Amp with DAC for under £1000

[rmatthew]

I'm looking to change my amp and as I mainly listen to digital music I need a DAC. So my options are:

Integrated amp with digital inputs

Integrated amp + external DAC

Preamp with digital inputs + Power Amp

Preamp + external DAC + Power Amp

Passive preamp + external DAC + Power Amp

DAC with preamp + Power Amp

My speakers are Mission 753 Freedoms (90db sensitivity, 6 ohms) and need quite a bit of power to drive so I want 100+ watts per channel. I'm happy with new or second hand, budget ideally around £750 but can stretch if needed.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[keeper of the quays]

I'm looking to change my amp and as I mainly listen to digital music I need a DAC.  So my options are:

Integrated amp with digital inputs

Integrated amp + external DAC

Preamp with digital inputs + Power Amp

Preamp + external DAC + Power Amp

DAC with preamp + Power Amp

My speakers are Mission 753 Freedoms (90db sensitivity,  6 ohms) and need quite a bit of power to drive so I want 100+ watts per channel.  I'm happy with new or second hand, budget ideally around £750 but can stretch if needed.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

i changed my pre amp with significant results..i had to change amp anyway as it wasnt powerful enough for new speakers..i now have quad 909 and a musical fidelity htp 6000 (this is a av pre amp, but dont be fooled by this..its a awesome two channel pre amp.mad cheap! £150 ebay) i would recommend this to you..my mate has a naim power amp and htp 6000 pre amp, he just bought cyrus cdxtse2 and it sounds gigantic! Lol and so musical..he getting the cyrus dac that goes with the transport..be interesting to compare both dacs..(dac hasnt arrived yet) but through htp6000 dac its very nice..hope this helps..

 

[rmatthew]

Thanks for the info. This looks like a good option and given that there are none for sale on eBay it probably is. *sad*

 

[the_master66]

Hi Matthew,

Another option would be an Audiolab 8200dq and 8200p - you can always pick up a 8200cdq if you need the possibility to play CD's ......these are usually easily available on ebay and would work nicely with the Missions, What HiFi used Audiolab gear in there reference system with the Missions for quite a few years.

Thanks

The_Master

 

[Electro]

I would recommend an XTZ A 100D3 it has a built in dac and phono stage and a switchable choice of 110wpc into 8 ohms class ab or 50wpc in class A .

http://www.xtz.se/product/class-a100-d3?altProd=6656825

Technical Specification

Output power class AB

2x110W 8 ohm RMS

2x180W 4 ohm RMS

2x300W 2 ohm RMS

Output power class A

2x50W 8 ohm RMS

Technical data

Distortion: <0.03% (20hz to 20khz, 10w)

Input sensibility : 1.0Vrms

Damping factor: > = 100 Input

Impedance: 20 kohm

4 output transistors per channel

Ring-core transformer

Phono amplifier (MM~2-5mV/MC~0,5mV)

Connections and settings

4 Line in

4st Coaxial input

1st Optical input

1st Pre Out (for external amp)

1st Sub Out (for an activ subwoofer)

Gold-plated RCA connections

Rec Out (for connecting to a tape recorder etc.)

Amp In (for connecting directly to the power amplifier of Class A-100D)

Solid gold-plated loudspeaker connections for banana plugs, fork plugs and screw plug

Phono Amplifier (MM & MC)

Frequency range

5-50k Hz (non flatness <0.5db)

Misc

Remote control in aluminium

Some user reviews .

http://www.iqspeakers.co.uk/?gclid=CJfq-7nu9MgCFSoEwwodtMEDOQ#!abrahamsen-v20up-intergrated-amplifier/c1vfy

Hope this gives you something to think about .*smile*

 

[rmatthew]

I was going to get the XTZ but when I pinged the company they said they are out of stock and have stopped making them. Apparently there is a new one on its way but not until the end of the year.

The Abrahamsen looks nice!! *biggrin*

 

[rainsoothe]

Unfortunately, as some1 on this forum tried to buy a XTZ A100D3, he found out they're out of stock, and that XTZ are developing a new amp.

 

[Electro]

Unfortunately, as some1 on this forum tried to buy a XTZ A100D3, he found out they're out of stock, and that XTZ are developing a new amp.

