My A & R Cambridge has died and I need a new amplifier to drive some Kef Q35 s. My cd player is an ARCAM alpha 8 se. Would a Rega Elicit R be a good buy?
Amplifier recommendation please
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bigfish786
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matthewpiano
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plastic penguin
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CribGoch said:
Can't comment on the Brio, but from the sub-£1000 integrated amps I've heard there isn't a huge a difference, apart from power differences and how that effects dynamics and control.
IMO, once you go above £1000 threshold you gain more subtlety, realism and, amps in this price bracket, won't give you necessarily more detail, but bring out the nuances better.
The major downside to more expensive amps is they tend to be a little more sensitive to speaker matching.
These are only my personal experiences. Others may have a different take.
Al ears
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I pretty much agree with what plastic penguin says.
If you were thinking of spending out for a Elicit R I would be sure to audition the Creek 50A as well as it should, in my opinion, compliment the rest of your system nicely.
PS: Love the name tag (very scary)
If you were thinking of spending out for a Elicit R I would be sure to audition the Creek 50A as well as it should, in my opinion, compliment the rest of your system nicely.
PS: Love the name tag (very scary)
Just another suggestion for you - the MF M6i integrated can be had at a similar £1500 price currently - 200wpc and originally £2600.00.
This is a slightly off the wall suggestion, but if I had around £1600 to spend, I would consider selling the Q35s and looking at a Croft integrated (without phono - £850) with Kef LS50s (£800). IMO. This would be a big upgrade.
Sam Tellig (Stereophile) wrote: "The Croft Phono Integrated amplifier and KEF LS50 loudspeaker made a spectacular combination in my listening room. I welcomed the Croft's warmth, immediacy, and tonality. Once again, Sam's maxim is proved: You can have excellent hi-fi for very little money; you just can't have a lot of it."
Please ignore if you don't want to consider this, but I like to come up with interesting suggestions that might not otherwise have been considered.
Sam Tellig (Stereophile) wrote: "The Croft Phono Integrated amplifier and KEF LS50 loudspeaker made a spectacular combination in my listening room. I welcomed the Croft's warmth, immediacy, and tonality. Once again, Sam's maxim is proved: You can have excellent hi-fi for very little money; you just can't have a lot of it."
Please ignore if you don't want to consider this, but I like to come up with interesting suggestions that might not otherwise have been considered.
Al ears said:
Thanks! The tag name means a lot to me. I took my then fiancee along Crib Goch back in 1988. She was petrified and I was not flavour of the month! She still married me,though.
Al ears said:
Thanks! The tag name means a lot to me. I took my then fiancee along Crib Goch back in 1988. She was petrified and I was not flavour of the month! She still married me,though.
CnoEvil said:
I had thought about doing that. I know the Kefs will need upgrading at some point. If i get a great amp now, I can change the other bits later.
More expensive hi-fi integrated amps tend to be bright, high gain and chuck out all of their power early on the volume dial. Some say manufacturers do this because older gents can afford them, they prefer brighter sound due to hearing loss and tend to be conservative on the volume dial (if an amp is +3db early on its a winner in someones book).
Of course this could be absolutely wrong.
Of course this could be absolutely wrong.
rainsoothe
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The Elciit R is lovely amp - not bright but transparent, open and musical.
It will reward with you with what is exactly on your CD/Vinyl
It is built like a tank, has a lovely feel to it and the volume control is how all volume controls should be!
Demo one, I dont think you will be dissapointed, I loved the sound but circumstances led me onto a Valve amp.
It will reward with you with what is exactly on your CD/Vinyl
It is built like a tank, has a lovely feel to it and the volume control is how all volume controls should be!
Demo one, I dont think you will be dissapointed, I loved the sound but circumstances led me onto a Valve amp.
[/quote]
Under the condition you don't take her back there?
I was going to mention a speaker upgrade, but thought better of it.
[/quote]
No way she'd go back there!
Now I'm confused!
Do I really need to spend £1500 on an amp? Howmuch nbetter would it be than something like the Creek for half the cost?
