2. amps-preamps
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Beginner Looking For Set Up Advice!

Hi all, 

I'm excited to have gotten my first pair of new speakers, the B&W 606 S2! My Dad and my Brother both have 603s and I love the sound, so I thought these would fit well in my apartment. I'm having trouble finding a stereo receiver or integrated amp to pair with the speakers. Although I understand some audiophile lingo, it can all be somewhat confusing and overwhelming so I thought I'd ask for some advice.

What would be a decent, under $1k piece to power the speakers? How much power do these need? I would want it to be able to stream music, whether through airplay or some other system (Spotify connect, etc), and also work with my TV setup including a 4k blu ray player and an Apple TV. I would consider adding a CD player or turntable later on. 

Currently I've looked at the Denon PMA 150h, Marantz PM7007, Marantz NR1200, Yamaha R-N303, and a few others. 

Thanks!
smosleh

Showing 7 responses by smosleh

smosleh OP
9 posts
 
https://www.peachtreeaudio.com/products/decco125-sky

It has WiFi and seems like it has an app platform to stream. 
Generally the outlaw, peachtree, ps audio etc will give a better sound than an avr I’m sure. Can anyone let me know how they compare to the denon/marantz? Thanks again everyone for all the info and help! 
smosleh OP
9 posts
 
Hi all,

Thanks so much for your informative replies! It seems like there are many good options - I was originally leaning toward the denon or marantz because of convenience factor of them having airplay etc (being a millennial and all...), however it seems like some of the other options may even provide a better sound.
The place I got my speakers has a peachtree decco 125SKY open-box for $599. If it’s still available should I just get that? 





smosleh OP
9 posts
 
thanks - my dad and brother use high end marantz avrs, out of my budget lol. 

 I don’t need an all in one box - I guess my question is, if I plug the hdmi devices direct to the TV and run an optical from the TV to the amp then I should be able to just leave it on the optical input for tv, then switch to WiFi for streaming and phono for a turntable, correct? Meaning, I don’t necessarily need an audio input on the amp for everything that I connect to the TV? 
Thanks again! 

smosleh OP
9 posts
 
It’s from Best Buy - hoping they still have it but I think they may it was only weeks ago  and it’s not a product the typical consumer is looking for lol! 
I’ll ask about the warranty - I know it doesn’t have the remote, which is fine. Peachtree sells the remote for $30. 
As for the TV, shouldn’t it work if I connect my video sources to tv via hdmi then run a optical from the tv to the peachtree? Thanks! 
smosleh OP
9 posts
 
Thanks for the insight and the good vibes! I have some questions: 

1. With having the separates, the streamer will take care of the music of course, however how would the Yamaha handle TVs/movies?
2. It looks like some of the Yamaha's are in short supply so out of the R-N303, S301 & S501 is there a recommendation?
3. At that $1k price point, you would recommend this over the Marantz PM7007? (I do like the idea of being able to swap out the components later on)
4. Finally, I did get confirmation that the Peachtree Decco 125SKY can be had for $600

SO MANY OPTIONS! But this idea of separates does intrigue me, and it does bring some nostalgia as the AVR we had when I was growing up was a Yamaha! Thanks!

smosleh OP
9 posts
 
Hi Everyone, thanks again for the help! This has been fun and informative.  

I've narrowed down to these options, in no particular order: 
Peachtree 125 SKY $600
Yamaha S301/S501 + Bluesound Node $1k - $1,250
Marantz PM7007 $1k 

I like the idea of separates, but couple questions:
1. With the Yamaha/Node setup, the sound when playing movies/tv etc won't be as good as the other two setups as they won't be taking advantage of the Bluesound DAC, correct?
2. Would there be any major difference between the S301 & S501 for me? Apartment living room is roughly 400sqft
smosleh OP
9 posts
 
Thanks - still haven’t made any final decision - I don’t have a large cd collection and doubt it will ever grow just due to the emergence of lossless streaming. 
Would the Yamaha/marantz or something similar sound better than the peachtree as they’re class AB rather than D or is it just a different sound? In terms of power I’m hearing different things so not exactly sure what I need. 
I’m sure all the choices will sound great so looking to make a decision this week. Thanks! 
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