Suggestions for multichannel amps?
 

Greetings to The Lounge ~ As an old-school Mac fan, I hate to do it...but we simply don't have the funds required to go with an "MC" amplifier, so, for the first time, we're researching alternative amplification.

We've enjoyed our MC300 stereo amp coupled to our B&W 802Ns and our MAC4200-driven B&W 805Ns for many years, but the task at hand now is to set up an entertainment room. We want to start out with a simple 5.1 system, so we've been searching for a center to place between our 802Ns. As I write this, we have a line on a local center speaker that would check that box off of the list.

Amplification is another matter, however, which brings me to why I'm here. Considering that we essentially need to properly amplify a center and two rears, we've turned our attention to multichannel. At first, we assumed that we had to find a 3 x 300W amp to match our Mac MC300, but we've since been advised that this isn't necessarily true. In other words, we've been told that we can use a multichannel unit that is less powerful for our purposes.

Bearing in mind that we still wish to enjoy 2-channel stereo, what are some good examples of three (or more) channel amps that won't require a second on the house?

Thank you kindly for your time ~ Bill

Bill, NAD launched a multichannel amp with fantastic Eigentakt modules from Purifi.
I heard them, they are the next big thing in amplifier land, believe me.
Less expensive than their class A/B competitors, and better.

https://darko.audio/2020/08/nad-read...akt-amplifier/

Our impressions of the Eigentakt modules:

https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=47023

Read till the end where you will find a link to Doug Schneider's findings.

Thanks for the suggestion
 

Bart..... I recall your mentioning this in another thread that sort of "veered off" of its original path, so apologies for any extra typing. Considering the subject of the thread I just mentioned, I thought it would be a good idea to open things up by starting a separate discussion that deals exclusively with multichannel amplification. Regardless, your advice is most sincerely appreciated. :yes:

Quick question for Bart
 

Bart..... Is the "+12V Trigger" input on the rear panel of the NAD Masters M28 equivalent to the POWER CONTROL "IN" on our Mac MC300?

Bill in the Hills - I think you are getting some very good advice from James in the Bryston thread, though Bryston is comparable money to McIntosh.

Also, look at ATI Amplifier Technologies ('American Muscle') - a long-time well-established player in the multichannel market. Check my signature.

CLPetersen..... Although I'm a pert-time deep-southerner, it's good to get a post from someone in the vicinity. Yes, James has been very helpful, but finding some of the Bryston equipment hasn't been easy (or cheap), so your words are right on the money. I wasn't aware of ATI Tech, so I'll do a bit of digging there. Enjoy the beautiful day! :thumbsup:

M33 or M28?
 

Bart..... I'm a bit confused...the first link you kindly provided sent me to a write-up on the NAD M28 7-Channel amp. The second, which seems to deal with more than one subject, ends with Doug Schneider mentioning the NAD M33, which, apparently, is equipped with the Purifi Eigentakt circuitry you featured.

Don't get me wrong, the NAD M33 looks pretty interesting...but what is it exactly? Based on the photo of the rear panel, it looks like what one might call an integrated two-channel stereo amp? The text I read also suggested that it has a DAC on-board and that it's also expandable?

Please clue me in on what the M33 gives you and, in addition, what the M28 has on-board. We're moving from straight left-and-right stereo to a simple 5.1 setup. Although we're both open to new ideas, we were under the impression that separate components are the way to go. Nevertheless, we are often wrong, so please drag us into the future.

By the way, the NAD M33 is also described as a BluOS Streaming Amplifier. If you read our signature, you will see that we don't have high-speed internet available to us...so seeing the word "streaming" and the following words (on the NAD website) leaves me wondering: ...The M33 can be combined with other players in a BluOS ecosystem of wirelessly networked music players throughout the home for an outstanding whole-home audio system....

When I see anything resembling "wireless network," I immediately think about our lack of high-speed internet service; hence, the added confusion about the NAD M33.

Thank you kindly in advance for any clarification you might be willing to offer us...

Bill, I only added the comment of Doug Schneider to underline the quality of the amp modules, that we could hear on an extended listening session in the presence of Bruno Putzeys.
If Mr Schneider liked the Eigentakt amp modules from Purifi so much in a stereo setting (more than a pair of 40K mono blocks!), imagine what 7 modules can do in a 7-channel amp! And that is the M28.
All this for 5K...

The M33 is indeed an all-in-one stereo amp, with 2 Eigentakt amp modules.
I haven't heard the M28.
It has yet to be released, but if it is as good as the stereo amp we heard, multiplied by 3 ½, it will be a very, very tough competitor.
Add a good processor, and you have a fantastic system.
The money you save on the power amp, you can even invest in a better processor (Bryston for example), although the Marantz AV8005, and NAD's own processor, will nicely surprise you already.

Back to USB
 

Okay, Bart, I'm clear about why the Schneider link was added to your post now...So it seems to me that the NAD M28 should be on our list of potential multichannel amps.

As for pre-pros, I've started doing a bit of reading up on the 'NAD M17 V2 Surround Sound Preamp Processor,' but one thing came to mind as soon as I zoomed in on the rear panel view: the one and only USB port back there isn't identified as being USB 3.0/C. If you've read a couple of my other threads, you'll know that we have an Apple MacBook Pro that doesn't have the latest USB transfer technology and, more to the point, that this issue creates some "hindrances" in the path toward our goals. Any thoughts on this?

FYI, for anyone interested in the NAD M33. They are currently back-ordered till Q1 2021. That’s right, mostly due to parts delays and existing orders.