R11 Metas + Cambridge Audio Evo 150

[brightontam]

I am an amateur/beginner audiophile, and have purchased a pair of R11 metas and paired with Evo 150 earlier this year.
I am very happy so far with the overall sound quality and user experience, however I'm wondering if I should upgrade to a better amp (all-in-one). I like the design and the simplicity of the Evo 150, especially the beautiful screen. Read about Hifi Rose RS520, and think it might be a potential upgrade. I am more towards the all-in-one with LCD screen path. All-in-one because I want to make it very easy for my wife.

May I have some suggestions from you guys. I listen to all sort of music, but mostly Jazz. Usually around 80db. Tidal>Spotify>TV.
Thanks in advance.

 

[Integralista]

Hi, you got amazing speakers. And yes Cambridge Audio Evo 150 like amp is just starting point for such speakers like you have. Your tip of streaming amp Hifi Rose 520 is very good one with the biggest display overal. I recommend to consider also Rotel RAS 5000, which is close in price to Hifi Rose with very good sound and NAD M33 from Master Series. NAD is more expensive here with smaller display. But sound and the app is excellent. Nad has huge knowhow. Another very good streaming amps like Cambridge Audio Edge A or Hegel H400 or Electrocompanient ECI 6 mk2 DX is even better but all come with simple or no display. My friend is using this "Electro" ECI 6mk2 dx amp with big Dynaudio Contour 60i speakers. For acoustic music, jazz, classic it is the best one I think from those mentioned here. Edge from Cambridge Audio is also very good but with no display at all...Looks like NAD or Hifi Rose are best tips here. BR

 

[brightontam]

Hi, you got amazing speakers. And yes Cambridge Audio Evo 150 like amp is just starting point for such speakers like you have. Your tip of streaming amp Hifi Rose 520 is very good one with the biggest display overal. I recommend to consider also Rotel RAS 5000, which is close in price to Hifi Rose with very good sound and NAD M33 from Master Series. NAD is more expensive here with smaller display. But sound and the app is excellent. Nad has huge knowhow. Another very good streaming amps like Cambridge Audio Edge A or Hegel H400 or Electrocompanient ECI 6 mk2 DX is even better but all come with simple or no display. My friend is using this "Electro" ECI 6mk2 dx amp with big Dynaudio Contour 60i speakers. For acoustic music, jazz, classic it is the best one I think from those mentioned here. Edge from Cambridge Audio is also very good but with no display at all...Looks like NAD or Hifi Rose are best tips here. BR

Thank you so much for the quick and detailed response! Love this forum.

 

[nopiano]

I slightly disagree with the previous reply. Objectively the Cambridge 150 has at least as good an amplifier stage as the Rose, even though the latter has fancy new tech. The Cambridge offers almost 14amps v the Rose a more modest 10amps, though both are quite adequate for domestic use.

Also, the R11 Meta are not a difficult load and they are quite sensitive at almost 90dB, so will fill a large space. Both amps are essentially class D designs of different provenance, the Cambridge one being more proven and widely used.

Therefore I don’t think there is potentially an upgrade so much as a different display, casing and brand. Don’t be fooled by the much higher price of the Rose. However, if you can audition at home you may prefer one or the other.

 

[brightontam]

I slightly disagree with the previous reply. Objectively the Cambridge 150 has at least as good an amplifier stage as the Rose, even though the latter has fancy new tech. The Cambridge offers almost 14amps v the Rose a more modest 10amps, though both are quite adequate for domestic use.

Also, the R11 Meta are not a difficult load and they are quite sensitive at almost 90dB, so will fill a large space. Both amps are essentially class D designs of different provenance, the Cambridge one being more proven and widely used.

Therefore I don’t think there is potentially an upgrade so much as a different display, casing and brand. Don’t be fooled by the much higher price of the Rose. However, if you can audition at home you may prefer one or the other.

Thank you very much for providing your insights with tech specs, maybe I really don’t need an upgrade at this point.

