KEF R3 Meta's - too much for my Marantz Model 30?

Bring your amp at the shop to demo. Seriously. Dealers understand the importance of synergy. Your Marantz Model 30 has decent specs. It should work fine. But the synergy question is still unanswered until you try.

@kokakolia that's good advice. My dealer carries the Marantz Model 30 so would save me from lugging my own to the store 😊

I was just worried about wasting their/my time if the Marantz struggles with the R3 Meta's. After I posted this thread, I've noticed a couple of prominent online retailers here in the UK offering the Model 30/Kef R3 Meta's as a bundle deal, which is reassuring 

@painter24 Just phone the dealer then. It will only take them 1 minute to answer. 

I have the R3 Metas. They performed well with a Yamaha 80wpc receiver.

I now power them with an Emotiva A2 amp (160/250 wpc). The Model 30 falls well into the upper range of KEF's recommended power requirements.

painter, you won't be wasting your or the dealer's time if you are serious about the KEFs.  You want to know about the match, and they can't expect a sale with every demo.

@painter24 

KEFs require a tremendous amount of power to sound their best. I have a pair of R1 Metas and originally powered them with a Luxman 590AXII. Even the big brother 509X couldn't do it. The speakers ate up both integrateds. Absolutely no soundstage or bass at all! I then moved up to a pair of McIntosh MC 611s. I could easily convince someone that I am using a sub. Yes, 30W will power them, but it will not power them correctly. I would not use anything under 250W simply because of the demanding nature of the speakers. 

Model 30 is class D hypex crap. Sell it to some hypex crap D lover (found in abundance at the ASR forum, for example) and get a couple of the Schiit Tyr Monoblocks. The Tyr monos will keep that KEF disciplined and ready to please.

https://www.schiit.com/products/tyr

Just to wrap up this thread. I did visit my dealer to demo the KEF's, but, and to cut a long story short, came away with a pair of ATC SCM40's ( which reminds me; I need to update my profile). My dealer gave me a generous part-ex deal on another amp I had bought from them previously which clinched the deal.

Congratulations. Enjoy

@kennyc thanks very much 👍

I've had the ATC's around 5 wks, and couldn't be happier. Probably end game speakers for me now. They work/sound lovely with the Marantz, and for the first time in around 2 and a half years since re-starting my HiFi hobby, I've reached a point where I feel like I'm nearing or at the end of the journey with the sound presentation I enjoy. 

On another forum’s “end game speaker” thread, the ATC40 was often mentioned. I also demoed ATC at an audio show and it sounded great.  

Contentment is probably the best for our wallets, but if you ever feel the need (curiosity/upgrade) to change your front end or electronics, your neutral revealing ATC40s would be up to the task.