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New member Username: MahalaleelCountry.br Post Number: 1 Registered: May-10 | Hi all, I'm a student on quite a tight budget and I'm currently trying to create as good an audio system as possible for as little money as possible. Yesterday I bought a pair of B&W DM-601 S2 speakers in perfect condition for 70 EUR. Today I met someone who owns some vintage amplifiers and wants to part with them. The amps are: [LIST] - Bell PA-2022 - € 60 - Denon PMA-360 - € 75 - Denon PMA-530 - € 140 - ISP SV-3000 - € 50 - NAD 3130 - € 100 - Rotel RX-402 + RD-12F deck - € 125 for both - Sansui AU-217 - € 80 - Tensai TA-20045 - € 55 I currently own a Kenwood KA-2050R. Would any of these amps be worth paying this kind of money for? I.e. would they be an upgrade to the KA-2050R? Thanks for your suggestions! |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 14883 Registered: May-04 | . You boxed yourself in when you bought the B&W's. They are a rather dificult load for most amplifiers and nothing on the list would be happy with them as a load. I wouldn't consider most of what's on that list. If you must, do the Rotel but, if you're unhappy, blame it on the speakers. IMO they are about the worst choice for someone on a budget. . |
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New member Username: MahalaleelCountry.br Post Number: 2 Registered: May-10 | Thanks for your reply. Could you elaborate a bit? Why are these speakers difficult to drive? And would you recommend another type of (vintage or new) amp to drive these? By the way, would I be better off buying a power amplifier such as the Quad 306? I do not have a preamp, but I use audio from my computer's soundcard so I guess I can just hook it up to the power amp? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 14886 Registered: May-04 | . Try reading through this thread; https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/628565.html for answers regarding your speakers' load difficulties. The Quad would be better able to drive the B&W's than any other amp you've listed. Whether you like the performance of the Quad as a sonic pair to the B&W's is another question. One that I cannot answer. . |
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New member Username: MahalaleelPost Number: 3 Registered: May-10 | Thanks again!! Considering the high price of the Quad I saw listed somewhere (250 EUR while you can get the "upgraded" version for 250 GBP) I'll just keep my eyes open for the next couple of weeks. You never know what you may come across on a garage sale or so. Any specific models I should look for? |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 15037 Registered: Dec-04 | Look for 4-ohm speaker lettering on the back panel. Never a guarantee, but thats a start. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 14888 Registered: May-04 | . No recommendations, most of what you've listed as brands will be subpar with the B&W's. The problem is there's too much out there in the used market to predict what you might find. HK is capable of driving the B&W's if you can find their products. Otherwise, the Rotel products are a common pairing with B&W and many like the sound. Unfortunately, your speakers are the limiting factor here. But only if you are expecting high volumes with bass heavy material. Low volumes with folk music will be fine. . |
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New member Username: MahalaleelPost Number: 4 Registered: May-10 | I ended up buying an Arcam Delta 90.2 from a seller who had used it with his B&W 601s in the past. To my ears, it sounds great, certainly much better than my previous amp! |