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TazioNYC
12-20-2009, 04:53 PM
Hi Everyone,

New to the forum and looking for some advice. After a few years wandering in the hi-fi wilderness of the iPod, I recently plopped a Cambridge 840C CD player into my so-so HT/music set-up (Cambridge 540R, Epos ELS8 bookshelf speakers) and have found my appreciation for audio equipment and CDs transformed. Now I'm looking to create a separates stereo system around the 840C. I've done a lot of reading and researching on getting to know the usual suspects, but I'm looking for some ideas on preamps/power amps and floorstanding speaker combinations to mate to the player at about $2k per component. I was thinking along these lines:

* Parasound Halo A21 amp
* Paradigm Reference Studio 60 v5 speakers
* Parasound JC 2 preamp (way over my price range, but though I might eventually stretch or maybe try to get a factory refreshed or demo to mate it to the A21)

I've also been looking at the Magnaplanar 1.6, PSB Imagine, Epos M16i, Monitor Silver speakers and just saw that Cambridge has released the 840W and 840E amp/preamp which has gotten good reviews. I'm just getting caught with too much choice and, more importantly too many combinations because I only have one "keeper" component.

I mostly listen to rock (Stones, etc..), blues, and jazz, no classical or vocals.

So...any ideas on what kind of combinations might be right for my CD source and what might complement my listening tastes?

Thanks in advance...

Ajani
12-20-2009, 06:02 PM
Question 1: What size room are you using?

2: Any special reason why you want separate amp and pre instead of an integrated?

3: Have you auditioned any speakers? and if so, which did you like?

You are talking about spending a decent amount of money on your setup, so a lot of careful auditioning is suggested... the last thing you want to do is spent $4K to $6K and not be satisfied with the results....

poppachubby
12-20-2009, 06:14 PM
Where do you live? BTW the PSB Imagine are awesome for rock. I'm just wondering what dealers are available to you, at a reasonable distance.

TazioNYC
12-20-2009, 07:03 PM
I'm in NYC, so no shortage of dealers, it just seems like it will be hard to find ways to listen to the ones I'm considering together. I'm just a little stuck because I'm not just buying one piece to fit in with my existing system, but trying to create a system around one piece! Just looking for some direction as to potential good matches among components/brands.

Living in NYC also plays into the size of the room -- right now I'm in a loft-like space, but am planning to move within the next 6-9 months. Am guessing that the space would end up being 12-15 X 20 or something like that. Also, apartment living means that I won't be able to turn the volume up to ear-splitting levels.

As for separates vs. integrated, I'm taking it for granted that I will be able to do better with separates (and have more flexibility for the future), but there's no reason why if someone told me that they knew of an integrated amp for $3-4k that's better than any two separates (like a Bryston, for example), I wouldn't look at that as well.

02audionoob
12-20-2009, 07:13 PM
Maybe you should consider some combinations that are actually placed together at a dealer. They have experience in putting systems together. What the heck...take your CD player with you.

poppachubby
12-20-2009, 07:13 PM
Dude, for the amount of cash you are willing to spend, it would be crazy for me to even begin to tell you how to start.

If it was me, I would want to have a dealer's backing for my purchases. Also, it's a place to go should a problem arise, etc.

Take the CDP out of the equation for now. You may not be able to listen to specific combos of gear, but most dealers will have simliar stuff in terms of performance, so you could supplement.

I like the idea of the PSB Imagine, so why not start there and hook up amps in your range. The Imagine sound great and are easy to drive making them a nice rock choice. Once you have a pair of speakers, you can take those to the audition of a specific amp if need be.

markw
12-20-2009, 07:18 PM
As much as I love my 1.6's, for your professed tastes* I'd look at other speakers.

* This is not a dig. Simply a statement of fact.

TazioNYC
12-20-2009, 07:29 PM
Thanks MarkW -- that's one of the reasons I brought them up specifically. I figured that they might not be ideal for my musical tastes, whereas the Paradigms have specifically been praised for their handling of classic rock.

