New Amplifier to power my new Kef R500 speakers

[whaleway]

I have just purchased a pair of new Kef R500 speakers and am now in the market for a new amplifier to power there. My main source is an Arcam cd73 although I would like the amp to have digital capability as I use spotify and would like to be able to stream good quality music.

I have a few ideas of amps I would consider but would welcome advice on these and others I have not considered. I am looking at a budget of £1500 but would spend a little more if the right amp came along.

Amps I have considered are Roksan Caspian M2, Cyrus 8qx DAC Amplifier, yros Pre DAC + Cyrus X Power Amplifier, Arcam A39 Amplifier.

I like a bright sound but not to the point of shrill but would also like an Amp capable of delivering a good Bass sound.

I would like to also upgrade my CD player but don't know where to go here as the Arcam CD73 is a very good player and I do not know what the next leap up is here.

Options welcomed please

 

[lpv]

I have just purchased a pair of new Kef R500 speakers and am now in the market for a new amplifier to power there. My main source is an Arcam cd73 although I would like the amp to have digital capability as I use spotify and would like to be able to stream good quality music.

I have a few ideas of amps I would consider but would welcome advice on these and others I have not considered. I am looking at a budget of £1500 but would spend a little more if the right amp came along.

Amps I have considered are Roksan Caspian M2, Cyrus 8qx DAC Amplifier, yros Pre DAC + Cyrus X Power Amplifier, Arcam A39 Amplifier.

I like a bright sound but not to the point of shrill but would also like an Amp capable of delivering a good Bass sound.

I would like to also upgrade my CD player but don't know where to go here as the Arcam CD73 is a very good player and I do not know what the next leap up is here.

Options welcomed please

Hegel H160... digital inputs, good headphone out, 150 watts and if you ask me I would spend that 'little more' simply because this is the right amp. You wont be disappointed.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hegel H160... digital inputs, good headphone out, 150 watts

Hi whaleway

What amp are you using please?

In the meantime add and +1

to the H160 or Hegel's H80 amp/DAC

Hold on to your CD73 and use it as a transport to digitally feed via its optical or coaxial output a H160 or a H80 and you should then hear an uplift in performance from your CD's. Alternatively Rega's Apollo-R is a worth a look.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Andrewjvt]

Or 80 ipv and musicraft have beat me but what your after is right up hegels street (and yours by the sound) the hegel h160 is a little more but well worth it. The step up from the roksan caspian is very noticable got a great dac. Very detailed and with bass control to die for. The speed of this amp will impress you wèeks after purchase. One caution is this amp does not colour the music in any way and distortion is so low so will not seem bright but its just that there is so little high frequency distortion. You will actually find this amp gives much more in the detail of the track but at first will seem less bright due to the lack of hf distortion. This is not the case though. I love mine to bits and the sound is more high end than the caspians etc.

Plus i have kef r700s nd they go well together. Plenty of high end detail just not harsh

 

[Andrewjvt]

Also the hegel is a neutral amp that wont colour the music in anyway so if the recording is bright it will sound bright. If the recording is dull the sound will be dull. You just get the result of the studio. It will never sound harsh though
Hope it all makes sense

 

[Andrewjvt]

Also if you a favourite band and listen to all their cds and get to know them very well and then you go and listen to them live..... well after that when you listen to the cd again you are transferred back to the gig. Thats hiw id explain the hegel sound compared to my old roksan. You hear certain instruments with much more body and texture like when your at a gig only just so much more clearer. Ok ill stop preaching now hahahah

 

[Infiniteloop]

I'd move on from a CD player to a streamer or Mac Mini with DAC.

 

[CnoEvil]

As well as the Arcam and Hegel, I would add:

Creek Evo 100A (can include DAC module)

Rega Elicit R

Electrcompaniet PI-2

Bel Canto C5i (includes DAC)

Ayre AX-7E (Ex-dem)

 

[rainsoothe]

+1 for hegel h80 or 160 and rega elicit-r, and add naim nait 5si or even better xs2. Unitilite or used supernait are also good, one has cd + streaming, other has dac.

 

[Covenanter]

Ok, just to say I think you should have chosen the amp and the speakers together as synergy is the most important factor. I started looking at the R500s but found the R700s to be rather better, albeit the R500s are very nice. I won't comment on amps but the Marantz SA8005 is a great CD player in my opinion and has all the digital inputs you will need.

Chris

 

[whaleway]

The Hegel Amps look very good but are just too much more than my budget of £1500. I qas hoping for some more feedback on the Cyrus and Roksan amps

 

[MUSICRAFT]

The Hegel Amps look very good but are just too much more than my budget of £1500.

Hi whaleway

The H80 would be within your budget as it has a RRP of £1300

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

I have just purchased a pair of new Kef R500 speakers and am now in the market for a new amplifier to power there. My main source is an Arcam cd73 although I would like the amp to have digital capability as I use spotify and would like to be able to stream good quality music.

Amps I have considered are Roksan Caspian M2, Cyrus 8qx DAC Amplifier, yros Pre DAC + Cyrus X Power Amplifier, Arcam A39 Amplifier.

Along with those, you could try the Primare I22 (with DAC, 80wpc) and the Rotel RA1570 (120wpc). Both are pretty neutral, particularly the Primare with its UFPD high efficiency amplification which is their own interpretation of Class D.

As you're looking to update the CD player as well, you could even look at Cyrus' Lyric all-in-one player, which will give you a CD/amp/internet radio/Bluetooth/streamer in one box and feed the R500s with 150wpc. This also uses Cyrus' own interpretation of high efficiency Class D derived from technology developed for their Stereo 200 power amplifier. All of these will power the R500s extremely well.

I like a bright sound but not to the point of shrill but would also like an Amp capable of delivering a good Bass sound.

Define "good bass sound". Full? Tight? Punchy? Detailed?

 

[drummerman]

Cyrus all the way.

Musical, punchy and exciting.

Then get a Hark rack, wood or metal (MK1 looks nicer in metal), sit back and enjoy.

Having said that, the Lyric does seem tempting.

 

[Freddy58]

I have the R300's powered by the Rotel RA1570, which to my ears, are a great match. The R500's are harder to drive, but I'm pretty sure it would drive them with ease, and the Rotel has all the connectivity you could want.

 

[MickyBlue]

leema also works very well with kef speakers, you could easliy pick up a used Tucana within your budget and also have change for a decent dac.