Amplifier / Pre-Amp Setup for AR3s

[Wally]

If the 372 is the 100wpc NAD you should be very pleased.

Like I said in my previous post, I used a variety of amps with the low impedance AR's.. LST's and 58's which are 'newer' AR3a's. They all sounded very good and anyone would be satisfied with any of them.

However , the effect of the plain jane good old brute force DC300A's is that step that takes you from excellent to spectacular, at least in the bass end. The 300's don't sound mauch different than the others I mentioned with the AR2ax's, AR12's AR48's, Advents, Boston A100's. All the amps I mentioned sound very similar on the higher impedance...ie 8 ohm nominal... speakers.

I have some great old receivers like Pioneers, Marantz's and Sansui's etc. From 40-100 watts. Most of these sound excellent with the '8' ohm speakers and are satisfactory on the LST's and 58's at lower listening levels except as I noted on that very low bass that is best controlled by 'brute force' amps. The difference is subtle but apparent if that makes sense. Maybe this is the root of the 'all amps sound the same, no they don't' controversy.

Now.... preamps..... I made some observations in another forum but since pre's are mentioned here I'll make some comments tomorrow on my admittedly subjective trials.

[Guest Bret]

>However , the effect of the plain jane good old brute force DC300A's is that step that takes you from excellent to spectacular, at least in the bass end.<

Agreed. I know that people who have AR-9s and run them with receivers are happy with the way they sound. That's because they haven't tried a DC300A or an Adcom 555-II or 5500 or Threshold or ________(insert the name of any monster amplifier of your choice). Once you do that there is no way you can go back to a receiver.

I really used to like Kenwood gear (late 70s) and ran my 9s on a KR-9600 for a couple of years. Then I had it and a Pioneer SX-1980 and used it to power the 9s for a short time (it killed a tweeter, I was not at the helm).

I thought either the Pioneer or the Kenwood sounded good until I went to an ESS theater amplifier (300w/channel into 8ohms) and SAE preamp that I knew what the 9s would sound like. The Kenwood was sold, the Pioneer moved to the bedroom.

Then a buddy of mine brings this really huge Threshold amplifier from his pro-sound employer's place and we ran that a while (it was better). This this was so heavy that to get it too my second story apartment he took one set of handles and I took the other and we lifted it up one step at a time, setting it down on every step. . . and we were "prime-of-life early 20-somethings." It was like moving a refrigerator full of beer. It was worth it. The whole apartment building thought so. :-)

A really robust receiver is plenty for a pair of 3a's in my opinion (a big one, a really heavy, big one like either I mentioned or early Carvers) but it is not enough, in my opinion to get everything from a pair of AR-9s.

I would like to try one of the Sunfire "Ultimate Receiver" models bi-amping 9s. You'd think that would be enough. But I haven't tried it, so I can't say.

Bret

[Guest David in MA]

>If the 372 is the 100wpc NAD you should be very pleased.

It is rated at 2 x 150W Minimum Continuous Power into 4/8 ohms. The only problem is, it doesn't have a phono input. I'm thinking about investing in C162 preamp and C272 power amp. This will cost me around $1000. I thought about bidding on ebay for other power amp and preamp but I'm more weary ever since my last NAD receiver was DOA...

[ar_pro]

Another vote for the Adcom 555II, or a big Crown amplifier. The AR-9 needs *stable* power, power, power, and more power. The best match that I've heard has been with McIntosh, but I've also used a PS-400 and a 555II with excellent results - the sound quality is superb, and they are almost bullet-proof. In fact, if the amplifiers show no sign of physical abuse, they are probably the safest bet on ebay. There was a discussion awhile back, regarding bi-amping and the AR-9, and the Adcom 555II was held in pretty high regard by those who'd used it that way. A kilobuck will easily buy a big Adcom or Crown, and a competent preamp (the least of your worries, by the way).

[Guest David in MA]

I might be able to pick up a Pereaux Stereo amplifier, model 2150B from around $300. Is this a good buy?

Any comment will be much appreiciated.

Thanks.

[soundminded]

There is much very fine advice here. There are a large number of excellent amplifiers which can successfully drive inefficient AR speakers like AR3a to very high volume without distortion at very low frequencies. I'd bet the 85 wpc Pioneer SX-950 in mint condition which I picked up at a garage sale for $10 several years ago would do a fine job. The 60 wpc Mosfet 120 amp I built from a kit 12 years ago does a fine job driving my AR9s in a 4000 cubic foot room. One day by accident, I nearly broke every one of 28 window panes in that room with it. I must have hit a room resonance with an organ pedal tone. But if I were shopping for a reliable high powered amplifier, I'd take a hard look at the Crown CE-1000

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.c...r=245-430&DID=7

With 450 wpc into 4 ohms, and 560 wpc into 2 ohms, it should be able to easily meet the electrical requirements of anything an AR speaker is capable of. At $449 including shipping it looks to me like an excellent value too. The only problem I see is that it may not have unbalanced inputs.