New amplifier recommendations needed
 

I'm looking to replace the Arcam A80 and P80 that I'm using with my Mirage M7si speakers. I have the A80 driving the tweeters and midrange and the P80 is driving the woofers.

I've mostly been pleased with the sound signature and quality of the Arcams; but they never had enough power for the M7si. It's not that I want to listen loud; it has more to do with orchestral climaxes sounding a bit congested if I leave the volume up loud enough to plainly hear quiet passages. They also don't seem as revealing as I'd like of individual instruments in older rock albums. At times some sounds seem to be buried behind others; and I wouldn't know they were there if I hadn't heard them before. I guess some of this may be the fault of the speakers; but I'm not replacing them any time soon.

I'm rather reluctant in doing major upgrades in my system, not just because of the cost, but because there's nothing that irritates me about the sound I have right now. I just wish I could improve it a little and have some more power. Don't suggest a quirky or high maintence amp/preamp. I'd rather have a fairly good components that lean toward musicality than components that excel in only one or two areas and/or are artificially revealing (exaggerating detail or some tones).

My price point is close to $2500.
I took a few years saving up and planned on getting a Parasound Halo A21. This year when I was ready to buy it I thought I should first make sure it would fit in my cabinet. I quickly found out that I have no where to put an amp that is 20 inches deep and weighs 60lb.
I have some Schiit already and remembered they now have the Vidar power amp and Freya preamp. A Freya and 2 Vidars would save some money at just under $2200 with shipping. Just before I bought the Schiit, I stumbled on a revealing forum that showed some less than flattering things about a few Schiit products.
I continued my search by looking at the Vincent SP 331MK. It's case is a little smaller than the Halo A21 and it weighs a little less; but I still wished I could find something a bit smaller and lighter.
I was looking at Musical Fidelity when I discovered the PS Audio S300; and that's as far as I've gotten in my search.
Is there another amp or an integrated amp with at least 125 watts and is about $2500?
I'm close to going with PS Audio if no one knows of anything else.

You can find fairly new used Bryston 3B SST2 amps for about $2500.

Great sounding amps. built like a tank, 20 year warranty.

^^^

+1

:thumbsup:

+1. I also recommend Bryston.

Another one to consider is ATI, a California-based amplifier company. Good, classic A/B designs and now a line of Hypex N-core designs with linear input and power stages. Both companies put their money inside the chassis. ATI especially has a decent but very simple chassis design. So, if it is inside a cabinet, this might be a good option. ATI offers a 7 year transferrable warranty; Bryston of course has the legendary 20 year transferable warranty.

I own both Bryston and ATI.

I did think about looking for something used; but didn't know where to start. The Bryston 3B SST2 does look very good, but maybe a little heavy for my cabinet. Even if I still get a PS Audio, I may watch the used market for those; if not for me, then for a friend.

I had forgotten about ATI. I remember reading favorable things about them a few years ago. I guess it will take some digging to find reviews of the current stereo models. An initial search mostly showed home theater multi-channel reviews. It looks like they are basically described as capable, quality, musical amps. I guess I would be looking at the AT522NC since it's lighter than the AT1802 and doesn't require a non-standard power cord.

+1 more on the Bryston. I owned a 14B SST, which was superb; the SST2 line was said to be even smoother. Now I have a 4B3. So I'm definitely a fan, and I've paid money for them; I'm not just talking.

Reinforce the cabinet! :D

I can wholeheartedly recommend the new David Belles Aria integrated amplifier. At around $2,000 it's one of the best deals in audio right now.

Rogue Medusa

http://www.rogueaudio.com/Products_Medusa.htm

If you're considering Class D, you can get PS Audio M700 monos for $3000/pr and you might be able to take advantage of PS Audio's trade-in program to reduce the cost.

17” x 3” x 12” Chassis only. 13" deep including connectors.

https://www.psaudio.com/stellar-m700-mono-amplifier/

Without posting a specific link (against AA forum rules), I’d be interested in hearing what issues others are having with Schiit. I’ve been absolutely happy with all my purchases as have a lot of members here on AA.