[frankmehta]

my esteem currently has a sony xm504z amplifier that powers the following through a 7950ub:
1. illusion audio electra el 6.1s upfront
2. ground zero mk2 titanium series 12" sub in a sealed enclosure in the boot.

i also have ground zero 6*9 coaxials on the rear shelf.
please suggest a nice amp in the range of 4-5k that will sound better than the sony.

ps: the amp in question (the sony 504) is in perfect condition, and plays the components nice and crisp! i just though of providing more power to the sub. if the increment in sound quality is just marginal, say 5-10%, then i do not want to go for an upgrade. also please do not suggest monoblocks as i dont like the bass too heavy..

i have 2 amps in mind: the jbl gt5-604 and the blau mk2 gta4. will i get a relative bump in terms of sq?????? no spl related suggestions plz. i get headaches with spl systems. i like classic rock and hindi music... i also like listening to fm radio sometimes

tbhp members have a tendency to increase budgets but im sorry, this time 4-5k is the upper limit. if there is something really good, i would love to buy it, but i wouldnt want to spend so much just for a small increase in sq.
thanx!!

[leadf00t]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

please suggest a nice amp in the range of 4-5k that will sound better than the sony.


i have 2 amps in mind: the jbl gt5-604 and the blau mk2 gta4. will i get a relative bump in terms of sq??????

I think the GT5-604 will be out of your budget if you dont want it to exceed it a bit beyond 5K.

the blau mk2 gta4 and kenwood 8401 will fit your budget perfectly. and will be big step in SQ as compared to sony.
For that matter any amp other than SONY would bump your SQ

Since your are running the GZ titanium MK2 in a sealed box it makes sense to pick an amp with more power when you are upgrading. I have heard the GT5-604 running in bridged mode runs out of breath.

EDIT : Remember to set aside some vitamin M for power and RCA cables to expect decent SQ.

[ramie2400]

If you can stretch then JBL GT0504 is the way to go good potential 4ch amp for running Comps + Subwoofer combo with great SQ.

[nura]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

please suggest a nice amp in the range of 4-5k that will sound better than the sony.

This is a tough ask. The closest that Google came was with these.
Panasonic CY-PA4003U 65W x 4 for Aus$ 230 or approx Rs 7K
JVC KS-AX4550 50W x 4 for US$ 150 or approx Rs 7.5K
No idea about availability or pricing in India.
Maybe Sam can shed some light on the Panasonic.

[adityamunshi]

if your budget is 5K, its gotta be the Kenwood KAC-8401. Nothing can beat it at this price.

EDIT : I'm also planning to buy an amp in this same price range, so if you ask around, do post prices and everything here.

[frankmehta]

thanx for all the opinions guys.
from what i can see, the kenwood has got some admirers. my only issue is that the sony already pushes out 50*2 for the compos and 120*1 for the gz mk2 sub. upgrading to a kenwood will up the power by a very small margin, say about 8-10 watts more per channel. it wont make a drastic difference in the output. ali(magma) suggested i get a good 2 channel amp that pushes put about 75*2 and use it totally for the sub. and the sony, he suggested that i bridge 2 channels each for the compo, so each compo will get about 50*2. is it possible? is it advisable?

[panky12345]

frank.. after having heard kenwood 8401 and gz, i'd suggest refrain buying kenwood and look out for something else. it will NOT play as you require.. best option is to listen BEFORE you purchase this.

[valhallen.282]

yes bridging it like that is possible as long as someone here can vouch that the amp will remain stable. getting an amp that is only for the sub will make sense. but don't go for the blau gt2 2-channel. it isn't too good.

[frankmehta]

*ok it does look like im straying from my first statement, but im thinking on the lines of a mono. maybe a jbl 3001. this will help in freeing 2 channels from the sony(for the gz 6*9s) and provide the adequate power required by the gz sub! whatsay?
*any idea what a 3001 and 3501 cost? any idea where i can get a 75.4(new) from somewhere???
*gta2mk4 is out because ive heard very ok stuff about them....

one more question: can my sub (gz twmk2 titanium) be wired in 2ohms????

[adityamunshi]

The gZ sub cannot be wired to 2 ohms. You need a Dual Voice Coil sub to do that.

Originally Posted by frankmehta

*ok it does look like im straying from my first statement, but im thinking on the lines of a mono. maybe a jbl 3001. this will help in freeing 2 channels from the sony(for the gz 6*9s) and provide the adequate power required by the gz sub! whatsay?
*any idea what a 3001 and 3501 cost? any idea where i can get a 75.4(new) from somewhere???
*gta2mk4 is out because ive heard very ok stuff about them....

one more question: can my sub (gz twmk2 titanium) be wired in 2ohms????

[frankmehta]

oh k. thats fine.
anyways, looking at the specs of the 3001, its not very impressive. 175w @ 4ohm is quite measly. id be better off with a blau gta2.. but then thats bad too!!! stuck again!
any idea about the prices of a 3501 and can i get a 75.4 somewhere???


any idea how pio monos sound?????

[nitrous]

JBL Mono 3501 costs Rs.8300 in gray.

[nura]

I think the GTO 3501 comes for about 13K (official). The Kenwood KAC-9104D, 500W x 1 at 4 Ohm, costs 14.5K (grey). The Bull Audio 2.500 used to sell for 13.4K (official) when I last checked a few months ago. It is a 2-channel amp, which puts out 400W x 1 at 4 Ohm, when bridged. The Pio PRS-D2100 (a full range D class 2-channel) produces 600W x 1 at 4 Ohm. I could not locate it when I was searching a while back but found its elder brother the PRS-D4100F in the Kolkata grey market for 14.5K. This is a full range D class 4-channel amp putting out 75W x 4 at 4 Ohm & 300W x 2 also at 4 Ohm. You could have a look at this if you can't find the JBL 75.4.
All the best.

[zucchero]

kenwood 8401 is good VFM.would recomend it.

[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by nura

I think the GTO 3501 comes for about 13K (official). The Kenwood KAC-9104D, 500W x 1 at 4 Ohm, costs 14.5K (grey). The Bull Audio 2.500 used to sell for 13.4K (official) when I last checked a few months ago. It is a 2-channel amp, which puts out 400W x 1 at 4 Ohm, when bridged. The Pio PRS-D2100 (a full range D class 2-channel) produces 600W x 1 at 4 Ohm. I could not locate it when I was searching a while back but found its elder brother the PRS-D4100F in the Kolkata grey market for 14.5K. This is a full range D class 4-channel amp putting out 75W x 4 at 4 Ohm & 300W x 2 also at 4 Ohm. You could have a look at this if you can't find the JBL 75.4.
All the best.

thats like 3 times my budget. lol! i dont have to run 2 subs, hence the monoblock need not supply 600 and 800 watts of power. how much of an improvement would the kenwood be over the sony???