Amplifier for KEF R3 Meta?

[nopiano]

Two thoughts:-

1. As you play at lower levels, and have neighbours to consider, tone controls might be especially useful. That narrows the amplifier field quite a bit.

2. I would also defer purchase of a sub-woofer until you have the R3 in place. They are hardly withering flowers in the bass department, and I’m not convinced a sub will necessarily improve your quiet listening.

 

[Nick607]

Two thoughts:-

1. As you play at lower levels, and have neighbours to consider, tone controls might be especially useful. That narrows the amplifier field quite a bit.

2. I would also defer purchase of a sub-woofer until you have the R3 in place. They are hardly withering flowers in the bass department, and I’m not convinced a sub will necessarily improve your quiet listening.

What do you mean by “hardly withering flowers”?

 

[nopiano]

What do you mean by “hardly withering flowers”?

They have a strong bass output.

 

[matthewpianist]

I am also considering these.
I read that Steve Huffman review and he says there that there less weight in the low frequencies and so said The British Audiophile when comparing Roksan attessa to 7000a.
What about the Roksan?

The Audiolabs aren't lacking at the bass end, but they are less obvious - it's quite a neutral sound overall with no part of the frequency range favoured over another.

I haven't heard the Attessa, but I have previously owned a K3 and heard other Roksan amps. Traditionally, Roksan's more affordable amps have been very punchy and upfront but I felt the K3 was quite different to the previous K2 in this respect in that it was more polite and refined.

I've had another thought, which I encourage you to explore... Denon's PMA900HNE. It has plenty of energy, excellent build quality and the HEOS streaming platform is built-in, giving you a higher quality source right there in the box. @nopiano mentioned tone controls, and they're present too (and can also be bypassed if preferred). There's digital connectivity to plug your TV into, and you won't find the sound lacking compared to the price-comparable competition. I've found Denon and KEF to be a great match in the past.

 

[plastic penguin]

Having heard the earlier R300, they certainly bang more than most standmounts. Even though they're not difficult to drive they do require good amplification to make the most of them.