You really need to listen for yourself. What type of music do you like? What else is in your system? Great components don't always work well together. I love my new Ayre integrated. Best one I've heard with many different speakers I've been auditioning. I've heard it with new Focals and it sounded like it always does, giving me SS with a touch of romance I love from my tube gear. Lot's of contenders. How much will you spend? Much more detail is needed, but we all like what we have purchased. Where do you live? You need to visit a local store to get an idea of how things sound together. JMHO |
At 8 Ohms & 92 db sensitivity, the Focals your looking at are pretty efficient speakers and do not require a lot of power. So that really opens the field as far as what integrated - you have literally dozens to choose from. So to better answer your question, are you interested in SS or Tubes?
Also, you say you want an integrated but ask about Parasound. While they make very good SS amps, they do not offer an integrated. Power amps only. |
Thanks for reply
I live in New York and unfortunately not too many HI FI
stores carry Focal speakers. So far i found only one but
it was hooked up to Simaudio 600i. Way too expensive for
me. My budget is $1500-$2000, so I am looking for an
Integrated amplifier 2 x 60 or 70Wats per channel since
the Focals are efficient speakers and I don't listen the music
too loud. To mention, I am listening jazz, smooth jazz.
I am only interested in SS Integrated Amplifiers. THANKS |
Get a Rega Brio-R for ~$900 and save yourself some money. Tough to beat unless you spend a lot more. |
Thanks for the additional details Torevado. Given your ample budget, and no attempts to fill an concert hall with sound, there are many quality SS integrateds to choose from.
Since you already heard the speakers you want with the Simaudio, you can consider their entry level Moon Neo 220i. Also, any NAD BEE series from the 316 to the 375 will get the job done. You can also take your pick of offerings from Arcam, A19 & A28, and Creek, the EVO II and 5350 EVO. That's seven I already listed and can go and on. But there is one more I would strongly suggest..
The Marantz PM8004 at 1K list. This is not an ordinary Marantz product like their HT series stuff. This amp is built in Japan at their reference factory and is not afraid to show its true specs - 70 wpc into 8 Ohms, >25 amps peak current capacity, >100 damping factory and could be the heaviest of the bunch at 27 lbs. I have heard this amp driving 10K Sonus Faber Cremona M's and was extremely impressed. Truly an impressive sounding amp for the money. Good luck in your search and happy listening. |
Funny as I have been running my Proac Supertowers with the NAD 326BEE integrated for a few years now. I do love this integrated as it's powerful enough and it's great with speakers that may have a bit too much on top. I had a pair of Focals (can't remember which ones) that I used with the NAD for a month or so. I did love that sound. Not quite as open as the Sim or Ayre integrateds, but you find them used for just under 350 or so. That leaves you a ton for cables or other tweeks. I'm going to be selling my NAD off as I now have the Ayre and will be keeping it as I love it. Keep us up on what your thoughts are as you go through this. If you are looking at Rega, I'd also throw the Creek's in there too as they are awesome for the money and often overlooked. If you don't need a remote, I have two Onix integrateds I'm selling off that are also in the 350 area too. These are very rare to find and I feel they are much better than even the NAD, especially for the cost. They originally were purchased for my second system that I ran JM LAB Microns with (that's the early Focals). That was one of my favorite systems to just put on and enjoy. I have MIT cables for that system and they just sounded right on all music. Smaller rooms of course, lol. |
Also try Naim Nait 5i-2. I like the NAD stuff but have had reliability problems, and I like the Naim much better anyway. |
I haven't heard Naim in a few years. I loved their stuff in the past. I've had a ton of NAD stuff since the 80's and never had a problem. Interesting to hear you had problems with them. Have you heard the old Onix integrated's? They were similar to the early Naim stuff. |
I previously owned the Focal 700 series and now the 1027be. I also owned the Sim I-3 and I-7 and both sound great with Focals. Sim amps are smooth and have a tight bass. I listen to smooth jazz also and Sim amps are a perfect match for Focal speakers. Sim amps are also built like tanks and are high quality.
If you like the sound of Simaudio with Focal, there are a few integrated amps for sale here on audiogon in your price range. I bought my gear on here audiogon and have no problems. |
THANKS for all suggestions.
Since I liked the sound with the Simaudio 600i I am thinking
to go with the their new NEO 250i Integrated amplifier.
I just hope that 50 Watts per channel is enough to run
the Focals since they are 92db sensitive. |
Sounds like a good choice Torevado. With the 50 high current wpc that the Sim will dish out, the Focals will be no problem for this amp. Just sit back and enjoy the music.
BTW, are you going with the 807 V or W? |
Torevado,
50 wpc is more than enough with those speakers. I'm running the bigger less sensitive 1027be with a 36 wpc tube amp in a 13x18 room. Speakers with high sensitivity need only a few watts when played at normal listening levels. You won't regret buying a Sim amp. |
I am going with the 807W. |
If I may ask, what speaker cables are you using.
Thanks
|
Good choice again. I have read good reviews on the "W"s and they seem to be a major step up from the "V"s. Coupled with the Simaudio amp, sounds like your on the way to a great system.
WRT speaker cables, you are bound to get a wide variety of opinions, all equally valid and good. I use Audioquest Rocket 33's in my system. After trying many different types, I am very happy with these and have no intention of changing. |
O.K.
Since I could not decide what Integrated to buy I packed
the Focals and went to the store. I've tried new NEO 250I
(No Good). The sound was dry, so clinical. I spent almost
2 hours. All Integrated under $5000.00 did not sound right
except for the Tube Integrated Amplifiers (I really don't want
to mess with the tubes). I almost gave up until Salesman
asked me to try NAD C356. I even did not want to bother with
the NAD. He changed the original jumpers with the silver ones
and than SHOCK. I could not believe. Full sound, details,
extended highs. I paid for the NAD and went home. The Salesman included silver jumpers in the price. THANK YOU ALL
ON SUGGESTIONS. |
Congrats Torevado. The NAD BEE amps are very good sounding SS amplifiers. Glad you found an amp that's right for you. Enjoy the music! |
Reviving an old thread. I got a pair of 807W's a few weeks ago. Last night, I plugged a Nad 2400THX integrated (seems to be conservatively rated at 100wpc) into them and I couldn't turn the volume up much past 1.5 notches (around 7:30 on the clock) before making the volume too loud to listen to! These speakers are EXTREMELY efficient. One of those low wattage tube amps would really make them sing, IMHO. When I use this same amp with my Kef LS50's, the volume know needs to go much higher to achieve the same volume levels. The 807W's are a nice speaker. Enjoy. |
