roksan kandy or leema pulse ?

[admin_exported]

ok folks , ive decided that when i upgrade my marantz , its going to be to one of these , both get great reviews , are just about inside my e1000 budget , and should hopefully make my rx6s really sing , i cant demo the pulse , i may be able to demo the kandy , and i would also like opinions on which amp may be more suitable with spendor a6,s , as i may upgrade to them in 12 months or so ..

anyone ? ta....

 

[d_a_n1979]

Stick with what you've got for now and enjoy it...

Keep thinking about upgrades and you may regret it!!!

IMO the Spendor speakers are suited best to Cyrus and I reckon the prices will be down in a good few months so could be worth thinking about. I have heard the Spendor A5's and A6's with the Roksan Caspian amp and Rega Saturn CDP and that was a stunning combo!

You'll have to spend £1k - £1.5k to better the RX6's IMO so keep them and go for the Leema Pulse... Not demo'ing is a dangerous game though IMO!!!

 

[Anonymous]

hi dan ..

i may sell my rx6s but as i said it wouldnt be for a long time if at all , im sure they will sound even better with a top amp , they sound great with the marantz but if i do upgrade them it will be most likely to the a6s as going on reviews they sound like the dogs twitchers , so im hoping that whatever amp i buy now , will suit the spendors , just in case ..

do you think a cryus amp will gel with the rx6s ? im guessing the combo may be a touch bright/lively ??

 

[SteveR750]

I haven't heard the Leema, but I prefer the K2 to a Cyrus 8xpd with the S6es. The A6 is allegedly a little more lively than the S6e so I would imagine they would go together very well.

 

[plastic penguin]

Both do get great reviews but both are very different.

I'm pretty much in the d_a_n camp on this one. I've heard both and both are excellent in the right enviroment - partnered correctly, both will really shine.

Last summer I heard the Pulse with Arcam CD192 and my old RS6 speakers - I was gobsmacked. Fantastic.

Roughly around the same time I heard the Kandy K2 with various speakers and sources at 'The Towers.' Again, fabulous. However, I've not heard them in my house, so unsure about how that would translate into a real living/listening room. I think to buy without a home demo would be counter productive and a total waste of money.

Can't tell you about Spendor A6, however, a few weeks ago I compared the Pulse with the Caspian through Spendor SA-1 and MA GS10 speakers. I couldn't really fault any of them. In terms of system matching the Caspian is little more forgiving, but the Pulse is better at low volumes and has a shed-loads of inputs. It was mightily close.

Meantime stay with the Marantz, maybe think seriously about upgrades in a few months.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks pp , the marantz is very good , it really is , but the plan was always to upgrade it to something that would get the best out of my speakers , so as good as my music is currently sounding , and its sounding very good , the marantz is going to be upgraded , my mind is made up ..

demoing , as i said before is much more difficult here in ireland , i probably wont be able to , and i definately cant home demo , so im going to have to probably go on reviews , and the advice of the gurus , like yourself on this great forum

 

[matthewpiano]

Max, I reckon a decent upgrade will get much more from your MAs, even though I rate the PM6003 very highly in many ways.

Personally I would be looking at (and don't die of shock), an Arcam (think used A32 or an A85 with matching power amp) or one of the Yamahas. Either will give you a more controlled and revealing sound and give your music more space to communicate its message. Neither is likely to blow you away in a quick 30 minute session but both would keep you listening for much longer periods of time than kit from the flash-bang-wallop school of amplification.

 

[Anonymous]

SteveR750:I haven't heard the Leema, but I prefer the K2 to a Cyrus 8xpd with the S6es. The A6 is allegedly a little more lively than the S6e so I would imagine they would go together very well. cheers steve , ive read a few of your posts previously re. your spendors ,google throws them up when i search for a6 info

.. everyone seems to rate the brand highly , i may take the plunge one day , but for now im just trying to decide on an amp for the rx6s primarily..

 

[Anonymous]

matthewpiano:Max, I reckon a decent upgrade will get much more from your MAs, even though I rate the PM6003 very highly in many ways.

Personally I would be looking at (and don't die of shock), an Arcam (think used A32 or an A85 with matching power amp) or one of the Yamahas. Either will give you a more controlled and revealing sound and give your music more space to communicate its message. Neither is likely to blow you away in a quick 30 minute session but both would keep you listening for much longer periods of time than kit from the flash-bang-wallop school of amplification.

cheers mp , and thanks for not telling me to keep my marantz

..

you know what ive been reading lots of good stuff about the synergy between arcam and ma , obviously pp and scene to name a few have found it very good , i will defo consider a 2nd hand arcam , i hadnt really thought about that route before , but i will now , i can afford a new amp but i sure wouldnt mind saving some money too ..

 

[plastic penguin]

matthewpiano:Max, I reckon a decent upgrade will get much more from your MAs, even though I rate the PM6003 very highly in many ways. Personally I would be looking at (and don't die of shock), an Arcam (think used A32 or an A85 with matching power amp) or one of the Yamahas. Either will give you a more controlled and revealing sound and give your music more space to communicate its message. Neither is likely to blow you away in a quick 30 minute session but both would keep you listening for much longer periods of time than kit from the flash-bang-wallop school of amplification.

This is what I've always said about Arcam. For instant impact there are many other brands that do it better than Arcam. If you want amp that will keep you interested over a period of years, then few do it better than Arcam. The added bonus with Arcam is a) they produce some of the most wonderful Power amps and ... b) Arcam and Monitor Audio absolutely made for each other.

Arcam used to use MA speakers when testing all their amps (and may still do)...that in itself tells you an awful lot.

 

[plastic penguin]

Check out the thread Matthew started yesterday. Look at my last but one post, it is the ultimate combination.

