Upgrading my HIFI Amp!

[greyhail]

Hey everyone, hoping to get some input with regards to upgrading my current amplifier

so i'm moving on from my denon pma600ne and have been looking at tons of amplifiers (integrated and power)

Mainly to power my Wharfedale evo 4.2s. Ive already secured a phono stage so thats not the most important (initially i was zeroing in on the CXA81s)

I've narrowed it down to the following:

1) Cambridge audio CXA81
2) Rotel A11 tribute
3) NAD C700
4) Musical Fidelity M3si (secondhand for 1290 USD)
5) Starke AD4

Just wondering how much deeper i would have to dig into my wallet to get a DAC to pair with the Starke? Any suggestions?
At the moment I am leaning towards the NADC700 just because of its convenience.
But the price of the secondhand M3si is VERY appealing but I would be giving up on all the streaming and digital stuff with the C700
Still open to other alternatives in terms of amplifiers

Budget: 1500-1700 USD

Sonic preference: I like clarity and soundstage, but understand that it can be very fatiguing, initially I wanted to buy a set of triangle br03s but had to settle for the wharfedale evo 4.2s as my wife did not like the amount of space in the br03s
i am looking for a "not so laid back amp" because of the above
In case it helps my favorite pair of earphones are the campfire andromedas
I will be mainly using it as my main setup in my living room
Vinyls, TV/Movies, music streaming

Thank you in advance for your inputs

 

[Tinman1952]

Hey everyone, hoping to get some input with regards to upgrading my current amplifier

so i'm moving on from my denon pma600ne and have been looking at tons of amplifiers (integrated and power)

Mainly to power my Wharfedale evo 4.2s. Ive already secured a phono stage so thats not the most important (initially i was zeroing in on the CXA81s)

I've narrowed it down to the following:

1) Cambridge audio CXA81
2) Rotel A11 tribute
3) NAD C700
4) Musical Fidelity M3si (secondhand for 1290 USD)
5) Starke AD4

Just wondering how much deeper i would have to dig into my wallet to get a DAC to pair with the Starke? Any suggestions?
At the moment I am leaning towards the NADC700 just because of its convenience.
But the price of the secondhand M3si is VERY appealing but I would be giving up on all the streaming and digital stuff with the C700
Still open to other alternatives in terms of amplifiers

Budget: 1500-1700 USD

Sonic preference: I like clarity and soundstage, but understand that it can be very fatiguing, initially I wanted to buy a set of triangle br03s but had to settle for the wharfedale evo 4.2s as my wife did not like the amount of space in the br03s
i am looking for a "not so laid back amp" because of the above
In case it helps my favorite pair of earphones are the campfire andromedas
I will be mainly using it as my main setup in my living room
Vinyls, TV/Movies, music streaming

Thank you in advance for your inputs

Hi. Firstly I’m sure all these would drive the Wharfedales just fine….but in terms of features the NAD is a ‘no brainer’. Much more of a one box solution. If you bought the excellent MF amp you would then need to buy a Bluesound Node to have the same facilities….bumping up your budget. The NAD also has the required WAF (wife approval factor….) 🙂 Ideally you need to hear them/ get a home trial.

 

[Al ears]

Hey everyone, hoping to get some input with regards to upgrading my current amplifier

so i'm moving on from my denon pma600ne and have been looking at tons of amplifiers (integrated and power)

Mainly to power my Wharfedale evo 4.2s. Ive already secured a phono stage so thats not the most important (initially i was zeroing in on the CXA81s)

I've narrowed it down to the following:

1) Cambridge audio CXA81
2) Rotel A11 tribute
3) NAD C700
4) Musical Fidelity M3si (secondhand for 1290 USD)
5) Starke AD4

Just wondering how much deeper i would have to dig into my wallet to get a DAC to pair with the Starke? Any suggestions?
At the moment I am leaning towards the NADC700 just because of its convenience.
But the price of the secondhand M3si is VERY appealing but I would be giving up on all the streaming and digital stuff with the C700
Still open to other alternatives in terms of amplifiers

Budget: 1500-1700 USD

Sonic preference: I like clarity and soundstage, but understand that it can be very fatiguing, initially I wanted to buy a set of triangle br03s but had to settle for the wharfedale evo 4.2s as my wife did not like the amount of space in the br03s
i am looking for a "not so laid back amp" because of the above
In case it helps my favorite pair of earphones are the campfire andromedas
I will be mainly using it as my main setup in my living room
Vinyls, TV/Movies, music streaming

Thank you in advance for your inputs

Welcome to the forum.
tinman1952 has a point however I am a great one, particularly if thinking of keeping long term, for spending money on whatever you need the equipment to do. You want an amp then buy an amp, the best you can afford.
Adding a cheap streamer can come later if that is what you want.
The Musical Fidelity would be my choice.

 

[rainsoothe]

Hi. I'd try to audition as many as I could. Out of that list, I'd also lean towards MF, but if you're in the US, you should give serious thought to Rogue Audio Sphinx v3 and Schiit Ragnarok.

 

[greyhail]

Hi. Firstly I’m sure all these would drive the Wharfedales just fine….but in terms of features the NAD is a ‘no brainer’. Much more of a one box solution. If you bought the excellent MF amp you would then need to buy a Bluesound Node to have the same facilities….bumping up your budget. The NAD also has the required WAF (wife approval factor….) 🙂 Ideally you need to hear them/ get a home trial.

the WAF is definitely quite a huge factor. ultimately its good as it stops me from spending too much haha.

Welcome to the forum.
tinman1952 has a point however I am a great one, particularly if thinking of keeping long term, for spending money on whatever you need the equipment to do. You want an amp then buy an amp, the best you can afford.
Adding a cheap streamer can come later if that is what you want.
The Musical Fidelity would be my choice.

I definitely was leaning towards the MF especially since I found a pretty good deal for it. Was just struggling with the features of the C700. But if i'm not too fussy i could just stream music off my TV anyway. Ultimately my pleasure listening will be coming from the vinyls

I chanced upon a M5si for about 1750 USD so I'm about to bite the bullet on that!
watched a ton of videos (in particular andrew robinson's) and read reviews about its sound signature and it seems to fit the bill.

 

[Tinman1952]

the WAF is definitely quite a huge factor. ultimately its good as it stops me from spending too much haha.



I definitely was leaning towards the MF especially since I found a pretty good deal for it. Was just struggling with the features of the C700. But if i'm not too fussy i could just stream music off my TV anyway. Ultimately my pleasure listening will be coming from the vinyls

I chanced upon a M5si for about 1750 USD so I'm about to bite the bullet on that!
watched a ton of videos (in particular andrew robinson's) and read reviews about its sound signature and it seems to fit the bill.

Nice! That’s a great amp. 👍 plus it has a USB input so you could always use an old phone or tablet for streaming if needed.