02audionoob
12-20-2009, 08:04 PM
How about this setup...

http://www.themusicplayer.com/HOWTOPURCHASE/howtopurchase.htm

Ajani
12-20-2009, 08:15 PM
With your budget and considering the size of your room, I'd spend more on the speakers and less on an Integrated Amp than pre/power... For example, instead of getting the PSB Imagine T for $2K and then spending say $3K - $4K on pre/power from Parasound... You could get the PSB Synchrony 2 and a Krell S300i... or even a PSB Synchrony 1 and the matching Cambridge Audio 840 V2 amp for your CD player...

All of those are just options, but as has been said before: you need to audition as much as possible... and you should carry your CD player with you to auditions... You have a good budget, and no sensible dealer should give you grief about plugging your CDP into the setup...

LeRoy
12-20-2009, 08:19 PM
Since you are in the NY area....try to find a Belles dealer near you and take your CDP with you to plug into the Belles amplification and hear if that works for you. Belles is coming out with a new integrated soon so depending on how quickly you want to proceed with your purchase you may want to first take time to sample the other brand of amps that also have your interest before you give Belles a listen.

With regard to speakers....for a lively energetic sound have a listen to Mordaunt-Short speakers. For a more sophisticated sound you may want to consider Reference 3A or Dynaudio speakers.


Have fun shopping and good luck with your selections.

LeRoy

TazioNYC
12-20-2009, 08:46 PM
Thanks Ajani -- I'm definitely not looking to spend money for the sake of it, so if an integrated amp in the $2-3k range like the Krell/Cambridge would match up well with some of the speakers you suggested (or the ones already on my list), not cost me anything vs separates, AND i can save some dough, so much the better.

Mr Peabody
12-20-2009, 09:25 PM
I will second the Krell & Dynaudio, in fact, together they are dynamite. I'd say listen to Dyn's Excite or Contour series. The Focus is very good but a bit more polite. If I remember correctly the 840 is balanced with XLR outputs and the Krell is truly balanced with XLR inputs. You mentioned Bryston, that would be a good choice as well. For Rock you will appreciate the control and slam of high current amps like Krell & Bryston.

Ajani
12-20-2009, 09:25 PM
Thanks Ajani -- I'm definitely not looking to spend money for the sake of it, so if an integrated amp in the $2-3k range like the Krell/Cambridge would match up well with some of the speakers you suggested (or the ones already on my list), not cost me anything vs separates, AND i can save some dough, so much the better.

IMO, separates are best used in situations where

1) You need 200+ watts - as few integrated amps have that much power

2) You want to mix and match (brands or maybe tubes and solid state)

3) You're building a cost-no-object reference system....

I generally find that a given price level you get more bang for your buck with an Integrated... (but of course that is my experience, so ymmv)...

Since you won't be in an extremely large room, listening at rock concert levels (and the speakers you listed aren't particularly inefficient), then a lower powered integrated will likely be a better use of your money... but clearly, if you get the chance to audition separates, you should do so and make up your own mind...

Also the speakers on your list are must audition ones in their price range... but I also suggest you audition the next level to see whether the improvements are worth it to you... so in addition to the Monitor Audio Silvers, you should check out the Gold GS20 for example and of course the PSB Synchrony line I mentioned earlier....

Have fun and don't be in rush to part with your cash... there are so many great products worth auditioning that you want to try out as many as possible before committing to a purchase...

blackraven
12-20-2009, 11:57 PM
I've got the Parasound Halo A21 and its a great amp. Tons of power, great detail, resolution , dynamic's and bass. As far as I'm concerned its one of the great buys in audio today. It compares well to amps costing $2K-3K more. Read the reviews on it, there is not one bad review.

