Stereo power amp up to £150

Uncle Petey

Uncle Petey

Uncle Petey

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I'm looking to ditch my dying integrated amp (JVC A-X1. Yeah, retro lolz :D) and feed my Xonar Essence ST directly to a power amp via RCA.

My speakers are Tannoy MX1's on Atacama stands. I've had them for about 11 years lol, but I still like them.

I'm not ruling out a decent stereo amp, but I kind of want to streamline the setup and have as little in the signal path as possible.
I don't mind going 2nd hand if necessary.

My musical tastes are pretty wide ranging. I could be smashing out The Prodigy one minute and chilling with orchestral the next.

Any suggestions?
 
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TBH, I think second-hand will be your only option for a Hi-Fi quality power amp under £150.

There are plenty of DJ/PA power amps for under £150, but they aren't as nice to listen to for Hi-Fi music. Comparing something like my Samson 4060 PA amp against my previous Rotels and my current Myriad Hi-Fi power amp is no contest. The Samson is outclassed in everything except raw power.

The idea of power amp is good, particularly if you want to simplify the signal chain. However, just using any power amp won't guarantee a performance equal to or better that a decent integrated Hi-Fi amp which is tuned for maximum sonic performance. Have a look at Hi-Fi amps without tone and balance controls as a starting point.

If you are looking for something that packs a punch then amps that can produce a big current swing should be high on your list. I had a Cyrus 1 back in the late 80's. That could deliver a 40amp current swing which is impressive for a 2x25W/ch amp. I had it partnered with a pair of the original Tannoy Mercury loudspeakers (89dB/W/M) and it wiped the floor with my mates 1000W Technics stack.

Time isn't kind to old amps though. Capacitors dry out and that takes some of the sparkle and punch from the sound. Recapping is an option. But it is expensive. The big caps can be as much as £20-£30 a piece, and you might have four of them inside an amp. You could be in danger of breaching your £150 budget.

As an alternative do consider something like the Onkyo A-9155. Despite having tone controls it is still an exceptional Hi-Fi amp for anyone looking for something under £200. It's pretty beefy too. Ample power to bang out the tunes when needed, and plenty of Hi-Fi subtlety to rival the direct-path power amp route that you're looking for.
 
Behringer A500. Just don't use the volume pots since there's a design issue with them. But as a pure power amp, cheap but punchy and otherwise pretty good.
 
Check out ebay for used Rotel power amps.
Top of the list would be the RB03, but the RB9xx models are great too. You should get any of them within your budget.
These amps are highly regarded in hifi circles, and have a good, punchy detailed sound which should compliment your Tannoys well!
 
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