CD/Amp Combination - Help With Audition List

[dusty545]

I'm putting together a short list for potential additions to my new home theatre/listening room and am after any suggestions. There are, however, a few key criteria to meet (aren't there always?).

1. The amp must be able to provide a bypass of the volume control (unity gain/HT bypass) as it will be providing power for the front left and right speakers in my 5.1 set up. The speakers are 6 ohm / 93db floorstanders.

2. The products must be available in Australia. This isn't as painful as it might initially sound as there's a pretty lively market here but you can bet that after shipping/distributor's cut/etc the price in Aus $ will be about 2.5 times the UK price.

3. The budget for both items is about $4000 (about 2000 quid).

So far my list has the folliwing suspects:

a - Cambridge Audio 840A/840C

b - Harman Kardon HK990/HD990

I'd love to put in a Cyrus 6 or Naim 5i but both would easily take it over the budget.

Any recommendations?

 

[Anonymous]

i had a listen to the peachtree audio nova the other day which isnt at all bad and has the bypass you want

it has a tube section and has an input to its dacs, which means you could connect your dvd or blue ray player to that rather than having a separate cd player

its a rich sounding amp with a sweet treble though in comparison with an electrocompaniet three times the price missed a touch of detail in the highs bass performance good but again not quite as detailed

edit just saw the price and its cheaper down your neck of the woods than in europe so your not missing out

 

[Anonymous]

Check out the Simaudio Moon amps which do have the bypass ....

I have had an i5 for the last 3 years and about to upgrade to pre/power P8/W7

Moon do amazing kit!

 

[the record spot]

Some Eastern Electric kit is well worth a listen, as is Unison Research's stuff. Plenty of options outside of the usual suspect at this end of the price bracket.

The HK pairing is well worth a listen however, but consider also the Marantz 8003 which offers SACD and the Stello transport and DAC combination which is also well reviewed. That's around £1200 or so, but you might get a deal on either it and/or the HK990 amp, to still bring it in under the £2000 mark.

 

[dusty545]

one off - I usually try to keep away from valves and I'm not too sure about how the pseudo-retro wood will fit in with the rest of the kit but there's one in a local dealer so I'll add it in.

Big Air - I've heard good things about Simaudio's Moon stuff but they're pricey here (about $2500 each for the 1 series amp and CD players) and a little harder to find but I'll check it out.

the record spot - I've the worst luck imaginable with valves and Unison Research is pricey esoterica here but Marantz is easily available. Not keen on the "meh" styling but if it sounds good... PM7000KI perhaps?

All - Many thanks for the tips! I'll have a better look today and please keep them coming if you have a recommendation.... Just please avoid valves if possible (they REALLY don't like me) and I'm not keen on maintaining the little glass (as nice as they sound).

 

[Anonymous]

Are you sure you want to spend all that cash to listen to Rolf and Kylie?????

 

[the record spot]

Hi Dusty,

Ah right, you're in Aus, forgot that. How about Melody then? They're an Aussie company and build their kit in China. It's valves again (sorry!), but the reviews are superb for their kit. I'm assuming that you're in a position to fairly easily get a demo of some amps (though I do think the HK looks extremely tempting and deffo worth checking out).

I think their SP80 amp got rave feedback over here a year or three ago - it retailed for around £800 in the UK at the time. Presumably, if it goes it's threepenny bits up, then you'll get a good backup from your dealer.

Not sure what else you can easily pick up over there, and JB's hifi isn't quite what I expected on first look...!!

 

[dusty545]

Darren Heal - The equipment may be in Aus but there's only a bit of Midnight Oil and Men At Work in my collection that's authentic Aussie. Okay, a couple of Judith Durham tracks (but if you want to hear "a great voice without all the studio tricks and then a very careful mastering to make it sound half-decent" you have my recommendation even if the songs aren't your cup of chai). I only moved here three-and-a-bit years ago from Hertfordshire.

the record spot - I could get a Melody SP9 for about $2000 but I've never seen one in shops and really get a knot in my stomach when I contemplate getting a valve amp. Ignore JB Hifi (they're for BluRay disks, DVDs and the odd CD.) Try these for where I'm looking:

www.carltonaudiovisual.com.au

www.audiotrends.com.au

 

[Anonymous]

Only pulling yer leg my friend....

 

[dusty545]

So was I. I do have a Kylie track or two

 

[Anonymous]

dusty545:So was I. I do have a Kylie track or two

Just don't tell us you've got a lifesize JASON DONOVAN poster!!! (Kylie I could understand....)

 

[Anonymous]

dusty545:So was I. I do have a Kylie track or two

Got AC/DC?

(It's a little bit rude....)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCRE9qOgbug

 

[dusty545]

I've got a load of AC/DC but I can't consider them Australian as their singer and both guitarists were born in the UK.

As far as the Jason Donovan poster, the wife made me throw it out but I still have the Dame Edna tea towels.

 

[dusty545]

One Off - The more I take a look at the Peachtree you recommended, the more I like it. If you were giving it a rating out of 5, what would you say?

Anybody else tried the Peachtree Nova?

 

[Anonymous]

thats a difficult one given i was comparing it with amps twice the price but especially at the price in oz id say sound 4.5 value for money 5

its strengths were sweet treble controlled bass and excellent flexibility its a musical amp

where it missed out as i said was in a touch of detail at top and bottom and a touch of space but on the other hand it has an unfatiguing sound which i liked

theres an in depth review of it on stereophile to give you more of an idea

definitely worth a listen in its own right and as a dac/amp combination