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/2/465926/ShowThread.aspx

 

[Anonymous]

yes i had read that pp , interesting , so what arcam amp would you reccomend i give a whirl then ? one of mp,s suggestions ? another ? im really warming to this 2nd hand idea , shouldnt cost me much and i can always sell on if im not happy , i dont use ebay but a friend does and he will help me out ..

 

[plastic penguin]

maxflinn:yes i had read that pp , interesting , so what arcam amp would you reccomend i give a whirl then ? one of mp,s suggestions ? another ? im really warming to this 2nd hand idea , shouldnt cost me much and i can always sell on if im not happy , i dont use ebay but a friend does and he will help me out ..

Can't comment on the new FMJ range. The only ones I've heard is the entry-level model, but the A28 and A38 is down to you. Personally, I would suggest the DIVA A85 or FMJ A32, but these are only available on ebay. Another problem, perhaps. But if you are prepared to take a flyer on a Pulse then it would be foolhardy to ignore the A85.

As I've mentioned many times before (and most people are bored of hearing it) but in terms of balance, attack, detail, stereo imaging, Arcam and MA is hard to beat at any price.

 

[Anonymous]

been reading a few arcam reviews ,all good too , very interesting , strange that whfi dont have any reviews listed?

plenty to choose from on ebay too , the fmj seems a bit pricey , but theres plenty of alternatives starting from as low as £100 , id ideally like a warm sounding amp , as my room isnt the softest , although ill get a rug and some soft furnishings , curtains etc in time ..

i think id also like a bit of power , possibly upwards of 70watts , and i need to connect to my yamahas preouts , im assuming thats not a problem with the arcams ? so if you guys can help me narrow down a shortlist that would be great , i would like to stay under £400 , delivery to ireland will probably cost another £40 , looks like ill be ebaying , so thats roughly e500 all in .

i can probably get e240ish for my marantz , so this wont be a big deal for me moneywise ..

i like the descriptions of the various arcams sound being non fatiguing , no harshness but very detailed and open , with a big soundstage and tight bass , sounds like just what im looking for , ill be ready to take the plunge in about 3 weeks , and i think i will , cheers mp and pp , this little venture makes sense , and i might just find what im looking for without breaking the bank

 

[daveh75]

If you're lucky, as they dont come up that often now, you should be able to pick up both an A32 and P35 for the top end of your budget,

Bi-amping is where Arc's really excel imo, and this combo hung on the end of your RX6s will sound fantastic...

 

[d_a_n1979]

I do agree with MP's comments re the Arcam DiVA A85 or the FMJ A32 amps; partnered with their power amps they'll drive the RX6's to their best and believe me, you wouldnt be looking at upgrades for a long time!

Matching that combo with the likes of a Rega Saturn or possibly and Arcam CD192 CDP youre laughing IMO

 

[hifikrazy]

d_a_n1979:believe me, you wouldnt be looking at upgrades for a long time!

Does this ever happen with this Hi-Fi hobby? My bank account sure wishes it were true.

 

[matthewpiano]

hifikrazy:d_a_n1979:believe me, you wouldnt be looking at upgrades for a long time!

Does this ever happen with this Hi-Fi hobby? My bank account sure wishes it were true.

I think it can, but I think it can be very hard to get things sounding the way you want and I think you always have to be prepared for the moods when nothing is going to satisfy obsessed ears. There comes a point at which you have to decide which compromises you are willing to make, buy something that fits, and get on with enjoying the music. I've been approaching that for at least the last 6 months and I *THINK*/*HOPE* I am about to actually achieve it, but we'll see!

 

[Anonymous]

daveh75:
If you're lucky, as they dont come up that often now, you should be able to pick up both an A32 and P35 for the top end of your budget,

Bi-amping is where Arc's really excel imo, and this combo hung on the end of your RX6s will sound fantastic...

cheers daveh , ill check out those , bi-amping sounds like a plan .

 

[Anonymous]

ok so its either an a32 or a85 so far ..

ill have a good read up on both and keep checking the bay .. thanks folks.

happy to hear any more suggestions too..

 

[Anonymous]

Can i throw the Rotel RA1520 into the mix? I hear is a cracking amp with plenty of power, and the WHF team wrote a

few months back that it work well with the CD6003.

 

[d_a_n1979]

jastit:
Can i throw the Rotel RA1520 into the mix? I hear is a cracking amp with plenty of power, and the WHF team wrote a

few months back that it work well with the CD6003.

Good call; a very good amp indeed but my £££ would be on the 2nd hand market

The Arcams mentioned or the likes of a Roksan Caspian and Cyrus 8XPd would be well worth their price!

The Cyrus amps arent too bad at all with the RX series speakers. I listend to the 8XPd with an XPower running some M/A RX8's and it was a superb combo. CDP was the Rega Saturn

 

[Anonymous]

If you must change, then I'd look at Densen. They're as lively as Naim and not as forward as Cyrus can be, but better than either in conveying the dynamics, transients etc of the music. They'll also outlast several changes of speaker - in fact, you might as well buy some nice Sonus Fabers, Spendors or Dynaudio Contours right away if you want to get the best out of Densen.

Frankly, I'd enjoy what you have for a while, and when you change, go for both amp and speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

i wish i hadnt mentioned a possible speaker upgrade

, its really very unlikely .. but my marantz is getting flogged , its on borrowed time , its walking the green mile , its had its final meal , the electric chair is being warmed up , ppplllleeeeaaaasssseeee people .....

im looking for a new amp

 

[d_a_n1979]

Go for the Arcams then Max; believe me you'll not regret it

IMO they're the safest bet and retain their value as well