I used to own a Cambridge Audio 840c CDP and I ended up selling it for a hybrid tube DAC. The 840c is a great player though. I would consider a warmer sounding amp to match it. If your willing to consider tube gear take a look at this Van Alstine 550 FET-Valve amp. It has great sound and tremendous bass. It matches well with the 840c. I would also consider the B&K reference 200.2 amp. It has a warmer, darker sound and would mate well with the 840c which leans on the bright side slightly.
www.ava.hifi.com I almost bought that amp but went with the Parasound and a Van Alstine hybrid tube preamp and DAC.

By the way, those PSB Synchrony speakers are awesome. A good friend of mine owns a pair and they are excellent.

TazioNYC
12-21-2009, 06:31 AM
Blackraven: How does the A21 match up with your Magnepan's?

Rudy Gireyev
12-21-2009, 10:28 AM
Just thought I'd confuse you even further by pointing out the Emotiva XPA-1s:
http://emotiva.com/xpa1.shtm

They are separates as you requested and they are on a holiday sale at the moment, some $200 below their normal price for each. Here's a link to some reviews:
http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=xpa1

Emotiva sells only online. So no in store presence allowing an easy audition. However, maybe you can contact them and see if anyone in NYC would be willing to let you listen to their XPA-1s. Just a thought.

Enjoy your search.
Rudy

blackraven
12-21-2009, 11:05 AM
Blackraven: How does the A21 match up with your Magnepan's?

Its an excellent match and I listen to the same type of music as you do with the majority being Blue's and Jazz lately. It puts out 400wpc at 4ohms with peaks of 750watts, so it has plenty of power if you like to listen at loud volumes. It has the dynamics to really make them sing. (the dampening factor is 1000 and this has a lot to do with the dynamics). I have yet to clip the amp and I play it very loud sometimes. The amp has a nice tight crisp clear and fast sound. The bass is tight and deep and the treble is very clean and accurate. It is neutral in presentation and it matches well with solid state and tube preamps. I really recommend a tube or hybrid tube preamp for this amp. The sound is really sweet when matched with tubes. If you want a nice SS preamp that has a warmer almost tube like sound check out the Solid State Van Alstine preamp from www.avahifi.com Its reasonably priced, custom made to each order and has nice liquid sound for a SS preamp.

I hope this helps some. By the way, I bought mine from www.audioadvisor.com as return for $1700 compared to $2200 new. The A21 also has true balanced inputs!

Where do you live in NYC, I grew up in Brooklyn and left to go to college and havent looked back.

TazioNYC
12-21-2009, 11:50 AM
Thanks Blackraven. I live in the West Village at the moment, but might move further uptown. I grew up in NYC, too, on the Upper West.

One of my big worries with the A21 is the size, I don't have the race space for it at the moment and there don't seem to be a lot of racks I've seen that can support its size. My wife is also a bit of a furniture/decor nut, er, enthusiast, and since this is going in our living room, I have to work her tastes into it a bit. I've shown her some pics of the MG 1.6s, but I don't think she's grasped how big they are.

But based on what I've read, both the A21 and the MG 1.6s seem like deals of the century compared to what they give.

I have to say, I do find the Krell 300i and the Moon i3.3 interesting at the price. I will definitely be checking those out too.

poppachubby
12-21-2009, 12:04 PM
My wife is also a bit of a furniture/decor nut, er, enthusiast, and since this is going in our living room, I have to work her tastes into it a bit. I've shown her some pics of the MG 1.6s, but I don't think she's grasped how big they are.

.

Well retain a good lawyer if you buy the Magnepan. They require alot of "babying" to get a good sound, this can include having to be brought out from the wall as much as 3 feet! You can always slide them out of the way when not in use, but do you think your wife will dig that?

I have to say, if you're going to be living in apartments for the next while, I would go for a super sounding bookshelf speaker. For the money you have available, you could pick up something that sounds great. You will be unable to pump a floorstander without issue from your wife, neighbours, landlord and eventually, the cops. Check the speaker forum, there was a great bookshelf thread not too long ago.

