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Integrated amp recommendations

mmays

mmays

Active Member
I'm looking for recommendations for a Integrated amp.

I Currently use a Sony GX9 ES. The speakers im currently using are Polk monitor 10's.
I have it connected to my PC and mostly use my PC and tv as sources.

Im looking for something that sounds a little more rich.

Ive been looking at Rotel A11 Tribute and the Marantz PM6700. I have no way to audition them locally.
I would like to keep it 700ish or under. I'm just wondering should i be looking at older used gear to
get more band for my buck.
 
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I like Rotel integrated amps - but not the new tribute the display seems cheesy, personal taste. Something like a RA-06 used will give you more power and have essentially the same or better amp stages. Used Rotel integrateds can go for cheap if you know what you are looking for. Will they sound better than your Sony GX9? Maybe not but they will seem newer.
 
One question, have you rebuilt the crossovers on the Polks?

I picked up a pair of Monitor 10s about six months ago, they sounded pretty lifeless and constrained until I rebuilt the crossovers. Now they're fantastic.
 
Markoz said:
One question, have you rebuilt the crossovers on the Polks?

I picked up a pair of Monitor 10s about six months ago, they sounded pretty lifeless and constrained until I rebuilt the crossovers. Now they're fantastic.
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I actually have 2 pairs of the monitor 10. The ones that are on the GX9 sound fantastic. The other pair are on a older onkyo amp, they definately dont sound as good, but im not sure if its the difference in the quality of the amp or speakers. To answer your question I bought them about 5 years ago and i have never taken the drivers out to inspect the crossovers.
 
Maybe a play date with your gear to see which is causing the less than stellar sound. Try the other amp with a set of speakers. Or is it the room the system is in?
 
Have you tried swapping the speakers, to see if the 'not so good' sound is due to the speakers, or the amp?

I believe we are cross town neighbors (I'm 74006). If you'd like to lug your speakers over, I have 2 systems set up that we could hook them up to. I'm using a Fosi V3 amp/P4 preamp (<$250 for both) for the TV system, and a China clone tube pre, and a Forte 3 amp for the music system.

The Fosi system sounds surprisingly good, especially for the cost. Here's some reviews of the V3. Review of Fosi Audio V3 Stereo Amplifier

Shoot me a DM if interested.

Rick
 
rickb119 said:
I believe we are cross town neighbors (I'm 74006). If you'd like to lug your speakers over,
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Good way to get an audio club going. Invite some more folks and try different gear as appropriate for the venue as some might want to host but not have swapping in different gear ability.

We have listened to a nice variety of gear hear and at @Aerobat’s who said he’d bring anything over here because I probably have the wires needed to hook it up. Always a good listen when gadget73 brings over his latest tube project.
 
Please describe your source music. What are you playing on your PC and TV. Your Sony and speakers are fine. I would consider what I am feeding them.
What is your music software? What is the resolution of the files you are playing? How are you connecting the PC and TV to the amp?

I am not sure you need a new amp. Maybe you can improve the source to give it warmth. For instance a DAC might help. Of course Having more than one of anything around here is OK.
 
Synergy between an amplifier and speakers is a real thing. The trick is finding a combo that works well together. Using Polk Monitor 10's the bigger the amp the better though. Even though they're rated at 91db, I've found lower powered amps do struggle to push them properly. Ive connected various amps I own to the 10's and anything under around 50wpc didn't sound as good as my bigger amps even at lower volumes. Maybe it had something to do with the dampening factor with the amps I tried?, I don't really know.
To the OP, are both of your Monitor 10's the same? Is one or both speaker pairs fused, or do they have poly switches in the crossovers? Do both pairs have the clear mylar SL-2000 dome tweeters, or does one or both pair have the Peerless tweeters with the small hole in the middle?
I have two pairs of Monitor 10's myself. Both pairs had the poly switches(thermistors) to protect the tweeters, both had the SL-2000 tweeters when I got them. One pair is looking of ratty and beat up. So they're in my garage system. The other pair I replaced the SL-2000 tweeters with RDO-194 tweeters. The RDO's are smoother sounding.
I also rebuilt the crossovers with polypropylene film caps and precision wire wound resistors. I also replaced the poly switches with .5 ohm precision wire wound resistors. The poly switches drift in value over time changing the point when they go open and protect the tweeter.
 

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mmays said:
I actually have 2 pairs of the monitor 10. The ones that are on the GX9 sound fantastic. The other pair are on a older onkyo amp, they definately dont sound as good, but im not sure if its the difference in the quality of the amp or speakers. To answer your question I bought them about 5 years ago and i have never taken the drivers out to inspect the crossovers.
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Nice! I have a set of 7's I bought used around 1990, and just added the 10's last fall.

No need to pull drivers to inspect the crossovers, they're attached to the back of the terminal cup.

If yours still have the original capacitors, rebuilding can be done inexpensively, and is likely going to give you an immediate audible improvement.

