Pre-amp / Power-amp question!

mattc76

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Hello all!
So my current setup is a NAD C352 integrated and b&w CM1 speakers. However I am in the process of aquiring a Cyrus Pre-VS2 and X-Power combo. Anyway the pre-vs2 arrived yesterday and out of interest I connected it (in a pre-power config) to my NAD amp. There was an enormous improvement in the amount of detail I could hear (for instance in Eric Clapton's unplugged album in some tracks totally distinct from the percussion you can hear him quietly tapping his foot as he plays - i'd never noticed that before - how cool is that!), as well as the bass being a bit deeper / tighter, and there being more dynamics and it generally being more "foot-tapping".
So my questions are: what difference will the X-power make? What qualities of the sound will it affect? Will I get more of the above? Is it worth getting it at all?
Common sense tells me that using a £1000 dedicated power amp compared to a £300 integrated (in power amp mode) should be much better!

Thanks!

Matt
 

hifikrazy

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Can't really provide any real life experience to remark on your query, but I would also assume like you did that the Cyrus power amp would be a significant improvement to the NAD.

But it's rather interesting to hear that the superiority of the Cyrus preamp (as compared to your NAD's integrated preamp stage) is enough to overcome the downside of having the signal travel through a pair of interconnects.

One suggestion... Get rid of the Chord Cobra 3. I know it was the WHF cable of the year some time back but I found them seriously lacking in transparency. I guess others have moved on since then.

I guess more happy days are ahead for you when you acquire that X-Power.
 
A

Anonymous

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If you're impressed with what the preVS2 has done to your system adding the XPower should blow you away and give you a good base system to build on. Just bare in mind that the upgraditis won't stop there. I'd also recommend looking at alternative interconnects and speaker cables, I've never really liked Chord IC's in my Cyrus system. Not heard your speakers so can't really comment on them.
 

mattc76

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IanS1:I'd also recommend looking at alternative interconnects and speaker cables, I've never really liked Chord IC's in my Cyrus system.

Hi. Why don't you like the chord interconnects? What would you recommend?
Cheers,
Matt
 
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Anonymous

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I've tried the Chorus and to be honest found them to make my Cyrus kit quite harsh and thin sounding, mind you though it could have been the Chord Rumour speaker cables I was using at the time. I've just swapped those out for some Townshend Isolda speaker cables and just can't believe how much the Rumour was choking my system.

Between my DAC/XP and Mono X's I'm now using some Missing Link cables which are very good but as I'm so impressed with my Isolda speaker cables I'm thinking of trying some Townshend DCT300 balanced interconnects.

Get some opinions from the guys over at the cyrusunofficial forum and try a few things out for yourself, a good dealer will always be willing to loan out cables for you to try at home.
 

Ajani

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mattc76:Hello all!
So my current setup is a NAD C352 integrated and b&w CM1 speakers. However I am in the process of aquiring a Cyrus Pre-VS2 and X-Power combo. Anyway the pre-vs2 arrived yesterday and out of interest I connected it (in a pre-power config) to my NAD amp. There was an enormous improvement in the amount of detail I could hear (for instance in Eric Clapton's unplugged album in some tracks totally distinct from the percussion you can hear him quietly tapping his foot as he plays - i'd never noticed that before - how cool is that!), as well as the bass being a bit deeper / tighter, and there being more dynamics and it generally being more "foot-tapping".
So my questions are: what difference will the X-power make? What qualities of the sound will it affect? Will I get more of the above? Is it worth getting it at all?
Common sense tells me that using a £1000 dedicated power amp compared to a £300 integrated (in power amp mode) should be much better!

Thanks!

Matt

A few years ago, I upgraded a NAD C352 to a Rotel RC1070 Pre and RB1080 Power amp combo... I bought the Pre first and noticed some improvement in the sound.... but adding the amp is what really made the difference.... If your experience is anything like mine, then I expect that adding the amp will be even more satisfying than adding the Pre...
 
A

Anonymous

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JoelSim:Biamping is very underrated
There's a reason for that
emotion-5.gif
Proper biamping is mono blocking....runs away
 

JoelSim

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igglebert:JoelSim:Biamping is very underratedThere's a reason for that
emotion-5.gif
Proper biamping is mono blocking....runs away

It is...and one day...ÿ
 

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