Stereo Amplifier - Opinion

putzeco

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Mar 8, 2016
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Hi everyone.

My old receiver has finally called its age and has died on me. Therefore I'm looking for a replacement (actually going to replace it for an stereo amplifier and not an AV receiver) and been crawling reviews and today visited an Hi-Fi shop to check some models and get some suggestions from the local dealer. I'm no expert at all, but do enjoy some good quality and don't mind going 100/200 bucks more if it's worth it (quality wise).

I own a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3XP from 1975 (max 30W - 6 Ohm) and although they are old I really got attached to them and love the sound of them so I'm keeping them for as long as they don't fail on me. In terms of inputs I'll use my FiiO X1 (RCA), bluetooth and optical.

So far I have 3 options which seem feasible:

- Denon PMA-50 (415€) - Seems ok, lots of connectivity, small and looks to have enough power to drive my speakers. Couldn't tryout as there was none in stock.

-Rotel RA-11 (600€) - I'm expecting this amplifier to generate way better experience than the Denon, but is worth the 185€ ++? Plus no subwoofer out, which I might use in the future for movies (dont kill me on the subwoofer thing for HiFi). Tested it on-site but obviously with a pair of speakers which are completely different from mine, but did seem enjoyable.

- Cambridge CXA60 (900€ but didn't negotiate, might get it for 800€) - Seems a bit overkill for the speakers I currently have, but has everything I need in terms of input and has great reviews. Possibly good if in the future I want to upgrade my speakers.

I'm feeling tempted for the Denon, but a bit afraid to buy it and to get a huge disappointment and feel i just throwed 400€ down the drain.. Thinking that the Rotel might be the reasonable choice here, just missing the subwoofer pre-out but something I can live without easily.

Anyone has any experiences with any of these that can bring some opinion which might help me decide? Or any other suggestion are more than welcome.

Thanks
 

Blackdawn

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May 7, 2010
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putzeco said:
Hi everyone.

My old receiver has finally called its age and has died on me. Therefore I'm looking for a replacement (actually going to replace it for an stereo amplifier and not an AV receiver) and been crawling reviews and today visited an Hi-Fi shop to check some models and get some suggestions from the local dealer. I'm no expert at all, but do enjoy some good quality and don't mind going 100/200 bucks more if it's worth it (quality wise).

I own a pair of Wharfedale Linton 3XP from 1975 (max 30W - 6 Ohm) and although they are old I really got attached to them and love the sound of them so I'm keeping them for as long as they don't fail on me. In terms of inputs I'll use my FiiO X1 (RCA), bluetooth and optical.

So far I have 3 options which seem feasible:

- Denon PMA-50 (415€) - Seems ok, lots of connectivity, small and looks to have enough power to drive my speakers. Couldn't tryout as there was none in stock.

-Rotel RA-11 (600€) - I'm expecting this amplifier to generate way better experience than the Denon, but is worth the 185€ ++? Plus no subwoofer out, which I might use in the future for movies (dont kill me on the subwoofer thing for HiFi). Tested it on-site but obviously with a pair of speakers which are completely different from mine, but did seem enjoyable.

- Cambridge CXA60 (900€ but didn't negotiate, might get it for 800€) - Seems a bit overkill for the speakers I currently have, but has everything I need in terms of input and has great reviews. Possibly good if in the future I want to upgrade my speakers.

I'm feeling tempted for the Denon, but a bit afraid to buy it and to get a huge disappointment and feel i just throwed 400€ down the drain.. Thinking that the Rotel might be the reasonable choice here, just missing the subwoofer pre-out but something I can live without easily.

Anyone has any experiences with any of these that can bring some opinion which might help me decide? Or any other suggestion are more than welcome.

Thanks

Hi you mention the Denon has good connectivity. That may be the case for digital but if your other components are analogue you only get one input. I'd call that poor connectivity. What about Yamaha A-S701, Pioneer SX-N30
 

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