Stereo amplifier in pair with KEF Q300 , CA ? Rotel ? Marantz ?

[admin_exported]

Well I am looking for amp to match KEF Q300 . In general i like to listen to music louddd , My fav. genres : Rap, RnB , Soul , from time to time Blues/Jazz like K.Melua .

This will be only stereo system. I was thinking about CambridgeAudio Azur 650A , Rotel RA06se (cause 04 has no remote included) , Marantz PM7004 (too much for KEFs ? ) Any recommendations which will fit best my needs ?

Thank you for help.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm sure any of those you've mentioned will be fine, and you'll be more than happy with the Q300's performance, as they seem to shine on almost anything. But KEF do use Marantz at shows and exhibitions, and they've always worked well. The Q300's will respond well to better amplification, so you won't find them being outclassed by the 7004 - in many ways you'll find them comparable to, or even exceeding other more expensive speakers in certain areas. The better you drive them, the better they'll sound.

 

[Anonymous]

I also considered B&W 685 , the price is similar, also front BR but You rather recommend KEF Q300 than 685 ?

 

[Frank Harvey]

The 600 series is still pretty popular, but I find them a little tired now, I think it needs updating. For me, B&W start from the CM series, which is streets ahead of the 600 series in virtually every way, so you could look at the CM1's.

I just think the Q300 is one of the best speakers under £1,000. They seem far less fussy than many speakers, maybe partly because they're a very easy load, and they're one of the few speakers in this price range that produce a really three dimensional image. Add to that their excellent imaging and off axis response, and a surprisingly deep bass from such a small cabinet, and you have a great little performer for £450 (£360 until the end of the month). You'll find them more expressive in the midrange than the 685's. The 685's will go well with the Rotel though, so do try out that combo, as the B&W's like an amp with plenty of kick.

My next choice would be the Monitor Audio RX2. While some of the Q300's technology give them the edge over the RX2's, they're ideal for those looking for more bass depth and power, thanks to it's 8" bass drivers - a bit of a rarity in sub £1,000 speakers. Next step are the likes of the ATC SCM11's and ProAc Studio 115's around the £1,000 mark.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Well I am looking for amp to match KEF Q300 . In general i like to listen to music louddd , My fav. genres : Rap, RnB , Soul , from time to time Blues/Jazz like K.Melua .

This will be only stereo system. I was thinking about CambridgeAudio Azur 650A , Rotel RA06se (cause 04 has no remote included) , Marantz PM7004 (too much for KEFs ? ) Any recommendations which will fit best my needs ?

Thank you for help.

Hi hyper_2002

What source component/s and cabling do you/will you use?

The size of your room?

Listening distance?

Other then the ability to also remotely control an amp is there anything else in particular you would like the amplifier to have (tone controls, mp3 input, headphone socket, phono input etc.)?

Have you already got Q300's?

Your overall budget for an amp, speakers or both is?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Well I am looking for amp to match KEF Q300 . In general i like to listen to music louddd , My fav. genres : Rap, RnB , Soul , from time to time Blues/Jazz like K.Melua .

This will be only stereo system. I was thinking about CambridgeAudio Azur 650A , Rotel RA06se (cause 04 has no remote included) , Marantz PM7004 (too much for KEFs ? ) Any recommendations which will fit best my needs ?

Thank you for help.

Hi hyper_2002

What source component/s and cabling do you/will you use?

The size of your room?

Listening distance?

Other then the ability to also remotely control an amp is there anything else in particular you would like the amplifier to have (tone controls, mp3 input, headphone socket, phono input etc.)?

Have you already got Q300's?

Your overall budget for an amp, speakers or both is?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Hi Musicraft

Well.. my room is about 14m^2 . My aim was to buy amp + cd player , however I still wonder cause mainly i will stream media from my computer where I store my CDs ripped ,so maybe I should rather look for DAC instead of CD player for this time... And here is my prob. cause I haven't got slighltly idea about DACs . Any recommendations ?

I have ~1800$ to spend on AMP + DAC .

