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Is my amp good enough?
Hello everyone. New here and looking for some opinions.
My system comprises of mostly NAD components. The pre amp is the C165BEE and the amp is the C275BEE. They are currently driving an older pair of Monitor Audio Silver 8's. I have always been rather happy with this set up.
I am now looking at upgrading the speakers to a brand new set of Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G speakers and I am wondering if my amp has what it takes to get the best out of the incoming speakers. I am not sure if I would get an honest answer from a salesperson as they might convince me I need a $6000 amp to drive the speakers.
I have included the specs on my amp and the speakers I am looking at. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Some details:
NAD C275BEE
OVERALL SPECIFICATIONS
FIXED IN, SPEAKER OUT
Continuous output power into 8 Ω and 4 Ω (both channels driven) >150 W (ref. rated THD, 20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Continuous output power into 8 Ω (Mono, Bridge mode) >330 W (ref. 20 Hz - 20 kHz, <0.02% THD)
Rated THD (250 mW to rated power, CCIF IMD, DIM 100) <0.008 % (ref. 20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Clipping power (4 Ω and 8 Ω) >170 W (ref. 1 kHz 1% THD)
IHF dynamic power - 8 Ω 250 W
4 Ω 410 W
2 Ω 600 W
IHF dynamic power (Bridge mode) - 8 Ω 800 W
4 Ω 1200 W
Peak output current >50 A (ref. 1 Ω, 1 ms)
Signal/Noise ratio >102 dB (A-weighted, ref. 1 W)
>123 dB (A-weighted, ref. 150 W)
Damping factor >180 (ref. 8 Ω, 50 Hz and 1 kHz)
Frequency response ± 0.1 dB (ref. 20 Hz - 20 kHz)
3 Hz - 100 kHz (ref. -3 dB)
Input impedance (Fixed IN) 10 kΩ + 200 pF
Input impedance (Variable IN) 100 kΩ + 100 pF
Input sensitivity 1.2 V (ref. rated power)
Voltage gain 29 dB
Minimum input level for AUTO TRIGGER 10 mV at 1 kHz
Time to power OFF at no signal in AUTO mode <10 minutes
POWER CONSUMPTION
Normal operation 312 W (ref. 230V AC 50 Hz; 120V AC 60 Hz)
Standby power <1 W
Idle power <100 W
Monitor Audio Gold 300 5G:
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| System Format | 3-way |
| Frequency Response (-6 dB) | 30 Hz – 50 kHz |
| Sensitivity (1W@1M) | 90 dB |
| Nominal Impedance | 4 Ohms |
| Minimum Impedance | 3.5 Ohms @ 1 kHz |
| Maximum SPL | 117 dBA (Pair) |
| Power Handling (RMS) | 250 W |
| Recommended Amplifier Requirements | 100 – 250 W |
Showing 3 responses by fastfreight
No you don't need a bigger etc amp to drive your speakers. The NAD is a good amp. But there are many much better (to me) sounding amps if you reach a little higher. They just sound better. You would get 20 options if you asked for better sound. That may or not be worth it to you. I did not think so 10 years ago when your NAD, or my old Classe or Parasound Halo amps seemed great. Now I have Audionet amps, climbing up their line from Amps, to MAX to top of their line. They all sound special. Many other great brands do as well. Get your nice speakers and then down the road think about it. |
No, I would say that is not correct. Amps have a huge impact on all of the sound qualities you listed. Both are important. Changing my preamp made a huge impact. Changing my amps also made a huge impact. |