Recommend me an amplifier

[lagokc]

The sticky cuts out before going into receivers and up to now all my speakers have been internally amplified so I have no experience with them. I'm looking for something that could take analog input from a turntable and power a pair of Klipsch RB-61 IIs. I don't really need more than 2 channels and care more about sound quality than features, under $200-300 would be nice.

Most of what it would be doing is playing vinyl - Rush, Yes, Genesis, The Who, King Crimson. I've heard it's better to get a slightly bright amplifier to balance out Klipsch speakers but I don't know what brands that would be.

 

[sdifox]

2 channel 300 dollar? shop around garage sale for old yamahas like 20+ year old

 

[Anubis]

a brand new UPA-200 is only 350
but your best bet is used

 

[lagokc]

So I take it 100w RPM/400w peak means I'm looking for something capable of at least 100w at 8 ohms? I could probably extend to $350 for those Emotivas.

 

[lagokc]

*RMS

 

[sdifox]

a brand new UPA-200 is only 350
but your best bet is used

He needs phono input too.

 

[lagokc]

He needs phono input too.

UPA-200 claims to have RCA connectors, turntable has RCA out. What else do I need?

 

[sdifox]

UPA-200 claims to have RCA connectors, turntable has RCA out. What else do I need?

Your turntable has phono stage built in? Good. Also, do you have a pre-amp, so you can control volume?

 

[lagokc]

Good point, I do not have a pre-amp. Didn't realize the UPA-200 has no volume control. What else do I need?

 

[NutBucket]

You said it yourself, you need a pre-amp. So why aren't you just buying a receiver? A $150 Onkyo would be more than adequate.

 

[Scotteq]

2 channel 300 dollar? shop around garage sale for old yamahas like 20+ year old

Goodwill Store.... Salvation Army Store

 

[alcoholbob]

Check out the Harman eBay store. link: http://stores.ebay.com/Harman-Audio

They have auctions at great deals, and some decent BIN pricing, and comes with 1 year factory warranty.

$299.99 is a pretty killer price for a refurbished 3490 stereo receiver

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harman-Kard...56?pt=US_Stereo_Receivers&hash=item23295a5654

Retails for $500.

 

[NutBucket]

2 channel 300 dollar? shop around garage sale for old yamahas like 20+ year old

Meh. If you're going to go vintage the 90's completely misses the mark. Mid 70's is where you want to aim for the good stuff. But, like old cars, they need some TLC to really sing.

 

[alcoholbob]

wouldn't something 20+ years old have failing/dead capacitors that need to be replaced?

 

[NutBucket]

I finished recapping a 70's Kenwood a few weeks ago. All the caps looked fine and measured fine on my meter. It was purely precautionary. Oil caps are the ones that tend to go and they're not common in solid state receivers/amps. I'll definitely be replacing all the caps in my Pioneer tube receiver. Rogue high voltage doesn't sound like fun to me.

 

[lagokc]

You said it yourself, you need a pre-amp. So why aren't you just buying a receiver? A $150 Onkyo would be more than adequate.

Would this be enough to drive those speakers at moderate volume even though it's only capable of 50w RMS per channel at 8 ohms?

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-8255B...Onkyo+receiver

Or would it be a safer bet to get something like this that claims 100w per channel?

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR515.../dp/B0077V88VI

I know Klipsch speakers are supposed to have very high efficiency and be happier with smaller amps than other brands but those speakers list power handling at 100w and I'd rather not damage a set of shiny new speakers.

 

[bgt]

Better buy a new small Class D/T amp. Always sounds better than the old school Class AB amps. You can find them at Ebay for cheap.

 

[Scotteq]

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR515.../dp/B0077V88VI

I know Klipsch speakers are supposed to have very high efficiency and be happier with smaller amps than other brands but those speakers list power handling at 100w and I'd rather not damage a set of shiny new speakers.

http://www.klipsch.com/rb-61-ii-bookshelf-speakers-pair


Your Klipsh's are rated at 95db @ 1w/meter. So math says the answer for 50w per channel, at a distance of 4 meters is 103 db (Plenty Loud: http://www.sengpielaudio.com/TableOfSoundPressureLevels.htm) If you're going to place them close to boundaries, you can gain another 3+ DB.

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-efficiency.htm


...and the 100 watts rating is how much power the speakers can handle - Using less won't hurt anything, just so long as you don't run the amp unto clipping.

Also - for every 3db increase in volume, it takes TWICE the amplifier power. You'll be fine with a good 50 watter.

 

[lagokc]

Thanks, just what I needed to know.