I like having monoblocks, but a nice stereo amp would be ok too.
Right now I’m mulling around the BHK250 (would love a set of BHK300s, but I just can’t spend that much) or a Parasound JC5 or possibly a tube amp.
I have Maggies, so they’re not sensitive, but still I want a dead silent amp.
Any suggestions that would be a tangible upgrade would be appreciated.
I don’t see how you could go wrong with Parasound. They and PSA are my favorite companies in audio.
Also, sure hearing a lot of raves about Hegel.
All three of the Parasound amps I’ve owned have been dead silent.
I think what you have now is better than what you think you want.
My M700’s are very quiet. I’ve done Class A/B to death and buying these PS Audio customized ICE Amps was intriguing (and I’m a skeptic). Then I turned them on 24/7 for a week and half. Sounds great to me. I’ve had them setup for a month now. Not sending them back.
Anymore input on M700 vs BHK 250? @Paul
Is it worth the upgrade? I’m driving Maggies? Maybe I’ll get a better bang for my buck elsewhere.
Dectet->DS Sr -> SGCD->M700->Maggie 1.7i
I too have been thinking of upgrading my M700’s Luckily, I trialed a P20 first and was blown away by the improvement in sound quality.
From this experience I have come to the conclusion that any amplifier would be trialed at home for at least 200 hours because I found that my critical listening time was only about 25 to 35% of those hours when I trailed other equipment.
I suggest you think about clean electricity first, even before expensive cables. I believe that the money that I have saved on very expensive cables has paid for the P20 (with about $800 for a dedicated 20 amp circuit.)
I am not trying to sell a P20 but to use my experience to suggest that you think about alternative improvements to your system.
Chas
M700s vs BHK 250 goes in the favor of the 250 in my opinion. More musicality and better textural detail to my ears.
Now with that said, your question on whether or not the upgrade is worth it is an interesting one.
Personally, I’d sooner encourage you to go for the BHK Preamp to pair with your M700s instead of changing out the amp.
Also as @1cdfoley pointed out, it’s also worth looking at a Power Plant. Something like the Stellar P3 would be up to the task of powering your system and would be a better performer than the Dectet.
Interesting, as I too questioned the M700s (before they settled in), then at 300-400hrs they really came into their own. After deliberation, added the BHK Pre and concurred the Pre was a huge upgrade in the chain, but still feeding power thru a Dectet like tensor9. Now, it’s obvious, clean power is the next step, but I recall the same question posed to Paul in another thread, "Is the P3 capable enough to handle the M700s ? I can’t quote him, I think he may have went up the food chain a step??
As you move up the food chain, performance gets better. Output impedance gets lower as you move up the chain, and you also get great energy storage and improved output stages.
So. Up the food chain is better, though the Stellar P3 is up to the task of powering everything.
Schroedster, thanks, great to know, and also reading another Power thread where P3 users confirm it’s capabilities in driving their M700s. Surges in my area are frequent, and my Dectet is maxed out but has been a steady protector. A P3 or P12 is my next step.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the P3 or P12 if you do try it out in your system!
Scott, Form factor is unfortunately part of my decision and the main reason I have not yet addressed the need for power regeneration. My system is visible and apparently I’ve been put on notice we’re at our limit for any additional “black boxes”, unless, one is eliminated. That said, the BHK Pre stealthily appeared in the rack replacing and old B&K amp. Now, much to my amazement, the BHK Pre has for several sessions now magically entranced my attractive significant other “home manager” with suspiciously excellent improvement in SQ even she is enjoying. Introducing a P15 would mean I lose my Theta Casablanca or another beloved, “black box”. Some here can empathize, i’m sure. So, my thoughts are to add a P3 or P12 to power source gear, DSD, BHK Pre, PWT, Sony Monitor, DVD, Laptop etc. and leave the M700s plugged into the HC outlets of the invisible Dectet with AC12s. I’m pretty sure I can configure a small form P3/P12 much easier than my preference, (P15) for amps.
Yeah, unfortunately the P15 is not very stealthy.
I’m glad to hear you and your SO have been enjoying the BHK Pre, though!
As far as solutions go, I think you’ve hit on the best option. A P3 or P12 is less space intensive and tends fly under the radar a bit better. Either would be up to the task of powering your source gear.
OK—“Darling, my little desert flower, my flower petal, my precious sweetheart, my stereo makes me calm and happy and makes me love you ever more.” “… and it keeps me outa pool halls where all the trouble makers are” “… and every time I listen to my glorious stereo, you look younger and more beeyooteeful”
No? Trust me. I see a P15 in your future.
RonP Perhaps I should have been more direct and less nuanced, being married to a modern Asian woman who sees anything but wireless as archaic outdated tech from the dinosaur era (her words) means no huge form factor gear in the living room. She streams Spotify from her Ipad to a pair of Actives. We had the home theater, it’s overkill, If all PS gear could be the size of the mighty Sprout, the spousal factor would be a non issue. I’ll be in line for a P3.
Big or many or different shaped boxes are a BIG “NO NO” in our home either. Stellar enclosures look great and sleek. Reading on any other forum, owners are generally very happy about the Stellar sound quality.
I hope PS Audio will choose to make Stellar sources, phono stage and memory player and hopefully add the “active” option to the upcoming Stellar speakers.
Sure the signature series will sound better, no doubt the materials and concepts are aimed at higher sound quality. But for which price? Buying everything having the same looks from the signature series, you are talking about deciding between a mayor extension to your home, a new car or many, many visits to live concerts or a new Stereo.
Then I question if noise and hiss, regardless how little, should be a natural part of US$ 6k -7k BHK amplifiers. See different threads on this forum. Or if you want to buy a set of tubes, for a couple of hundred US$ each year, forever wondering wether you bought the right ones.
The M700 don’t give you the headaches of justifying the cost, quarrels about space, noise and hiss or tube properties or quality. I like good sound, but prefer it easy and good looking for a healthy balanced budget. The Stellar Gain Cell DAC perfectly matches the M700’s. Same, no fuzz with tubes, still good sound and even better looks than different boxes in the rack.
Count your blessings.
You hit the nail right on the head Rudolf. As much as I yearn for the BHK’s, my financial reality at this time says NO !. But what I like about all the PS Audio Chassis is that they don’t draw attention to themselves. a’ la McIntosh (the hot rodding analogy “Chrome don’t getcha home” comes to mind).