Amp for my New Large Advents....help needed.

[Guest JormaTuna]

Im not very stereo savy, so I need some help.

Im sure my New Large Advents with walnut cabs wont translate well to the modern world. I want to buy a new 2 channel amp but I dont want to buy new speakers, I really like the NLA's.

2 ideas was a NAD C315bee (2x40) or a tube Jolida JD102 (2x20 tube wattage). My price range is about 5 hundred dollars.

Are either of these amps going to sound right with my old speakers?

Am I risking damage of my old speakers, wpc concerns? What the max WPC should I buy for an amp?

Or am I restricted to mid 70's SS of the same vintage as the speakers? (currently running 2 Marantz 22 hundred series receivers)

Im a casual listener, in my small den. I just want a solid nice sounding amp that I dont have to worry about recapping or otherwise tinkering around with the cover off. I have shakey hands and am not very good with a soldering iron. My plan is to get a reliable amp for my Den and then retire one of the old Marantz to the kitchen (with a pair of Advent/3 i have) to use to listen to the ballgame on.

Thanks for any help!

[Guest William T. Quick]

Im sure my New Large Advents with walnut cabs wont translate well to the modern world.

Why would you say that? They'll work wonderfully with modern stuff.

Are either of these amps going to sound right with my old speakers?

Depends on what you mean by "right." But they'll sound good, assuming your speakers are in good shape.

Am I risking damage of my old speakers, wpc concerns? What the max WPC should I buy for an amp?

Not at all. I used to run two pairs of Original Large Advents, stacked, with a 100 wpc (8 ohm) Pioneer SX-1010. Now I use either a Sherwood S-8000 IV tube receiver from the middle sixties, or a MAC 1900 receiver from the mid-seventies. I'll match either system against anything, tube or ss, you can by for $500 today. Which raises the question, why not look into vintage audio? If you're careful, you can get a lot more bang for your $500 doing that, then buying new and modern.

Or am I restricted to mid 70's SS of the same vintage as the speakers? (currently running 2 Marantz 22 hundred series receivers)

As I say, not at all.

Thanks for any help!

You're welcome. I think you can rest easy whichever way you go. Those Advents are superb speakers. They are a bit on the bright side, though. I usually set the tweet switch on "decrease" - or did when I still had a pair.

[jackfish]

I'm currently running two 200 wpc amplifiers into stacked double Advents. More power always helps with peak material. It is when an amp is driven hard without sufficient power (clipping) that speakers can be damaged. If you are concerned about speaker damage one can always fuse them, do a search here.

Either of the amps you cite would drive Advents nicely. Also consider the Cambridge Audio Azur 540A V2, Music Hall A25.2, Jolida JD1301A, and the Onkyo A-9555.

http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/907onk/