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Me too, love valve amps... but there are now better solid state amps... they just cost a lot
Post Your Home Cine & HiFi Kit...
- Thread starter -AnthraX-
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I would guess subtle differences at most though.
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No... substantial if you are looking at different brands.
If you progress up the range of a single manufacturer, then it is more incremental and usually power improvements, with some finesse.
Like moving from a BMW 320 to M3.
Different brands will have completely different sound and feeling.
That’s where subjective preference comes into play.
Some people love Devialet, I couldn’t stand the sound and wanted to stop listening completely quickly. Whereas McIntosh was wonderful.
Devialet stuff I could tell was technically good, but it had no unity of the frequencies or warmth, with some harshness to the highs. McIntosh has a similar brilliance, but no harshness, a great warmth that lead to a much more relaxing listening experience. Same speakers and cables.
Tried the McIntosh with Focal speakers and could tell it was the speakers I didn’t like very quickly.
Some people will be more sensitive to certain things. But it is no where near as linear as you suggest.
Only way to know for yourself would be to sample.
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signs and crinkleshoes> I loveeeeeeeee valve amps I also love amps with vu meters like like the Macs, luxmans, old marantz but ultimately that's more to do with a retro nostagic feeling rather than actually impacting the sound.
When i use to collect headphones a very long time ago about 80%+ were valve headphone amplifiers.
On a side note. Seems like we share a lot in common. I hate devialet sound as well but that could be down to it being class D like sound and I don't like focal speakers.
A friend had the Devialet mono and raidho speakers combo and invited me to take a listen. I couldn't get out of the room fast enough.
When i use to collect headphones a very long time ago about 80%+ were valve headphone amplifiers.
On a side note. Seems like we share a lot in common. I hate devialet sound as well but that could be down to it being class D like sound and I don't like focal speakers.
A friend had the Devialet mono and raidho speakers combo and invited me to take a listen. I couldn't get out of the room fast enough.
Not sure why that is quite so small!
B&W CM9/C/1 with BK Monolith Sub driven by Arcam AVR850. TV is Panasonic DX902 in 65" and we use Sky Q 2TB, PS4 Pro and Nvidia Shield as sources, and Spotify via CCA optical into the Arcam to use its DAC.
Sub and Centre are being upgraded next (SVS PC4000 and CM Centre 2) then maybe a 77" OLED but waiting to see pricing on the new Sony ZG9's
Absolutely agree. I tried Rotel RMB1575 on a Martantz SR7011 before moving to the Arcam and the Class D sound on that model was horrendous to me. The Arcam delivers exactly what I needed. I see many, many posts on forums where people are convinced all amps sound the same, and worse when they're trying to drive higher end speakers from cheap AV Receivers - you absolutely will not here your speakers at their best if the current and ability to drive them properly isn't there.
Every brand has a house sound and generally types of amplification sounds similar too (as in each 'class'). These newer Class D's which are heavily tweaked like Nord Acoustics and such are interesting though as they offer the benefits of Class D, but a sound similar to Class A/B
Not sure why that is quite so small!
B&W CM9/C/1 with BK Monolith Sub driven by Arcam AVR850. TV is Panasonic DX902 in 65" and we use Sky Q 2TB, PS4 Pro and Nvidia Shield as sources, and Spotify via CCA optical into the Arcam to use its DAC.
Sub and Centre are being upgraded next (SVS PC4000 and CM Centre 2) then maybe a 77" OLED but waiting to see pricing on the new Sony ZG9's
Looks and I bet sounds very solid. Ofcourse amps make a massive difference to sound. Those who think not are simply wrong.
557 is dual channel power amp... So what's powering the rest ??You're surprised that an overpriced lifestyle product is nowhere near as good-sounding as a high end home cinema setup with proper speakers? Honestly
Time to put it all back, sell the Apple TV and Fire TV, use the Shield, and buy a Harmony Elite
I couldn't ever bear to part with my AV system, even if I lived in a flat. You don't have to have it loud to appreciate how much better it is than any one-box solution.
Edit:
Since this is a 'show us your clobber' thread, I think there have been a few minor changes since I last posted here - namely a new carpet and a couple of new bits of kit. Oh and I did some OCD cable management and added some lights to my cabinet for a bit of added chavviness.
