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B&K AV5000; Anyone use one? Did you Like It?  

post #1 of 11
6/26/05 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
I am home testing a B&K AV5000 for a week from my speaker repair shop. Anyone have anything interesting to say about it good or bad?

I think the one I am testing seems to run hot.. Do they all run hot? I am running Infinity Quantum 2 speakers for L and R and an Infinity Quantum 3 speaker for my center channel. I am currently only using it for those three channels.

Does anyone know just how much watts per channel I am actually getting on this amplifier for 4ohm speakers? Is 185 watts per channel? Believe it or not; I can't find that information in the on-line manual. By that I mean if I only run three channels on it.

What is the exact difference between the original AV5000 and the series 2? How can I tell which one I am demoing?

He is offering to me for $500 and a three month warranty? Any good?

Sound wise in my room it sounds great, I can feel the power compared to just running my speakers on my Yamaha RXV-750 receiver. To use this amp, I am running it using the pre-outs on the Yamaha receiver. What quality should the RCA cables be? Does it matter? I could only find silver tipped cheap entry level ones to transfer the signal from the receiver to the amp. Does this make a difference?

My whole calibration changed completely once I re-ran it with the amplifier in place using the Yamaha YPAO setup microphone that comes with the receiver.

In the specs it shows a distortion rate of .09%. That sounds like a lot... Is it? How does that compare to most receivers with amplifiers built in like the RXV-750?


Any information would be most helpful.. Please chat about any part of the amp you can. This is my first venture in the amplifier world. $500 is about the most I want to spend for upgrading to using an amplifier.....

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post #2 of 11
6/27/05 at 6:58am
Thread Starter 
Bumpty Bump..... :)

Really could use your help guys... Reviews on it are extremely sparce/non existant....
post #3 of 11
6/27/05 at 8:36am
I used a series II for a couple of years and really liked it. They do run quite hot, I could feel the heat coming from that part of the room half way through a movie. The faceplate will tell you if it's series I or II. Series II has a edge on the face plate that runs top to bottom with the power button centered in the edge. The series II amp is styled the same as they are today.

I once called B&K to ask about differences between the series I and II because I was thinking about bi-amping. If memory serves me I think that series I had one output transistor per channel and the series II had two. You might want to call B&K directly they were quite helpfull the couple of times I spoke to them on the phone. They can give you details with the serial #

I sold mine for around $600 just over a year ago, $500 for a series II sounds like a good deal if it's in good shape. It's to much if it's series one.

The distortion rating is meaningless, don't worry about it. How do you like how it sounds??
post #4 of 11
6/27/05 at 9:38am
I had an AV5125 (just sold it), which ran quite hot. I liked it, good build quality, I just wanted more than 125/channel.
post #5 of 11
6/27/05 at 10:09am
series 1 is 105 watts per channel
series 11 is 125 watts per channel

both assuming 8 OHMs

all models run hot, just ensure you have some ventillation around the chassis in your rack and you will be fine. There are no fans on these units but the sound is excellent, well built and if you really felt the need you could add a fan in the cabinet to dissipate some of the heat.
post #6 of 11
6/27/05 at 10:10am
The $500 price with the 3 month warranty is a decent deal I think. Make sure you give the amp some breathing room (several inches all around with not stacking). .09 distortion is not a lot. You seem happy with the sound so I'd keep it plus you have 3 months to run it through its paces. I think the older Series 1 amps were rated 125 wpc and the Series 2's 105 wpc (but they are really about the same real power) but they are just being a little on the conservative side with the 105 wpc rating. That amp should provide more power than most any sub $1000 receiver and using 3 channels should give you even more power. It is a keeper.
post #7 of 11
6/27/05 at 12:43pm
Thread Starter 
So the amplifier itself doesn't say on it if it is a series 1 or series II on it? I can only tell if I call B&K? I couldn't find a year built on the amplifier anywhere.... Is it on the amp anywhere?

Does anyone know if more power goes to three channels by only using three channels?

If it gets this hot using three channels, I can't imagine how hot it would get using all five channels.....

