AV Amp for MA RS8 Speakers

[admin_exported]

looking at upgrading my Av amp in the not to distant future and was after any advice on which to sort list for audition, like the look of the new Rotel kit and if funds permit Arcam AV500. budget is 2 grand maybe pushing to the Arcam price. below in my sig is my equipment. would be greatful of any help.

 

[bigboss]

Yamahas are known to pair very well with Monitor Audio speakers. Check out the Yamaha DSP-Z7.

http://whathifi.com/Review/Yamaha-DSP-Z7/

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the reply bigboss, have heard mixed reports with glitch's ( no different from Arcam i surpose) having said that and glitch's aside surposed to be very good, just have to see if i would be able to live with that orange disply.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

smmee:looking at upgrading my Av amp in the not to distant future and was after any advice on which to sort list for audition, like the look of the new Rotel kit and if funds permit Arcam AV500. budget is 2 grand maybe pushing to the Arcam price. below in my sig is my equipment. would be greatful of any help.

Hi smmee

You should consider Yamaha's DSP-Z7 AV amplifier. It will work superbly with your equipment.

Imo the DSP-Z7 is the finest VFM AV amplifier currently on the market (even at an RRP of £1960).

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

You could look at either the Yamaha DSPZ7, or the Pioneer SCLX82, probably the best 2 AV amplifiers under £2k at the moment (not heard the new Onkyo's yet). Both have their own handy features, and will work well with your speakers. My personal choice would be the DSPZ7 - especially at their current selling price.

 

[pete321]

smmee:thanks for the reply bigboss, have heard mixed reports with glitch's ( no different from Arcam i surpose) having said that and glitch's aside surposed to be very good, just have to see if i would be able to live with that orange disply.

I don't think you'll need to worry about any issues with the Z7, it's been out long enough for firmware to take care of any initial bugs. I got a refund on my Arcam AVR600 to buy the Z7 and have been very satisfied. You can get the Z7 for less than £1500, a superb buy at that price. Avoid Pioneer with MA RS speakers, it'll be too bright and clinical.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

pete321:

smmee:thanks for the reply bigboss, have heard mixed reports with glitch's ( no different from Arcam i surpose) having said that and glitch's aside surposed to be very good, just have to see if i would be able to live with that orange disply.

I don't think you'll need to worry about any issues with the Z7, it's been out long enough for firmware to take care of any initial bugs. I got a refund on my Arcam AVR600 to buy the Z7 and have been very satisfied. You can get the Z7 for less than £1500, a superb buy at that price. Avoid Pioneer with MA RS speakers, it'll be too bright and clinical.

Hi pete321

Good post.

smmee, i agree with pete321 in that the LX82 is not an ideal match for the Monitor Audio speakers.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'll have to disagree with you both there. If it was a bad match, I wouldn't have recommended it. Anybody who has heard the new RX series will know straight away how much smoother the RX is than their predecessors, the RS's. I agree the RS's would be too bright for the Pioneer, but not the RX's. Not that speaker brightness with the Pioneer is an issue anyway with it's X-Curve control. As an example, our main AV demo room is quite bright and reflective, and when used with M&K it tends to make them sound brighter than they are. When we tried the S150's on the LX82 it was initially a little bright, but going through the set up, and playing with the X-Curve control, I was able to take that brightness off, making the room much more listenable than it would be with many other AV amps.

But like I said, the RX is much smoother than the RS, and even the GS ranges.

 

[pete321]

FrankHarveyHiFi: But like I said, the RX is much smoother than the RS, and even the GS ranges.

Yes, the MA RX would be OK with Pioneer with the new MA smoother sound, but the question was about RS8's which are a different kettle of fish.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

FrankHarveyHiFi:

I'll have to disagree with you both there. If it was a bad match, I wouldn't have recommended it. Anybody who has heard the new RX series will know straight away how much smoother the RX is than their predecessors, the RS's. I agree the RS's would be too bright for the Pioneer, but not the RX's. Not that speaker brightness with the Pioneer is an issue anyway with it's X-Curve control. As an example, our main AV demo room is quite bright and reflective, and when used with M&K it tends to make them sound brighter than they are. When we tried the S150's on the LX82 it was initially a little bright, but going through the set up, and playing with the X-Curve control, I was able to take that brightness off, making the room much more listenable than it would be with many other AV amps.

But like I said, the RX is much smoother than the RS, and even the GS ranges.

Hi David

I believe the Silver RS or the Silver RX range is not an ideal match for the LX82. Besides which why would you want the amplifier to use unnecessary compensation?

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

The X-Curve is on the Pioneer to adjust the HF energy to suit certain types of rooms, and it works equally well on brighter speakers. But as I have said, the RX series isn't bright, so this is a non issue.

Whether you use the X-Curve for room HF or speaker HF compensation, it's no different to using room EQ, which is built into every AV amp/receiver you can buy. Should no one use this then? Admittedly, some will get mixed results, but I'm sure the majority out there are more satisfied with their system using the EQ than without.

Without room EQ, there would be some pretty bad system out there sitting in people's houses.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The X-Curve is on the Pioneer to adjust the HF energy to suit certain types of rooms, and it works equally well on brighter speakers. But as I have said, the RX series isn't bright, so this is a non issue.

Whether you use the X-Curve for room HF or speaker HF compensation, it's no different to using room EQ, which is built into every AV amp/receiver you can buy. Should no one use this then? Admittedly, some will get mixed results, but I'm sure the majority out there are more satisfied with their system using the EQ than without.

