Yesterday, I got a Kinki Studio integrated, and my R900’s love it! I’ve been using a Rotel 1590 combo and this blows them away for $2300 more or less. It has no DAC, and no controls, but man does it perform. 👍
Recommendations Amp, DAC for Kef R900
Looking for advice on Amp’s and DAC’s for my new Kef R900 speakers. Currently running them with only a Yamaha A-S801 amp, and I’m afraid I may be under powering the speakers, and may damage them (although I have not heard any clipping yet).
I am using a Sonos Connect - listen to mostly Tidal and Spotify, both through my iPhone, and the USB port on amp. Listen to large variety of music, but mostly to Alternative, Classic Rock, and Reggae. I will also be attaching TV to system soon, but will use the system 99% of the time for just music. Unless I start watching a lot of movies, I don’t plan on adding a sub. Have the system setup in my fairly large, basement.
I want to purchase a very nice system, but only want to purchase in steps. When finished I would like a good 2ch integrated Amp, and DAC system, but am wondering if I should get separate Amp/Pe-Amp. Would I notice a big difference listening to streaming? I was hoping to use the Yamaha as the Pre-Amp, and buy a nice Amp next, but I believe that this is not an option. I want to buy used, budget of $2k for Amp, $1.5k for DAC, but I am flexible.
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The R900 are pretty efficient @ 90dB. The Yamaha is 100 wpc, which is more than sufficient to drive those speakers. If your long-term goal is going full integrated HT, why invest in an integrated? Go with a multi-channel amp and pre-pro or top-shelf HT receiver. Assuming adding the TV is a smart TV, you'll need HDMI in/out, which the A-S801 does not have. |
It cured nothing. My 900 problem persists. When they behave, they are great. When the ripping sound occurs, they are awful. The offending sound is not a function of power, but I believe these sound better at higher settings. I am trying to sell mine. If I can’t sell them, goodwill gets em. KEF’s theory was a sympathetic vibration in or around my Salamander. Obviously, that has never been mine, and I believe I clearly negatived this contention. |
The Kinki EX M1 drives the R900 very well, and if he doesn’t have the issue, I recommend it. I went from McIntosh c15/MC202 to Rotel RC/rB 1590, and then the Kinki, and new cables and interconnects, yet the condition persists.... op, try Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Calling, moderate volume-about 2:30 you’ll hear a discontinuity or ripping sound when she lets go, and it’ll scare your donkey. If you don’t hear it, you don’t have the condition. |
Hey Maritine I moved the amp to my q900 home theatre and set it up as a 2 channel setup and I didn't notice any problems playing back that song. I made a short video https://youtu.be/qw7CIA2acFw In other news I did notice the right channel sound less loud than the left when I have volume set to 16 through 32.. gotta do more testing |
Uncola Are you sure the problem is evident at 16 through 32, rather than at 16 through 31? If the latter, it sounds like one of the digital bits that controls the volume selection in the internal circuitry of the amp is stuck, and won’t change from 0 to 1 or vice versa. I suspect that you would also find a volume reduction in the right channel at some higher volume settings, if you were to have occasion to use them, in groups of 16 settings. In any event, unfortunately it certainly sounds like the amp has a defect. Good luck. Regards, -- Al |
Yes, I might change my dac to variable output and reduce the dac volume to like 50% so I can try some of the higher volume settings on the amp without the speakers getting crazy loud.. As it is right now though, it’s pretty easy for me to avoid 16-32.. it might be 16-31, I’ll have to check again. If it’s just 16-32 it’s not worth mailing in for service. I listen near field so I won’t really use the super high volume settings I did let alvin know about it so he could make sure the factory is testing it.. he said they do test l/r output so maybe it happened during shipping? either way I'm not that bothered by it because I can avoid those volume levels |
@Uncola, if my theory is correct and the problem occurs in groups of 16 settings at various higher settings of the volume control, it would occur to a less severe degree at higher volume settings. More importantly, though, if my theory is correct I would NOT expect the defect to cause any adverse sonic effects at volume settings for which the reduction in right channel volume doesn’t occur. Good luck. Regards, -- Al |
@uncola Talk to this guy, https://www.mikepowellaudio.com/ he's the Kinki rep. in the U.S. |
thanks I did ask mike powell for advice on any other steps I should try to test or isolate the issue. once I have a day off from work I'll try changing dac output to variable and set it to like 10% so I can test the kinki at levels above 40 without my neighbors calling cops. I'm still totally able to use the amp if I just avoid 16-32 which isn't too hard to do. loving the sound |