You will want to have a big soldering gun like you get at the hardware store to do the work, as the traces on the crossover board are massive. I have an inexpensive Weller gun that made short work of it.

My modifications are very similar to what @Lavane showed above.
10b-crossover.jpg polk-10b.jpg
 
mmays said:
I'm looking for recommendations for a Integrated amp.
Click to expand...
You might want to consider a pair of Fosi V3 Mono amps along with their ZP3 or P4 pre-amps. I switched from vintage gear to a pair of Fosi ZA3s used as a dual mono amp setup and their ZD3 DAC driving JBL L5 speakers with specs of 90db, 6 ohm, four way design that are rated from 35-350 watts RMS. This combination easily beat out good working NAD 7400/7100 Monitor Series receivers, and several other vintage components I have, for overall sound quality and it wasn't a hard decision to make. Many here at AK have done the same sidelining some very good vintage components for these new Fosi items. Especially, when it comes to Fosi's V3 Mono and ZA3 amps. These days, the newer amps based on the TI TPA3255 class D amp chips have become very capable performers and punch well above their price points. Don't let their small size fool you into thinking they can't deliver more than enough power and sound quality for your needs. The V3 Monos should easily drive your Polk speakers to high volume levels.

Also, I use a Windows PC as the source for nearly everything I consume which includes music, video, internet browsing, TV shows, etc. The ZD3 DAC I use has an HDMI ARC connection along with optical, coax, USB and Bluetooth. The combination of the ZA3 and ZD3 is so good that the only tone control I use is a Windows EQ program (Equalizer APO) for a slight bump in the bass at 31.5hz. Otherwise, the EQ curve is dead flat because the output from the ZD3 and ZA3s need nothing else to drive the L5 speakers.
 
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I appreciate all the advice. However to be clear the intent of my post was to recommendations buying an amp that would have a more rich sound than my GX9 reciever.
I am not disappointed with my Monitor 10's in the least bit. I am not disappointed with my system, I just want something better.
 
That's the trick, finding an integrated amp with an over all sound you like.
Even though specs can be the same or very close between several integrated amp brands, they can sound very different from each other due to list of reasons.
I'm a fan of the earlier SS Marantz seperates. I had collected and restored a lot of it up through '75. I've sold all but one SS Marantz integrated amp, power amp, and tuner though. I finely got tired of working on old SS equipment.
With your budget, maybe a much more modern used Marantz integrated amp than what I've had , or a NAD?
I switched to tubes around 2012 or so. I've built way more tube amps and preamps than I'll ever need. With tubes I found anything around 30 watts or more sounds great with my Monitor 10's. No matter the driver or power tube types I have in various amps and preamps. I dunno why, but It wasn't the same with SS for some reason. :dunno:
 
Markoz said:
Nice! I have a set of 7's I bought used around 1990, and just added the 10's last fall.

No need to pull drivers to inspect the crossovers, they're attached to the back of the terminal cup.

If yours still have the original capacitors, rebuilding can be done inexpensively, and is likely going to give you an immediate audible improvement.

You will want to have a big soldering gun like you get at the hardware store to do the work, as the traces on the crossover board are massive. I have an inexpensive Weller gun that made short work of it.

My modifications are very similar to what @Lavane showed above.
View attachment 3776722 View attachment 3776725
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I like my 7's with Peerless tweeters too. I've been meaning to swap my 10's out for the 7's. I do have to use my sub with with the 7's though. I don't have tone controls in my main system and in my living room the 7's can be a bit bass shy at lower volumes. They do sound really good though. At higher volumes I can turn the sub off. The 10's dig deep enough a sub just isn't needed.
 
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My older sister had a Kenwood (KA-5700?) that sounded awesome to my young ears. Dunno whatever happened to it but she didn't give it to me!

All that to say I think there's good value in 70's Kenwood separates and integrated amps. They didn't cut corners, and I think they're a little undervalued thanks to the spotty quality of some of their receivers.

Also vintage watts > modern watts.
 
If your going to buy a 70's or 80's piece, I would put at least half of your budget towards a recap, unless you confident to do it yourself.
Also don't trust eBay vendors claiming vintage gear is 'fully restored' this is often code for: I wiped the dust off it.

Don't get me wrong, some vintage gear is amazing, and can still get you a lot for your money, but not integrated amps, or receivers if you can't do the work yourself imo.
 
AudioAvarice said:
If your going to buy a 70's or 80's piece, I would put at least half of your budget towards a recap, unless you confident to do it yourself.
Also don't trust eBay vendors claiming vintage gear is 'fully restored' this is often code for: I wiped the dust off it.

Don't get me wrong, some vintage gear is amazing, and can still get you a lot for your money, but not integrated amps, or receivers if you can't do the work yourself imo.
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I always ask for pics with the top off. If they won't provide any, that means everything inside is original and/or dirty.
 
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