Matching stereo amp for Dali Concept 1

skkayman

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Hi, I am choosing stereo amp for a pair of Dali Concept 1.

I am not sure which brands are a good match for Dalis :help:

I have chosen a few amps I thought might be good. Price should be up to 300€, a little more is acceptable :bounce: (all my choices are 300-400€ :rofl:)

my first choices:

- Yamaha A-S500

- Yamaha R-S700 receiver (tuner and preout+mainin, better remote) but very similar to A-S500, small price difference

second choices (more expensive unit or other separates to have one brand system):

- Harman Kardon HK980

- Cambridge Audio Azur 350A

- Marantz PM6004 - pretty expensive for my budget (450€)

I like Yamahas, the style and the company but I cannot audition them :( I can audition HK980 but I never like their style (yes yes I know I will be listening to it, not watching on it but still :wave:)

Which of these is a good match for Dali speakers? I plan later on buying cd and network/usb/disc player (with flac) and Yamaha has a CD-N500 and plays CD and flac from USB and network. I would have to buy separates player with different brand
 
I can never work out why people try to match the likes of an amp to a speaker. Best to do it the other way around. Get your source sorted first if I were you then ask the question again. Exactly what did you use to work out that the Dali's were the speakers for you /your room?
 

skkayman

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Alears:

I got a lot suggestions to buy choose speakers and then amp for them :roll:

Why Dali? I has a budget for speaker and I need a maximum dimensions for speakers - Dali Concept 1 fits. I was unable to found any other

gasolin:

I would buy Zensor 1, I was offered with the same price as Concept 1 but they are too depth (I need maximum 20cm in depth) and backported (will be 1cm from wall on back).

I am looking into NADs, didn't know they have budget models :) C 316BEE :?
 

gasolin

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They sounded terribel when i played loud music with my Rotel RB-980BX, screaming tweeter and not much bass

The small denon's or nad's

Would recomend buying the Dali zensor 1 much more hifi speakers then the dali 1
 

Broner

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Alears said:
I can never work out why people try to match the likes of an amp to a speaker. Best to do it the other way around. Get your source sorted first if I were you then ask the question again. Exactly what did you use to work out that the Dali's were the speakers for you /your room?

My girlfriend wants you to know that it is important to select speakers first.
 

skkayman

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Seems like I will be able fit Zensor 1 :) Did a small change bookshelf :bounce:

and I added Pioneer S-30 to the amp list, will look at Denons too as you told your Denon is good with Zensor :wave:

but still, I don't know which amp should I buy. :cry:
 

gasolin

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I like the Denon DRA-F109(lots of power and the do make one of the best affordable mini systems D-M39DAB which i can buy in Denmark where i live without the speakers), you can also look at some small amplifiers from onkyo,yamaha or marantz (or big ones if you prefer that)

Try to listen to the speakers with different amplifiers, what i like (even if we like the same speakers) may not be what you prefer,like

Also the sound can be different then i experience because you room is smalller then mine and if you use different cables,soundcard,dac,speaker stand or foam, theres also some burn in time which i have heard could be up to 50-100 hours
 

skkayman

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I need more inputs then you have in your Denon :p

I am able to try HK980, maybe Yamaha R-S700, but that's all :(

most hifi studios here in Slovakia have only more expensive models and electomarkets have only lowends. that's why I asked for help with matching ;)

found vintage NAD 3240PE, might be a good start :?
 

gasolin

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skkayman said:
I need more inputs then you have in your Denon :p

I am able to try HK980, maybe Yamaha R-S700, but that's all :(

most hifi studios here in Slovakia have only more expensive models and electomarkets have only lowends. that's why I asked for help with matching ;)

found vintage NAD 3240PE, might be a good start :?

amazon.uk.com
 

skkayman

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The prices are similar here and on amazon, with shipping it would be even more expensive from amazon. And I cannot audition from amazon too :p
 

skkayman

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I found Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 on sale (ebay). They are used but with shipping it's only 100GBP.. Half of new Concept 1 / Zensor 1.

Why do you think they are better? I haven't found review on them
 

skkayman

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Seems it will be Pioneer A-30, with Dali Concept 1 (they fit the place in my bookshelf perfectly). And pioneer got good reviews and is cheaper then others :cheer:
 

gasolin

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Go with the Q acoustics 2010I(20.3 cm in depth),ma bx1 (some say it's better then the bx2's) or the dali zensor 1 (much better speaker then the dali concept 1) the dali concept 1's have such a boring sound

I don't think you get much better sound for the money then the Q acoustics 2000, Monitor Audio bx or Dali zensor 1

So you should only buy speakers because the depth is not more then 20 cm and front bass ports?

