Please, kindly help the beginner!

[Chaloff]

Dear Sirs,

Could you please help the very beginner in hi-fi.

I’m choosing between amps:

NAD 356

CA Azur 650

Rotel 06 SE

and shelf speakers:

Dynaudio 2/6 or 2/7

B&W 685

KEF Q100

PSB B5 or B6 as budget

Will be placed in 11 m2 small bedroom with 2,2 m ceilings. One m2 is taken by wardrobes. So totally it is a 10m2 room.

I am listening to bands like Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and hard / heavy music. The latter seems to me the most difficult to be greatly performed by the above budget equipment. I have heard some of the amp+speakers links within lower price range than abovementioned and I found that most of them can perform well not very dynamic songs. High, mid and low ranges were very good for my ears and with no empty space in between the three ranges. But when it was the turn of somewhat like Bliss by Muse or Kick Start My Heart by Motley Crew the bass was very sad. On the contrary some speakers that could maintain good bass range were not clear with Sting or similar. Just like from behind the door.

I started diving into the budget hi-fi world from CA 350 and NAD 326. Then I understood that to have at least some better damping factor I need more expensive amps. And I learnt that to hear the better features of more expensive amps I need speakers which are in a higher price range than the amplifiers.

1) Taking into consideration this description could you please advise the best amp out of these three. I may suppose that Rotel will probably be a winner because it is more expensive. If so, then please point out the better one out of the two remaining.

2) I suggested list of speakers maybe just as a price reference. Please kindly advise any that you think will be the best with the two amps that you choose. Floorstanders are also can be suggested, but I am afraid that for this small room it is not a good idea, moreover I would be able to leave max. 20 cm between speakers and walls.

NB! I do not appreciate the idea of adding one woofer for greater bass. Though it will for sure add bass to shelf speakers. I believe that the bass needs to be stereo as well.

I really trust that it is important to listen with my ears in the salons. What I will actually do emphasizing on your advice. The only thing I am afraid of is that the saloons are usually big size halls and the comparison with our small room would be not totally correct.

Sorry for my English.

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[Chaloff]

Just to avoide misunderstanding. By saying "I started diving into the budget hi-fi world from CA 350 and NAD 326" I meant I was considering to buy these amps. Though no any experience to listen to them either at home or in shops.

 

[Anonymous]

With your tastes in music and the soundstage that you appear to want to achive I'd be going for the NAD C356BEE amp along with either of the Dynaudio speakers or the B&W 685's

The NAD in comparison to the other 2 amps has a much better, detailed and punchier soundstage and partnered with either of those 3 speakers would give you a great set-up indeed

What source are you planning to use (i.e. CD player, iPode via DAC etc...); also, will the speakers be going on dedicated stands or will you be moutning them on shelves etc...?

 

[Thumpa]

My first choice, instinctively, was the Dyns. However, I would be really keen to hear (I am really keen to hear) the NAD 356 with the PSB B6. They're sister companies.

Don't sell short the PSBs -- I think they are a great speaker. If they're filed under 'Budget', all the better! And, yes, the NAD for sure, for me. There you have it.

As stated, I haven't heard them together, but I strongly suspect this pairing would be a fine performer for your (given) preferred tastes: Dire Straits and Floyd or hard and heavy. And coming from the same stable, I'm sure they'd be good all-round.

 

[poldo]

Listen with your own ears, personally I really disliked the Dynaudio sound while other people love it.

Personally I think the B&W 685 are awesome speakers with your taste of music. You could also look at 2nd hand monitors like PMC Db1i or Dali Ikon 1 mk2.

 

[Thumpa]

My first choice, instinctively, was the Dyns. However, I would be really keen to hear (I am really keen to hear) the NAD 356 with the PSB B6. They're products from sister companies.

Don't sell short the PSBs -- I think they are a great speaker. If they're filed under 'Budget', all the better! And, yes, the NAD for sure, for me. There you have it.

As stated, I haven't heard them together, but I strongly suspect this pairing would be a fine performer for your (given) preferred tastes: Dire Straits and Floyd or hard and heavy. And coming from the same stable, I'm sure they'd be good all-round.

 

[poldo]

Just go for a demo and try it yourself.

 

[Chaloff]

Hi Hifilover 1979,

Thanks a lot for your comment. I was hoping that the CA will be at the top as far as I don't quite like NAD's appearance (I don't know what kind of audiophile I am, definitely making first steps after JVC minisystem and 2.1 PC "72 W" Edifier speakers, but I am for sure a picture person). Still you are not the first to emphasize NAD, what brings me nearer to buy it and then to walk with it through hi-fi shops to match speakers to it.

What source are you planning to use (i.e. CD player, iPode via DAC etc...); also, will the speakers be going on dedicated stands or will you be moutning them on shelves etc...?

Different. For the first time I want to buy DacMagic to listen to my CD collection through my very cheap DVD player. After about two months I am planning to have some GBP400 CD player and a media player to listen to internet radio and youtube. The last one is important for me because of adding visualization and quick choice of different music videos w/o PC.

Next step after half year will be a Rotel kind turntable. I have a collection of vynils from my student years. So I wil have a package of budget hi-fi components and up to this time I will have had a great experience to compare MP3's via DAC with vynils. I suppose that vynils will be incomparably best.

Then as I understand the disease will progress and I will end up with closer to McIntosh, ML and Linn side

So I think for the beginning NAD would be ok. What do you think?

I will first mount the speakers on the TV shelf and I think very quickly I will rush for speaker stands to improve the bass

 

[Chaloff]

Hi Poldo,

Thanks a lot for the advice.

I do want to hear and I will but the only thing I'm affraid of that listening in the big hall I would not understand how the bass can act in a small room

You could also look at 2nd hand monitors like PMC Db1i or Dali Ikon 1 mk2.

Can you please tell what is the added value of the speakers you mentioned in comparisson with my list?

 

[Chaloff]

Thanks a lot, Thumpa,

Don't sell short the PSBs -- I think they are a great speaker. If they're filed under 'Budget', all the better!

I had chance to listen to PSB B5 together with Cambr. A. Sonata. First I was really amazed with Floyd's Money. It was so clear and musical. At that moment I decided that it is my speakers. But the setup completely failed on some death metal band (didn't know thier name). The bass was a reall mess! Do you think that it was the amp's fault?

 

[Chaloff]

Thanks a lot everybody. I have a new friend - NAD 356!