New amplifier needed

[SamyBoy13]

Hello, guys I recently go Dali Opticons 6 which sound great with my Yamaha as501. However today I was curious about what audiophile amps offer and arrange a listening where I compared my own against Roksan k3 and Caspian.

The difference between my 501 and k3 was huge. The Opticones came alive with it. I'm not sure how to describe it but my Yamaha sounded very bassy and treble heavy (borderline sibilant with some Metallica songs), whereas k3 and Caspian sounded closer to live performance of Metalica. The sound on Roksan's amplifiers were lively and more spacious in comparison to Yamaha. To be honest both Roksan amplifiers were very close to each other (paired with matching cd players) to a point my ears could tell the difference.

My question is regarding Yamaha AS2100 or AS1100 as I have no idea of what I can expect by pairing it with my Opticons. Richers stocks them on special order but none in store to demo within 100 miles. Does anyone have ore demoed one which could provide some insights on how would they match Opticons 6? Thanks in advance.

 

[lucid]

Given your very positive response to both, is there a particular reason why you wouldn't choose either of the Roksan products?

 

[SamyBoy13]

Given your very positive response to both, is there a particular reason why you wouldn't choose either of the Roksan products?

Thank you for your response @lucid

I like the look of Yamaha more, the UV meters, wooden sides and the price of £1400 + £1200 for CD player with 5 years warranty.This tilts me to pull the trigger but I dont want to regret it as my as501 is very bright and bassy in.

Personally, I think Caspian's build quality is ace except for the cheap looking dials - it looks like a cheap plastic coated with chrome sticker. I'm aware they are metal and very sturdy but it just looks cheap. On the other side, the K3 looks more subtle and classy, yet the dial wobbles when adjusted (not sure if this is the issue with the demo?).

Spending £2500 pounds is quite a lot of money for me so once I buy it I would like it to suit my aesthetical taste along with having the ability to reproduce music as close as possible to real performance or at least as best as speakers would allow it, hence looking at Yamaha as2100/as1100.

 

[lucid]

The difference you're hearing between a £270 Yamaha and the £1200~£1400 Roksans highlights what's possible with bigger budgets, better design and higher-grade components. You would experience something similar with any of the higher-end brands.

When you start playing at this sort of level, the differences between how the brands sound becomes more marked. People use adjectives such as fast or slow, and full-bodied or lean, and bright or warm, etc to attempt to categorise some general characteristics, but it can all be very subjective. People have preferences, and there's the question too about whether products work well together.

One thing is for certain; no matter what is written about gear, and no matter how glowing the recommendations that you hear from other people, you really need to hear the product for yourself. First you need to hear it in a dealer's dem room. But ultimately you should have the gear at home to try for a couple of days before committing to a purchase. You see, how your speakers sound in the dealer's will be different to the way they sound set up in your home. For that reason, the way an amplifier works with those speakers will appear to change depending on the location.

There's nothing I can think of that would persuade me to spend £1000+ on a brand new amplifier from a dealer without auditioning it first.

 

[FurryLemon]

Lyngdorf tdai-2170 should be top of your list if you can afford it.

 

[SamyBoy13]

The difference you're hearing between a £270 Yamaha and the £1200~£1400 Roksans highlights what's possible with bigger budgets, better design and higher-grade components. You would experience something similar with any of the higher-end brands.

When you start playing at this sort of level, the differences between how the brands sound becomes more marked. People use adjectives such as fast or slow, and full-bodied or lean, and bright or warm, etc to attempt to categorise some general characteristics, but it can all be very subjective. People have preferences, and there's the question too about whether products work well together.

One thing is for certain; no matter what is written about gear, and no matter how glowing the recommendations that you hear from other people, you really need to hear the product for yourself. First you need to hear it in a dealer's dem room. But ultimately you should have the gear at home to try for a couple of days before committing to a purchase. You see, how your speakers sound in the dealer's will be different to the way they sound set up in your home. For that reason, the way an amplifier works with those speakers will appear to change depending on the location.

There's nothing I can think of that would persuade me to spend £1000+ on a brand new amplifier from a dealer without auditioning it first.

Thank you for your detailed well-formulated response. Unfortunately, in Plymouth, I only got Richersounds or Sevenoaks 45 miles away thus have limited listening options. I guess I'm going have to take the risk at some point if I can't listen to any other than Roksan or cambridge 851a (which I haven't auditioned yet)

 

[lucid]

Well, you haven't only got Richers and Sevenoaks, but yes, in town Richers are probably the only broad-range high street retailer.

If Sevenoaks at Exeter is reachable then have you thought about visiting Audio Destination at Tiverton? There's Mike Manning at Yeovil. He's a Yamaha dealer too.

I appreciate that in your part of the world it's more of a challenge to get around any sort of distance by car because there are no motorways. However, thousands of tourists a year come down to Devon and Cornwall from all parts of the UK, it doesn't stop them.

Not everyone drives of course, and some people have legitimate mobility issues, but if something is worth the effort then people do travel. Even if it means roping in a sympathetic driving friend and coughing up for fuel and a spot of lunch, even packing up your speakers to take with you, I still think it's worth the time and trouble to get this right. As a schoolboy buying my first bits of Hi-Fi back in the mid 80s, I remember packing up my 2ft tall Tannoy speakers and carrying them a mile to the train station, then walking another half mile through crowded Manchester shopping streets to reach the local Cyrus dealer to demo an amp. I then had to schlep all the way back before making the return journey to pick up the amp I had bought because it was too much to carry back in one trip.

Where a local dealer is able but unwilling to get gear in for you to demo, then you have to question whether they're the right dealer and worthy of your business.

Find the right dealer, cultivate a relationship, make the arrangements so they have the gear you want to demo, and then make your purchase secure in the knowledge that you've done all you could to get the best piece of equipment for your needs. Never buy on looks, or specs, or recommendations. Those are things for making a shortlist, not for a final purchase. Trust me, I've been there. It's expensive and unsatisfying. A good, knowledgable and helpful dealer is worth their weight in gold.

 

[signs]

if you can't get to a dealer , how about ordering online? you get to demo the equipment at home , and if not happy you can return under the distance selling act . be aware you will have to pay return postage .