That's a shame *sad* , it seems odd that they have run out of stock before the new model is ready unless they sold their existing stock far more quicly than expected.

It will be interesting to see what the new amp will be like .

 

[rainsoothe]

Unfortunately, as some1 on this forum tried to buy a XTZ A100D3, he found out they're out of stock, and that XTZ are developing a new amp.

That's a shame *sad* , it seems odd that they have run out of stock before the new model is ready unless they sold their existing stock far more quicly than expected.

It will be interesting to see what the new amp will be like .

Hell yeah! Either it will have at least USB dac, and they'll launch matching streamer/cdp whatever, or have an all-in-one - much like the Hegel 160.

 

[Jota180]

You'll get a whole lot of Yamaha amp with an inbuilt DAC for that money.

 

[keeper of the quays]

All i can suggest if your patient? Its defo worth waiting to get quad/mf...in my opinion, once installed in hifi theres no reason to change them .listened today to my mates cyrus cdxtse..through htp6000 pre amp! Sounded incredible..and thats thru htp dac! I cant fault either quad or htp...

 

[CnoEvil]

You might consider Peachtree Nova 65SE.

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_664715932]

Why is no1 mentioning the creek evolution 50a with ruby dac.

are british hifi manufacturers not making good hifi or is it all about abrahamsen in this forum?

 

[Andrewjvt]

Why is no1 mentioning the creek evolution 50a with ruby dac.

are british hifi manufacturers not making good hifi or is it all about abrahamsen in this forum?

Id go for a 2nd hand leema pulse

 

[CnoEvil]

Why is no1 mentioning the creek evolution 50a with ruby dac.

Possibly because it's £150 over the top budget of £1k. The OP wants to be closer to £750....good choice though.

 

[gasolin]

Mabye the nad C355BEE dac or marantz PM7005

 

[rmatthew]

Thanks for all of your suggestions, my thoughts below:

Peachtree Nova 65SE - Looks promising but would probably go for the 125SE, however can't find any to buy. 🙁

Creek Evolution 50A + Ruby DAC - A little over budget and under powered.

Leema Pulse - None currently for sale.

NAD 355BEE - I currently have a NAD 320BEE and fancy a change. 🙂

Marantz PM7005 - under powered.

Audiolab 8200DQ+8200P - This was my initial thought (DQ or M-DAC) and is still on the shortlist.

 

[rmatthew]

All i can suggest if your patient? Its defo worth waiting to get quad/mf...in my opinion, once installed in hifi theres no reason to change them .listened today to my mates cyrus cdxtse..through htp6000 pre amp! Sounded incredible..and thats thru htp dac! I cant fault either quad or htp...

How does the 707 compare to the 909? There is one of these for sale.

 

[Electro]

I know you want a change from a Nad but this C356BEE-DAC ticks all the boxes with built in dac and it has real world power ( no exaggeration of spec ) with very good transient power capabilty.

http://nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-356BEE-DAC-Stereo-Integrated-Amplifier

 

[rmatthew]

I know you want a change from a Nad but this C356BEE-DAC ticks all the boxes with built in dac and it has real world power ( no exaggeration of spec ) with very good transient power capabilty.

http://nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/C-356BEE-DAC-Stereo-Integrated-Amplifier

Hmmm, I did see this before but discounted due to being 80W. However, as you state their measurement is different than most. I saw this from a review on their website:

Close to 200 watts at 4 ohms and 113 watts into 8 ohms are delivered into our load resistors by the NAD C 356BEE Digital – mind you, for each stereo channel!

Certainly worth being on the shortlist based on this.

 

[John R Leddy]

Cambridge Audio CXA80 Integrated Amplifier

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/cx/cxa80

 

[wilro15]

I would go for a Leema Elements Integrated + DAC. Very nice piece of kit, used to own one myself. There is one going on fleabay for £800. Well built, solid sound and enough power to drive most speakers.

 

[rmatthew]

I would go for a Leema Elements Integrated + DAC. Very nice piece of kit, used to own one myself. There is one going on fleabay for £800. Well built, solid sound and enough power to drive most speakers.

This looks a nice piece of kit but I feel that 55W will be too low. My speakers (Mission 753) like a lot of power.