Budget amp for ML Ascent i's

I have used both the A500 and EP1500 (with adapters) on my long gone Maggie 1.6Qrs. They are both good amps but the A500 is a killer for the price.

Read this for another perspective:

http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=22&blogId=1

I recently bought some Aeon i's and I just might grab an A500 to drive them. The EP1500 fan is a problem and you can replace it with a quieter one but it is a bit of a hassle.

The only problem with the A500 is that I don't think it puts out quite as much as the specs indicate. Audio Critic measured 180 at 4 ohms which is a typical Logan load. If you are thinking of buying a second unit and bridging them, you cannot drive a bridged load of less than 8 ohms.

Please post your impressions of the A500.

leed said:

I really do appreciate all the advice.

The amp arrives on Wednesday. New speaker cables are hopefully coming for Xmas.

If anyone is in the bay area (California0 and wants to see/listen - I am in the Santa Cruz area. Happy for you to drop by. Just send me an email.

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I'm thinking Lee needs to host the next Bay Area listening party! yay!

Id buy a used Threshold 400A. 100wpc class-A and a great amp for use with electrostats of any kind.

Should be able to find a nice clean one for about 600 bucks...

Lee(d),
Did you end up getting one of the Behringer amps? if so, which one?

I have a pair of ML Sequel IIs that need more power and I too like the Behringer equipment that I've come across so far so I had been following this thread with some interest. What's your impression? Comparison to the Krell & to your HT receiver?

Thanks.

Jungle Jack said:

Hello,
I would also look for an HCA Series Parasound Amplifier. These really are great amps for the money and many times Martin Logan has used Parasound to drive their Speakers at Trade Shows.

The HCA-1000a might not be powerful enough, but the HCA-2200 would do nicely. Depending on your room size and listening levels, the 1000a might work as well.
Cheers,
ML

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Have to agree with JJ on this one. I replaced an emotiva amp with my Para HCA2205 and the difference was amazing. Great amp for the $ and less than $1k for 5 channels. I was a huge emo fan (still think for the $ they make a decent product) but after experiencing what some of the other high end producers can come out with I feel I let the Gennie out of the bottle.

edt. Wow this thread was from last year. Just noticed. Off for some mexican and margaritas for dinner...

Hello,
The difference between the HCA-2205 and the XPA-5 is huge. The HCA-2205 employs a 2 kVA Toroidal Transformer and 150,000uf of Capacitance and was designed by John Curl. In comparison, the XPA-5 uses a 1.2 kVA Toroidal Transformer and 60,000uf of Capacitance.

Thus, the Parasound uses an almost twice as powerful Transformer and almost 3 times the amount of Capacitance. In a sense, it should considering the 2205 retailed for 2500 Dollars whereas the XPA-5 retails for 799.

However, with used prices on the HCA-2205 being what they are, it really makes for a much more powerful alternative. Moreover, the current 4500 Dollar Halo A51 really is close in spec to the 2205 with a 2.2 kVA Toroidal Transformer and 164,000uf of Capacitance and was also designed by John Curl. The only functional difference being the A51 has XLR's.
Cheers,
JJ