I have been a fan of Sunfire gear for many years using the Sunfire TG 3 as my processor and a Sunfire TSEQ 10 subwoofer. I really like the SQ of the Sunfire products ans decided to try biamping my wide channels (or side axis channels as they are called in my Sunfire manual). I didn't want to drop more them $500 for a used Sunfire 5 channel amplifier and my saw a Carver AV 505 5 channel amp rated at 80 watts a channel all channels driven or 125 watts a channel in stereo on Craigslist.
I scored the amp for $130 (less than the cost of one of the power cables in my main rig) and set my expectations accordingly.
First I was surprised by the size of this thing, about 50 pounds and the size of a carry on bag with wheels you take on a plane.
I wanted to evaluate the SQ before dropping it into my main rig so I propped it up on a couple of chairs and connected it to my desktop system driving a pair of JBL 230 speakers. I was expecting the power of a sledge hammer and instead this amp was as delicate as a flower, almost tube like. Music just floated effortlessly from my speakers and when things became more dynamic no strain, no collapse just effortless rendering of the signal. These amps use something called "power steering" so it can direct power to whatever channels need it at the time instead of all channels constantly being driven at the same power. All i can say is that I think that is why this amp presents music so effortlessly, it has a giant reserve to tap whenever it needs it.
I am going to move this amp into my HT rig and now I feel I need to get a Carver 2 channel amp for my desktop (I have been spoiled).
Another nice thing about getting this amp is it has Made in USA stamped on it so no skimping on manufacturing costs.
I highy recommend this amp. If you are adding more speakers for immersive audio height channels and need more amplification check your local Crigslist or E Bay for a used carver amp and use the left over $$$ to buy some other new toys.

sound and bulid price

none

WOW what a tank built heavy and solid. Yhis is a very very good piece of equiptment. High end sound at a BARGAIN price. 5 seperate amplifier in one chassis. I am currently using the Marantz SR7000 soon to be sold on ebay. I am waiting on delivery of a parsound avc-2500. Klipsch really like power if you got it makes the Forte II sound large and deep.This amp really has musical detail forward presentation for music and movies. A little word of advice buy on before they are all gone this is a great starter amp for seperates.

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Nad Marantz Yamaha

av-505 carver amp 13amp

Value, clean power, does its intended job.

At 325.00, none

Matched to a Marantz 9000 A/V PreAmp it does a wonderful job on timbre as well as reserve HP. When I kick up a DVD of Fleetwood Mac's Dance, I tax this amp. to extreme, no harsh sound at all and it feels very musical. As a HT amp I would prefer others for cosmetics and such, but bottom line is bang for the buck.

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McIntosh, Audio Research,

Volume controls for each input, Good build

No power on connector

This is a good amp I paid just under $300 on ebay for it and after shipping on this monster I get if for $325 I am not kidding about the weight of this thing it is hard to pickup and I am a big man… The AV-505 uses large heat sinks in place of a fan, which might make noise or go bad. I currently am only using this amp in 2-channel mode but it really makes my little Bose 301 III speakers sound good even if they are crap speakers..

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Audiosource Kenwood H&K

I purchased mine at a Web auction for $360.00 new. The audio is very clean and solid, however the high end does cut off. Running a component (a Denon CD player) straight into the amp with no treble, bass, etc. sounds very flat and boring. I can compensate for this however, using my Teac equailzer, lowering all frequencies by about -3, and then curving the high end starting at 2 KHZ at -3 up to around 20 KHZ, +12. This solves the frequency drop off, but introduces a new problem. Since this EQ is pretty old, the noise (hiss) introduced is now pronounced in the audio, especially since the high end has been upped so much.

Using my sound card however (without the Teac EQ), the sound is fantastic, since it allows much more of a greater range of sound modification, though may not seem like a reasonable idea to a real audiophile. In this situation, the sound (to my ears) is clean and powerful, with the right frequencies in the right places - with some sound card EQ adjustments.

Each of the 5 channels has an individual input control, which lets you individually limit the volume on each channel.

I give this one a 4 out of 5, due to the frequency rolloff.

I have been using the AV-505 for about a month now; it is coupled with a Marantz AV-600 tuner/preamp and DP-870 Dolby Digital processor. My sources are a Toshiba 3109 DVD player and Sony SLV 678HS HI-FI VCR. My front speakers are Acoustic Research AR-312HO, the surrounds are a pair of AR-308HO and the center is the AR CS25-HO. Let me start by saying that this amp won't entice the macho audiophile, it is neither very heavy (only about 45 Lbs. of solid construction) nor does it operate very hot. It runs in fact cooler than the DP-870. Now, why am I wasting your time telling you what the rest of my system consists of? Because an amp is not an island. You cannot mate your amp with any kind of equipment and then blame the sound quality on the amp. In other words, I can only tell you how this amp sounds in my system: very neutral. It is as if it is not there. No humming nor fan noise, even the appearance of this amp is self-effacing. If you want to impress your friends, buy an expensive amp and leave the price tag on; it might even double as a stove top and provide background noise in between musical notes. On the other hand if you want a solid and musical amp for Home Theater and music, I can in all honesty recommend this one.

price
flexibility
sound
5 binding posts
each channel has an independent volume control

manufacturer warranty questionable
loud click on power-on

This amp is a good value for those interested in getting into separates for the same price as a receiver. I am using this amp with a Rotel pre-amp and couldn't be happier. This amp and a used Rotel pre-amp represent a good separates system for

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H/K 5800
Carver 705
Marantz 500

Neutral, runs cool, no fan to make noise

No warranty

First HT amp driving Def Tech BP2000TL, CLR2000 and BP10B
no problem at all, I can play louder than I can tolerate without clipping. Got this at 360, pretty good proce for what I am getting. Only downside to this is the lack of warranty but it is very unlikely for an amp to go bad. So I should be ok

I recently got this piece for an amazing $320. List is $999. The sound is incredibly smooth, rich and detailed. However, the upper frequency tends to roll off a bit. Nevertheless, it's a fabulous bargain for a beginning HT. I'm running the kenwood THX kc-x1 preamp, and infinity cresendo speakers.