Amp choice and speaker location - Help please

[jasonmiddleton]

Hi

I'm about to buy an Arcam A18 to go with my Tannoy F4 Customs and CA DACMagic setup followign a sound test and advice o this forum, however I'm worried about tha fact that I have a difficult room layout and whether the A18 will be the right choice when I get it home. It sounds fantastic in the shop, but now I'm home I'm not sure if it will work. My room is 3m x5m and due to the layout I have to listen accross the 3m part so I'm very close to the speakers. They are placed against the wall with two Ikea bookshelves between them (2m gap), so the acustics are not good. The base is heavy, so I use the port bung in the F4s to calm things down a little, the floor is wooden, with a large rug and I sit in a chair which goes behind me so I'm not sitting listening against a hard wall. The issue is that will the A18 sound right as I've got a layout that produced a lot of base, but also quite a lot of top end. Help please and any suggestions.

Cheers

Jason

 

[Anonymous]

It's unlikely that your dealer wouldn't let you swap into something more suitable if it doesn't work out. In terms of placing the speakers, try making slight changes to there position and see which position sounds best.

Good luck

 

[jasonmiddleton]

I've not picked up the amp yet so was tempted to buy a Cambridge Audio 650a to see what that's like as I know that it has a brighter sound and I can take it back if it's not right. That way I can try and work out what the A18 will sound like. A good idea, or is the CA 650a so much worse than the A18 I'd be waisting my time?

 

[the record spot]

Hi Jason, the reasoning is fine to a point, bear in mind if you're buying in Richer Sounds, there's the right to return, but not to a refund if you don't like it. They'll exchange, no quibble, but check the range available meets your preferred expectations/goals from the amps you've shortlisted of late.

Of the 650 itself, it seems to have garnered some very positive reviews, so I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand while both WHF, Hi Fi World and another title more readily associated with very high end gear all gave it fine reviews (as I mentioned on another post elsewhere). Try by all means of course and all of this post assumes that you're based in the UK (as Richer Sounds stock Cambridge gear but not the Arcam A18 currently).

 

[jasonmiddleton]

Yep, I'm based in the UK. I'm planning to trade in my old amp and get £120 off the A18, with means it will be £480, as opposed to £450 for a 650a, as I will need to spend another £100 on decent phono amp and set of cables. So for £30 more I can get a £600 amp rather than a £350 amp. The A18 sounds fantastic compaired with a Rotel RA-04se as I had a 45 min demo last week. If the sound difference between the A18 and the 650a is a big as that then I'll not bother with the 650a and stick with the A18. Does anyone have any idea of if the RA-04se and the 650a are similar in sound?

 

[plastic penguin]

jasonmiddleton:

Hi

I'm about to buy an Arcam A18 to go with my Tannoy F4 Customs and CA DACMagic setup followign a sound test and advice o this forum, however I'm worried about tha fact that I have a difficult room layout and whether the A18 will be the right choice when I get it home. It sounds fantastic in the shop, but now I'm home I'm not sure if it will work. My room is 3m x5m and due to the layout I have to listen accross the 3m part so I'm very close to the speakers. They are placed against the wall with two Ikea bookshelves between them (2m gap), so the acustics are not good. The base is heavy, so I use the port bung in the F4s to calm things down a little, the floor is wooden, with a large rug and I sit in a chair which goes behind me so I'm not sitting listening against a hard wall. The issue is that will the A18 sound right as I've got a layout that produced a lot of base, but also quite a lot of top end. Help please and any suggestions.

Cheers

Jason

Your room has very similar dimensions to yours truly. Likewise, I have no alternative than placing the system across the narrow part, and my Arcam (and now Leema) sound great. Bare in mind, also, I was using MA RS6 speakers as well. No probs....