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Pre + Power amps on $500 budget. Which?

wmgwizard said:
If you have efficient speakers and don't need a ton of power and don't want to take up a ton of space the Parasound Z series of components are tough to beat.

The Zamp is rated at 40wpc but is bridgable for 80w x 1. They are built well with a toroidal transformer, full size speaker connections and an IEC power cord. They can be bought used for around $150 or less.

The Zpre is also solidly built and as mentioned comes with a remote and headphone jack. $150 - $350 used/new.

Parasound also makes a Zphono preamp that matches the other Z series components.

You could build a solid system with 2 Zamps, a Zpre and Zphono within your budget if you shop smart.
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I have a new set of JBL Studio 530’s which I really like but they aren’t terribly efficient.
 
JBL website quotes 86db efficient.

If you are using them in a smaller room or office you would be ok at 40wpc unless you tend to listen at concert hall levels.
 
B&K...definitely look at these. I was always impressed with their separates. Others to consider in your price range would be Acurus, Aragon and Anthem. I found the Hafler and Adcom stuff mediocre. The best sounding to my ears was the 535 true dual mono amp with appropriate speakers. Money could be better spent in my opinion..
 
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Get a Xiang Sheng 728A tube preamp and never look back. I paired mine with Adcom GFA5500 and it was fantastic. Tube front end with the Adcoms is really good. I see the Xiang Shengs on Ebay for within your budget and some sell here on occasion as well in the $200's.
 
Drugolf said:
Get a Xiang Sheng 728A tube preamp and never look back. I paired mine with Adcom GFA5500 and it was fantastic. Tube front end with the Adcoms is really good. I see the Xiang Shengs on Ebay for within your budget and some sell here on occasion as well in the $200's.
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Been reading reviews on this that are literally all over the map. That is typically an end gamer for me as I like consistency.

For the $, I’m thinking the C2 is a safe bet.
 
Kenwood Basic C2? You are searching for one to match what? An Adcom? I wouldn't. Keep looking, there's much better out there for the same cash.
 
I already mentioned B&K, Aragon, Acurus and Anthem. All much better choices in my experience for the $500 budget. B&K ST-202 and B&K 140-M monos are fantastic for the money. I really like the Acurus A200 and A150 power amplifiers as well. Acurus RL-11 or L10 preamps were nice too but I couldn't find a better value than the B&K Pro 10 or the Aragon 24K preamps. Build quality is quite amazing for the price you can find them at now. You might even get lucky and find a deal on a McCormack amp or preamp which is even a step higher in budget audio hierarchy. :^) I had the Micro Drive stuff and even it was tasty sounding for an entry level arrangement. Others to look for would be Bryston and Forte. You have to be patient but stuff will come out of the woodwork for a not so insane price. Just stay away from full used retail sites... I won't mention.. and stick to Craigslist and local ads where deals will be much less money.
 
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Actually B&K does make some really nice stuff. Both preamps and power amps. I was looking at some before I came to my senses and realized I just didn't need it. But it would have been nice. Looks great as well.
 
B&K PRO-5 is a very nice preamplifier that looks absolutely beautiful. If you can find one for the right price. Put that with a B&K ST-140 and you have a really nice system.
 
Leaning hard towards the Hafler DH-101 as a starting point to pair with an Adcom GFA-545II.
 
You've gotten a lot of good recommendations. But it's all stuff we like. You should get what you like. Look at what your needs are, both now and in the near future. From your budget, it sounds as if you are under similar economic constraints as I am. I have to make wise purchases, based on my needs, not my wants. Thus, my pre-amp choice was driven by the need for a good phono stage. If you can get by without one, your options expand considerably. Conversely, if vinyl capability is a requirement, your options shrink considerably, unless you go with a stand-alone phono-pre. Get what YOU want, but choose wisely.
 
34dean said:
Looking to add a Pre and power to the collection. I’m looking at an Adcom GFA545 for $150. That would give me $350 for a preamp.

What would you be focused on?
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It's about the phono stage ... unless you're not using vinyl. In which case a passive pre is likely the best sounding option for the money.
You can pick up an excellent new passive for about $100 ..
If it's for vinyl then go used, and look for preamps whose phono stages have a truly good reputation .. do some research on the phono stage.. they are definitely not all created equal.
There are a lot of adequate phono stages but there a few truly excellent preamps for the same money.
It's totally worth looking around a bit to figure out which ones that they are ..
 
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