Under the condition you don't take her back there?
I was going to mention a speaker upgrade, but thought better of it.
[/quote]
No way she'd go back there!
Now I'm confused!
Do I really need to spend £1500 on an amp? Howmuch nbetter would it be than something like the Creek for half the cost?
CribGoch said:
That's a very difficult question to answer, as there are so many variables:
- It depends on the source and speakers you are using.
- If you don't like the sound of an amp, it doesn't matter how expensive it is.
- Not all designs are created equal, so a cheaper amp can compete above its pay grade (and vica versa)
- If you get the Amp / Speaker synergy right, it will then sound better than the sum of its parts.
- The room and setup are so important, that a good system can fall way short of its potential if mistakes are made.
FWIW. I have a rough personal guide, which says that all things being equal, you have to double the price to get a meaningful improvement....though Diminishing returns is always a factor.
Al ears
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Do you need to spend £1500? I would say no but I think this figure came from you mentioning the Elicit R.
Personally spending about £800 should get you a very decent amp (the Creek 50A for example) but as someone else stated the Q35's could easily be improved on. (I did own a pair once but not for very long I must admit.)
How much better would a £1500 amp be? Only you can answer that one. It should, in theory, be better but these days it seems a lot more is spent on the looks of the actual enclosure rather than the quality of the enclosed electronics.
Personally spending about £800 should get you a very decent amp (the Creek 50A for example) but as someone else stated the Q35's could easily be improved on. (I did own a pair once but not for very long I must admit.)
How much better would a £1500 amp be? Only you can answer that one. It should, in theory, be better but these days it seems a lot more is spent on the looks of the actual enclosure rather than the quality of the enclosed electronics.
Al ears said:
I originally idea was to a great amp that I would probably never need to upgrade. (The original A & R A60 had lasted 30 years!). I would spend £1500 on an amp and partner it with my Arcam 8SE CD and q35s. I would then possibly buy new speakers in two years time and change the source (possibly to a hi quality streamer), later on. I would be great to buy the amp and really enjoy the sound now. But I might be disappointed with the sound as I still have relatively budget speakers, so I could instead split the £1500-£1600 on amp and speakers and get a more noticeable improvement now, rather than have to wait two more years. Hmmmm.!
Al ears said:
My original idea was to buy a great amp that I would probably never need to upgrade. (The original A & R A60 had lasted 30 years!). I would spend £1500 on an amp and partner it with my Arcam 8SE CD and q35s. I would then possibly buy new speakers in two years time and change the source (possibly to a hi quality streamer), later on. I would be great to buy the amp and really enjoy the sound now. But I might be disappointed with the sound as I still have relatively budget speakers, so I could instead split the £1500-£1600 on amp and speakers and get a more noticeable improvement now, rather than have to wait two more years. Hmmmm.!
Al ears
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Waiting 2 years to enjoy your system? Nooooooooo!
As you said your amp has died so you'll need to get that sorted soonest,
If you can stretch to £1600 there is absolutely no reason you cannot get a very decent amp / speaker pairing now.
This would buy you a very worthwhile upgrade from your A&R / Kef combo even if you bought new. If you will also consider recent second-hand and /or ex-demo then the world is your oyster.
Not sure of your room size or layout or whether or not you'd stick with Kef speakers (considered standmounts?) but you could get both now if you bite the bullet.
You might also consider a combination of the two (new amp for peace of mind and second-hand speakers), you have a lot of options.
Go for it!
As you said your amp has died so you'll need to get that sorted soonest,
If you can stretch to £1600 there is absolutely no reason you cannot get a very decent amp / speaker pairing now.
This would buy you a very worthwhile upgrade from your A&R / Kef combo even if you bought new. If you will also consider recent second-hand and /or ex-demo then the world is your oyster.
Not sure of your room size or layout or whether or not you'd stick with Kef speakers (considered standmounts?) but you could get both now if you bite the bullet.
You might also consider a combination of the two (new amp for peace of mind and second-hand speakers), you have a lot of options.
Go for it!
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