Of course, I could just tell you to spend all of your budget on state of the art speakers. Or ya, get the Magnepan that will cost you your marriage. Ya, that's it. Nope! You gotta be realistic. My aunt lives in the Bronx, I have seen a typical NYC apartment, and it's nothing like what the "Friends" live in.

Anyhow, just a thought...

Geoffcin
12-21-2009, 12:09 PM
Thanks Blackraven. I live in the West Village at the moment, but might move further uptown. I grew up in NYC, too, on the Upper West.

One of my big worries with the A21 is the size, I don't have the race space for it at the moment and there don't seem to be a lot of racks I've seen that can support its size. My wife is also a bit of a furniture/decor nut, er, enthusiast, and since this is going in our living room, I have to work her tastes into it a bit. I've shown her some pics of the MG 1.6s, but I don't think she's grasped how big they are.

But based on what I've read, both the A21 and the MG 1.6s seem like deals of the century compared to what they give.

I have to say, I do find the Krell 300i and the Moon i3.3 interesting at the price. I will definitely be checking those out too.

How big is the room your going to be putting the sound system into, and what will you be doing in it?

bluetrain
12-21-2009, 12:41 PM
I have the A21, and it's a great unit, though it's huge. Should you go the integrated route, investigate Luxman L505u. Great amp visually and soundwise. I had the Krell 300i many years ago, and it sucked big time (to my ears).

TazioNYC
12-21-2009, 01:15 PM
Bluetrain, I meant the S-300i, which I think is new. What didn't you like about the old Krell?

http://www.krellonline.com/s300i.html

TazioNYC
12-21-2009, 01:18 PM
How big is the room your going to be putting the sound system into, and what will you be doing in it?

Room size is TBD, probably something like 15X20, though who knows if we score a great deal on a bigger space. It's going in the living room, so it will be the main room in the apartment. TV will also be in there. Probably do lots of reading and general hanging out/working on the computer/entertaining. I'm definitely not looking to win any loudness contests, but I like to listen to the music as a volume that makes it sound muscular.

bluetrain
12-21-2009, 01:27 PM
Bluetrain, I meant the S-300i, which I think is new. What didn't you like about the old Krell?

http://www.krellonline.com/s300i.html

It sounded too harsh.

frenchmon
12-21-2009, 05:41 PM
TazioNYC...just to help you out with your home work, heres a review by What HiFi.com. on the Krell S-300i http://whathifi.com/Review/Krell-S-300i/

We do have a member here who has the S-300i and just loves it, so you may want to speak with him. I've heard the Krell 500i and its a beast of an amp. But the gear in you list is all good stuff. You just have to make a choice and tweak it and pair it with good gear and you'll be set.

frenchmon

Mr Peabody
12-21-2009, 07:20 PM
I had a 300i before going to the 500i, I listened for hours and never got fatigued. It was mated with a Krell CD player and the same Dynaudio in my signature. Krell is on the opposite end of the street than tubes but harsh it isn't. An advantage with Krell, Bryston, Parasound and that breed of high current amp it will sound "muscular" even at low volume. I still have my 500i but found I enjoy Conrad Johnson better. Keep in mind you don't listen at high volume and play the equipment you audition at that moderate level to see how it does.

I personally wouldn't recommend Maggies for Rock either but that's a personal decision. All I can say is you should listen first. Also, keep in mind that most every one uses a sub with Maggies, additional space and expense. Add that to their value and they become not such a value.

For you, at this point, as Ajani stated, the best thing would be to do some listening to get a feel for some of the gear.

Ajani
12-21-2009, 08:09 PM
TazioNYC...just to help you out with your home work, heres a review by What HiFi.com. on the Krell S-300i http://whathifi.com/Review/Krell-S-300i/

We do have a member here who has the S-300i and just loves it, so you may want to speak with him. I've heard the Krell 500i and its a beast of an amp. But the gear in you list is all good stuff. You just have to make a choice and tweak it and pair it with good gear and you'll be set.

frenchmon

Just to point out that the WHF review that Frenchmon linked is the only bad review I've seen for the S300i... HiFi News claimed it sounded like $10K Separates and The Absolute Sound loved it... Also keep in mind that S300i is seriously overpriced in the UK, so it was being compared to far more expensive amps in the WHF review, such as the Naim Supernait ($4.5K in the US, Simaudio Moon I3.3 with DAC $4K, etc...) So only with an audition would you be able to make up your mind on the Krell...

