Around $1,000: Receiver or Seperates?

[RGA]

Jon

The best thing to do is listen to complete systems. This is not always easy because it requires a good dealer in your town who is also an audiophile who spent hours putting together well matched stereos. Many high end dealers are just out to sell the most expensive box they can and could care less if you ever enjoy it or not.

I happen to be buiding a system from a company who makes every part of the audio chain from the CD Transport and Digital Analog converters to the Many many amplifiers (power amps, preamps, Integrated amps, monoblocks, to all of the cabling (speaker cables and interconnects), as well as the turntables, arms, cartridges, step up transformers, right down to the soldering material. It is easy for customers here because everything is well matched to eachother. (there are a few companies like this who build the entire chain but most lack in one or more areas).

So without such companies you have to mix and match and this can be done well but it can also be done very poorly even IF you buy very good componants. Bryston makes great amps -- but they can sound horrific in some many set-ups.

To give you an example -- I was reading a review of Audio Note Conquest Mono-block Power amps (tube amps of 9 watts per channel) and they were testing the amps on several speakers including mine. They noted that with some of the other amps they had on hand (including tube amps) that my speakers sounded quite good but coloured -- they also noted that with the Conquest the colourations vanished. The speaker was telling the reviewer what colouration was in his amplifiers.

In lieu of companies like that it is a guessing game as to which is going to work with your speakers best -- some speaker makers recommend certain amplifiers and cd players so you can get a general idea of what the manufacturer preferred. This is helpful if the speaker maker is small. SP technologies' owner really liked the Jolida gear hooked up for example. This article may help you do evaluations of equipment. It is biased because a company did write the thing -- but it will apply no matter which brand you are considering. It requires significant listening -- but then it should. http://www.audionote.co.uk/anp1.htm

[JonW]

Jon

The best thing to do is listen to complete systems. This is not always easy because it requires a good dealer in your town who is also an audiophile who spent hours putting together well matched stereos. Many high end dealers are just out to sell the most expensive box they can and could care less if you ever enjoy it or not.

I happen to be buiding a system from a company who makes every part of the audio chain from the CD Transport and Digital Analog converters to the Many many amplifiers (power amps, preamps, Integrated amps, monoblocks, to all of the cabling (speaker cables and interconnects), as well as the turntables, arms, cartridges, step up transformers, right down to the soldering material. It is easy for customers here because everything is well matched to eachother. (there are a few companies like this who build the entire chain but most lack in one or more areas).

So without such companies you have to mix and match and this can be done well but it can also be done very poorly even IF you buy very good componants. Bryston makes great amps -- but they can sound horrific in some many set-ups.

To give you an example -- I was reading a review of Audio Note Conquest Mono-block Power amps (tube amps of 9 watts per channel) and they were testing the amps on several speakers including mine. They noted that with some of the other amps they had on hand (including tube amps) that my speakers sounded quite good but coloured -- they also noted that with the Conquest the colourations vanished. The speaker was telling the reviewer what colouration was in his amplifiers.

In lieu of companies like that it is a guessing game as to which is going to work with your speakers best -- some speaker makers recommend certain amplifiers and cd players so you can get a general idea of what the manufacturer preferred. This is helpful if the speaker maker is small. SP technologies' owner really liked the Jolida gear hooked up for example. This article may help you do evaluations of equipment. It is biased because a company did write the thing -- but it will apply no matter which brand you are considering. It requires significant listening -- but then it should. http://www.audionote.co.uk/anp1.htm

Hey RGA,

Thanks for the thoughts. I live in a small town. So my shopping will have to be done on trips to cities. But it should be fun to do. Certainly it will be much easier if I can find a few stores in which to do some good A to B comparisons. We shall see.

[46minaudio]

Jon If it were me I would go out and find your speakers first.That way you will know if you need a beefier amp.You may pick speakers that most new receivers can drive.IMO I see nothing wrong with 2ch reproduction with a good 7.1 receiver .I have found no major difference in my RXV 1400 7.1 receiver played in 2ch and a Adcom GFP 750,and Rotel RC 1070.2ch preamps.

[JonW]

Jon If it were me I would go out and find your speakers first.That way you will know if you need a beefier amp.You may pick speakers that most new receivers can drive.IMO I see nothing wrong with 2ch reproduction with a good 7.1 receiver .I have found no major difference in my RXV 1400 7.1 receiver played in 2ch and a Adcom GFP 750,and Rotel RC 1070.2ch preamps.

Well, I just came back from a business trip. And I had a little time to try out some speakers. Here's what I found:

Paradigm Studio 20's- OK, I guess. Nothing special.
Paradigm Studio 60's- Fuller sound than the 20's. But just dull and not what I'm looking for.
Sonus Farber Domus Grand Pianos- Fine. Can't complain. Clear, but it didn't really grab me.
Linn Katans- VERY nice highs and mids.
Linn Ninkas- SUPER. No real bass. But the mids and high are EXACTLY what I'm looking for.
Linn Ninkas with REL B2 Brittania Subwoofer- AMAZING. This is the sound I am after, Just what I want. Well, the sub was a little boomy at times, but maybe it needed some adjustment. It was a quick add on to the Ninkas.

If I got the Ninkas as main speakers, a pair of Katans for rears, the matching center, and then the REL sub, that's around $$6,500. Or around $4,500 for the Ninkas + sub for just 2 channel music. That's expensive, but probably worth it. I've still got lots of speakers I'd like to try out. But now I know what my upper limit is. No need to spend any more than that.

Those Linns with a good sub... mmmm... that is the magic I'm after.

[theaudiohobby]

Jon If it were me I would go out and find your speakers first.That way you will know if you need a beefier amp.You may pick speakers that most new receivers can drive.IMO I see nothing wrong with 2ch reproduction with a good 7.1 receiver .I have found no major difference in my RXV 1400 7.1 receiver played in 2ch and a Adcom GFP 750,and Rotel RC 1070.2ch preamps.

I have said this in the past and it beers repeating, the preamplifier can be the limiting factor in many setups effectively choking the life of out of the power amplifier, this is probably even moreso for active preamplifers.

[46minaudio]

I have said this in the past and it beers repeating, the preamplifier can be the limiting factor in many setups effectively choking the life of out of the power amplifier, this is probably even moreso for active preamplifers.

The 750 is both active and passive>>.

[Geoffcin]

The 750 is both active and passive>>.

Yes, and also a Nelson Pass design I belive.

[theaudiohobby]

The 750 is both active and passive>>.

In this case it will be interesting looking at the circuit design, if the signal path has anything more than a set of resistors in passive mode, then it is still the limiting factor to the sound, a large number of 'passive' attenuator are transformer based with the intention (declared or not) to color the sound.