d_a_n1979:plastic penguin:
d_a_n1979:That's the thing though. Fully agree with PP and MP's comments and also Daves comments re system synergy etc... The NAD C355BEE is the OBVIOUS choice as it's the replacement for the NAD C352 and as I said above the mentioned amps NEED to be demo'd! I however dont agree with the comment re the NAD being underrated or under priced. That's just the market currently but as you'll read through peoples reviews (and if you demo it yourself) you'll see that the NAD competes with the likes of the Roksans, Arcam and Creeks and beats some of them at thair own game (and as MP said; it trounces the Arcam A18 which has gone too much like the Diva A70 IMO)! It is really down to the OP to demo the amps mentioned or others that he may see on the marekt. If he wishes to buy blind then we all know thats a dangerous game but I still stand by my comments that the Arcam DiVa A85 or the NAD C355BEE amps would be best choice; more so to pair with the M/A RS6's which we ALL know like a good, smooth but powerful amp to drive them to their best!
That is one hellava claim about the Nad outperforming the Kandy and Creek. I'll make one promise: if I can scrounge a 355BEE over the next couple of weeks to test at home then I'll see what all the fuss is about - or not. You'll get a very honest appraisal from me - I won't comment out of spite. One thing most people on this forum know about me is my stark integrity. If I'm wrong I will eat a large dollop of humble pie - and I'll be on the phone very quickly to Nad and say their coverted 355 is under priced....
I totally agree about the A18 and A70. Both were disappointing, and the A65's achilles heel, in my view, is the slightly loose bass. I remember MP, before Christmas, commenting...nae praising the A65's overall quality, only being let down by its dynamics. Which is not surprising, but unless you're a real classical buff, the A65 ticks all the right sonic boxes for the money.
Hi PP Apologies if I was abrupt; completely the opposite, ya know me
Just it seems people write NAD's off due to their price and probably looks as well as mentioned above. I think you and mostly everyone else know's they're superb amps and they're a bit likt eh M/A RS6's. They get written off far too easily when really they're damn fine products; just they dont suit some people and then they go all hell bent on damming them! As you'll appreciate I did hell of A LOT of demoing before I settled on my system taking seperates right up to the £1k mark per item and down again but time after time the NAD and M/A combo for me was unbeatable (for my tastes in music and for this precise timing of wanting a new system)... I LOVE Arcam and always will do, bit like Acoustic Energy and B&W seperates as well. Having demo'd the Roksan Kandy K2 and the NAD side by side with the same speakers; there was little in it apart from the NAD having punchier, tauter bass and also the K2 was a bit too bright at the top end! In saying that though with different speakers I bet the K2 really stands its ground. Ad for the Creek; having heard it at Superfi for all of 5mins as it was being demo'd to someone else with Epos and B&W speakers; I know straight away it wasnt the sound for me and then reading your reviews re the lack of inputs; that didnt help. Plus I dont like it's looks
The NAD C355BEE is priced HIGHLY competitvely currently as I think Richer Sounds have bought ALL available stock in Silver; black cant be got anywhere currently (much to my dismay). I don think the likes of RS bring products down in terms of calibre by pricing them so low but at the end of the day, if you can find an amp that does just as good, if not better than some c£1k amps out on the market currently; common sense says that you'll go for the cheaper option as you've more 'bang for your buck' but also more £££ to spend on CDP's, speakers, cables, music etc... So yes; as above, I AM saying that FOR ME, the NAD out performs the Creek and Roksan amps currently but I know DAMN WELL that it doesnt out perform the Roksan Caspian amp which I weely WEELY liked but couldnt afford
Plus; the synergy between the NAD and M/A RX6's is superb and I think it's a combo you deffo need to hear for yourself. Plus the Rega Apollo or Saturn too
Mmmm, it's a little disconcerting that stocks have depleted, but I'll check during the week with the guy I loaned the Creek from - he is a Nad dealer as well.
As far as Rega CDPs are concerned that's a no no. This is down ergonomics rather than sound quality; we have a stacking hi-fi rack, and because the OH is a wheelchair user, the amp is as low as is practical. The Rega CDPs top-loading mechanism means the shelves have to be lowered even further, and that means it would be tricky for er indoors to play music when I'm out. Front loaders only, I'm afraid. Although alternative players aren't thin in numbers. I think the Exposure 2010S is a fabulous machine, among hi-end Arcams and various other makes.
I've pretty much settled on a short-list for my upgrade, but it would be interesting to see where in the equation these Nads stack up.