What amplifers are you using with your Altec gear?

[Phil-G]

Everyone will likely cringe, but an old Harmon Kardon 630. Works, gets as loud as I need.

don't confront me none. classic speaker classic amp here

[magnarc]

Bottlehead Paramount 300B with GPA 604 8HII in 9 cu ft BR cabinets (similar to Stonehenge V).

How do you find this combo?

[jdm]

How do you find this combo?

This is the only amp I have used with these speakers. It sounds good to me in my 11.4 ft x 18 ft room. It can play as loud as I would ever want in this room without noticeable distortion.
The choice of 12at7 in the driver stage has a noticeable affect on the sound. The 300B's not so much but I do prefer the EML (solid plate) over the others I have tried.

[VolvoHeretic]

Crown DC300A with A7-500's and 16 piezos.

(2) $100 Radio Shack Sherwood RX4109's bi-amped to my 8cu. ft. 418-8HII/808-8B/32B/Piezo's with the repurposed Crown driving (2) Alpine 10" box-o-subs.

[joyspring]

Control room #1: Crown ComTech 875 + UREI 811As (Altec 604-8K)
Control room #2: Crown D-75 x 3 + UREI 811s (Altec 604-8G)
Eval room: Crown D-75 + Altec 605A / NHT 3.3
all subwoofers: Behringer iNuke + Dayton Audio RSS460HO-4

All other monitors are self-powered: JBL LSR308 (main), Linkwitz Lab Pluto 2.1 (final eval)

I still use the Altec-based UREIs for reference (they translate well for me after 25 years) though I primarily use the recently-released JBL LSR308s (excellent despite the low price) and Linkwitz Plutos for anything critical.

Also, I previously used Audessey XT-equipped Denon AVR receivers for amplification / bass management / room correction but redoing the acoustical treatment allowed me to use standard amplifiers with simple PC/Linux-based (LADSPA) para EQs + delay lines and custom self-built bass management controllers.

BobR

[mattvandyke]

I've got a switch box hooked up to my model 19's with the following items:

McIntosh MC60's
McIntosh MC2205
Fisher 400C
Marantz 2325
Sansui 9090

The McIntosh MC60's and Fisher tube sound the best. Just got the MC2205 so still testing it out. The Sansui beats out the Marantz 2325 from my perspective. The 2325 has been entirely recapped but I still think that the Sansui has a little bit better depth and imaging.

[RonSSS]

DIY Modified Heath W5M 6B4G non fed back (I have 2 pairs of these)
Interstage coupled DIY PP 300B amps on the M19's. Although I am out of 300B tubes.......My Svetlana's all croaked.
I'm also unemployed now, so please send me free tubes. :-)

Ron

[edharbur]

Mcintosh MC 7170 and C46 with my 604s at home.
Mcintosh MC 2105 and MC130 with my M19s at work.
I've got a Crown DC 300 and am hoping to put together an Amp Camp amp to try out.

Ed

[juniper]

I have tried a few amps and combos with my Altec 604 8g's and 19's.... the room I listen in is very bright it fails the "clap test" miserably so take this with a grain... although mostly mid fi, and low fi, many have some regard as far as their sound. To list a few, onkyo m504 p304, phase linear 700b and 4000 pre, Yamaha mx 1000u and matching pre, and through cd variable outputs, pioneer sx 1250, jvc ax 1100, technics sa 700, maverick audio d1, Panasonic saxr chip amps, jvc ax-r 551, pilot sa 260 sp 210.... the last four types are my favorites in reverse order.... I could name a few more but I must say Altecs are very picky about amps, recordings and spaces..... Also, my listening preferences aren't for everyone, I don't care for laid back sound, and hate brightness and grainy sound and love balance or as much as I can get top to bottom and love imaging and to hear a lot of a recording...

[amandarae]

Just want to report what I experienced after posting some amps I use for my Altecs here several weeks ago....I just pickup console amp from a yard sale (Silvertone PP6V6 with original tubes) for $35 and it is worth every penny! I will change all electrolytics later on but still sound great with Altec 416 and JMLC horns. Only complaint I have is that it creates a thump during power off. I probaly need to solder a 0.001 uF 1kV ceramic cap in between neutral and hot (no GND on this old amp)to solve the problem. But for $35, its a winner! There's another tube amp that I borrowed and sound very good on Altecs. I am searching for it and will report once I got hold of one. Don't wanna go to a bidding war on Ebay