Temporary Down Sizing - Integrated Amp Recommendations


Moving into a small condo, as I need to take care of my parents for a few years, so my reference system is being put in storage.

My current reference system is:

  • T+A PA3100HV integrated Amp
  • T+A CRITERION TCD 110 S Floor-standing speakers
  • Cary Audio DMS 700 Digital Source & DAC
  • Clear Audio Ovation Turntable

The new system will perform double duty for both music and two channel cinema - (no more surround sound equipment either - ugh).

Because of the limited space open floor plan of the condo (having to keep the speakers close to the front wall) and needing to create a omni-directional sound stage - appealing to a wider listening group, I have decided to go with Ohm Tall 1000 speakers. I will also keep my Cary Audio DMS 700 as my digital music/NAS/ Streaming source & and use it’s DAC for ingesting the digital audio from the video feeds into the system.

For the amp - based on the decor (read wife) I’ve decided to go with a bit of vintage look, UV meters, on the integrated amp - which will be displayed as a center piece on the entertain console under the TV.

With a budget up to ~$3k I have been thinking about:

  • Yamaha A-S2200
  • Luxman L-505uXII
  • Vincent Audio SV-228 hybrid

Since I don’t need any digital capability the Yamaha and Luxman are very appealing, but I am a bit concerned with the reviews of those units and the references to those companies house sound signatures, as my T+A leans on the warm, analog side of neutral - not typically the way the Japanese brands are described as. The Vincent with a tube front end might be closer to what I am use to, but it doesn’t have balanced inputs and has a built-in DAC which I don’t need.

Long story short I would appreciate any constructive input, advise, recommendations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

josephp732

fwiw i tried burson v6 and vivid as well as sparkos in my ex m1... preferred the sparkos

the 4 single positions make much more difference than the rear dual position one (which isn't in the audio circuit)

@tyray I haven't yet.  Been busy.  Looking forward to it.  The stock amps sound great so any improvement would be wonderful.

 

@carlsbad 

What brand of op amps have you tried to tune the sound of a kinki ex-m1+ to sound a bit like a tube amp? Just curious.

@josephp732 

If tubes, make sure your parents are safe and heat generated is acceptable.

If from Japan, make sure amp can run on your voltage and frequency. Otherwise you'll need a voltage transformer which may affect sonics and it's an added cost.

If used, you can always sell to change amp with minimal $ loss.

I have no experience with Arcam, but this "Stereophile" Best of 2018 review intrigued me. Paricularly if the unit will be doing double-duty for home theater.  Check out the entire list if you really want to be confused! Good luck!

My compliments for not selling off your reference components!  A bit of the same situation myself.

Recently sold our house and now residing in a nice apartment. System consolidated somewhat. Recently picked up a Simaudio Moon ACE that I was really impressed with. So much so that I then turned around and upgraded to the Simaudio Moon 340i D3PX which has a DAC and phonstage built in. The first 5 watts are class A which provides me the low level listening performance I was looking for with my Dynaudio Heritage Specials.

very interesting discussion of those OHM Tall 1000’s.

audiophiliac,, search youtube for:

'Ohm Walsh 1000 Sounds Like Being There'

 

The chart in the video indicates low sensitivity, and various models designed primarily for room size.

2 channel, low volume, that’s one thing, but at any volume, reserve power for instantaneous peaks will be good. IOW, my little 10wpc Luxman would drive them at low volume, (like it did the Wharfedale’s 87 sensitivity) but they would be wimped out by instant needs. It definitely does a better job with my current 91 sensitivity.

 

My prior unsolicited advice (because you said no HT, ugh). IF you ever try to get a small 5.0 system, you will need to find inefficient center and rear. i.e. My Klipsch Center is too efficient when used with my dbx soundfield 100’s, I had to seriously cut the center signal strength in the AVR to blend decently. The Bose VCS efficiency was an easier volume match to the dbx’s efficiency. that’s why I said: Klipsch, eh.

 

If it's only temporary why spend that much $$$$$.  I use PS Audio Sprout for a small system in my office.  Nice little amp, only $700.  Probably easier to sell off when done with it.

