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nad 370 upgrade

looking to upgrade to a next level integrated...can spend up to $2K. Would prefer ss as opposed to tubes or hybrids. Will be using for mostly vinyl. I have a separate phono stage so i won't need one in the unit. im using paradigm reference studio 20 v2 speakers, a music hall mmf-7 turntable, a grado ph-1 phono stage. my room is fairly small, and i listen to mostly classic older jazz(with acoustic bass), blues, and rock. so far, based on what ive read here and elsewhere, considering creek 5350 se, yba integre dt, arcam 85, musical fidelity 3.2, lfd mistral le, and plinius 8200 mkII. looking for good, realistic bass response, open soundstage, and air. any and all advice very appreciated.
svb4424783
8 responses Add your response
kotta's avatar
kotta
649 posts
 
Of the dealers I have spoken with, I sense they heavily favor the Mistral int. amps as being the most musical ss for the $. The YBA is another that seems to garnish favorable opinions from the fine folks here on AudioGon. Good Luck in your quest! Bill
subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
I always vote for the Audio Refinement Complete (1/2 the price of the DT), but my dealer thinks its bettered by the new UNICO hybrid integrated for $1300 list. It's a beauty, too....
cdc
1,783 posts
 
I like the older Musical Fidelity 150 wpc A300(?) integrated. Newer M-F and Arcam is too harsh IMHO, especially if you think Paradigm tweeter is bright but bass is better. Creek may be okay but lacks power. LFD is distorted but you may like - it comes down to preference. YBA is nice, maybe less involving than other amps but very enjoyable.
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
to be honest..the NAD is probably not the culprit...as good as Paradigm is...I found them to have poor off-axis response (small sweetspot)...Im not trying to be cruel...so please dont crucify me...but for added bass and a more "open" sounding system... new amplification is the last place I would look...dont get me wrong...Paradigm are a great value...but the money spent on a new amp...I would put towards new speakers...
svb4424783 OP
9 posts
 
interesting...almost everyone i've heard from here and other places have pointed to the nad as the weak spot.

what bookshelf speakers would you suggest?
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
I have Quad 12LS and am flabbergasted at the level of detail,transparency,soundstaging,dynamics, and bass...they have a very "open" presentation...with a "sweet spot" that simply fills the room...I am also using NAD amplification and have not experienced any of the issues mentioned above...NAD might not have the esoteric name or garnish the best looking amp category...but their amps are their "bread n butter" so to say...the only change I would consider would be tubes...just for the record...I auditioned the Studio 20...and many others...including Spendor,Sonus Faber,Revel,etc...the Quads are a steal...
mghcanuck
116 posts
 
You could try bi-amping by adding the C-270, as I did with my system. I'm quite pleased with the result, more detail, clarity and air throughout the frequency spectrum. However, I have Kef Q5 floostanders (with the C-370 driving the upper/mids and the C-270 driving the bass).

If you decide to change your speakers, the new XQ1 from Kef is a bookshelf model that got a rave review and beat out five other models in the April 2003 edition of Hi-Fi World.
svb4424783 OP
9 posts
 
thanks for all the help...at this point im going to leave the speakers alone, because i actually really like them, and my wife will flip out if i get new ones. but after all ive read in several different forums, im going to buy the mistral le. sounds like a terrific product, and should be a nice move up from the nad. i'll let everyone know how it turns out.
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