I don’t know of anyone who turns their amp up “all the way”. That is a recipe for blown speakers and amp. Usually 2 o clock would be the max before distortion kicks in.
Need new amp...
Well, I have some options here:
1. Use the NAD C 658 and find a power amp
2. Use the MF m5si and find a dac
Problem is that I can't combine the two because then I would have two preamps.
Any good recommendations for under $2000 and at least 150w per channel and a max of 230w (two channels total obviously, hence the MF m5si integrated amp). I have been looking at NAD and Cambridge, but the 150w NAD one is claimed to have "good" sound, but the 200w Cambridge one has "fantastic sound" but overheats and can't even be turned up all the way. Thoughts on those two and I am open to all amps.
If there are any dacs that are somewhere on the internet I am not aware of, it would also be great to know about those, two optical ports and 24/192 are the only requirements for the dac.
Thanks!
1. Use the NAD C 658 and find a power amp
2. Use the MF m5si and find a dac
Problem is that I can't combine the two because then I would have two preamps.
Any good recommendations for under $2000 and at least 150w per channel and a max of 230w (two channels total obviously, hence the MF m5si integrated amp). I have been looking at NAD and Cambridge, but the 150w NAD one is claimed to have "good" sound, but the 200w Cambridge one has "fantastic sound" but overheats and can't even be turned up all the way. Thoughts on those two and I am open to all amps.
If there are any dacs that are somewhere on the internet I am not aware of, it would also be great to know about those, two optical ports and 24/192 are the only requirements for the dac.
Thanks!
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Schiit Audio Vidar amp (or two in mono) I believe they are $699usd and get great reviews, the lower powered Aegir amp just got Stereophile class A recommendation, and maybe a Freya preamp too would be a nice addition. would be a great system and potentially better then both the NAD and Cambridge. And less money made in USA too. https://www.schiit.com/products/vidar https://www.schiit.com/ I use one of their DAC's and am very happy with the service and quality of product. |
Schiit Audio Vidar amp (or two in mono) I believe they are $699usd and get great reviews, the lower powered Aegir amp just got Stereophile class A recommendation, and maybe a Freya preamp too would be a niceI checked out the Vidar amp, and I am unfamiliar with class AB because I normally only see A and/or B. Nonetheless, it seems like AB still retains high quality sound. Mono at 400w for only $700?? My speakers take 200w continous with peaks to 800w or 1000w (different sources have different specs cuz the speakers are old so i'm not sure between 800/1000). The fact that I can get two of these amps for $1400 and push out 800w continuous just seems absurd for that price tag. Is there some drawback I am missing because the reviews all glorify this amp. As for the preamp recommendation, the NAD C 658 is a streamer/dac/preamp combo, so do you recommend getting a different product for my dac/preamp needs? (I don't actually need the streamer part, just a nice feature I can use) Thank you for your help! |
There's a used AVA Fet Valve 400R power amp right now on Audiogon; asking price $1500. This is a really nice amp, and because AVA products don't have as great resale value as some of the better-known brands, it's a bargain. There was a review of the 600R in TAS that raved about it; the two are supposed to sound the same, except for higher power in the 600R. |