Upgrade Question : How to reach the next level?

admin_exported

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Aug 10, 2019
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Considering the following components :

Amp : Cambridge Audio Azur 540a
Speakers: Epos M12
Turntable : Pro-ject 1Xpression III with Ortofon Red (NAD PP2 phono amp)
CD : Cambridge Audio Azur 540c

What would be the most logical upgrade path?

I like much of the sound i have now (detail) but would like some more pronounced voices (aka midrange) , crispier highs and tighter articulate lows (not more lows).

I play jazz, blues, funk, soul and some rock/pop. I don’t care for classical music.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I'm not a pro in the domain, but I think I would look for an amp.
 
A

Anonymous

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mrox said:
I'm not a pro in the domain, but I think I would look for an amp.

Me neither. Being a fan of EPOS speakers, and assuming they are giving you a sound you like, I would stick with them. EPOS like a nice juicey amp with plenty of welly and control so would go along with the amp suggestion. Naim amplification is supposed to go well with EPOS, although never tried it myself (previously had Musicial Fidelity A100 then X-A200s with my ES14s)
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Recently I upgraded from a Cambridge 740a amp to both a Cambridge 840A V2 amp and a Cambridge 840C CD-player. This has made a world of difference. The sound is much more "open" now, and the amp has a greater control over the low octaves, making bass sound better. The CD-player adds a nice 3D to the sound, plus makes the bass punchier.

If you can stretch it financially, I would suggest getting Cambridge's top set.
It's going out of sale currently, because new models are about to appear.
But if you're lucky you can catch a sale. I did.

Best,
Henrik
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Ok, thanks guys. So i am in the market for a new amp :) :type:
 
T

the record spot

Guest
Why a new amp exactly? There's a guy selling a Linn Classik and a pair of Linn Kans on Gumtree in Glasgow for £350 all in. The Classik was £900 on release and it looks near mint. That's just an example of what you could do.

The real query is what is it you want out of your stereo? Straight CD replay, other stuff on top (streaming, radio, internet...). There are so many ways to skin the cat right now, it's easy to run out of fingers counting them up. A new amp is one way, but you could easily keep the speakers and go for an all-in-one solution.

Incidentally, the M12s work really rather well with the Onkyo I use - I heard a pair when I auditoned some speakers recently. Not to say the Onkyo is the way to go, but you won't be short of power to drive and control them. Other options exist from Linn, Marantz, Harman Kardon and so on. The point remains the same however you look at it; what is it you want to use your system for? When you've got that worked out, you're on the way to shortlisting what you need.
 

El Hefe

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Jun 21, 2008
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I used to own an M12.2 and was bi amping them with MF XA1 and XA50. And it gave me exactly what you are looking for, sound wise. What lacking for me was the low end. I wanted more bass.

The best match I heard so far for EPOS is Creek amps. Try to demo them together.
 

Inter_Voice

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amcluesent said:
>What would be the most logical upgrade path?<

Room acoustics. Consider absorbtion and/or defraction panels and bass traps.

+1 :) It costs not much and the improvement in SQ is very noticeable.
 

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