Amp and speakers to go with DAC Magic

[admin_exported]

Hi all

I'm gonna get myself a DAC Magic because I want to start listening to music from my PC.

I also need to get a new amp because my old Marantz one has about had it.

I have some old KEF Q35 speakers which are okay but I may get some new ones depending on recommendations.

It would be great if a few of you could give some ideas on which amp and maybe speakers would "suit" the DAC Magic.

Budget for the amp is < £1000. Are there some amps more suited to the DacMagic than others? What about one of the Cambrdige Audio amps (650 or 850) or do I go as far as a Naim Nait 5i or Roksan Kandy K2?

Budget for speakers is < £1000. Looks like a mindfield? Any recommendations for a audition shortlist?

Best regards, Andrew

 

[Anonymous]

If you want to save yourself some money be quick and get one of the CA 640Aamps from Richer Sounds for only £149. Its great quality for an astonishingly low price!

Sorry. I sounded like a salesman there lol.

 

[John Duncan]

Two grand will buy you a lot of...well, anything you like. Stretch it to £2,400 (only slightly over your budget including the DACMagic) and you can have a NaimUniti and a pair of AVI Neutron Vs. Unless you don't need the CD player...

If that is the case, I'd suggest your matching dilemma is more about amp and speakers than the source, since I find my DACMagic very even-handed. With your budget I'd certainly be looking at the Nait 5i, Primare i21 and Cyrus 8, together with some top notch standmounts like the PMC DB1i, various Spendors, Tannoy DC4(?) etc.

And lastly, now that I think about it, you could have a Cyrus 8XPD (with built in DAC) and some £750 speakers for your budget as well...

 

[chebby]

Yep.

Spend your amp/speaker/dac budget (£2000 + DacMagic = £2230) on a naimuniti for £1995 and put the leftover £235 towards speakers. (I had KEF Q35.2 speakers and they will sound fine.)

 

[Messiah]

Or you could go for some AVI ADM 9.1 and get a DAC, Amp and Speaker in one package that sounds excellent for £1125 leaving plenty of change for some decent stands.

Certainly worth a demo - although locations to do this are limited

 

[John Duncan]

Agreed. Not as ooo though

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the input so far

just had a quick look at the Naim Uniti. looks really good but thing is I don't really need a CD player so I don't think I'll go for it. Maybe the 5i amp though..

The Cyrus 8 XPD look good aswell but I'd only good for that if the DAC is excellent. The review describes it as "good one". I want an excellent one such as the DAC Magic don't I?

Any other views?

Many thanks, Andrew

 

[John Duncan]

I'd expect the DAC in the XPd to be more than a match for a DACMagic, but you do appear to be paying for convenience in the XPd...

 

[Gerrardasnails]

fobos8:
thanks for the input so far

just had a quick look at the Naim Uniti. looks really good but thing is I don't really need a CD player so I don't think I'll go for it. Maybe the 5i amp though..

The Cyrus 8 XPD look good aswell but I'd only good for that if the DAC is excellent. The review describes it as "good one". I want an excellent one such as the DAC Magic don't I?

Any other views?

Many thanks, Andrew

The DAC in the Cyrus would be excellent - I would imagine better than the DacMagic.

I agree with the others who have given advice. You would have a very special system with a £700-£1000 amp and the same for the speakers. However, I would go for the PMC GB1 speakers for £1400 and the Cambridge Audio 840A v2 (graded from RS normally £899 and with a 5 year super care £650). That would be a special system.

 

[d_a_n1979]

One thing no one has asked is what music do you listen to?

Also; are you after standmount speakers or floorstanders or do you not mind either?

With your budget you could go all out and get the Roksan Kandy K2 integrated and B&W 683 or 684 speakers and blow your room apart and still have change to spare

OR

You could go down the Cyrus 8vs2 integrated route (c£500 brand new via eBay and some Sevenoaks shops) and go for some decent standmount speakers with decent stands and cables and still have change to spare!

It's a wide market with your budget but you have to demo; try not to buy blind as you could make an expensive mistake!

 

[Ajani]

d_a_n1979:It's a wide market with your budget but you have to demo; try not to buy blind as you could make an expensive mistake!

I 100% Agree! All the suggestions made so far have been good, but with that kind of budget, you really need to get out there and audition...

 

[Anonymous]

JohnDuncan:Two grand will buy you a lot of...well, anything you like. Stretch it to £2,400 (only slightly over your budget including the DACMagic) and you can have a NaimUniti and a pair of AVI Neutron Vs. Unless you don't need the CD player...

If that is the case, I'd suggest your matching dilemma is more about amp and speakers than the source, since I find my DACMagic very even-handed. With your budget I'd certainly be looking at the Nait 5i, Primare i21 and Cyrus 8, together with some top notch standmounts like the PMC DB1i, various Spendors, Tannoy DC4(?) etc.

And lastly, now that I think about it, you could have a Cyrus 8XPD (with built in DAC) and some £750 speakers for your budget as well...

Recommending Tannoys now eh! JD.......a convert??????

 

[Anonymous]

many thanks thanks for all the advise.

I realise that it will be best to do some auditions but one problem I have is that I live in Jersey and there's not a lot of hifi here. There is a guy who deals Naim and Tannoy, someone else who can get Cyrus in........... but that it. Maybe I should organise a audition and then fly in for the day/wkend.

The kind of music i mainly listen to is latin but also a lot of rock. Good bass really gets me going.. so I thinking of some floorstanders - the B&W 684s look really good.

Is the DACMagic really the dogs boll&x? I'm assuming this is the right DAC to get but is it really?

 

[d_a_n1979]

The DAC Magic is good, very good and will suit an iPhone/MP3 system down to a tee!

The B&W 684's are also superb speakers but in 'their' catagory; dont rule out the M/A RS6's either! I personally am a HUGE B&W fan but I have the RS6's as when I demo'd both together, the RS6's just pipped them with a better, over all sound stage and phenomenal bass!

The B&W 684's would go very well with the Cyrus 8vs2 integrated and the DAC Magic; the 684's will smoothen out the Cyrus's forwardness. Then again in that category you could take a nosey at the Roksan K2 integrated amp which again will work very well with the 684's.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

When you say "integrated" what do you mean? I've been out of the buying hifi game for a while.

Thanks for the tip on the RS6s

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Gerrardasnails]

fobos8:
Hi

When you say "integrated" what do you mean? I've been out of the buying hifi game for a while.

Thanks for the tip on the RS6s

Cheers, Andrew

Integrated is pre and power amplification in one box.

 

[Anonymous]

what advantage would that give me over just a power amp?

 

[d_a_n1979]

You will have all the controls on an integrated that you wont have on a power - The power will just give you speaker outputs for you to send the signal to the speakers and one set of inputs for the source to the amp

Using an integrated will give you volume control, balance control and some have bass/treble controls as well.

Also; if you decide to upgrade at a later date (i.e. CDP, tuner etc...) you can add them to the integrated with no issues; you cannot do that with a power amp!

 

[John Duncan]

raym87:Recommending Tannoys now eh! JD.......a convert??????

I love Tannoys - I had Revolution R2s for a long time until floorstanders became impractical and they were gorgeous. But I couldn't have the new Revolutions in the house (for reasons previously noted

)

 

[Anonymous]

AVI ADM9.1 with subwoofer

Perfect choice.