AV or HIFI Amplifier ?

[admin_exported]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a newbee to the forum but not to hifi. I've had lots of hifi and av amps but am now in a bit of a predicament.

I have just bought a pair of Yamaha NS-555 and am looking for an amp to drive them. I listen to music mainly but would put tv and movies through it too. I'm happy to sacrifice surround sound as long as the the audio qualities are far better than an AV amp. I like to use tone controls.

The speakers are 6 ohm 100w min, 250w max.

I have been looking at the following amps but can't demo them:

STEREO AMPS

Denon PMA2000AE

Onkyo A9555

AV AMPS

Denon 2808, 3808,4808

Onkyo 705, 875

Which one would give me the best audio sound and what is the minimum wattage i would need to drive the speakers ?

Grateful for any advice

All the best

Paul

 

[Anonymous]

How sensitive are the speakers?

 

[robg1976]

Hi mate if you mainly listen to music then get a stereo amp...av amps have 5 maybe more channels so cost more to make because of all the amplifier inside . you will have to spend maybe 3 times as much to get an av amp that sounds as good as a hi-fi amp a £500 stereo amp will sound better than a £1000 av amp and if you mainly listen to music why bother

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Is there a reason you are sticking to only Denon or Onkyo? You would probably find that spending a fair amount less would still give you a great sound... Maybe a Rotel or a Marantz, both at around 2-300 GBP.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="lazyscouser"]I like to use tone controls.
[/quote]

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Thaiman"]
[quote user="lazyscouser"]I like to use tone controls.
[/quote]

[/quote]

I thought you were unable to use formatting

 

[Anonymous]

I agree, you don't need an amplifier worth that much for those speakers. If I was you, I would buy a Surround Amplifier/Reciever because unless you are spending more on speakers the difference will be marginal. I would go for the Onkyo TX-SR605 for this or if you wanted to you could go more expensive...

If you were going for the stereo hi-fi set-up however, I would lean towards the Marantz PM6002 rather than the CLASS-D amplifiers you mentioned which don't give a particularly nice sound to most ears...

 

[JoelSim]

Hifi, Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha don't go!

 

[JoelSim]

It is fair. None of these companies make decent hifi. The closest they get is the 515 Onkyo which is a mini system. Otherwise they are decent in AV. Hifi and music is not their forte.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Hifi, Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha don't go![/quote]

Why?....

I wish you don't keep posting like above mate! If you know anything about HiFi then you will know that Japan made many fantastic HiFi gears.

Onkyo Grand Integra 6990 cd player/ Harmon Kardon HK680 amp/ Yamaha NS1000M speakers, all very old gearsfrom many many years ago, still would show your system the door!

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Thaiman"]
[quote user="JoelSim"]Hifi, Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha don't go![/quote]

Why?....

I wish you don't keep posting like above mate! If you know anything about HiFi then you will know that Japan made many fantastic HiFi gears.

Onkyo Grand Integra 6990 cd player/ Harmon Kardon HK680 amp/ Yamaha NS1000M speakers, all very old gearsfrom many many years ago, still would show your system the door!
[/quote]

Don't want to butt in, but isn;t HK American? The PM665VXI was a great amplifier, legendary, just like the 680 you mentioned.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="Jan Hibma"]but isn;t HK American?[/quote]

made in Japan

 

[JoelSim]

[quote user="Thaiman"]
[quote user="JoelSim"]Hifi, Onkyo, Denon and Yamaha don't go![/quote]

Why?....

I wish you don't keep posting like above mate! If you know anything about HiFi then you will know that Japan made many fantastic HiFi gears.

Onkyo Grand Integra 6990 cd player/ Harmon Kardon HK680 amp/ Yamaha NS1000M speakers, all very old gearsfrom many many years ago, still would show your system the door!
[/quote]

Not a chance Thaiman. Next time you are in London come and have a listen.

You know as well as anyone that there isn't an AV amp (and espcially those mentioned in the first post) that will come close to a half decent UK/US/Euro amp/CD combo for 2 channel hifi listening. They may do a better job listening to and watching a blockbuster movie but that's it...

