New amplifier

bignige

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Hi all

Not been on here for a while. I have a 20 odd year old Audio Analogue Puccini amp (Not the SE model and not remote).

I have no issues with it but fancy a change. Any recommendations?

I have not "auditioned" any separates for years and TBH when people say "you need to listen to ABC amp with XYZ speakers etc etc" I really don't understand what they mean!!

How do you tell one amp from another - what are you looking/listening for?

I have a cheap pair of Dalis attached to the amp along with an old Rotel RCD 991 CD player - state of the art in its day 20 years ago?

Also, money! Do I need to spend today as much as I spent 20 years back on the Puccini to get as good as or better amp - Puccini was around £600 back then?

Cheers

N
 

bignige

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For instance - how would the Marantz PM6006 compare to my Puccini?

https://www.superfi.co.uk/p-20331-marantz-pm6006-stereo-integrated-amplifier-uk-edition.aspx

N
 

CnoEvil

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Hi there.

I'm not sure I'd change, as the Puccini is a nice amp. What is it about the sound that you want to change?

You probably have to spend at around double that, to get similar....maybe something like a Croft Integrated.

Depending on what Dalis you have, you might look at speakers instead.

Amps sound different and speakers sound more different...which becomes obvious when you listen. Audio Analogue make smooth musical amps....whereas if you try something like Cyrus, it is very clean, fast and detailed - but maybe not as musically satisfying, if you like amps on the smoother spectrum (though speaker match plays an crucial part).

There is no substitute for just going out and listening.

What sort of music do you like?
 

CnoEvil

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bignige said:
For instance - how would the Marantz PM6006 compare to my Puccini?

https://www.superfi.co.uk/p-20331-marantz-pm6006-stereo-integrated-ampli...

N

IMO. It would be a downgrade.

You would need to be looking at something like this (great price as ex-dem and end of line): https://www.superfi.co.uk/search.aspx?searchTerm=arcam%20a39
 

jimmy1

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Looks a bargain for sure. They had a yamaha as801 for £200 last week but was gone when i checked again, was a refurb tho
 

BigH

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You have asked this before I remember. Go and hear some with your Dali Zensor 1 speakers. As I said before I think you will have to spend quite a bit more money to get the same level as what you have, £600 20 years was quite a sum. Marantz 6006 is a budget amp. I would go for at least the Marantz 8005 which is not much more now at around £500. But depends what suits your speakers and your ears. I don't know the Dalis or Puccini, I would be tempted to keep what you have until it goes wrong.

The key for me is hearing the music not the hifi. I had many demos but everytime something was getting the way of the music.
 
BigH said:
You have asked this before I remember. Go and hear some with your Dali Zensor 1 speakers. As I said before I think you will have to spend quite a bit more money to get the same level as what you have, £600 20 years was quite a sum. Marantz 6006 is a budget amp. I would go for at least the Marantz 8005 which is not much more now at around £500. But depends what suits your speakers and your ears. I don't know the Dalis or Puccini, I would be tempted to keep what you have until it goes wrong.

The key for me is hearing the music not the hifi. I had many demos but everytime something was getting the way of the music.

+1

I think you have to bear in mind that something like the base Fortissimo integrated these days is going to set you back around £1500.

You may have to spend a good deal more than your original £600 to better it. You may find directing your cash towards speakers a more beneficial enterprise.
 

davedotco

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The Puccini is a lovely amplifier, a match for anything up to £1000 new in todays market.

It is though, rather basic functionally and of course has no remote, which I suspect may be part of the issue.

I would be tempted to look at this situation in a somewhat different light. I would think about upgrading the system by adding a Yamaha WXC50 streamer/dac/preamp. This would bring your system bang up to date in many respects, it would allow network connectivity, so access to online streaming, internet radio etc, allow you to stream from your phone or other hand held device and has the functionality to control input selection, volume and eq all from a remote or even better, a control app on your hand held device.

setup would be easy enough providing you have internet connection to hand for all the 'Smart' features, your CD player should be able to connect digitally to make use of the more modern dac and you connect to your Puccini, which you use effectively as a power amp and simply preset the volume.

