better amp for Epos M12.2...

[indietronic]

hi! i'm looking for a replacement for my good old nad 3100. speakers are epos m12.2. (which i love) . when i bought 3100 back in 1994 i also purchased Rogers Ls3 (or something if not mistaken) monitors .. around 2000 i sold the speakers because i needed the money and after a number of speakers, i finally bought m12.2 lately...what i notice is that i get muddy sound from nad (even after having changed ALL capacitors with bigger Nippon ones ), ok epos are musical but i need more detail and a clearer sound from my amp. please suggest some integrated (NOT Nad, again) to match my epos speakers and get detailed sound . music played is old (classic/psychedelic/prog etc) rock up to mid 70s, jazz, and classical. so i want a both mild/soft and detailed sound . not with grease/mud (how else can i explain) that i get from nad..

i'd consider even a second-hand purchase in case it is in pristine condition , else a brand new boxed amplifier would be fine. (suggestions on e-stores would be highly appreciated)

some models i'm interested in are : roksan kandy K2, Nain XS (second-hand maybe), creek evo/evo2/destiny. densen b100 (used).

i have marantz cd 5003 player and i like the marantz sound , dunno if i can combine it with a marantz amp and get the sound i want..

finally i'd like the new amp (priced max £1000)
to be able to handle large amounts of current, reason is that i'm moving to a new bigger
house next year, so maybe i'll get some new floorstanders (it would be
wise to keep the amp that i will buy now)
[/b]

 

[SteveR750]

If you really dislike the NAD "sound" then you might not like the K2 either, though I suspect that a C355 sounds a whole planet better than the 3100 that you have. About 3 years ago I upgraded my 15 year old 3130 to a C352 and the dfference was huge, so it might be wise not to use your 3100 as a benchmark for current NAD product.

 

[indietronic]

SteveR750:If you really dislike the NAD "sound" then you might not like the K2 either, though I suspect that a C355 sounds a whole planet better than the 3100 that you have. About 3 years ago I upgraded my 15 year old 3130 to a C352 and the dfference was huge, so it might be wise not to use your 3100 as a benchmark for current NAD product.

maybe you're right, i have identified 3100's performance (bear in mind it is a 15 year old machine now) with NAD sound, which might be wrong. i've read several articles stating that i.e. by combining c355 amp with nad's new 545 cd player you get a perfectly matched sound result.. what you think ? should i give it a try, even a sound test ? (certain stores sell the pair at almost £650 !!)

can you tell me what you did encounter (concerning old muddy sound on 3130 /apparently 3100's brother! ) when upgrading from 3130 to 352bee ... Did you get a much much tighter bass (which is what i mainly need) and not grease, mud in mid-low band ?

moreover tell me more about k2, why did you change/upgrade from nad to roksan ?

 

[SteveR750]

Because the K2 is much more open, detailed dynamic, and much better LF control. Notes start and stop better, its much easier to hear exactly what a bass guitarist is doing. The jump from the C352 to K2 was probably biger than 3130 to C352, tho the 352 is very capable.

Im selling a 3 yr old 352 and 542 in immaculate condition on flea bay if you're interested!

 

[drummerman]

I'd guess a Naim XS could possibly match nicely. I tried one with some old/new MS's/Epos and it made nice music. I would be surprised if you find an XS s/h. Try one at a good dealer even though it may be above your budget at present.

 

[matthewpiano]

Try and get a demo of the Denon PMA1500AE. Works very well with Epos speakers and, depending on your preferences, might just be what you are looking for.

 

[Anonymous]

Creek and EPOS go well together apparently

 

[drummerman]

matthewpiano:Try and get a demo of the Denon PMA1500AE. Works very well with Epos speakers and, depending on your preferences, might just be what you are looking for.

Perhaps I've missed something here (I'm not on this forum as much as I used to be) but did'nt you change from the Denon PMA1500AE to an Audiolab to an old Pioneer A400?

 

[matthewpiano]

drummerman:
matthewpiano:Try and get a demo of the Denon PMA1500AE. Works very well with Epos speakers and, depending on your preferences, might just be what you are looking for.

Perhaps I've missed something here (I'm not on this forum as much as I used to be) but did'nt you change from the Denon PMA1500AE to an Audiolab to an old Pioneer A400?

Yes, although the Audiolab was only on home demo. I've since ended up with a NAD C325BEE again but that doesn't mean the Denon won't suit another listener. It remains a very capable amp with plenty of power.

 

[indietronic]

SteveR750:
Because the K2 is much more open, detailed dynamic, and much better LF control. Notes start and stop better, its much easier to hear exactly what a bass guitarist is doing. The jump from the C352 to K2 was probably biger than 3130 to C352, tho the 352 is very capable.

Im selling a 3 yr old 352 and 542 in immaculate condition on flea bay if you're interested!

you think that k2 and epos together would produce a smooth and warm sound without the mud in mid/bass i get from the 3100 ? i want detail and warmth in some perfect balance.... deep controlled bass is ok for me but i use to listen to for hours.... you see.

 

[indietronic]

drummerman:
I'd guess a Naim XS could possibly match nicely. I tried one with some old/new MS's/Epos and it made nice music. I would be surprised if you find an XS s/h. Try one at a good dealer even though it may be above your budget at present.

try ebay. you'll be surprised !

i wonder which of the two ROksan K2 / Naim XS does have more power reserves (to drive more difficult speakers) ? dont mess with the specs, i guess k2 wins , just in action ..