Adding power amp to integrated

fouad

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Hi,

My system - Primare I30 integrated, CD31 and B&W CM7. Great sound, but I want more! I plan to bi-amp with the Primare A33.2 power amp. Thus, the integrated will drive the right and left tweeters whilst the power amp will drive the left and right woofer & midrange. Question: is it worth it? I mean, the power amp is an eye-watering £1,800!! My budget would allow this next yr BUT would the sound quality be really much better? So what is your experience with bi-amping (Primare or other)? Is using an integrated as a pre-amp OK - or should I start all over again with a pre-amp??? Thanks for your help, guys!
 

Big Chris

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Contrary to Simon's thoughts, I found Bi-amping made a huuuuge difference to my sound.

Try for a home demo see if you think the outlay is worth it.
 

John Duncan

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I can see why it would make a huge difference to Chris's setup, because tbh the Arcam he had was a bit weedy and needed a power amp to give it some welly (sorry Chris).

However, the Primare gives out a lot of current and is one of the best integrateds I've heard, so I'd expect the power amp to make more of a marginal difference, and am not sure you'd think it was worth 1800 quid. However, as Chris points out, you have to hear it in your own home to see if you think it's worth it (and with that sort of outlay you'd expect a dealer to let you).
 

fouad

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Thanks! Yes, exactly, the integrated sounds great already! I am scared of ruining the system (will not happen if I use Primare power amp) and/or wasting my money (could happen) - but I have to LISTEN to it, true. I will do so at my London dealer (since I am living in Kuwait!). But any more experience on adding a power amp to an integrated, please give me your feedback! Also, I think the CM7 can take more, they are real gems IMHO, at least to my ears.
 

ESP2009

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Thanks for posting this query - it's certainly answered one question for me!
emotion-21.gif
 
JohnDuncan:I can see why it would make a huge difference to Chris's setup, because tbh the Arcam he had was a bit weedy and needed a power amp to give it some welly (sorry Chris). However, the Primare gives out a lot of current and is one of the best integrateds I've heard, so I'd expect the power amp to make more of a marginal difference, and am not sure you'd think it was worth 1800 quid. However, as Chris points out, you have to hear it in your own home to see if you think it's worth it (and with that sort of outlay you'd expect a dealer to let you).

Hardly call Arcam "weedy". Not heard the Primare bi-amped, the Primare would benefit from bi-amping, otherwise why bother with separate pre/power amps if the integrated is that good?
 

El Hefe

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I only have experience with Musical Fidelity XA1 integrated amp with XA50 power amps. Been using this combo for 10 years now and I must say I will never go back to just using an integrated. Well, at least for my set up. Recently, one of my XA50 monoblocks blew and had to use the integrated XA1 on its own while the XA50 was repaired, the sound was definitely different. Not necessarily bad but some elements were just not the there compared to the biamp combo.

However, i agree with the advice to LISTEN to the combo first before purchasing it. You might either hear a vast improvement or very marginal. In my case, when I added the XA50, it gave my set up a sensational upgrade. Bass was tighter and controlled, soundstaging was spacious and the overall sound was just uplifting.

Good luck.
 
A

Anonymous

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i have bi-amped just about every amp i have owned in the last 10 years and it usually makes a big difference, some good points have been made earlier about trying it out yourself but if i would try to get a demo of the bi-amped configuration Vs. a pre-power combo as well, its difficult to judge how much contribution the power side of an integrated actually makes to the overall sound, in some cases it might well be a negative contribution if alternative configurations are available,
 
A

Anonymous

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The idea of bi amping is not to get more power - it is to separate control - make it more independent. As you have highlighted - the tweeters use very little power and the lower frequencies more. Seperating their needs allows the amplification to tailor accordingly.

Bi - amping will make a difference - whether it is worth £1,800 is the million dollar or £1,800 question you will find out on a demo.
 

JoelSim

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The sound on my old A85/P85 combo was much cleaner compared to just the A85. I now use an integrated on its own.

Not much help, huh?

Why not buy a better integrated?
 

SteveR750

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JoelSim:
The sound on my old A85/P85 combo was much cleaner compared to just the A85. I now use an integrated on its own.

Not much help, huh?

Why not buy a better integrated?

my thoughts too, though it involves the hassle and depreciation of selling the current amp, so the real cost comparison is (used value)+(cost of power amp) vs cost of better integrated.
 

jiggyjoe

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I have a Arcam A85 integrated amp and a P85 power amp driving Monitor audio rx6 and can say that bi-amp mode is much better than integrated-power amp mode. But the MA speakers are split woofer-tweeter/woofer. So each amplifier is seeing an easier load because the two woofers are no longer in parallel. As your B&W speakers are wired Tweeter/mid-woofer you are still drawing a lot of current from the amp driving the midrange and woofer so bi-amping would have less benefit. By all means have a demo but I would think you should have a demo of some bryston amps for that kind of money they are fab!!!!!
 

jiggyjoe

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As for Arcam A85 Amplifier being weedy it will blow any price comparable Cyrus or Naim amp into the weeds when it comes to power or current delivery just look at the measurements at stereophile.com for proof!!!!!!!
 

JoelSim

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jiggyjoe:As for Arcam A85 Amplifier being weedy it will blow any price comparable Cyrus or Naim amp into the weeds when it comes to power or current delivery just look at the measurements at stereophile.com for proof!!!!!!!

Arcam gets bad press on here, unjustifiably so in my opinion.
 

jiggyjoe

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Arcam amps are great, not too forward or too soft, but to be honest they are not as good value for money as they used to be. I have auditioned an A38 and in my opinion is only a small upgrade on the A85 and nowhere near A85/P85 comb.
 

JoelSim

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jiggyjoe:

Arcam amps are great, not too forward or too soft, but to be honest they are not as good value for money as they used to be. I have auditioned an A38 and in my opinion is only a small upgrade on the A85 and nowhere near A85/P85 comb.

The A32/P35 combo is a decent step up tho'. I had the A85/P85 and loved it but on hearing this it made my mind up to upgrade. And I got within a whisker of buying them too (the P35 developed a fault during the test, so my money stayed in my pocket).
 

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