Ajani
12-21-2009, 08:14 PM
Well retain a good lawyer if you buy the Magnepan. They require alot of "babying" to get a good sound, this can include having to be brought out from the wall as much as 3 feet! You can always slide them out of the way when not in use, but do you think your wife will dig that?

I have to say, if you're going to be living in apartments for the next while, I would go for a super sounding bookshelf speaker. For the money you have available, you could pick up something that sounds great. You will be unable to pump a floorstander without issue from your wife, neighbours, landlord and eventually, the cops. Check the speaker forum, there was a great bookshelf thread not too long ago.

Of course, I could just tell you to spend all of your budget on state of the art speakers. Or ya, get the Magnepan that will cost you your marriage. Ya, that's it. Nope! You gotta be realistic. My aunt lives in the Bronx, I have seen a typical NYC apartment, and it's nothing like what the "Friends" live in.

Anyhow, just a thought...

I agree with PoppaC.... A great way to get high end sound for less, while ensuring that the neighbors won't call the cops when the bass kicks in, is to get a high quality pair of bookshelves...

My Favorites between $2K - $3K are:

Revel Performa M22
B&W 805S

You also should audition:

Paradigm Signature S2
PSB Synchrony 1B
Dynaudio Focus 140

And if you really want to stretch your budget:

Monitor Audio Platinum 100

Jim Eck
12-22-2009, 03:06 AM
I can't say enough good about Legacy Speakers, yes they are pricey but they are the best I have heard. http://www.legacyaudio.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&view=category&layout=category&Itemid=300189 they are built extremely well and incorperate nothing but the best components. I am currently running 250 watts per channel (8ohm) into the lower section of a pair of Legacy Classics and another 250 into the upper section of them.

I personally prefer seperates for the versatility, keep in mind that you will be forever looking for components :biggrin5: I find that I also like to stay with the more vintage amplifiers (they where made when the music I listen to was being made) you also get a good bang for the buck. And when you find you wish to change you can usually get back what you paid for the component.

Now that you are being bitten by the bug you will find yourself looking into analog, there is a whole new bag of fun.

Happy hunting.

Jim

ren9328
12-22-2009, 04:00 AM
I also live in an apartment so neighbors and room size is too a concern.

I use Dynaudio Contour "bookshelf" speakers on stands with a Krell KAV 300iL (same as the 400xi) integrated amp. In NYC you should be able to find a 400xi with remaining factory warranty. Asthetically the 300iL and 400xi are better looking (IMO) with a better fit and finish than the S300i as for the difference in sound I cannot comment. I listen to a wide variety of music including, blues, jazz, classic rock and metal. With any type of music the Krell/Dynaudio combination has never failed to impress me. Also they look great and are easy for my girlfriend to use. If you can get your wife/SO involved in the hobby it will make upgrading much easier.

Now get out there and listen to some some music and check out some different systems.

Have fun!

bobsticks
12-22-2009, 06:34 AM
I will second the Krell & Dynaudio, in fact, together they are dynamite. I'd say listen to Dyn's Excite or Contour series. The Focus is very good but a bit more polite. If I remember correctly the 840 is balanced with XLR outputs and the Krell is truly balanced with XLR inputs. You mentioned Bryston, that would be a good choice as well. For Rock you will appreciate the control and slam of high current amps like Krell & Bryston.

Hey Tazio, welcome to the forum.

On a recent trip to St. Louis I was fortunate enough to spend an evening with Mr. Peabody and family. We played around with a variety of his components and combinations thereof and I have to confirm his statements regarding the Krell/Dane combo. "Control" and "slam" were indeed excellent, and at all volumes.

