Advice needed! CXA 60 or cya 80 or power amplifier Azur 651 w ?

[nananana]

Hello!

My current setup is Dacmagic plus to Azur 651 w and B&W 685 S2. I am happy with the sound but I would like to have fewer units and maby analog outputs for connecting a turntabel in the future maybe also bigger loudspeakers.

So I am thinking about to switch the dagmagic plus and my 651w for the cxa60 or the cxa80.

Is the cxa60 sufficent? If I switch to the cxa60 I save also 200usd. Wich combination will be the best one? The cxa60 or cxa80 or poweramplifeier and dac?

Best regard from Sweden

 

[splasher]

I haven't heard each combination you mention but it's hard to imagine the CXA integrates being as good as a separate DAC/preamp and power amp. If you absolutely have to reduce the number of boxes and you think you might want a turntable in the future, bear in mind that the CXA amplifiers do not have a built in phono stage so yet another box would be required.

in terms of CXA60 vs 80, your current setup is 100w into 8 ohms so I would think the CXA60 would be quite underwhelming.

 

[Al ears]

I think you need to be looking at something like the Onkyo 9050.

 

[nananana]

Yes I am aware of that the power amplifier gives more power but will I hear it with my 685 S2? One problem with my setup is also that i dont have any remote controll so in the future i might also need a preamp with remote.

Since the cxa is newer then the Azur serie I am wondering if the cxa isen`t better? And since the dacmagic isent a real preamp doesent that effect the signal to the power amplifier as well?

 

[Vladimir]

You will have to go to the CX A80 (80W in 8 ohms) to come close to the same amplification you have now (100W in 8 ohms). However, the CX A80 has no phono input for a turntable.

The Onkyo 9050 may have the facilities you want but is significantly less well made and less powerfull.

IMO it would be smarter to take those $200 and buy a CA Azur 651P for a turntable in the future. Do you have a vinyl collection or is it something you plan to start?

651W + DACmagic + 651P is a killer system and you have the luxury of having everything separated, with option to upgrade any segment in the future. With an integrated amp you have to upgrade everything since it's in the same box.

The weakest link in your current system are the speakers. I would invest all my money and audiophile wet dreams in better speakers.

 

[nananana]

Hi!

I do have a vinyl collection. Before I had a Thorens turntabel and a nad 3020b. Does the Azur 651 p as volume controll? I somehow realize that sepparate units are better but my wife complains that everything is so complicated!

Do you have any speakers in the 1200usd range you can tecommend? Not to big if possible.

Best regard Nicolas

 

[ID.]

Besides, I don't think the Onkyo range really hits its strides until the A-9070.

 

[nananana]

"How about get a TT with USB output, connect it to your PC and your PC is connected to your DacMagic, which means you can play your TT without buying extra phono amp. You can also rip your vinyl collection as FLAC/ALAC files on your computer. "

This is to complicated, and I want simple solutions! My music comes from Apple tv and with optical to dacmagic plus. Is there no small phono preamp with analog out? And if I connect the phono preamp to the dacmagic plus doesent it result in the same character in sound as digital input? I dont have any intention to rip my vinyl collection. The reason why I want a TT is because of the feeling/ritual and analog sound and I also have Tidal wich have 99% of the music I have on vinyl.

 

[Vladimir]

I think your amplification and DAC are perfectly fine. Always in a hi-fi system the weakest links will be the transducers (turntable and speakers). Considering you are starting from zero for the vinyl front end and you already have nice speakers, best to invest your funds next in a decent TT, phono amp, good cart and wall mounted shelf.

I'm curious to hear what other forum members think.

 

[Al ears]

You will have to go to the CX A80 (80W in 8 ohms) to come close to the same amplification you have now (100W in 8 ohms). However, the CX A80 has no phono input for a turntable.

The Onkyo 9050 may have the facilities you want but is significantly less well made and less powerfull.

IMO it would be smarter to take those $200 and buy a CA Azur 651P for a turntable in the future. Do you have a vinyl collection or is it something you plan to start?

651W + DACmagic + 651P is a killer system and you have the luxury of having everything separated, with option to upgrade any segment in the future. With an integrated amp you have to upgrade everything since it's in the same box.

The weakest link in your current system are the speakers. I would invest all my money and audiophile wet dreams in better speakers.

I don't see the Onkyo's 75 wpc is going to be vastly different to the CX A80.

Agree regards speakers and personally I would not like everything in one box, it's convenient but you make a very valid point regarding upgrade potential.

 

[Vladimir]

I meant the Onkyo is not as good as the 651W power wise and build quality wise. As build quality only, A9050 again not as good as the CX A80 or CX A60. I'm quite in disbelief how CA manages to pull off making their amps at such low prices. Neither Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo, Pioneer or Marantz are as good IMO. No one wants them and no one recommends them on this forum though, for some unknow reason.