 

[twinkletoes]

Thank you very much for providing your insights with tech specs, maybe I really don’t need an upgrade at this point.

What is it that has given you to cause for concern? whats caused the itch to upgrade after a a year of ownership?

Other than price disparity between the speakers and the all one, if it's working it works. Is there better out there? for sure! but you'll pay alot alot more for it.

Your speaker run at 4ohms with a 3ohm dip so not altogether a very easy load for an amp to deal with so an argument could be made that an amp with a lot more guts would get better out of them. But you would have to listen to some options. I really dont know what it is with this current trend of manufactures making speakers really quite a substantial loads. Though they pretty sensitive at 90db.

If I was buying those speakers with the way I allocate budget id have spent the same again on just the amp alone if not shoving 10k up the back end of the kefs. My opinion is all! But puts it in perspective the upgrade potential you could put through these speakers.

 

[brightontam]

What is it that has given you to cause for concern? whats caused the itch to upgrade after a a year of ownership?

Other than price disparity between the speakers and the all one, if it's working it works. Is there better out there? for sure! but you'll pay alot alot more for it.

Your speaker run at 4ohms with a 3ohm dip so not altogether a very easy load for an amp to deal with so an argument could be made that an amp with a lot more guts would get better out of them. But you would have to listen to some options. I really dont know what it is with this current trend of manufactures making speakers really quite a substantial loads. Though they pretty sensitive at 90db.

If I was buying those speakers with the way I allocate budget id have spent the same again on just the amp alone if not shoving 10k up the back end of the kefs. My opinion is all! But puts it in perspective the upgrade potential you could put through these speakers.

Thank you for your suggestions. Regarding my concerns for upgrading, I am not too sure, since I’m really a beginner. But my gut tells me that my speakers deserve better (more expensive) gear(s) to power them up.

How big is a difference will it be, if I upgrade my amp to something really high-end like the McIntosh MI254 or MA5300, is it gonna be a night and day different, or just a noticeable few percents better?

Although I’m a professional musician, I am again, a true beginner in hifi. Please don’t mind my ignorant questions.

 

[matthewpianist]

You could combine a WiiM Ultra with an integrated amp... That would open up options like the Musical Fidelity M6si or M6si500 or the high-end Yamahas - all capable of driving pretty much anything to its potential. Still very easy to use, but able to get the most out of those speakers.

 

[Al ears]

Thank you for your suggestions. Regarding my concerns for upgrading, I am not too sure, since I’m really a beginner. But my gut tells me that my speakers deserve better (more expensive) gear(s) to power them up.

How big is a difference will it be, if I upgrade my amp to something really high-end like the McIntosh MI254 or MA5300, is it gonna be a night and day different, or just a noticeable few percents better?

Although I’m a professional musician, I am again, a true beginner in hifi. Please don’t mind my ignorant questions.

Much will depend on your budget for said amplifier.....
Tidal and Spotify aren't going to give you the best in way of sources and you want to connect a TV?

 

[daytona600]

4ohms with a 3ohm dip so not altogether a very easy load for an amp
Sub 4 ohm loads are considere d a Bastard Load , probably with nasty phase angles in the X/over needs oodles of current for a 3ohm load with a Stiff & very large power supply

R11 only heard them once with a small integrated
369W / 707W / 1300 / 2200w into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads under dynamic conditions

Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800.2 Integrated Amplifier Lab Report

Lab Report The core design of the 800.2 is taken straight out of the multi-box Nu-Vista PRE/PAS [HFN Mar '23] although the latter's over-cautious electronic protection – limiting its low impedance output to just 575W/2ohm (17A) and 198W/1ohm – is lifted here. I am quite sure this has been...

www.hifinews.com

.

