Your vote: Best looking amp in the whole world

[SiliGoose]

Thought these threads might be fun.

Sure performance matters but industrial design plays a role in our selection of equipment (probably a larger role than we'd like to admit).

Rules:

No limitations on what you can pick.
You must have a link to an image.
Only one vote per person.

Here's my choice. I've never heard one of these but I don't care...It's just a beaut to look at:



Theta Dreadnaught




-Sili

[Bob]

Has to be one of the expensive SET amps. May be stupid to spend $20,000-$50,000 to power up single driver, folded horn, speakers that squack at you like a shrill parrot but, they sure look good.
I must have a better looking system then I thought, so far I have the amps Sili likes and the speakers Cautery likes. Wait a minute, I'm the one that said that speaker quality is inverse to looks. Damn, gotta sell everything now and get something uglier.

[AndrewM]

Sorry couldn't find a better pic.

Krell Master Reference monoblock amp.
700lbs ea
$120,000 for the pair.
1000w @ 8 Ohms
2000w @ 4Ohms
4000w @ 2Ohms
8000w @ 1Ohm
16,000w @.5Ohm
Doubles power down .5Ohm.
Will probably make you the "Man of the Year" with your local power company.

Andrew

[Lex]

Let's go with a Mark Levinson # 33.



Slightly less than the Krell, I think, lol.

Lex

[AndrewM]

Let's go with a Mark Levinson # 33.

Slightly less than the Krell, I think, lol.

Lex

A bargain at around $30k for the pair....

But who could live with such wimpy amps, I mean they're only like 400lbs each and a measly lil 300w/channel.

They only use up a mere 840 watts of power sitting at idle (damn, wonder what the Krell uses....yikes).

Even more scary is my 5-channel B&K amp at home weighs a feathery 60-70lbs (and that's for 5-channels!).....or that a full 7 channel setup of the Levinson's would weigh more than my car...7 channels of MRS's would weigh more than the SUV that's in the garage.

Andrew

[JonMarsh]

There's beauty in what you here even after you turn down the lights and you can't see the understated elegance of it's industrial design...




...all the more attractive for being relatively affordable, considering the sonics give up little or nothing to it's big brother and most of the competition- including those picture above.

OTOH, 600 W instead of 150W of this kind of power would be pretty cool.... :B


We all have to have dreams, no?


-Jon




Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....

[Lex]

Well said Andrew. Wow, I wonder what that Krell really uses, or well, 7 of them for home theater done right, ROFL.

Lex

[Kevin P]

They only use up a mere 840 watts of power sitting at idle (damn, wonder what the Krell uses....yikes).

That must be the Space Heater feature built into the amp. We all know audiophiles loathe room noise caused by central heating systems, so you simply shut off your furnace, fire up the amp, and enjoy your music in blissful silence and warmth! :B

That Krell amp costs more than my house did, and that's for ONE channel!? What'd they use, gold bullion instead of silicon? 8O Imagine needing a dedicated 30 amp 220 volt circuit for each of your 7 channels plus sub! :E

KJP




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site

[AndrewM]

Well said Andrew. Wow, I wonder what that Krell really uses, or well, 7 of them for home theater done right, ROFL.

Lex

I dunno, but I envision the scene from Christmas Vacation when Clark throws on his mild exterior lighting treatment and causes roaming brown outs around the neighborhood, until the power station throws the emergency-extra power switch.

That Krell amp costs more than my house did, and that's for ONE channel!? What'd they use, gold bullion instead of silicon? Imagine needing a dedicated 30 amp 220 volt circuit for each of your 7 channels plus sub!

Well the price is for a pair (what a bargain!)....I'm gonna have to look around and see if I can find some specs on it, I'm dying to know how much current it draws.

Hmmm, the only thing I can find is a recommendation saying at least a 40 amp/220 volt circuit per amplifier, which is a little head scratching, because that's only 8800 watts...per amp. And it's supposed to be a class A amp, I wonder if they've under-rated the power requirements knowing that nobody is ever going to be able to use all the power.

Anyways, 8000W is the recommended amount of heat (well some of that get's made into power) for a good sized room (a quick search on the net found 22ft of electric baseboard that gave off 5500W), so a pair will make it REALLY cozy, and a HT with a little water will also make your theater double as a sauna!