FWIW, my system consists of pairing Martin Logans with McIntosh so that system would be theoretically considered far away from my usual preferences...but, damn, it was fine. Were I one to listen to Rock as a majority of my musical diet I would strongly consider this combination.

Good luck and have fun...

bluetrain
12-22-2009, 07:40 AM
It sounded too harsh.

After looking up for some audiophile terminology (still struggling with that) I stand corrected - my KAV300i wasn't harsh, it was dry, cold, bright and lifeless :lol:

TazioNYC
12-22-2009, 08:07 AM
In theory, I like the Krell's theater bypass mode. Seems like a nice, thoughtful feature. And I like the look of it. Now I just have to go out and listen to it!

Thanks to everyone for helping me out here, now I have quite a list:

Amp/Pre:

Krell S300i integrated
Moon i3.3
Cambridge 840A or 840E/840W
Parasound A21 (with preamp to be named later, maybe used JC2)

Speakers:
Paradigm Ref Studio 60 v5
PSB Imagine T
PSB Synchrony 2
Dynaudio Excite 32
Monitor Silver RX8
Magnaplanar 1.6

Seems like a good list!

bluetrain
12-22-2009, 08:35 AM
In theory, I like the Krell's theater bypass mode. Seems like a nice, thoughtful feature. And I like the look of it. Now I just have to go out and listen to it!

Thanks to everyone for helping me out here, now I have quite a list:

Amp/Pre:

Krell S300i integrated
Moon i3.3
Cambridge 840A or 840E/840W
Parasound A21 (with preamp to be named later, maybe used JC2)

Speakers:
Paradigm Ref Studio 60 v5
PSB Imagine T
PSB Synchrony 2
Dynaudio Excite 32
Monitor Silver RX8
Magnaplanar 1.6

Seems like a good list!

Tazio, if you get A21, then definitely try Atoll PR300 pre, which can be had for under $2000. It's one of the most musical combos for the money I've ever heard.

Feanor
12-22-2009, 08:43 AM
Hi Everyone,

New to the forum and looking for some advice. ...

I mostly listen to rock (Stones, etc..), blues, and jazz, no classical or vocals.

So...any ideas on what kind of combinations might be right for my CD source and what might complement my listening tastes?

Thanks in advance...
Tazio,

Welcome to the AR forums.
You have heard some very good advice here and I don't intend to contradict any of it. But I'll add a few remarks pertaining to the Magneplanar speakers, specifically the MG 1.6QRs which I own.

Basically the Maggies aren't hard to manage provide you can meet a few basic conditions. Yes, they require to be 3 feet from the wall behind for good results. Yes, they require sufficient power, however the amount of power depends on the size and furnishing of your listening room, and even more, how loud you listen. (These things are true for any speaker, of course.) The Maggies are 4 ohm but are otherwise not a "difficult load" for amplifiers.

MG 1.6's will crush any other speaker in their price range for accoustic music, but not good for rock music? Basically, no. Well, with a little "babying" as Poppachubby puts it, they could work very well, IMO. A quality subwoofer crossed over at a relatively high 80 Hz or a little higher will provide the "slam" you need for rock and related genres. (You would try a crossover of 100 Hz to see if you like it -- or use two subwoofers with a 150 crossover.)

Here the trick is to exclude the signal below the crossover point from the Maggies, in other words you need a "high-pass" filter on the Maggies. I'd suggest that the both the high- and low-pass (to the subwoofer) filters ought to be 3rd order (18 dB per octave) or higher to avoid response overlap and phase problems. You might obtain the requisite high-pass filter for the Maggies in various ways: (1) built into the sub, (2) built into your amp, (3) an "active", line-level filter ahead of our you power amp or in 'external loop' connections of an integrated amp, or (3) a passive, high level filter network ahead of the bass (but not treble) inputs of the Maggies. The last is a fairly easy DIY project.

