Classical Hifi - amp needed

[tomayresss]

Well I just got my Quad 11Ls in mint condition and they look awesome - tried them out on my friend's Yamaha AV amp and they sounded amazing.

Now I need an amp to power them bearing in mind that I'm going to be listening to classical music from either CD (haven't got player yet) or from lossless audio over USB via a DAC (again, haven't got yet), but would like to get the amp first.

I have £350 to spend on the amp, new or second hand.

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[John Duncan]

Normally I'd say Musical Fidelity X-series or A3 s/h, but there are slim pickings on a well known auction site at the mo. You could get a Marantz PM7001 for that money, which I like very much, though the ones going on the same site are overpriced - I'd wait for a s/h one for less than your budget, or even a KI Signature version on budget.

But lastly, if you're patient, you might see a Primare A20, i20 or i21 in budget (I got my A20 mk2 for £315, eventually).

 

[idc]

Second vote for Musical Fidelity. The owner Antony Michaelson is from a classical background and as I type this the violin on 'Election by Adoration' from the soundtrack to Angels and Demons sounds absolutely right.

 

[Hi Fi Decision]

Meridian 551 integrated amp. Should be able to pick one up between £200-300 second hand - cost about £1000 when they were new. Very transparent sound, ideal for classical music. Bullit proof build quality.

 

[tomayresss]

I must say I love the look of the Musical Fidelity stuff. Would something like a B1 be any good or should I look at better? Not sure if the X-series is a little out of my budget...

 

[idc]

My experience is with their headphone amps. MF have had a huge range of products. Is there a dealer you can access who may be able to help. I know that Loud & Clear in Glasgow and Edinburgh have MF kit and sell second hand products. Would you be in a position to hunt around and try and audition something? If you are going to end up buying purely from recommendation then get googling and searching the likes of What hifi. My experience of doing just this, is that with research you get an impression of how the kit is likely to sound. I have certainly found that What hifi are accurate in their descriptions of how kit sounds, hence I am happy to recommend MF kit that I have not specifically heard to you.

In the end if you are not able to audition you have to go with research and your instinct.

 

[John Duncan]

I think you could get X-A1, X-A2, X-80 and X-150 in budget.....

 

[tomayresss]

Sounds good

Any other suggestions aside from MF?

Anything like a NAD C352? Or should I spend more?

 

[batonwielder]

NAD will be an excellent match for your speakers. While the Quad's are very detailed and bright, any NAD amplifier will provide enough power and warmth.

I don't think you should spend any more than a mid-priced NAD.

 

[Anonymous]

If you happen to stumble across any Quad integrated or pre/power combo for the money then give it serious consideration. For example, the 99 or 77.

EDIT Link removed

 

[tomayresss]

Ooh thanks for that find...do you reckon its worth £265 yes?

 

[Anonymous]

If it's in sound condition then I would suggest yes, purely because they're quite rare. It would cost about £100 to get Quad to service it too, whether now or in the future. Quad have one of the best service desks I've ever known and they give me confidence that broken kit can be resurrected.

I'll get rid of the link above to avoid other interest