This is my first post, since recently joining this forum, though I have spent hours reading past posts in the last few days. My dilemma is what to do about mt current amp situation. The story goes like this. Nearly three weeks ago I decided to get a new amp, cd player and speakers. After reading lots of reviews on the internet I went along to my local Superfi and asked for a demo of a matching pair of Marantz cd player and amp 6003's, with B&W 685 speakers, and also with a switch of amps to a Rotel RA 04SE with the rest of the set-up. It was a borderline decision but I decided on the Marantz amp with the cd 6003 and the B&W 685's. I had trouble adjusting to the amp, particularly to its bright sound in classical music. Orchestral strings were fine but operatic singers' voices were too bright, trebly and sharp, and wind instruments, both brass but particularly wood-wind like oboes, incredibly bright, with a lingering brightness too long after the notes had been played. And sometimes, in opera, sudden dramatic orchestral moments were like being attacked. The limited amount of pop music I played: Bruce Springsteen and Shakin' Stevens and the Shadows were fine, indeed good. Anyway I went along to hear another demo at Superfi, a reapeat of the original comparison. This time I favoured the Rotel Ra 04SE over the Marantz, so an exchange was agreed, and done that same day. This was two weeks on by now since the original purchase, and the manager had to be consulted re the exchange. But since getting the Rotel, now six days ago, I have become increasingly stressed by the sound in various areas of music. The amp is supposed to be softer then the Marantz but it is not! It is sharper and more trebly and opera singers sounded more trebly, sharper and indeed more distorted than on the Marantz. Orchestral strings are brighter, though wind instruments are not as bright as on the Marantz. But the really troubling blow happened tonight when I played a variety of pop music and some folk. Up until then I had simply thought that only classical music was going to be the crunch area. Not so! A 1993 Pete Seeger cd was extremely sharp in places. The pop music wasn't so bad but not at all as good as the Marantz: the Rotel sound being thinner, lighter, more diffuse and more trebly. So what am I to do? I don't know if Superfi will let me exchange back to the Marantz (as it was I was lucky enough to get away with the slightest of scratches on the Marantz when I took it back, which was barely noticeable but they noticed and were decidedly reluctant to allow the exchange for the Rotel - and in terms of what they have in stock in the same price range I don't know of any other alternative to the pm 6003. But I don't think I can live with the Rotel! I have had fantasies tonight of slinging it out of the window!
What I was looking for in the first place and still am is a soft and natural sound, which is especially important for me in classical music, which I listen to a lot, in most of its forms. But the same also applies to pop and folk. I remember when I got my first real hi-fi sound system 15 years ago my disillusionment then which actually put me off listening to music at home for a good few years. I had got by on bits and pieces of cheap second-hand or give-away pieces up until then, and the £800 I then forked out on my new system from Richer Sounds was a bit of a shock to my system with the diffuse, light, trebly, sharp sound - with not enough depth. Amazing detail compared to before, yes, but where was the smooth sound with sufficient depth I was looking for with which to listen to music I loved The fun went out of listening to music - though I suppose I learnt with time to get used to the sound, to some extent, that is. Oh I took stuff back and exchanged it for other items, and listened to various speakers and amps, but it didn't work. What I ended up with was a NAD 302 amp, Gale 4 floorstander speakers, a Sansui cd player and an incredibly harsh and sharp sounding Denon tuner. But now this old sound of mine seems so much better than what I have just upgraded to - though it was never quite right though. Some of you may be surprised by criticism of my old sound system, or indeed the Rotel, but there it is. But I do know by now that some of you do have a problem with trends going back to the 1980's with this modern penchant for a very detailed, harsh, shrill sound in particularly the so-called budget range - though I do wonder if more expensive systems might even compound the problem - particuarly with the enhanced detail and high frequency emphasis that might show up any inadequacies in the original recording - let alone a rather worn LP!
I have given my old Nad amp as a present to a close friend but she is prepared to swap with my new Rotel amp if I need to.
I am sorry to have opened my account on this Forum with such a long email, but if you have read it - any responses to the various above quandaries I find myself in about the Rotel, etc, would be most welcome.
Magzy
What I was looking for in the first place and still am is a soft and natural sound, which is especially important for me in classical music, which I listen to a lot, in most of its forms. But the same also applies to pop and folk. I remember when I got my first real hi-fi sound system 15 years ago my disillusionment then which actually put me off listening to music at home for a good few years. I had got by on bits and pieces of cheap second-hand or give-away pieces up until then, and the £800 I then forked out on my new system from Richer Sounds was a bit of a shock to my system with the diffuse, light, trebly, sharp sound - with not enough depth. Amazing detail compared to before, yes, but where was the smooth sound with sufficient depth I was looking for with which to listen to music I loved The fun went out of listening to music - though I suppose I learnt with time to get used to the sound, to some extent, that is. Oh I took stuff back and exchanged it for other items, and listened to various speakers and amps, but it didn't work. What I ended up with was a NAD 302 amp, Gale 4 floorstander speakers, a Sansui cd player and an incredibly harsh and sharp sounding Denon tuner. But now this old sound of mine seems so much better than what I have just upgraded to - though it was never quite right though. Some of you may be surprised by criticism of my old sound system, or indeed the Rotel, but there it is. But I do know by now that some of you do have a problem with trends going back to the 1980's with this modern penchant for a very detailed, harsh, shrill sound in particularly the so-called budget range - though I do wonder if more expensive systems might even compound the problem - particuarly with the enhanced detail and high frequency emphasis that might show up any inadequacies in the original recording - let alone a rather worn LP!
I have given my old Nad amp as a present to a close friend but she is prepared to swap with my new Rotel amp if I need to.
I am sorry to have opened my account on this Forum with such a long email, but if you have read it - any responses to the various above quandaries I find myself in about the Rotel, etc, would be most welcome.
Magzy
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