Potential amp upgrade.

insider9

Well-known member
Yes, they would be. Most importantly what are you looking to improve? And what music are you listening to most?

Your gear is decent. I'm just not convinced it's the most complimentary pairing.

Yamaha has a very analytical sound and no doubt will sound on the bright side with BX5. Also I found BX5 to be well controlled but with some amps sounding safe/restrained. That would suggest not a very musical presentation that would not suit many musical styles. Mind, I only demoded your Yamaha with Bronze 2 but owned BX5.

It may be that a speaker upgrade would achieve more.
 

insider9

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Yes, I understand and don't blame you. Must admit, I did enjoy them although many find their tweeter too bright. What music do you listen to most? Arcam+MA pairing will suit some musical styles but not others.

Also what budget?
 

emcc_3

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Was mainly to warm up the presentation when playing vinyl as have found that some albums have too much high end. Get what you're saying about the speakers but took long enough finding a pair the last time that the other half could accept the look of.
 

emcc_3

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£800-900 max but not in a rush. Noticed that A19 took a big drop in price in the last few months as it appears it will be soon replaced. Hoping to see same trend with the A29 this year as if Arcam cycle times stay the same then I can see that doing something similar.

As with regards music I listen to pretty much all genres. Have found my remastered vinyl of Led Zeppelin 3 sounds a little too much on the bright side. Doesn't seem to have the darkness of my Dad's original pressing that I used to listen in my teens.
 

insider9

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That's a very healthy budget.

You can do quite a lot for the money. In fact if I'd mostly suggest spending that much if you're eyeing a speaker upgrade in a distant future.

I'd definitely put both Arcams on your demo shortlist. I would look into something with more get up and go to counter the safe nature of speakers. It may just be too relaxing pairing.
 

seemorebtts

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I had the a19 and loved it.it goes well with any Speaker's really.its just a joy to listen to will put a smile on your face very time you switch it on.the only downside is power but if you want to blow the house down the a29 can do that.theres a a19 on eBay for £380 which is a steal.i had a clearer audio copper line power cable on mine which I strongly recommend as a perfect match.
 
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emcc_3 said:
£800-900 max but not in a rush. Noticed that A19 took a big drop in price in the last few months as it appears it will be soon replaced. Hoping to see same trend with the A29 this year as if Arcam cycle times stay the same then I can see that doing something similar.

As with regards music I listen to pretty much all genres. Have found my remastered vinyl of Led Zeppelin 3 sounds a little too much on the bright side. Doesn't seem to have the darkness of my Dad's original pressing that I used to listen in my teens.

Are you content with CD playback through the Yamaha/BX5? What cartridge are you using on the Pro-ject? Remasters tend to sound brighter than originals, hence why I prefer original vinyl to any remaster.
 

insider9

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I don't know much about turntables but Ortofon Red sounded bright to me on much a less bright speakers and amp :)

I'm glad this has been mentioned as a possible cart upgrade could tame the brightness and be a good solution overall. If you're satisfied with to go that way I'd post in Turntable section as you'd get more replies. DougK who pointed that out would of course be more than qualified to advise you here.
 

paulkebab

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Zeppelin CD's are no better either, they're too upfront in the vocals for me, but i dont like any remasters TBH and won't ever buy one again. Have you considered a nice phono amp? That might be your silver bullet remedy, I found my Yamaha got a bit sharp when I was taking it pretty loud but otherwise a nice underrated amp. Never used mine for vinyl BTW.
 

seemorebtts

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emcc_3 said:
Qed micro.

Only amp for now will look at speakers in the future. Looking to future proof with the amp choice.
the qed micro is terrible speaker wire.i strongly suggest throwing it in the bin.qed xt40 might be expensive but it's a hell of alot better.this could help with your brightness as it very balanced speaker wire.do this before making any upgrade.this might save you
 
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Speaker wire - Van Damme Blue is more than sufficient for speaker cable, I'm not a believer in expensive cables. Ortofon 2M series can be a little too forward in presentation, something in the Nagaoka MP range would give a more mellow and warmer presentation. Al Ears is the man for cartridges, but the Nags have an excellent reputation and following, myself included. I've been through all the 2M series and ended up with Nagaoka.
 

rainsoothe

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Hi. Imo, Arcam A19 is the best amp for the money, even before the price drop. Of course tastes differ, but I think it will give you what you're after. I find the Yamaha as500 pretty wimpy sounding, bass is rather soft and diffuse for me. A19 has a full sound, great scale and timing is good. Many think they also partner great with MA.
 

seemorebtts

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emcc_3 said:
11 quid a meter is very pricy. May need quite a bit.
I had the micro wire and all I could hear was distortion.i couldn't believe qed could make such a bad speaker wire.i love qed and they make some great wires but this wire is just terrible.you have a very capable system and don't get me wrong the a19 is much better than what you have but that Speaker wire has to go and the xt40 is a worthy investment and will complement with your system well
 

emcc_3

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No not bought anything yet. Going to take my time with this as I want to get something that I won't need to replace when I upgrade my speakers in the future.
 

insider9

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emcc_3 said:
11 quid a meter is very pricy. May need quite a bit.
How many meters would you need per side? Remember the longer the run of a cable the thicker it should be. Spending a lot on great speakers/amps and running it on an inadequate cable will not give you best results. In no way I'm advocating expensive cables here. It's a personal preference. Some believe they make a difference, some don't.
 

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