Without room EQ, there would be some pretty bad system out there sitting in people's houses.

 

[pete321]

That's all very nice, but we're not talking about RX speakers!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Like I said, RX is a non issue. RS can still be matched up to Pioneer's better AV receivers due to their in depth MCACC room EQ and X-Curve facilities. A recommendation was asked for by smee, and I gave two recommendations, which I still stand by.

The reason I mentioned about the RX was that you said that Pioneer and Monitor Audio as a combination should be avoided, so I was addressing that gross generalisation.

 

[pete321]

FrankHarveyHiFi: The reason I mentioned about the RX was that you said that Pioneer and Monitor Audio as a combination should be avoided, so I was addressing that gross generalisation.

I don't think it was gross generalisation, I specifically said the MA RS range which whilst being very good speakers, they have the same sonic tendancies as Pioneer, very detailed, but pairing the 2 together may produce overly clinical or perhaps harsh results with some recordings. As I said earlier in the thread, I'd agree that the new RX range have a smoother sound and would be OK with Pioneer, but as smee has RS speakers that's neither here nor there.

As Rick has said, why use X-Curve to change the sound to suit the speakers if you don't have to, buy a more neutral amp that's better suited to your speakers in the first place.

 

[Frank Harvey]

MCACC and X-Curve

 

[pete321]

As least artificial processing as necessary!

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm not having a go here, I'm just stating what I know after 20 years in this business/interest/hobby, and I've been a long term Yamaha user for even longer, so at least you know I'm not doing this to push the Pioneer. I prefer the Yamaha, but the Pioneer is a viable alternative for the OP. I like to give people alternatives rather than just recommend the same thing all the time, except for where I think it's justified. We're all different:

The world don't move to the beat of just one drum.........

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/4092680623_5da573542f_o.jpg

 

[MUSICRAFT]

FrankHarveyHiFi:

Like I said, RX is a non issue. RS can still be matched up to Pioneer's better AV receivers due to their in depth MCACC room EQ and X-Curve facilities. A recommendation was asked for by smee, and I gave two recommendations, which I still stand by.

The reason I mentioned about the RX was that you said that Pioneer and Monitor Audio as a combination should be avoided, so I was addressing that gross generalisation.

Hi David

You mean just like yours/Frank Harvey's repeated gross generalisation about the compatability with ATC speakers/products.

Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Craig M.]

you mean something like they need a power station to get them singing!

 

[Anonymous]

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!!!!

love this forum

first off thanks for the responses pete321, graig, david and rick, the yami and the pioneer are going to go onto my short list to see if my ears agree, my speakers and my current amp have done me well even though they are surposed to be bright together. most of the time (70 percent) sounds good however the other 30 percent the combination is a tad bright (mainly with music) which i was putting down to the recordings of most newer cds all movies awsome. but all recommendation are very much welcome. david i see the rotel gear is on your website have you heard then?? none for miles around cambridge way.

and again many thanks

 

[MUSICRAFT]

smmee:

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!!!!

love this forum

first off thanks for the responses pete321, graig, david and rick, the yami and the pioneer are going to go onto my short list to see if my ears agree, my speakers and my current amp have done me well even though they are surposed to be bright together. most of the time (70 percent) sounds good however the other 30 percent the combination is a tad bright (mainly with music) which i was putting down to the recordings of most newer cds all movies awsome. but all recommendation are very much welcome. david i see the rotel gear is on your website have you heard then?? none for miles around cambridge way.

and again many thanks

Hi smmee

Thanks for your post.

The DSP-Z7 will be the ideal match for your speakers. I know Rotel equipment very well as i have sold plenty of it over the years and than some and than some! However good as it is i believe the upfront presentation of the latest Fifteen Series will not be ideal for your speakers.

Monitor Audio speakers + Yamaha AV amps = great match (time after time)

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Rick

I thought that was going to be the answer on the rotel kit shame cause it looks so good.

so thats another one off the list.

 

[Frank Harvey]

MUSICRAFT:Hi David

You mean just like yours/Frank Harvey's repeated gross generalisation about the compatability with ATC speakers/products.

Thanks

Rick @ MusicraftThe "gross generalisation" as you call it is my doing, not Frank's, he's involved in other aspects of the business, and is far too busy to get involved in forums. My efforts to help people get the most from their systems is also shared by Kevin, who will say exactly as I have said, and he takes 2 channel even more serious than me. Between myself and Kevin we share over 50 years of experience, so we're not doing this for a laugh.

You may think I'm making it all up, but what about those who have said they've found they need a better amp or have bought a better amp for their ATC's and basically backed up what I've said? And that goes for owners of Spendors and the like as well.

All I'm trying to do is make sure people are getting the most from their speakers and systems - it's not something I take lightly. I made a big thing on another forum about people buying £400 AV amps to drive £800+ floorstanders and moaning that they didn't sound very good. That too was like banging my head against a brick wall, but I stuck at it, and a few people had auditions and saw the light. Those few made it worth it, as they're now listening to an AV system that works well and sounds like it should do - detail, immediacy, and punch, rather than a veiled, mushy mess.

Have you actually compared a Nait 5i and a Nait XS with SCM11's yet Rick? If you're letting your customers walk out with £300 amps to drive their ATC's, then you're doing your customers and ATC a dis-service.

The mods might not leave this post in, but after questioning my knowledge and integrity, it needed to be said (I edited this down too, as my original version would've probably got me banned.).

 

[John Duncan]

Looks ok to me, but a) let's keep it clean gentlemen and b) I'm not Andrew...