Equipment list:
- Kef Reference 3.2 mains
- Kef R200C centre
- Kef Q100 rears
- BK Monolith sub
- Audiolab 8200DQ preamp
- Meridian 557 power amp
- Yamaha RX-A2070 receiver
- Squeezebox Touch
- Panasonic 50" LED LCD
- Nvidia Shield TV
- Panasonic Blu-ray player
- Xbox One
- BT YouView box
- Chromecast Audio
- Logitech Harmony Elite
Nice looking / probably sounding setup.
Very modest and outdated setup compared to most in here, but it does the job for now until I can afford to splash out on better!
Asus Xonar Essence STX
Arcam A75
Wharfedale Diamond 9.2
Wharfedale SW150
Speaker wire is Cambridge Audio Symphony 400, which I believe is £3 a metre, rather than £4000 a metre.
Got the amp for £20 from an old fella, it has a receipt for £899 from 2003.
Speakers were £80 from a cash exchange shop
Sub was warehouse clearance at £120
Take that Crinkleboobs.
Asus Xonar Essence STX
Arcam A75
Wharfedale Diamond 9.2
Wharfedale SW150
Speaker wire is Cambridge Audio Symphony 400, which I believe is £3 a metre, rather than £4000 a metre.
Got the amp for £20 from an old fella, it has a receipt for £899 from 2003.
Speakers were £80 from a cash exchange shop
Sub was warehouse clearance at £120
Take that Crinkleboobs.
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Not sure why that is quite so small!
B&W CM9/C/1 with BK Monolith Sub driven by Arcam AVR850. TV is Panasonic DX902 in 65" and we use Sky Q 2TB, PS4 Pro and Nvidia Shield as sources, and Spotify via CCA optical into the Arcam to use its DAC.
Sub and Centre are being upgraded next (SVS PC4000 and CM Centre 2) then maybe a 77" OLED but waiting to see pricing on the new Sony ZG9's
Sweet setup.
My kit sadly much better than the camera on my phone:.....
Speakers Mains :Meridian DSP8000SE upgraded mains.
Centre: Meridian 5200 HC
Rears: Meridian 7200.2
Processor Meridian G68 Adv with linear psu upgrade.
Main Source Meridian Reference 818v3 (At meridian for upgrade so not in pics) will get better pics with a proper camera when it returns!!!
Meridian MC200 Sooloos control
8Pack Supernova attached via SPDIF from Asus sound card.
Sky Q
Oppo UDP-203 Blu ray player.
Cables. Meridian Speakerlink, Merdian Blu Coaxial and Siltech.
Full sound proofing of the room... Excluding the door!!! Sound treatments to front, rear and under the carpet.... Professionally fitted.... Room is literally dead acoustically so the speakers really sing!!!! The room correction within the G68 is literally doing nothing.
I run 818v3 straight into the main speakers for the best sound quality possible and full MQA rendering. The G68 runs into the reference 818v3 so the signal gets additional jitter correction with the FIFO and clock card of the 818. I prefer music and stereo to anything but surround also sounds great.
In my lounge I have meridian DSP 7000 and MS200 also pics to follow.
Speakers Mains :Meridian DSP8000SE upgraded mains.
Centre: Meridian 5200 HC
Rears: Meridian 7200.2
Processor Meridian G68 Adv with linear psu upgrade.
Main Source Meridian Reference 818v3 (At meridian for upgrade so not in pics) will get better pics with a proper camera when it returns!!!
Meridian MC200 Sooloos control
8Pack Supernova attached via SPDIF from Asus sound card.
Sky Q
Oppo UDP-203 Blu ray player.
Cables. Meridian Speakerlink, Merdian Blu Coaxial and Siltech.
Full sound proofing of the room... Excluding the door!!! Sound treatments to front, rear and under the carpet.... Professionally fitted.... Room is literally dead acoustically so the speakers really sing!!!! The room correction within the G68 is literally doing nothing.
I run 818v3 straight into the main speakers for the best sound quality possible and full MQA rendering. The G68 runs into the reference 818v3 so the signal gets additional jitter correction with the FIFO and clock card of the 818. I prefer music and stereo to anything but surround also sounds great.
In my lounge I have meridian DSP 7000 and MS200 also pics to follow.
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Which amp do you have at the moment? I'm trying to keep my eye out for CM Centre 2 S2 and swap up to CM10 S2 but the CM9's are great speakers and not sure our room is big enough to jump up to CM10's. The new sub should add a fair bit over the Monolith hopefully.
I used to love 603 S2/3's, awesome speakers for the money. I had some 605's with the built in active subs back in 2002, they were naughty. Oh and a Kef THX package in a 3x3m bedroom at my Mom's house haha