Have you actually listen to the 3 speakers i mentioned and dali concept 1?
 

skkayman

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I tried Q Acoustics 2010 at home, too boomy bassy sound, even filling port with packed thing for this didn't help. When I placed them out of shelf, bassy sound dissapeared

If I can listen to these speakers, I would. But in my country, I have to buy and hopes :wave:

Longer speaker will collide with casedoors, 22-23cm max if I open them carefully and speaker is less then 1cm from wall. That's why :silenced:
 

gasolin

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skkayman said:
I tried Q Acoustics 2010 at home, too boomy bassy sound, even filling port with packed thing for this didn't help. When I placed them out of shelf, bassy sound dissapeared

If I can listen to these speakers, I would. But in my country, I have to buy and hopes :wave:

Longer speaker will collide with casedoors, 22-23cm max if I open them carefully and speaker is less then 1cm from wall. That's why :silenced:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_takustik_isopad.htm
 

gasolin

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skkayman said:
this will stop rear ported speakers placed on the wall to be less boomy? :?

isolation pads to decouple speakers and eliminate vibrations/resonance.

Some speakers like the Dali zensor 1 is designed to be mounted on a wall without any sound disadvantages

You can't not expect the bass not to be boomy when you place them in a corner (more bas), unless the bas is to low (spl),slim, in the first place
 

skkayman

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well, that's a point for Concepts - less bass so they won't be boomy :)

I know they are designed to be wallmounted but I believe they are also meant to be surround where the LF is from subwoofer so they are not boomy.

I asked Dali about this, they told me Zensor 1 are designed to be wallmounted, when I asked if it means they won't be boomy in stereo, they didn't replied.. And I do not want to risk buying 300€ speakers and try if they are ok.. :cry:
 

skkayman

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I can ask seller about return policy and try Zensors. But I am really afraid it will have too much basses - neighbours and family.. So maybe I will end up using headphones only :roll:

I found someoone who liked Concept 1 more then Zensor 1, and someone who said to have Zensor 1 to place not too much near to wall..

http://avforum.no/forum/hoyttalere/121621-hoyttalerne-dali-concept-1-vs-dali-zensor-1-vs-dali-lector-1-a.html - you can use google translator :)

maybe trying Zensor on the wall would be worth a try. :roll:
 

gasolin

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skkayman said:
well, that's a point for Concepts - less bass so they won't be boomy :)

I know they are designed to be wallmounted but I believe they are also meant to be surround where the LF is from subwoofer so they are not boomy.

I asked Dali about this, they told me Zensor 1 are designed to be wallmounted, when I asked if it means they won't be boomy in stereo, they didn't replied.. And I do not want to risk buying 300€ speakers and try if they are ok.. :cry:

Yes, but mostly for the concept 1 ( well, that's a point for Concepts - less bass so they won't be boomy :) ) Also think the dali concept 1 is to bright, that dosn't mean theres alot of detail, it get worse when i wanted to play loud (gives association to cervin vega tweeters),might had a slightly defect Rotel rb-980bx amplifier or preamp the 980 model.

But they did sound okay with the small denon pma 500 and the small nad, i think it was the 315 bee, but to me i regret buying them because of the tweeter and that i felt they sound was boring,where i bought it i couldn't return it when i first have bought it

Might try buying speakers where you can return them after 14 days, some places 30 day and one place in demark (www.komplett.dk) they have a 45 day return policy
 

gasolin

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skkayman said:
I can ask seller about return policy and try Zensors. But I am really afraid it will have too much basses - neighbours and family.. So maybe I will end up using headphones only :roll:

I found someoone who liked Concept 1 more then Zensor 1, and someone who said to have Zensor 1 to place not too much near to wall..

http://avforum.no/forum/hoyttalere/121621-hoyttalerne-dali-concept-1-vs-dali-zensor-1-vs-dali-lector-1-a.html - you can use google translator :)

maybe trying Zensor on the wall would be worth a try. :roll:

Not at all to much bass about 1 feet,33 cm from a wall, might just have the right amount of bass placed in a corner, that many complain about they don't have enough of. (if i where to buy another speaker, say in less then 6 month it would be because of the bas, not that ist not good enough, but because there isn't so much bass)

We can turn the bass up or down if we want more or less bass, i have heard that a denon revicer the small dm 39dab is coloring the sound, affecting the midrange, and my denon did also have a bit negative influence on the midrange, so using the eq for my system is not good enought (also would prefer a god bass level with the bass eq at 0db then having to enhance the bas and then have a good level in the bass)

So is there to much bas in the corner just use the bas eq to turn it down a bit (that is what the bass eq is there for)
 

skkayman

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I have ordered Zensor 1 :) Will see how they will sounds in my room :)

now the question of this topic :p what amp for Zensors?

vintage/Secondhand or new one? I have offer for NAD3240PE for 100€ used.

I was told on one czech web site (in comments to Zensor review :) ) that I should buy a new NAD for fine/gentle sound or Pioneer A-30 for lively sound. I prefer lively, melodic music of any genre so I like the Pioneer :) And Pioneer offers SACD for a nice price in the same product line :)

edit: got an offer on Denon PMA 1500R with CD player, used..
 

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