Very impressed with my new Exposure 2510.. very nice phono amp as well… took about a month for it to settle in…

In regard to your tentative speaker choice you should read this recent thread about Ohm.

 

DeKay

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By instinct we prefer made for our voltage, and if re-sell, that would be more favorable, however, I, and people all over the planet successfully use voltage convertors.

My JVC Victor Turntable is 100v. A small totally quiet 120/100 does the job, you do not need anything fancy, just avoid cheap.

My little Luxman, 10wpc punches way above it’s weight, it is happily driving restored AR-2ax’s 91 sensitivity. Before, it surprisingly did well driving small Wharfedales, sensitivity 87, lowest I ever owned.

Audio classics highly recommended the Luxman to me, remarked how many of their McIntosh customers owned them.

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I agree with your statement between Luxman and Accuphase. Unfortunately a newer vintage Accuphase is a bit out of my reach (budget wise).

some people do it, seem to be fine with it, but i personally would never do a voltage step down transformer with any hifi component, much less a powerful amplifier that draws much energy

my experience, luxman may have very nice build quality (and sexy meters), but accuphase is superior in overall musicality of sound than most luxmans (except for their all class a units)

Thank you all so very much for the advise and the kind comments. I am going to do some additional research on some of the recommended amps, but I am leaning towards the Luxman L-505uXII. If I decide on the Luxman are there any concerns about importing one from Japan and using a stepdown transformer?   

Great current solid-state system. If I were you, I'd look into tubes - a nice SET amp and delve into the world of tubes - find out what all the hoopla is about. At some point in this journey, I'll be doing just that.

I have a very nice sounding black SimAudio Moon I-3 integrated in excellent cosmetic condition with factory remote that I am not using.  Great warm yet detailed sounding class A/AB amp.  It has a classic retro look but no UV meters.  PM me if you are interested.

Of the 3 listed, I'd look into the Luxman.  

There sure are a lot of suggestions not fitting what the OP wanted, though!

I have no experience with Luxman or Yamaha, but previously had a Vincent SV-237 integrated.  Not the same model you're looking at, but it had a pretty neutral sound signature.  If it leaned in any direction, it would be towards warmth.  I replaced it with a Simaudio 600i. 

The Simaudio does not have meters, and a pre-owned one would probably be a little over your budget, but it's an excellent piece and looks great.  It is very neutral and just a little cleaner, more detailed, and dynamic than the Vincent.  I believe both are Class A for the first 10 watts.  I'm using the 600i with Harbeth P3ESR speakers which are less sensitive than the ones you're planning to purchase. 

I have 4 systems.  The 600i is in a secondary system, but If I had to downsize, that would be the keeper.

The Lux will do very nicely to fulfill the priorities you set out.  With it, you are not buying redundancies, and it has a classic design.  If you can find one for your stated budget you will not be disappointed with its performance.  The Ohm Walsh 1000s are a nice choice for your speakers.  Enjoy...and it's good of you to care for your elders, who evidently raised you right.

Luxman is generally considered to be better than Yamaha in both sound and build quality. The Yamaha sounds flatter with reduced detail and dynamics while the Luxman has a bolder and more engaging sound. It’s a more 3-dimensional sound with the Luxman, more 2d with the Yamaha. The Accuphase sound is fuller or warmer in comparison to Luxman.

It seems like the Technics SU-G700M2 Grand Class would fit the bill.  Beautiful looking (with meters!) and sounding.

ps.

My Sony BluRay is like a Smart TV: ethernet connection: DVDs, CD’s SACDs, STREAMING Services: netflix/prime/ ...... so if their TV is not Smart, you use the BluRay player to get there. Mine goes thru Sony AVR so one remote can do all.

A few years, possibly more. You will have joyful moments for sure, however relaxation will be progressively more important.

I would not give up on a simple 5.0 (no sub) surround system based on the OHM's as front l/r. 

I would give up on the meters and use an AVR for music/streaming/video. 