Q300 I have not bought yet , but I had them for a few days in pair with mini Pianocraft MCR840 and I really like this speakers so for 90% I will choose them (mainly cause they have front BR - I won't have many opportunities to move the speakers in my room and they have to stand close to the wall.

Regards ! And thanks to @FrankHarveyHiFi for previous comments.

 

[Frank Harvey]

And thanks to @FrankHarveyHiFi for previous comments.

No problem, a pleasure

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Well I am looking for amp to match KEF Q300 . In general i like to listen to music louddd , My fav. genres : Rap, RnB , Soul , from time to time Blues/Jazz like K.Melua .

This will be only stereo system. I was thinking about CambridgeAudio Azur 650A , Rotel RA06se (cause 04 has no remote included) , Marantz PM7004 (too much for KEFs ? ) Any recommendations which will fit best my needs ?

Thank you for help.

Hi hyper_2002

What source component/s and cabling do you/will you use?

The size of your room?

Listening distance?

Other then the ability to also remotely control an amp is there anything else in particular you would like the amplifier to have (tone controls, mp3 input, headphone socket, phono input etc.)?

Have you already got Q300's?

Your overall budget for an amp, speakers or both is?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Hi Musicraft

Well.. my room is about 14m^2 . My aim was to buy amp + cd player , however I still wonder cause mainly i will stream media from my computer where I store my CDs ripped ,so maybe I should rather look for DAC instead of CD player for this time... And here is my prob. cause I haven't got slighltly idea about DACs . Any recommendations ?

I have ~1800$ to spend on AMP + DAC .

Q300 I have not bought yet , but I had them for a few days in pair with mini Pianocraft MCR840 and I really like this speakers so for 90% I will choose them (mainly cause they have front BR - I won't have many opportunities to move the speakers in my room and they have to stand close to the wall.

Regards ! And thanks to @FrankHarveyHiFi for previous comments.

Hi hyper_2002

Thanks for your reply.

Rega's DAC and the NAD C365BEE amplifier. As an alternative to Rega's DAC you can still have a cd player and a DAC in the form of Audiolab's 8200CD.

Rega's DAC + NAD C356BEE or 8200CD + C356BEE will be a good match with the Q300's. Having said this i think that if you haven't already done so then also look at Dynaudio's superb DM 2/6 or DM 2/7 speakers. I've taken on board your comments about room positioning however if possible try them in your room as these may just do the trick just nicely. The Dynaudio's also form a good match with the Rega DAC, C356BEE and 8200CD. The DM speakers with their weighty, detailed, rich and dynamic presentation and their power handling capabilities should work a treat for you.

Btw, if you are happy to also consider used/discontinued components then keep a look out for a NAD C370 or Krell KAV-300i amplifiers.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

My aim was to buy amp + cd player , however I still wonder cause mainly i will stream media from my computer where I store my CDs ripped ,so maybe I should rather look for DAC instead of CD player for this time... And here is my prob. cause I haven't got slighltly idea about DACs . Any recommendations ?

I have ~1800$ to spend on AMP + DAC .

I'd take a look at the Audiolab 8200CDQ CD/pre and 8200P power amplifier combo. A good quality DAC will set you back about £500+, and with the 8200CDQ being £949, this includes a high quality DAC, which can be used for other digital components, a high quality CD player, should you ever need it, and includes a digital and an analogue pre-amplifier, which means you can plug it directly into a dedicated power amplifier. The 100wpc 8200P will pretty much drive anything, and will certainly get the KEF's singing, whether you use it's full potential or not. There will be nothing else you'll get for this price with this sort of power and current capability on offer.

If you really don't want the CD player, Audiolab will be releasing the 8200DQ (£799), which is the same as the 8200CDQ without the CD player, so it'll be a high quality DAC with an integral pre-amplifier, which again can be fed directly to the 8200P. I'd rather have the ability to play CD's for an extra £150...

 

[emptage]

I recently auditioned a pair of KEF Q300's with a Naim Nait5i and a Naim CD player. Sounded superb

 

[Frank Harvey]

The Q300's work amazingly well with the Nait 5i and Uniti products