I also know you don't like Arcam, but to me having listened to many many systems and including hi-end at shows, my system is pretty much up there with the best at the price range. No it wn't touch a Krell/McIntosh/Leema/Martin Logan or hi-end Linn/Naim etc but it's pretty close and considerably better than most of the Japanese at £1k per component.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Thaiman"]
[quote user="Jan Hibma"]but isn;t HK American?[/quote]

made in Japan

[/quote]

Ehh, going by that route, then there's alot of Chinese stuff out there. Including some brands people consider pure British.

 

[Thaiman]

and design in Japan

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Not a chance Thaiman. Next time you are in London come and have a listen.[/quote]

Er...I don't need to go there to listen to Arcam. I never ever tell you that your kits are bad anyway! I don't get on with them because of my taste in music doesn't suited to Arcam. and when you said they are considerably better than most of the Japanese at £1k per component and very close to the like of High end Krell, McIntosh etc .....I have no further comment mate

 

[JoelSim]

Well if you can suggest any Japanese kit that has had as good reviews as Arcam at £1k per component then please let me know. I don't care which magazine review you want to use...just show me a product that has had reviews as good across the board.

Just because you don't like Arcam doesn't mean it's not very good. Most hifi reviewers have a great respect for the company and the consistently good products they have produced over the past 30 years.

By the way what sort of music do you like? If it's rock then I can understand why you don't get on with Arcam.

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Just because you don't like Arcam doesn't mean it's not very good[/quote]

Please read my post above your post

I never said they're not very good.

and there is so much different between reading reviews and go out there, buy them, listen to them for weeks and weeks.

If I gonna list all the HiFi gears I have owned, listen at my mates's house or long demo then we gonna have 10 pages post for the first time here!. other member, Bloney, know me from another place (which Andrew wouldn't like me to say where, Im sure!) may be if he is reading this he could confirm How many gears I have gone through as a box swapper. I don't know what is the problem here, you love Arcam, I don't....end of.

PS I still have an Arcam DVD89, superb player, I thought I better tell you that.

 

[JoelSim]

No problem Thaiman. I read your comments regularly and respect what you say, and I know you change your hifi more often than I change my underpants.

Why do you swap boxes so often? I've found something I can listen to for hours and hours that sounds cleaner, more musical, more detailed than many of my friends' systems including good quality MF X Ray/X50 monoblocs etc, I've owned Linn, Pioneer, Epos, Yamaha, Celestion, Tannoy, B&W etc etc and what I now have is way better for the music I listen to. Haven't you found anything that you are comfortable with yet?

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="JoelSim"]Haven't you found anything that you are comfortable with yet?[/quote]

Yes, every month

Honestly mate, don't go there.....highly addictive and can be costly if buy at the wrong price

. Stick with the gears that you know they for you.

Good news though I might just found my HiFi Nirvana (or as close as it get)

 

[JoelSim]

What is it?

I'm addicted too. Expensive to say the least and one day I will have have Nirvana too, if that's possible without having Eva Cassidy in my front room

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="JoelSim"] if that's possible without having Eva Cassidy in my front room[/quote]

She was one of the great! I remember listening to her album and tears just run down my face without I realised it! I am quite sure the set up was Classe cdp-10, Krell 400Xi and Sonus Faber Cremona. Full with Emotion that was and rock very very well too.

 

[JoelSim]

Thaiman, I would be interested to hear your views on the best £1k speakers. What do you think of ProAc Tablette Reference 8 Signatures?

I have these and Dali Ikon 6 and the ProAcs are totally different and much more forgiving than the Dalis actually.

 

[kungula]

I love my small Arcam. I listen to Jazz and soul basically.
And I must agree with Joel Sim Arcam is very close to high end.
Sorry Thaiman

 

[JoelSim]

[quote user="kungula"]I love my small Arcam. I listen to Jazz and soul basically.
And I must agree with Joel Sim Arcam is very close to high end.
Sorry Thaiman[/quote]

There are plenty of us fans Kungula.