admin_exported

New member
Aug 10, 2019
2,556
4
0
Visit site
Hi All

What amp would you suggest to improve on my Nad 352 up to £600 to get the best out of my Arcam FMJ C17.

I want to buy brand new.

Thanks

Gtncj.
 
Gtncj said:
Hi All

What amp would you suggest to improve on my Nad 352 up to £600 to get the best out of my Arcam FMJ C17.

I want to buy brand new.

Thanks

Gtncj.

Hi Gtncj

What do you and anyone else who is also likely to use the system generally listen to?

The size of your room?

Listening distance?

Your general listening level?

Do you use the tone controls on the C352?

Your thoughts/impressions of your current system are?

What areas of improvements are you looking for a new amplifier and the system as a whole to achieve?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Rick @ Musicraft

The music we listern to is soul,rnb,pop,reggae,jazz,hip hop and the kids like music from Devlin,Tinine tempah and Chipmunk.

The size of the room is roughly 3x5.5 meters with a 3x3 meter listerning space and a 2 meter listerning distance.

Speakers are roughly 2 meters apart.

I do use tone controls only to reduce bass.

Changing from a Nad 545 (was using a ca 640 v2 as nad broke again)to the Arcam cd17 the sound has changed voice and instruments sound much more life like.(big improvement).

The improvements i'm looking for is in clarity and detail system can be a bit bassy with hip hop at times.

Clarity of vocal and lyrics and instrument separation is what i'm aiming for not to say it not clear now.

Just trying to get the best out the Arcam for around £600.

Lastly but most important is that I listern to music at low levels at around 8.00 oclock on the volume level and want to hear the midrange vocals clear without being over powered by the bass.

Thanks

Gtncj.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Rick@musicraft and forum

The Yamaha A-S500 sounds intersting, Whats you opinion. I will try and get a demo next month. Its member said its got detail at low levels.

KR

Gtncj
 
Hi Gtncj

Thanks for your reply.

Just to also get a clearer picture regarding the RS6's and your room -

Is the room lightly or heavily furnished?

Room positioning of the speakers (distance to walls, corners, is there anything in between the speakers such a chimney breast, cabinet etc.)?

Room floor (concrete, carpeted, wooden etc.)?

Have you experimented with using the supplied bungs to block the ports and room positioning of the speakers to attenuate the bass?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Rick@musicraft

The room is lightly furnished just a 2.5x2 meter rug and the leather sofas from the speakers to listerning postion.

The RS6's are 12.5 inches from the back wall to give a 2 meter liserning postion and 24 inches from the righthand side wall.

In between the RS6's is the hifi on a matrix hifi rack (from argos) and a fireplace with heater removed with a matix console table with lcd tv, bluray player and freesat on it.

The floor is laminated with the rug on top.

The front ports are bunged. I done that earlier on today and that has solved the problem slightly.

I find I have to turn up the volume to get vocals clear on fast music. Some vocals tend to be in the background of the backing singers I would like them more up front. But the vocals are in the center of the music.

Also considering Arcam A18.

KR

Gtncj.
 
Hi Gtncj

Thanks for your reply.

Fair enough. If your budget allows then in addition to the A18 also have a look at Audiolab's new 8200A. The 8200A may just do the trick however please listen to the 8200A with your components before you buy.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 

Helmut80

New member
Jan 8, 2011
27
1
0
Visit site
looking at your music preferences, I don't think you will get an imprpvement for £600 brand new. The NAD is excellent for pop, hiphop, reggeae IMHO.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
GTncj,

Just forget Yamaha S500. It'll be a downgrade for sure.

Your budget is 600 pounds and you thinking of replacing your C352? Well, I wouldn't do that If I were you. It's not worth!

If you didn't have an integrated amp, I wouldn't recommend you a NAD's. I would prefer other amps in the same price range, but this it not the point as you already own one.

A real improvement on your amplification will cost you about 1000 pounds. I don't mean it doesn't exist an amp which might outperform your NAD for 600 pounds. It's pretty possible but ... the question is: will it be better enough to worth the 600 pounds expenditure? I think not!

My advice is saving a bit more for a future real upgrade like Naim Nait 5i, Musical Fidelity M3i, Creek Evolution 5350, Primare i21, Moon i5 and others which play in the same league or better.
 

