Amp/CD player for DYNAUDIO 52 SE

[sk456]

Hi,

After a lot of reviews and listens I have almsot decided on buying the Dyns 52SE .( Loved the Confidence series ..but that would be breaking the bank )...

Need soem recommendations for a CD player and amps to go with the Dyns ..

Cheers..

[Jack in Wilmington]

Hi,

After a lot of reviews and listens I have almsot decided on buying the Dyns 52SE .( Loved the Confidence series ..but that would be breaking the bank )...

Need soem recommendations for a CD player and amps to go with the Dyns ..

Cheers..

Do you have a budget for both or are you going to buy one then the other? When I was auditioning the Danes, I really like the Focus 140's running on Rotel gear. Also the Contour 1.4 was running on MacIntosh which was very nice also. Did you listen to the Focus or Contour lines?

[basite]

I would definately audition Primare. Huge resolution, very good detail, not harsh at all, wel controlled in the lows and everywhere else. And they look good too...

Mcintosh would be an option too (so would Accuphase) but unfortunately, they're pretty expensive

What would be your budget?
the Primare I21 would be a good choice for an integrated amplifier, and their cd player (CD21) is the perfect match to it.

Keep them spinning.
Bert.

[Mr Peabody]

First, whatever you decide on needs to be of quality. The Dyn's are honest and neutral, they will let you hear weaknesses in your system. If your budget don't allow for good electronics you might want to find a more forgiving speaker. With that being said, you have made a good choice. Dynaudio makes great speakers and the 52se is a stand out example. If you can't afford the Confidence, did you listen to any Contour? The 52se is basically a Contour in an Audience cabinet though.

This is just my opinion but the Dyn's are also fast, dynamic and have great bass on the right amp, I think Rotel would be too laid back. Not sure about Mac, I find them warm but not lacking in bottom end. It really depends on what type of presentation you want. The most impressive combo with Dyn's has been Krell. This combo will give you hard hitting bass, unbelievable transcient response and a very clean detailed sound. Arcam comes close and in some instances even seems slightly faster but leaner and not nearly as powerful as Krell. Naim or Bryston would also be a good match. What I mean by transcient is with Dyn/Krell I have not heard anything sound as close to delivering the reproductive impact and snap of drums. You will hear a demonstration of absolute control and the Dyn's respond with no fuss. This may not be your cup of tea if you like the rumble or bass for Rap or Dance. Krell has too much control to let that happen. The bass will be there and the Krells play low but they don't let anything loose. If you demo this combo you will hear what I'm trying to say. Krell has an Integrated that runs about $2,500.00 U.S. If you live in Europe you may want to check out the Naim gear, a bit different sounding than Krell but just as powerful and controlling.

[bobsticks]

This is just my opinion but the Dyn's are also fast, dynamic and have great bass on the right amp, I think Rotel would be too laid back...

Actually, not so much. I heard the Danes paired with a Rotel and a Cary 306 that was outstanding...to the point that i found the pairing better than that of Rotel with its stablemates B&W. I'm still surprised that this combo doesn't get more press.

That said, I'm certainly not going to argue with Mr. P about what he's hearing in his own listening room Clearly Krell produces some superior gear which is undoubtedly up to the task. I'm just sayin' if your budget is such that $2500 is out of the question, the Rotel offers a listenable alternative at a lower price.

[sk456]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the response.

I mostly hear jazz voclals ,Blues,Soem old school rock . BB king,Clapton,Diana Krall,Doors,Ray Charles.harry Connick jr, etc are soem of the stuffI hear regularly with a bit of Pavarotti & Andrea Bocelli. So for me I dont need the rumbling bass . Good midrange and smooth highs are what im looking for.

Krell & Mac's would be great but they would jsut break the bank at the moment. So a more economical altrnative is what i have to go for.

I am based in India and have access to limited brands. Some of the names I can get are:
Arcam
Rotel
Music Hall
Creek
Cambridge Audio
Primare
McCormack
Krell

Regards,
SK

[Jack in Wilmington]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the response.

I mostly hear jazz voclals ,Blues,Soem old school rock . BB king,Clapton,Diana Krall,Doors,Ray Charles.harry Connick jr, etc are soem of the stuffI hear regularly with a bit of Pavarotti & Andrea Bocelli. So for me I dont need the rumbling bass . Good midrange and smooth highs are what im looking for.

Krell & Mac's would be great but they would jsut break the bank at the moment. So a more economical altrnative is what i have to go for.

I am based in India and have access to limited brands. Some of the names I can get are:
Arcam
Rotel
Music Hall
Creek
Cambridge Audio
Primare
McCormack
Krell

Regards,
SK

Looks to me like you have some very nice brand choices. Bert's suggestion of Primare is a good one and the A30.2 might be a good fit. 200wpc into 4ohms and $1995 US dollars.
Mr P. feels the Rotel might be too laid back and that may well be the case. But when I auditioned the Focus 140's they were being powered by an RB-1080 and sourced from a Rotel RCD-1072. Even though I wasn't ready to buy speakers just yet, I was so impressed with the sound I walked out with the RCD-1072 that day. With the kinds of music that you listen to, laid back might be just right.

[Mr Peabody]

I have to admit I have not heard Rotel with Dynaudio, always B&W or a couple times with Martin Logan. There could be a synergy there, and as stated Rotel may not be bad for your listening habits. My other choices if on a budget would be the Creek or Musical Fidelity with leaning more toward Creek.

Best thing is to try to do some auditioning. If you purchase the speakers, then see if any of the stores will allow you bring the equipment home for an audition. High end shops usually have some system set up for that because of the expense of the purchase. One big draw back to this idea though is Dynaudio right out of the box needs many hours of break in time.

[sk456]

Well I did hear the B&W 685 with a couple of rotel amps... the integrated were jsut too bright... The pre and power combo however were a diferent story...( although the B&W 's were a wee forward sounding ..but fair VFM) I am curiuos how the Rotels will sound with the Dyns.. teh main problem is the break In period for the dyns and to get a store who carries different brands to agree to audition with your own equipment.. a very practical problem .. What about Music Hall CD players and amps... they have soem great specs..and very affrodable prices....

[Mr Peabody]

I'm not sure what you have now but at least take some discs in and hear them on a Krell system. When ever I've taken discs in I'm familiar with and had them played on Rotel, it's like the timing was slowed down. My James Newton Howard & Friends which normally has a snap to the drums on certain tracks sounded like the band was half asleep. My perception could be slanted because a more agressive sound was what I was used to as well. I mention this just to encourage you to listen to more gear to get a feel for what's out there. My guess is if you don't like forward you may actually prefer Rotel.

I don't know how they do it but some gear have a presentation that makes you think you are further back in the auditorium. My Conrad Johnson gear is like that. It was also a hard thing to get used to from my Krell.