Bi-Amping? I never thought of that.... Sounds a little risky to me... By that you mean using Y cables to go from two channels on the amp amp to the speaker and using a Y cable to go from the preout on the receiver receiver to two channels on the amp? Am I right that that is risky?

Nobody talked about quality of the cables? Should I get better quality cables from the receiver pre-outs to the amplifier? Would it help for shielding?

In terms of the sound, its different.. By that I mean, when I first turn it on, it seems like I can hear incredible things out on it that I have never heard before, then I can't tell if its my ears or what, but it may be muting the highest of sounds after a while say two to three minutes into the recordings... Maybe I am just hearing things that aren't there, just because I am listening so intently. Could also be the recordings from the Leno Show (Test HD clips used so far for testing...) I tell you though that the sheer power from the amp for movies is like Wow... I feel that nothing is being held back now.... My speakers have never sounded better in terms of actually hearing the nuances of the peoples voices with the Emit tweeters compared to just using the receiver's supposed 100 watts per channel....

I just don't want the amp to conk out due to overheating say six months from now and go back to the Wife and say.... Remember that great amp that I liked so much; well it conked out....
post #8 of 11
6/27/05 at 2:15pm
it should say right on the front panel (top left corner)...

B&K Components AV 5000 Series 1 or 11

the series 11 is the newer version with 125 watts per channel. The amp is built to run hot, you should have no worries and if you do don't keep it.

hope this is helpful
post #9 of 11
6/27/05 at 6:08pm
I've had the AV5000 since 1998. I purchased it or clearance to make room for the Series 2. If it doesn't say, it is a series 1. It was rated at 105W for 8 ohm and 185 W for 4 ohm. I was told by a dealer that there was very little change between the series 1 and 2 amps. That dealer in fact said to me that he thought that it was the same amp with a different rating. At the time everyone else was doig 125W and B&K felt that they were losing sales because of the conservative 105W rating. Again this is what a dealer told me back them.

My amp runs hot. I had it setup in a cabinet with the specified clearances and I felt that it was too hot so I moved it out of the cabinet.

I would have no fear using a Series 1 and Series 2 in a bi-amp situation. From what that dealer told me if there are differces they are small.

Good Luck,
Charlie
post #10 of 11
6/27/05 at 9:41pm
I read a HT mag review back in 1999 that rated the B&K 5000 as absolutely outstanding. It was a amp faceoff between the B&K, a Kenwood THX 6 channel amp, a Carver AV-505 amp and an Elan 5X60 watt amp. I remember the reviewer's comment that quote: "The B&K sounds so good that it makes you wonder why you should spend more (than $1298 MRSP) on a higher end amp."

I have an older B&K amp (B&K Sonata Video-5) which has since been replaced by the B&K reference series (I may be mistaken) but it is 5X105 also. Mine actually runs pretty cool (it's in an open air rack) and there are a couple of websites that also listed it's original price at $1298 (MSRP). The Sonata's used price is still going between $495 & $600 and it is older than the AV-5000.
post #11 of 11
6/28/05 at 6:44am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all your help on the reviews......... Gives me more confidence that its a great piece of equipment.

Obviously, then mine must be the original B&K AV-5000 amp... Just wish I knew how old it was.... I wonder if I can bargain the price down a little.... (don't want to do too much bargaining..) The dealer is doing excellent work putting quality repairs (replacing foam around drivers) and diaphrams around the Emit Tweeters if they need replacing as well as rewiring the insides with much higher quality wiring.... He also is spending a lot of time with the knobs in getting them back to working condition... He takes great pride in his work and I don't think I want to appear too "cheap" that would insult him... Negotiations will have to be conducted very carefully.... I am hoping he would agree to $500 which would include the sales tax as well.....

My wife ended up noticing that the amp was in the Home Theater room. She never would have noticed it had I not had to tell her that to hear the front speakers, now you also have to push this button.... Of course she says... Not another button to push!....

Even she admitted that wow.. the music does sound better.... (I haven;t told her the price yet... She thinks I spend way tooo much money in the home theater room..... I think its a keeper... Besides, my wife always complains that the home theater room is too cold in Winter (basement home theater room) Now it has a heater as well :)
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