 

[Noddy]

As a musician you will have very good hearing, unless you play heavy metal or are Phil Collins (1) of course. So you could scratch that itch by taking a demo unit home, giving it the wife test, and if it passes, doing a listening test. I’m with nopiano, and the impedance of the speakers only briefly dips to 3 ohms at about 500 Hz. (A low impedance means a higher current draw, and an underpowered amplifier might not be able to supply enough at higher volumes. However the impedace is mostly 4 ohms and above.) So I bet any difference you hear will be placebo. Take your time comparing.

(1) A joke.

 

[nopiano]

Since my reply, three folk have said these speakers are difficult to drive, whereas I was guided by Paul Miller’s Hifi News review, where he said: “…this extension and sensitivity has not been won at the expense of a tough amplifier load – KEF's 4ohm (3.2ohm min) impedance rating and modest ±41° phase angles are precisely met in practice…”

KEF R11 Meta Loudspeaker Lab Report

Lab Report Just as we saw with the R3 Meta [HFN Sep '23], this latest 'Meta' version of the original R11 [HFN May '19] has also witnessed a top-to-toe refinement. Sensitivity is essentially unchanged at 89.6dB/2.83V/1m while the forward response is slightly downtilted [see Graph 1] with errors...

www.hifinews.com

 

[brightontam]

4ohms with a 3ohm dip so not altogether a very easy load for an amp
Sub 4 ohm loads are considere d a Bastard Load , probably with nasty phase angles in the X/over needs oodles of current for a 3ohm load with a Stiff & very large power supply

R11 only heard them once with a small integrated
369W / 707W / 1300 / 2200w into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads under dynamic conditions

Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800.2 Integrated Amplifier Lab Report

Lab Report The core design of the 800.2 is taken straight out of the multi-box Nu-Vista PRE/PAS [HFN Mar '23] although the latter's over-cautious electronic protection – limiting its low impedance output to just 575W/2ohm (17A) and 198W/1ohm – is lifted here. I am quite sure this has been...

www.hifinews.com

.View attachment 8037

Did a bit of research, this amp is way out of my budget. 🤣 don’t think I can spend more than £3,000-4,000 for an all-in-one system.

 

[brightontam]

As a musician you will have very good hearing, unless you play heavy metal or are Phil Collins (1) of course. So you could scratch that itch by taking a demo unit home, giving it the wife test, and if it passes, doing a listening test. I’m with nopiano, and the impedance of the speakers only briefly dips to 3 ohms at about 500 Hz. (A low impedance means a higher current draw, and an underpowered amplifier might not be able to supply enough at higher volumes. However the impedace is mostly 4 ohms and above.) So I bet any difference you hear will be placebo. Take your time comparing.

(1) A joke.

Thanks for the reply. Do you consider EVO150 underpowered? It has 150W into 8ohm and 250W into 4.

 

[Noddy]

Thanks for the reply. Do you consider EVO150 underpowered? It has 150W into 8ohm and 250W into 4.

You will learn more from nopiano’s last reply, and the article he links to, than anything I could write. Generally high powered amps are needed for high volumes, for example in a large room. You have an excellent amp with plenty of grunt and some people would bite off your ankles to get it.

 

[twinkletoes]

Thanks for the reply. Do you consider EVO150 underpowered? It has 150W into 8ohm and 250W into 4.

No Its not underpowered. But it could be! its not an easy question to answer its depends how hard you push the system.

Make no mistake the speakers you have present a hard load for any amp. The Cambridge seems to be working as I said. The saving grace of the kef is there pretty sensitive. The question is I think reading between the lines if it delivering!

My guess is , as your musician, your after a sound that really is quite difficult to achieve in audiophile land. You are used to a live sound you know what things sound like, tone and scale of the instruments.
Very few designs deliver such scale, Klipsch are one such brand (biased view point maybe). Big old boxes that are super easy to drive that fill a space with ease with dynamics that have to be heard to believed, they're about as "live" sounding as you'll get. Not unlike how PA systems would sound in your venues.


If you're ask these questions there something missing. And you cant communicate it, Id speak to a dealer and describe what you're after describe what you expect.