Integrated Amplifier for Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 2

[admin_exported]

Hello folks,

Have just purchased some Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 2, and am looking for suggests, recommendations, ect on a hifi amplfier. My budget is up to £300 pounds. I am going to purchase a DAC Magic at the same time, and would be playing music mostly off my pc. I am using a tired maratz pm44se at the moment & find that the volume needs to be fairly high to hear the full depth of what i am listening too

thanks inadvance

Simon

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe try a CA (Cambridge Audio) 640A, These are great Amps and go very well with Mordaunt-Short products (as i know)

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Nick

Thanks for taking the time to reply, you dont work for Richer Sounds do you?, that was there sugestion, but as i have just read in another thread they own a 50% stake in both companies, i am now going to take there advice with a pinch of salt.

I have listened to this combination (Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 2 & CA640A) but not in the right enviroment. So will give it another try in the right one.

Has anyone else got any suggestions?

Simon

 

[Andrew Everard]

Golly, someone tries to help and that's what they get???

No, Richer Sounds doesn't own a stake in Cambridge Audio or Mordaunt-Short: both brands are owned by the Audio Partnership, in which Richer Sounds owner Julian Richer does have a stake, but that's the only link.

Richer Sounds is the sole distributor of the two brands in the UK.

However, the reason it's so often suggested that Cambridge Audio and Mordaunt-Short work together is that they do, simply because some of the same people are involved in the design and voicing of both ranges...

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Julian Richer owns Richer Sounds and owns the controlling share in Audio Partnership who own both brands, so clearly there is a conflict of interest, which I have experienced so many times amongst the staff of richer sounds, so regardless of how good the products are, it's there.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I'm sure the CEO of Cambridge Audio would have his own view on how much freedom he has to develop products as he wants.

Perhaps those RS staff make more money on CA products than they do on other brands?

But hey, why let the facts get in the way of a good conspiracy theory...?

 

[Anonymous]

It's not a conspiracy theory, it's just business

Yes, one of the possibilities is that RS receive more commission for selling the CA and mordaunt short products. I can't confirm that's true but it would make sense.

 

[Andrew Everard]

I think James Johnson-Flint, the CEO of Audio Partnership, has made the relationship between the two companies sufficiently clear in past posts.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:

Golly, someone tries to help and that's what they get???

Hey take a chill pill, no offence was intended, and i thanked the poster for taking the time to reply.

Come on its not rocket science, can you not see there is still a conflict of interest there, even if Richer Sounds dont own a stake in Cambridge Audio or Mordaunt-Short but own a stake in Audio Partnership.

Any other suggestions?

Simon

 

[Anonymous]

So you don't think it's possible that higher comission rates are offered for selling MS and CA products then? because if that is the case, then it clearly could influence the RS staff couldn't it.

 

[Andrew Everard]

chamfer:Come on its not rocket science, can you not see there is still a conflict of interest there, even if Richer Sounds dont own a stake in Cambridge Audio or Mordaunt-Short but own a stake in Audio Partnership.

Richer Sounds doesn't own a stake in Audio Partnership. Audio Partnership does own Cambridge Audio and Mordaunt-Short.

hi fi newbie:So you don't think it's possible that higher comission rates are offered for selling MS and CA products then? because if that is the case, then it clearly could influence the RS staff couldn't it.

Yes, which is why I mentioned it six posts ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:

Golly, someone tries to help and that's what they get???

No, Richer Sounds doesn't own a stake in Cambridge Audio or Mordaunt-Short: both brands are owned by the Audio Partnership, in which Richer Sounds owner Julian Richer does have a stake, but that's the only link.

Richer Sounds is the sole distributor of the two brands in the UK.

And there the conflict of interest!

 

[Anonymous]

Ken said that marantz and mordaunt short got a partnership.

http://www.marantzphilips.nl/interview_with_ken_ishiwata/

 

[Andrew Everard]

chamfer:And there the conflict of interest!

I give up, I really do...

 

[Andrew Everard]

dio66:
Ken said that marantz and mordaunt short got a partnership.

http://www.marantzphilips.nl/interview_with_ken_ishiwata/

Marantz distributes Mordaunt-Short in Europe.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah yes I didn't notice you mention that but by offering a different commission rate they are encouraging the staff to be influenced by financial gain and that is the problem, it is a conflict of interests.

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Everard:

chamfer:And there the conflict of interest!

I give up, I really do...

EDITED BY MODS - please do not attack other users.

 

[Andrew Everard]

hi fi newbie:Ah yes I didn't notice you mention that but by offering a different commission rate they are encouraging the staff to be influenced by financial gain and that is the problem, it is a conflict of interests.

Different manufacturers/distributors offer various commission deals/incentives to shop owners/staff in a wide range of retail environments.

But you clearly have your mind set, so no point combating that with facts.

 

[Anonymous]

Does it really matter?

If you like Cambridge Audio buy it, if you don't buy something else (somewhere else)!!!

Incidentally I have Cambridge Audio - I live in Cape Town, SA without a Richer Sounds in sight!

 

[Andrew Everard]

Antman:Does it really matter?

If you like Cambridge Audio buy it, if you don't buy something else (somewhere else)!!!

Exactly. No one is forcing anyone to buy any particular product from any particular retailer, and one would like to hope consumers were capable of making decisions for themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey ultimately my ears will decide what i purchase, but it would be nice to have suggestions from others who have been down this route before or those who are considered to be a expert in the field, as to what i should be considering.

Simon

 

[Anonymous]

You haven't disproved the point in replying that Richer Sounds aren't the only ones to engage in this practice Andrew.

The point is any time someone goes into richer sounds, or calls up customer services and they recommend CA, or MS you don't know what their motivation is. Take for instance the other thread in which the guy is not happy with his CA, Mordant Short 902i combination, when he went into RS they dissuaded him from listening to the NAD C315.

Clearly those actions speak for themselves, it reminds me of when i first became interested in seperates and was intent on buying the XB930 cd player. However after ringing customer services, the guy couldn't stop waxing lyrical about the CA D500 he was basically insistent that I didn't buy that cd player and instead get that one instead. At the time I was admittedly very naive and went along with it. Anyways I had that pathetic excuse for a cd player for about a week before returning it.

Now again, what was the underlying motivation for him recommending me that cd player? I wonder

 

[Andrew Everard]

hi fi newbie:The point is any time someone goes into richer sounds, or calls up customer services and they recommend CA, or MS you don't know what their motivation is.

You clearly feel you know exactly what their motivation is.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

chamfer:
Hey ultimately my ears will decide what i purchase, but it would be nice to have suggestions from others who have been down this route before or who are those who are considered to be a expert in the field, as to what i should be considering.

Simon

Here's the deal. For instance, Sevenoaks stock B&W and MA speakers among others, they probably get more commission selling them than they do other brands as they sell so many of them. This is quite normal. Rotel and B&W have links, when selling a Rotel amp, I would imagine a Sevenoaks sales person to then suggest a B&W speaker. No different to a Mordaunt-Short speaker being suggested at RS when a customer is buying a CA amp. When someone asks about which speaker a Creek amp owner should go for, the obvious answer is Epos.

 

[Andrew Everard]

chamfer:Hey ultimately my ears will decide what i purchase, but it would be nice to have suggestions from others who have been down this route before or those who are considered to be a expert in the field, as to what i should be considering.

I'd go along with nickd2544's original suggestion.