Same story with Mordaunt Short. Excellent quality, high performance, innovative poduct, low prices, zero public interest. It must be a company thing since the same one owns CA and MS. (the guy that had supermarket chains IIRC)

Just my personall opinion of course.

 

[splasher]

I have a similar problem to the OP wanting the convenience of streaming and the nostalgia of vinyl and it is hard to do with few boxes.

If I were you, I'd audition a Marantz PM8005 in place of your 651W and I'd keep your DAC Magic as your digital source. This will give you enough power to drive your speakers coupled with the quality of the DAC Magic for your digital music (the DAC Magic uses the same DAC chip as the CXA but uses them as a tandem pair whereas the CXA uses a single chip) and when you want to add a turntable, it has a phono stage built in.

 

[nananana]

unfortunately i can’t swap to the Marantz PM8005 because the only have lover level denon products and cambrideg in that particularly store.

I also can consider buying used preamp such as and with phono stage. But then I have suddenly 3 units!

Another option is to upgrade to a good preamp later. But are there good preamps with dac and phono preamp?

The simplest option would be to go for the cxa60/80 and just complete with a small phono stage. Then I have a dac and remote control.

But the azur 651w is a solid power amplifier. I had snell type b minor before my wife told that they are taking up to much space ,-) And that combination was breathtaking. The 685 s2 are more practical and also funktion well for amplifying the tv when you watch movies.

 

[Vladimir]

You went from Snell Type B Minor to B&W 685s2... *shok*

I feel your profound pain and mourning sir.

 

[nananana]

yeah. terrible ;-)

It was not only the space but also the estetics and than also I have small children. but also the sound charakter differs a lot. the 685 s2 are more high - resultion and the snell type b minor brings you the fellenig of sitting in a jazz or rockklubb.

 

[Vladimir]

Yeah. Life.

Looks ike you are generally changing your Hi-Fi to be more compact. In that case, and considering the store limitations, the CX A80 will do fine.

 

[splasher]

Assuming you stream music from a PC over USB, my final idea is to swap the DAC Magic for an ADL GT40a. This has a built in phono stage for both MM and MC cartridges, preamp with Volume control and a high res DAC. It also comes with the bonus of being a headphone amp and an ADC so you can rip your vinyl to high res digital, should you wish. Paired with the 651W, two boxes does everything.

And if you want even better quality, the newly released ADL Stratos looks like a serious bit of kit.

 

[Al ears]

Assuming you stream music from a PC over USB, my final idea is to swap the DAC Magic for an ADL GT40a. This has a built in phono stage for both MM and MC cartridges, preamp with Volume control and a high res DAC. It also comes with the bonus of being a headphone amp and an ADC so you can rip your vinyl to high res digital, should you wish. Paired with the 651W, two boxes does everything.

And if you want even better quality, the newly released ADL Stratos looks like a serious bit of kit.

Good call. However the Stratos is in a much higher price bracket, a grand to you sir.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

how about Yamaha Rn 602 £449.95 .. 80 watts per channal .. phono stage ... streaming . the cx80 is a nice sounding amp but no phono stage ..or marantz pm8005 with phono stage .

 

[nananana]

ok interesting produkt. but isn’t there a risk that vinyl and digital sources will sound quite similar?

 

[nananana]

hello again! are you sure I cant use this: https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/azur-651p

and connect it to the powe amplifier directly? It seems to have volym-control.

 

[nananana]

Hi! I can only chosse between the cambridge products I mentioned.

 

[Vladimir]

How about get a TT with USB output, connect it to your PC and your PC is connected to your DacMagic, which means you can play your TT without buying extra phono amp. You can also rip your vinyl collection as FLAC/ALAC files on your computer.

As for better speakers, you have to go to a shop and pick the ones you think sound better than your B&Ws for the budget available to you. Try some Revel speakers (M-106 and M22).

However, if you plan seriously going into vinyl, you will need all those $1200 to start with a decent setup. Only if you have no serious intentions for a vinyl front end, then I would suggest improving your speakers.

 

[Vladimir]

But if you get the 651P you will have 3 boxes in total, and you want less. If you combine the CX A80 + Azur 651P you will get the combination of amp + DAC + phono in two boxes.

 

[nananana]

Great!

I misunderstood. I denent know that i could connect the cambridge phono stage directly to the power amplifier.

Well I have 3 boxes but I still have tv-bench with some space and I dont think the phono stage is so big. So now I am considering either cxa80 and phono stage or my combination plus phono stage in the future!