Blackdawn

Well-known member
May 7, 2010
88
1
18,545
Visit site
Agree with audio maniac. The NAD C352 CT won plenty of awards when it was new. You will have to increase the budget to get much better or it's not worth it. There are plenty of choices between £600 and £1000.

Rotel RA 1520, Creek Evo 2, Audiolab 8200A, Roksan K2 etc
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I love Creek Classic 5350SE. For my liking, it's the best British mid-priced integrated amp. Its project adpts a passive pre-amp stage (just a high grade Alps attenuator) and a A-B topology power stage (with expensive mosfets). This amp sounds very natural with good dynamics and quick well controled low end for a mid-priced model. If you find one othe this in an old stock, just take it home!

The project of Evolution 5350 is based on its predecessor, so I reckon it shares the same topology for pre-amp and power section. Just gessing! For more accurate info, please contact Mr. Michael Creek thru Creek Audio's home page (www.creekaudio.com).

http://www.creekaudio.com/products/evolution_5350.php
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have no doubt Creek Evo 2, Audiolab 8200A and Roksan K2 outperform NAD C352. Although I've never made an A-B comparison, I suspect they just are marginally better (not a notable step up) ...

Blackdawn said:
Agree with audio maniac. The NAD C352 CT won plenty of awards when it was new. You will have to increase the budget to get much better or it's not worth it. There are plenty of choices between £600 and £1000. Rotel RA 1520, Creek Evo 2, Audiolab 8200A, Roksan K2 etc
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Audio Maniac and Blackdawn

I actulay changed my CDP to a Rega Apollo and solved the problem. To be honest the Arcam showed what the Nad is capable of producing quality wise but the midrange from it was not to my likeing voice's weren't as clear as the Rega but the Arcam FMJ CD17 made music more realistic. I don't no if I had a faulty Arcam but on some songs the main vocals seemed to be in the back ground and the backing singer in the front.

I am going to keep the Nad and if i do upgrade it would be to a 355 or 356 as i'm sure they sound better than the 352.

I am happy with the Rega it's a lot brighter than the Arcam andn has less bass.

I may in time get a pair of speaker to calm down the the brightness but that only on some songs I'm thinking of some B&W 684's what do you think.

Kind regards

Gtncj.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
There're better floorstanders than BW 684. But it's a matter of taste. There're many who are keen on BWs.

I would try Epos M16i, QUAD 22L2 or Acoustic Energy Aelite Series. Their sound character are more natural.

By the way, I wouldn't go for NAD 355 or 356 when upgrading the amp. There are better amps in British market for sure like Creek 5350. Creek's amps have great sinergy with Epos loudspeakers as they were designed together. Creek and Epos belong to the same group actually (owned by Michael Creek). Creek's products are designed to last for decades (very solid) and its after-sales service is the best I've ever known. Last time I need a technical support, Michael Creek himself helped me on phone. What's more, once, afterwards it's passed 5 years, he mailed me an brand new manual of the Creek 5250SE integrated amp I owned. Furthermore, I hadn't ordered it, he just mailed it after knowing I had lost it. It's really impressive, as I live abroad! I'll never forget it certainly.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Cheers Audio Maniac

Thanks for the advice I will do some research on them.

Kind regards

Gtncj.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Yesterday I was looking for some reviews on internet and I found a review of Creek Evolution 5350 by chance.

Despite the "5350" that reminds the model name of its predecessor, the latest mid-priced model doesn't adopt mosfets on its output. Now power stage is driven by BJT. I didn't find anything about the topology of preamp section. The only things it was mentioned on the review (Audio DE) is that the new model project was based on Classic 5350SE's. Nothing further!

Now I have no idea about Creek Evolution 5350's sound character, nevertheless, I think it's still worth auditioning taking into account Michael Creek's reputation.

That's it!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi Audio Maniac

Saw one today when I took my Nad to get repaired but never heard it. The problem is not the amp it's getting a CD player I like the sound off, The two I tried may cost more or even sound better but none of them sounded the way I liked. Arcam was lacking mid range vocal levels IMHO and the Rega was not for me IMHO it didn't gel with my RS6's.

The CA 640 v2 and the Chord Company Cobra plus sounds better to me more synergy.

Thanks for your replys

Kind regards

Gtncj.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts