Hmmm, shows how subjective it is. I have a B-100 with Green Mountain Audio Europa speakers and if anything the setup is a little on the bright side of neutral. Dark and soft are the very last words I'd use to describe my densen amp. Transparent and ruthlessly so are descriptions I'd use.
Naim and Denson amps
I'm looking for power amplifiers to use with my Mark Levinson 390s CD player/preamp and B&W804N and HTM1 fronts. I'm considering Naim (probably NAP-250, 2x80) and Denson (probably Beat-300XS, 2x100, Beat-350 monoblock, 1x125), and a used Boulder 250AE.
Will using a Naim power amplifier with anything but a Naim pre-amp be an issue? Also, I thought about using Naim for my mains, and a Beat-350 monoblock or Boulder 250AE for the center channel. I don't have a chance to test any of this equipment in my home, but buying 2 of the above brands would allow me to listen over a period of time, and I could upgrade to all-Naim, all-Beat, etc., later, or just stick with what I have if it works.
Can anyone give me advice? I've only had a chance to hear a Naim 250 and 300 in the store, and I loved them, but they were paired a with Naim pre-amp. The Naim-145 might be the way to go for center channel, but the Densen will be cheaper, and give me an alternative upgrade path to consider. If Naim power amps don't work with other brands, I could go all Densen now, or Densen mains and Boulder center..
Also, the Naim dealer told me that the preamp section of the ML390s is not a good solution (that it was only a volume gain control), and that I would be MUCH better off with a dedicated preamp component (presumably Naim, but any brand would be better than none). Does this make sense?
Will using a Naim power amplifier with anything but a Naim pre-amp be an issue? Also, I thought about using Naim for my mains, and a Beat-350 monoblock or Boulder 250AE for the center channel. I don't have a chance to test any of this equipment in my home, but buying 2 of the above brands would allow me to listen over a period of time, and I could upgrade to all-Naim, all-Beat, etc., later, or just stick with what I have if it works.
Can anyone give me advice? I've only had a chance to hear a Naim 250 and 300 in the store, and I loved them, but they were paired a with Naim pre-amp. The Naim-145 might be the way to go for center channel, but the Densen will be cheaper, and give me an alternative upgrade path to consider. If Naim power amps don't work with other brands, I could go all Densen now, or Densen mains and Boulder center..
Also, the Naim dealer told me that the preamp section of the ML390s is not a good solution (that it was only a volume gain control), and that I would be MUCH better off with a dedicated preamp component (presumably Naim, but any brand would be better than none). Does this make sense?