2. amps-preamps
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new at this...which amp?

I have B&W htm1 center, cdn nt9 front, cdm nt7 rear with Adcom 7500 150 by 5 amp and Adcom pre amp. The mids and highs are harsh beyond half volume. Speaker cables are the good stuff, but interconnects are Radio Shack's best sheilded cable. I have been told here that while interconnects could be the problem it is more likely lack of power. Would Adcom 7805 300 by 5 be a reasonable choice for a new amp? Is there a better choice for around 2500.00? If the 7805 is not enough I am considering bi amp with the 7500 and 7805 as the final solution. If so, would the more powerful amp go on the bottom end? Your comments are greatly appreciated.
baffled

Showing 3 responses by boa2

boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
1) The room
2) The source
3) The interconnects
I would address all three. You don't need to better amplify what is already compromised source material.
If the system has sounded harsh in three different rooms, I'd still begin by treating the room. With $2500 to spend, you can do a lot with the room, the source, cables, etc. Once you've done these three things, please follow-up here. I predict you will be stunned by the improvements. And I would not start with the amp, FWIW.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
The Denon 3910 is an excellent universal player, but in stock form it does have a house sound. You may like that sound and you may not. If you are planning on upgrading the source, lay out some of your parameters (type of music you listen to, the sound you like, whether or not you require a universal player, budget), and be specific as possible. You will again might get many suggestions, but it will get you much closer toward choosing the source that will meet your preferences.

If you can live with a stand-alone CD player, for the price range of the Denon 3910, you might consider the Jolida JD-100A (tubed player, the Ah Tjoeb (tubed player), the Musical Hall (forget the model number), or the Quad CDP. There are other options as well, but any of these with a good pair of interconnects will likely calm a good deal of the harshness you are hearing.

Finally, I would definitely go hear the B&W's at the dealer. I've heard the CDM NT7 with a highly musical amplifier, and an excellent source, and the music sounded a bit choked and harsh. I attributed it to the speakers, but I could be wrong. Go hear them with good ancillary gear and see what you think.

OK, REALLY finally this time. Zee room, zee room, zee room. Start there first. I hope I've helped. You've received some excellent advice here from the other respondents.
All the best,
Howard
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
Can you tell how excited everyone here is for you? No kidding. For probably less than half of your $2500 budget, you will have a quality of sound that will assuredly exceed the goal you had at the time of your initial post. Very cool!
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