New Amp

[admin_exported]

After finally getting my new CD player (Cambridge Audio Azur 340C) to go with my Marantz PM4400 amp and Wharfedale Diamond 8.1SE speakers I've decided my amp really isn't up to scratch. The first problem is that it only offers decent bass with the loudness button pressed which I bet is bad for sound quality. Secondly it sounds good at low volumes but the moment I crank it up it sounds horrid with no bass and too much trebble. I've also decided that it is causing me to have to much trebble.

I've been looking at a fair few amps so far mainly Cambridge Audio. I've looked at the A5 which sounds like it will give the sound I want but I'm worried it wont be much of an upgrade. I've also looked at the 340A SE but I'm not sure that has enough power bearing in mind the Wharfedales have a 6ohm impedance and 86Db sensitivity. Basically I need an amp that will improve the sound quality accross the board with control brought the trebble, a clear midrange and a fair bit of bass. It will need to be able to cope with being turned up very loud as well. I listen to mainly rock, rap and dance and my buget will be around £180 although I can stretch it if I really need to. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

 

[gregory]

cant see the 340 having a problem driving your wharfedales,if your worried it wont how about the 540 for not much more.good luck,gregory.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the help the 340 is only 15w more powerful than my current amp but I guess this will probably help. I think I will try and spend a bit more and go for the 540a but will this be OK in my system? Isn't it meant to be a bright amp? I'd like my amp to give me a good all round sound.

If I'm going to save more though then this means I could also go for the Rotel 04. Which would go better in my system? I'm leaning towards the 540a due to the extra power yes I know power isn't everything but I do like listening to my music ear splittingly loud!

 

[Thaiman]

[quote user="gregory"]cant see the 340 having a problem driving your wharfedales[/quote]

Me too! Most, if not all, of Budget range will work with each orther no problem.

 

[Anonymous]

OK thanks for the help guys. I guess I will try and save for the 540 but if I can't get enough money I'll go for the 340. I was just worried that the 340 will struggle with loud volumes like my Marantz does.

 

[Anonymous]

After looking round some more I'm starting to wonder if the Cambridge Audio equipment will make my system too bright. I've been looking at the NAD C320BEE as it's priced quite well and has good reviews. Is it true that it gives a pretty decent amount of authority? I've also heard NAD amps take loud volumes pretty well is this true?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Azur 340A sounds like a completely sideways step from the Marantz, not an upgrade, and the speakers will also be a limiting factor in this system. I'd be considering some better speakers, not an amp upgrade, as I think this is where your problem is to be found.

And you comments about decent bass only with the loudness button pressed further suggests a speaker deficiency, not an amp problem, as the amp sounds pretty horrid and plodding with the loudness circuit in use.

The Tannoy Mercury F1 Customs or Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 speakers would give you a majot step up from the Diamonds.

 

[Anonymous]

I always thought the Marantz got fairly poor reviews whereas the Diamonds got really good ratings but I guess I will look at new speakers instead especially seeing as on of my current ones does have a slight problem as well.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with Andrew, I used to own a pair of wharfedale diamond pro 7.1's and if they are anything like yours are then you probably get the same 'fart effect' when you try and play the big bass notes. Speaker sounds like an overused porn star or something. I upgraded from those speakers to a pair of tannoy mercury M3's, which I had for 8 or so years. Great floorstanders for the cost. Only £130 new, partnered with my cambridge audio A1, then rotel RA-01 (got bored of fixing the cambridge) and finally audiolab 8000A before I replaced them - because it was only then I found the real limitation has become the spakers.

Anyway, I would reccomend checking out their new line, the F range, not sure what that is, 'Fercury' or something but it's basically the same range as the mercury range, just having gone through a couple of generations of advancements and are roughly the same price as my original M3 on release (which had an rrp of £230). Because if you're in the budget speaker market and you're concerned about your bass response then I personally think Tannoy are the best. My M3's reached so much lower than many of the other speakers I've seen. In fact, the M4's (and the F4's), reach down to 32Hz at -3db. You have to spend a whole lotta money before you start finding other speakers that reach that low.. that doesn't say anything about how well they control that bass though, I certainly found that my 8000A improved the bass response because it could actually hold that cone (which to be fair was ragged like the solitary prostitute on a 20,000 man army camp during my time at uni). Strange development, more bass yet less cone movement. Find a richer sounds, have a listen.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess I will follow the advice and have a look at the Monitors and maybe the Tannoys too. Maybe I will eventually upgrade the amp as well so what amp would people recomend for the Monitors? Remembering that it's gonna be worked very hard.