a road named Nad Road. There are many of us who find that hilarious every time we have to pass it or go on it.

 

[Willem]

Yes. The 33 had the 'feel' of a table radio--buttons and such. But it's ergonomics were first rate, given its smallish form factor.

On top of that, it had a switched power outlet for the 303 power amp (and for their FM3 tuner). Therefore, you could locate the power amp out of sight, and only have the little preamp (plus the similarly small tuner) visible in the room. Esthetically, I prefer invisible electronics, and at the time this was as close to that as it got. The cases for the Q33 and the FM3 was even designed so you could flush mount it in a vertical panel of e.g a bookcase, leaving visible only the front panel of the units.