I used a very compact and inconspicuous center very happily for many years, Bose VCS-10. Mixed with my DBX Soundfield 100's (designed for wide imaging) very nicely.

I used a pair of very small speakers for rear l/r, laid them on their backs, firing up between wall and back of sofa. Recently replaced with larger Klipsch, eh, Bose was darn good.

Many times I change the AVR to 2 channel and used the DBX's f l/r only, many times the 5.1 was better, even at low volumes.

I have a single sub, but in your case, I would not bother with it. 

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I love my Peachtree Nova 300 and so do many critics. It has a built in DAC, incredible noise floor and THD, gobbs of power and very musical. Ohh, and it's a beautiful piece of equipment to boot.

 

Check out LSAs new LSA70 tube amp. Getting GREAT reviews. Ask them if it's compatible with the Ohms. Only $1200!!! FYI, they also have excellent speakers

hth

Demoed Hegel 190 and Musical Fidelity m6si and a lot of others last year.  They both sounded great and were the last 2 standing.  Went with the MS due to more power for my Thiel CS 1.5s and $1k cheaper. Very happy with it.

Since no one has mentioned it, if you are OK with Luxman you may want to look at Accuphase, you may prefer it to the Luxman.

Had a chance to demo the Luxman and  loved the musicality, detail and performance.  That's my vote.

I've never heard the Vincent or the Luxman, but I've had The Yamaha AS2100 for 4 years. It's a solid amp and a great value for the money. 

I have had my Vincent pre power SA 31MK / SP331MK for over 10 years, never missed beat sound beautiful, will power anything. the 228 looks very nice and lots of reserve power. You'll be surprised.

For the amp - based on the decor (read wife) I’ve decided to go with a bit of vintage look, UV meters, on the integrated amp - which will be displayed as a center piece on the entertain console under the TV.

With a budget up to ~$3k I have been thinking about:

  • Yamaha A-S2200
  • Luxman L-505uXII
  • Vincent Audio SV-228 hybrid

Does it really matter?
Maybe if it is new gear then it does…

But I would think you’ve narrowed down a list, so if you stumble upon one of those you can get the first one that comes up on the market.

Or is this brand new gear?

You’ll like the Luxman 505. I went from the Krell K300I to the 509x and love it. Part of my reasoning as well, I’m not a digital/streamer guy, and never really dabbled with the digital capabilities of the Krell, which are quite nice, but I’m quite content with my turntable and cd music stand alone. Good luck in your hunt, cheers.

I forgot to add, I also love having my tonal controls back, which was part of my decision as well. 

I too recommend a Hegel.  Kinki good too, sharper treble presentation. 

How about the Musical Fidelity M6Si integrated amplifier priced at $2,999? It sounds great and I like it very much.

“Internally, the M6si is configured as 2 independent mono-bloc power amps with a separate pre amp. It is, in fact, a pre amp with 2 monobloc power amps that just happen to share the same casework. The M6si has 220wpc. It has very low distortion, outstanding noise ratio and extremely flat frequency response. Its inputs are phono (MM/MC), 4 line level, 1 balanced XLR and 1 USB ‘B’ up to 24bit 96kHz asynchronous. The M6Si combination of high power, high current and extraordinary stability means that it can drive any loudspeaker with ease”.

Musical Fidelity M6Si Integrated amp Link

 

You’ve gotta ask yourself if burning tubes to watch movies is something you desire. Plus, from what I’ve read both the Yammy and Luxman both exhibit sound characteristics similar to your T+A gear while giving you a nice retro look in the bargain (not sure what reviews you read, but from what I read I disagree that their sound profile is all that different from you’re used to). What would tip the scales for me is that this is a relatively temporary system so I’d side with spending less rather than more if something can get the job done. The Yammy is available through accessories4less.com where you can get a $1000 discount for basically a new unit with a 3-year warranty, and that’d seal the deal for me in this particular situation. Here’s a link, and best of luck.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/yamas2200bl-rb/yamaha-a-s2200-stereo-integrated-amplifier-black/1.html