Amp & Speakers Advice

[admin_exported]

I have had the same system for the last 7 years and i am now looking to upgrade.

Problem i have is in all this time i havent kept up to date with the comings and going as i have been fine with the sound i had, however i have recently moved home and now want to upgrade my amp and speakers.

I have as my main source my pc always using loseless and lots of vinyl rips my amp is a yamaha ax 396 with a set of kef cresta 3s using linn k20 speaker cable.

I am looking for a sound that is bright but punchy and had set a limit of £800 but even if i was to go slightly over would not be the end of the world.

So far i have been recomended rotel ra 05 with a set of b&w 685's or the same speakers with the denon avr 1909

marantz 6002 with the kef iq50's

yamaha dsp ax 763 with monitor audio bronze br5's

marantz pm 7003 or cyrus 6vs2 with kefiq50 or monitor audio bronze br5

Cabling no one seems to know anything of the linn speaker cable i have at present and have suggested the likes of qed micro silver, chord carnival or chord rumour 2

I am also looking for a better interconnect from the amp to my pc is there a decent cable i can buy or am i better sxticking with a jack plug and normal cable like qunex 3.

Please help me set some paramaters of what i need to audition as no 2 shops have given me similar advice really i amn only looking for advice as i know sound always comes down to personal taste.

PS i listen to all music and i know some people say this but i really do go from anything like kasey chambers to ac/dc andrea bocelli to ice cube, i truly listen to all music inc jazz blues opera house trance hardcore metal rock classical country etc etc etc.

 

[the record spot]

You're looking for a solid all-rounder, pretty much like me. I don;t listen to the same kind of music, but it covers a wide spectrum nevertheless, so whatever you buy go for, it needs to do well at everything, rather than be brilliant at just Rap, or classical vocal, etc.

The Linn speaker cable is a blast from the past! I wouldn't ditch it just now - see how you get on with it in your new set-up and likewise with the Qunex 3; I use it too (connects my DVD player to my amp's audio out input) and it's a good cable for the money, so try it out along with the K20.

Apart from the speakers you have mentioned, it might be worth also shortlisting Q Acoustics 1050i florstanders - these are a lot of speaker for the money (£330 but available for less) whilst they've won a rival magazine's title as speaker of the year. They might have a slightly analogue sound for your liking, but equally, they've got great scale - they're big after all! - and will do justice to the classical vocals and won't be shirking in depth when it comes to Ice Cube doing his stuff. Worth a listen anyway; if they're too big, try the smaller 1030i instead.

Amp-wise, the Marantz PM7003 would definitely be on my shortlist, and you might want to look up the Yamaha AS700 which is apprently very neutral at around £400 or so (again, available on a deal like the Q speakers). Don't discount Rotel's RA-04 at £250 which WHF reckoned to have bags of talent, is at a giveaway price, but comes without a remote.

Incidentally, if it's music alone you want, then forget the Denon AV amp; it's good enough but any of the stereo amps mentioned will tonk it for performance. Good luck!

 

[fatboyslimfast]

TRS - isn't that the rotel RA-04 for that price? I auditioned one - I highly recommend it...

 

[the record spot]

fatboyslimfast:TRS - isn't that the rotel RA-04 for that price? I auditioned one - I highly recommend it...

Yes, my error - thanks mate - getting mixed up with the price (£250) and the model number!

 

[Anonymous]

fatboyslimfast:TRS - isn't that the rotel RA-04 for that price? I auditioned one - I highly recommend it...
Great amp, nice and punchy, and smooth.

 

[Anonymous]

The denon was never going to be an option i dont need surround but i only posted all the places i had phoned and what they recommended. My bro in law has the rotel ra-04 with a set of quad speakers and it seems to controlled imo.

Definitely on the short list is the marantz and i forgot to mention the cyrus amp is on a deal at a lowly price of £400 which ill have a listen too also but i dont think its gonna give me what i want either.

I think the possibility is that my budget isnt going to give me what i want and i may have to put this back until later in the year so i can maybe double the budget.

Thanx for the advice handed out though ill be sure to give the q's a listen too also.

 

[Anonymous]

Aren't the avi adm9.1's about 800?

Edit: My definition of about is obviously quite loose!

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Erm nope - over £1100...

Hmm, TomTomaudio (dot com) have a Naim NAC72/NAP250 for £600 in their pre-owned section...hmmmm...

 

[Anonymous]

Bright and punch certainly fit monitor audios bronze series, so long as you don't mix them with a warm amp.

But for in the range of 800+ you could probably get a silver series speaker and a decent integrated like (you guessed my reccomendation) and audiolab 8000S...

What is your old system though? it might be worth just doing up one thing and the other in another couple of years..

 

[Anonymous]

Mr_Poletski:What is your old system though? it might be worth just doing up one thing and the other in another couple of years..

Old system is yamaha ax 396 and kef cresta 3 with qunex 3 interconnect into pc jackplug and linn k20 speaker cable.

After another day of phoning around i have also been advised that due to using the pc something that would make everything stand out more would be to add in the dac magic 8 and maybe look at the cambridge audio azur 640 or 740a and speakers of either kef iq 5/7 or iq5se.

So many good shops have given so much conflicting advice although the one thing that always seems to get mentioned is the kef speakers.

eed to bring this huge list down so i can then get a clear picture in my head of what to go audition as if i listen to too many different amps and speakers i am going to start getting confused.