Ohhh and as an added bonus, I think we pay around 7 cents per kilowatt/hour here.....

Andrew

[Lex]

Imagine needing a dedicated 30 amp 220 volt circuit for each of your 7 channels plus sub!

Stated alternately, imagine needing a small substation just for your house, lol.

Hell, it was stated right there in the owner's manual, must be within 500 yards of power station.

Lex

[jstwong]

Personally, from an aesthetic standpoint, I'm starting to really like the trend of tower orientated amps. I like Theta's Citadel for looks, as well as the tower amp from Halcro...

[SiliGoose]

Yea, I like the tower amps too but I'd be afraid of getting it confused with my silver computer. I envision myself mildly drunk trying to slam a CD-ROM into it.






-Sili

[Lex]

Damn! The CD burner is on the fritz again hon, the damn door won't even open, ROFLMAO. And what did you do with the monitor, you didn't sell it at that garage sell the other day, did ya? Good one Sili.

Jon, the Ayre is rather an aquired taste in looks. I do sort of like their stuff's look. But the Theta to me, is better looking. Honestly, the Theta is better looking than the Levinson by the photo, however, the #33 is rather stunning in person. Now, that 100K set of Krell's are just butt ugly really, just to dang big to be sexy. However, there is a certain Tim Taylor appeal! Grrrr, ur uh uh uh!

Lex

[SamS]

Andrew,

How did they even get that Krell amp on that stand?!

[Lex]

I'm not Andrew, but maybe they used a motor puller, lol. Or 4 strong men maybe.... What's the weight again?

Lex

[SiliGoose]

How did they even get that Krell amp on that stand?!

They built it right there on that spot.




-Sili

[LarryB]

Unfortunately I don't know how to link the image, but this is a real beauty:

http://www.hovlandcompany.com/

Larry

[P-Dub]

Larry:



Is this the one?




Paul

There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count, and those that can't.

[SiliGoose]

oooo! Perty blue lights!




-Sili

[LarryB]

Paul:

Thanks. One of these days/months/years I'm going to commit to memory the instructions for linking images.

Larry

[Lex]

According to some reading, the Hovland pre-amp, don't remember model is considered by some to be "the pre-amp" on the market today. At least this is what I heard from 1 person, and from Stereophile reports. (grain of salt)

Anyway, I bet their tube amps sure is good looking, what I see there, doesn't disappoint!

Lex

[Kevin P]

"Best looking amp in the whole world" - according to Heather, it's definitely NOT the Outlaw 750. After bringing a co-worker's home to try out now she won't let me buy separates.

Maybe I'll have to get one of those tower amps. If I install it in my computer room, she'll just think it's another server! :LOL:

Dang, 40A at 220V? The last electric dryer I had only needed a 30A circuit. Maybe my next house could use those amps as a combination audio system and furnace. Anyone ever hook up a hot water heater to an amp?

KJP




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site

[AndrewM]

Dang, 40A at 220V? The last electric dryer I had only needed a 30A circuit. Maybe my next house could use those amps as a combination audio system and furnace. Anyone ever hook up a hot water heater to an amp?

It would be interesting, I can hear it now;
Heather says: "Honey, I need to take a shower"
KevinP says: "Ok dear, I'll crank the stereo up another couple of notches so you can have more hot water"



Oh and the 40A/220V circuit is for each amp. I wonder what would happen when you called the electric company to tell them they need to upgrade the equipment on the street because you are getting big voltage dips. Or the look on the electrcians face when you tell him the main coming into your house is not quite enough. Or maybe your neighbors reaction when his lights dim when you are cranking the music up...hehehe

Andrew

[Kevin P]

Or maybe your neighbors reaction when his lights dim when you are cranking the music up...hehehe

Actually, the neighbors won't notice the voltage dips because their light bulbs would have imploded long before then! :LOL:




Official Computer Geek and Techno-Wiz Guru of HTGuide - Visit Tower of Power
My HT Site

[David Meek]

For me, the Halcro DM-58 and -68 series monoblocks:








David - HTGuide flunky
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