All for around £230.
 

newlash09

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davedotco said:
The Puccini is a lovely amplifier, a match for anything up to £1000 new in todays market.

It is though, rather basic functionally and of course has no remote, which I suspect may be part of the issue.

I would be tempted to look at this situation in a somewhat different light. I would think about upgrading the system by adding a Yamaha WXC50 streamer/dac/preamp. This would bring your system bang up to date in many respects, it would allow network connectivity, so access to online streaming, internet radio etc, allow you to stream from your phone or other hand held device and has the functionality to control input selection, volume and eq all from a remote or even better, a control app on your hand held device.

setup would be easy enough providing you have internet connection to hand for all the 'Smart' features, your CD player should be able to connect digitally to make use of the more modern dac and you connect to your Puccini, which you use effectively as a power amp and simply preset the volume.

All for around £230.

+1
 
davedotco said:
The Puccini is a lovely amplifier, a match for anything up to £1000 new in todays market.

It is though, rather basic functionally and of course has no remote, which I suspect may be part of the issue.

I would be tempted to look at this situation in a somewhat different light. I would think about upgrading the system by adding a Yamaha WXC50 streamer/dac/preamp. This would bring your system bang up to date in many respects, it would allow network connectivity, so access to online streaming, internet radio etc, allow you to stream from your phone or other hand held device and has the functionality to control input selection, volume and eq all from a remote or even better, a control app on your hand held device.

setup would be easy enough providing you have internet connection to hand for all the 'Smart' features, your CD player should be able to connect digitally to make use of the more modern dac and you connect to your Puccini, which you use effectively as a power amp and simply preset the volume.

All for around £230.

A good solution and a cheap one at that.
 

jmjones

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The addition of a modern “front end” has kept my amps on the road. The Yamaha looks a great option, bargain too. Depending on functionality and price, you could add an Oppo or similar player. You can then stream, plug a TV hdmi in, and play just about any format you like (danger: Oppo fanboy alert). Not to mention that it’s a damn good disc player.
 
bignige said:
For instance - how would the Marantz PM6006 compare to my Puccini?
As others have said - it won't. Amp tech hasn't drastically changed in 20 years, and a good amp back then is still a good amp now. As others have said, you'll be looking around £1,000-1,500 as a starting point to match or slightly improve on what you have. Unless the Puccini had/has any major flaws, I'd look at speakers - not the same price as the budget Dalis you bought back then, but nearer your intended amplifier budget. There's not too many real stand out speakers at this sort of price point, but there are one or two that push their heads above others because they do things a little differently. Try the Amphion Argon 0 or the Ophidian Minimo, which is about as good as you'll get from a quality point of view at this sort of price point. If you want something a bit bigger and meatier, the Cyrus One Linear is a surprisingly well balanced speaker - they may look like a Whafedale clone, but they're anything but. The KEF Q350 is a worthy audition too.

This advice is given without knowing anything about your front end.
 
davidf said:
bignige said:
For instance - how would the Marantz PM6006 compare to my Puccini?
As others have said - it won't. Amp tech hasn't drastically changed in 20 years, and a good amp back then is still a good amp now. As others have said, you'll be looking around £1,000-1,500 as a starting point to match or slightly improve on what you have. Unless the Puccini had/has any major flaws, I'd look at speakers - not the same price as the budget Dalis you bought back then, but nearer your intended amplifier budget. There's not too many real stand out speakers at this sort of price point, but there are one or two that push their heads above others because they do things a little differently. Try the Amphion Argon 0 or the Ophidian Minimo, which is about as good as you'll get from a quality point of view at this sort of price point. If you want something a bit bigger and meatier, the Cyrus One Linear is a surprisingly well balanced speaker - they may look like a Whafedale clone, but they're anything but. The KEF Q350 is a worthy audition too.

This advice is given without knowing anything about your front end.

I would agree without of David's comments however some of the speakers he continues to push have limited availability for audition

Speakers must be auditioned, however would agree that if you have money to spend this is your best route to upgradeitus.
 

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