Looking to Upgrade my Amp

[admin_exported]

Hi,

This is my first thread on this forum, so thanks for any advice in advance.

I currently have a pair of PSB Image T5 speakers. Overall am very happy with them, but I am powering them with an AV receiver (Marantz SR5004 7.1 channel). I am planning on removing these from the home theater (replacing them with bookshelf speakers) and using them in a dedicated 2 channel system.

To my ear, the PSB's are kind of laid back and bring vocals to the front of the stage. Sounds great on many recordings from the 70's and 60's and most of the material I listen to (the Beatles, Billy Joel, Bob Marley, Queen, etc.) . However, I do love some Prog-Rock that ranges from Yes to Tool. Specifically, the PSBs seem a little to mellow with Tool recordings (mid-range heavy production to my ear). The drums get a little lost in the mix and you lose some of the "placement" of the instruments. I kind of think this is mostly due to the Marantz (very warm tone combined with a 7.1 platform that never seems to sound as good as a dedicated Integrated 2-channel amp).

As a result, I am looking to upgrade the amp and get a 2-channel system - more acurately, I want to try and bring the speakers to life a bit more and "brighten" them up. I am considering the Yamaha A-S500, but could possibly stretch for a Rega Brio 3 (concerned about power with that though), or if I find something used, I could go for a Creek Evolution 2, Cambridge 550 or 650 or even an Arcam A18.

I do not have a CD player yet, but was looking at the NAD 315BEE. (seems to be a great bang for the buck player)

Any advise on the Amps or other recommendations would be very helpful.

 

[audioaffair]

These PSBs are impressive and you should be able to get more out of them for music in a dedicated two channel set-up. The A-S500 is a great choice but if you're looking for something a little higher up too, the Creek Evolution 2 amplifier will get the most out of them and offer the slightly brighter sound you're after.

I presume on the CD player you mean the C515 (the C315 is the amp) - this is indeed a great CD player for the money if you're not wanting to spend as much on the matching Yamaha/Creek. Don't forget some good cables too - QED Revelation Signature or even Chord Silver Screen would be a good match for either combo.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice. I can only get the Creek if I find one used or on some huge clearance sale. Are you familiar with the Rega Brio 3? If so, any thoughts?

I live about 4 and a half hours from Seattle - so I have very limited opportunities to audition equipment...thus any feedback I get here is very valuable.

Thanks!