Advice on which 2 channel amp to buy.

[Brion55]

I currently have a Toshiba SY-335 preamp, and a Toshiba SC-335 power amp I bought back in about 1978. They work great, but I would like to have more power. I've thought about buying a complete new system, but I love my Toshiba preamp. As I see it, I have 2 options. 1) buy a larger stereo power amplifier, say 100 -150 watts per channel to power my 3- way speakers. 2) Buy a stereo power amplifier and build an active crossover and use the new amp to power the two 12" woofers, and use my old SC-335 to power the mids and tweeters with a passive crossover for the tweeters. I haven't bought any amplifiers in at least 20 years, so I'm not sure what's out there.

[fpitas]

Depends on your price point. For sub $1000, a lot of people like the Emotiva amps. For $1000 - $2000, Parasound makes some nice ones. Above there you have Bryston, Krell, Pass Labs, First Watt etc. etc. One way to find more choices is to find an amp from the above brands that suits you, then Google reviews of it. People will discuss the competition.

BTW, I have a Parasound A21 powering my midbasses. Very nice amplifier. A First Watt J2 powers the horns, and it's even nicer; although at only 25W/ch it may not be what you need.

[fpitas]

Originally Posted by fpitas

Depends on your price point. For sub $1000, a lot of people like the Emotiva amps. For $1000 - $2000, Parasound makes some nice ones. Above there you have Bryston, Krell, Pass Labs, First Watt etc. etc. One way to find more choices is to find an amp from the above brands that suits you, then Google reviews of it. People will discuss the competition.

BTW, I have a Parasound A21 powering my midbasses. Very nice amplifier: it has the low-level detail you'd expect from a small amp, but with 250W/ch. A First Watt J2 powers the horns, and it's even nicer; although at only 25W/ch it may not be what you need.

Oops. Thought I was editing, but quoted instead.

[fpitas]

Since you're not getting much response here, you may want to try asking at the Modern Day Hi Fi sub-forum over at Audio Karma: Modern Day Hi Fi - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

[Brion55]

Okay, thanks. I may look for a vintage amp to go with my other gear.

[fpitas]

Originally Posted by Brion55

Okay, thanks. I may look for a vintage amp to go with my other gear.

OK, good luck. To my ears, solid state amps have improved a lot in the last 10 years; but I understand the appeal of vintage, especially if it matches the rest of your system.

[mikje]

Not knowing what your budget is or what "level" you're looking for, I'd suggest looking into 2 of these. Dayton Audio APA150 150W Power Amplifier 300-812
I believe there is a lot of info available on them and a lot of folks know them pretty well. Bridged, one is rated at 150 w/c RMS. Great value.
Mike

[Brion55]

Originally Posted by mikje

Not knowing what your budget is or what "level" you're looking for, I'd suggest looking into 2 of these. Dayton Audio APA150 150W Power Amplifier 300-812
I believe there is a lot of info available on them and a lot of folks know them pretty well. Bridged, one is rated at 150 w/c RMS. Great value.
Mike

That's pretty much what I'm looking for, and the price is very reasonable. I could use this to drive the woofers with an active crossover and use my existing amp for the mids and tweeters. Thanks!

[mikje]

Originally Posted by Brion55

That's pretty much what I'm looking for, and the price is very reasonable. I could use this to drive the woofers with an active crossover and use my existing amp for the mids and tweeters. Thanks!

I don't know how much business you've done with Parts Express, but their customer service is outstanding and their tech support is great too. PE has a tech talk forum that, if you're not a part of yet, you should look into. It's a great group of guys!
Mike

[Brion55]

Years ago, I ordered often from McGee Radio out of Kansas City. Remember them? When they went out of business, I ordered from MCM and a another supplier which I can't remember. It's been several years since I've ordered any audio gear or speakers, but I have ordered from Parts Express before, and probably will use them for this project. MCM seems to have gone downhill IMO.