:biggrin5: Or you could just go with a pair of PSB Synchronys or Paradigm Signatures if rock's your big thing.

markw
12-22-2009, 10:24 AM
MG 1.6's will crush any other speaker in their price range for accoustic music, but not good for rock music? Basically, no. Well, with a little "babying" as Poppachubby puts it, they could work very well, IMO. A quality subwoofer crossed over at a relatively high 80 Hz or a little higher will provide the "slam" you need for rock and related genres. (You would try a crossover of 100 Hz to see if you like it -- or use two subwoofers with a 150 crossover.)I don't remember a subwoofer being part of the requirements.

I'll stick with my original statement. Alone, they lack the low end impact needed for good classic rock. Period, end of discussion.

FWIW, when I had a sub in the misic system I ran them full range I set the low pass on the sub at about 50 - 55 hz. Tha maggies are polite enough to simply ignore anything below their low end abilities.

Geoffcin
12-22-2009, 10:44 AM
Room size is TBD, probably something like 15X20, though who knows if we score a great deal on a bigger space. It's going in the living room, so it will be the main room in the apartment. TV will also be in there. Probably do lots of reading and general hanging out/working on the computer/entertaining. I'm definitely not looking to win any loudness contests, but I like to listen to the music as a volume that makes it sound muscular.

Apartment living means you will have to be nice with your neighbors. Also as this will be the main living space you might not want it dominated by speakers. So, towers, or any floor standing speakers are out. Floorstanders couple their bass to the floor and give your neighbors under you almost as much bass as you would get.

My advice would be to get a good set of monitors. I really like Totem speakers, especially their monitors. Depending on your budget you could go from the Totem Rainmaker, a real overachiver for it size, to the Totem Mani-2 Signature, a speaker I would put up against anything in it's price range.

Here's a never used pair of Model 1 Sig's that are for sale on the used market;

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1265592840&/Totem-Model-One-Signature-seal

Not a bad way to save $650 from book price. Once you hear a pair of these driven well you'll agree they are worth every penny.

manlystanley
12-22-2009, 11:09 AM
I'm looking for some ideas on preamps/power amps and floorstanding speaker combinations to mate to the player at about $2k per component. I was thinking along these lines:



Let me give you a couple of thoughts and questions:

-- Do you rally know what your musical tastes are? Have you had much experience at developing a more rarefied taste?

-- Audiophile is the type of hobby that is a huge time and money sink. But, it's a passion (e.g. neurosis) that we all develop with time. (e.g. your tastes may change).

I suggest then that instead of jumping in and bringing home a $4-7K setup, why not start out lower. Get some cheaper (but good quality) stuff, then see how your tastes develop. I see some people buying very high end systems and then being taken to the cleaners (because they have to sell for much lower) when they want to change things out.

So, I'd second the suggestion of getting something like: Emotiva XPA-2 ($699) a used preamp (Tons on really good 20 year old pre-amps on the market, I got mine for $85) and a good set of speakers. Then see what you like, read more, and have fun on your journey towards musical nirvana--instead of trying to jump into it in one big step.

Best Regards,
Stan

TazioNYC
12-22-2009, 02:19 PM
Yes, I really know what my musical tastes are, I assure you. They aren't going to be changing any time soon -- I go for depth in terms of taste (delving deeper into what I like) than breadth.

Audio is expensive, but it's a lot cheaper than cars, let's put it that way.



Let me give you a couple of thoughts and questions:

-- Do you rally know what your musical tastes are? Have you had much experience at developing a more rarefied taste?

-- Audiophile is the type of hobby that is a huge time and money sink. But, it's a passion (e.g. neurosis) that we all develop with time. (e.g. your tastes may change).

I suggest then that instead of jumping in and bringing home a $4-7K setup, why not start out lower. Get some cheaper (but good quality) stuff, then see how your tastes develop. I see some people buying very high end systems and then being taken to the cleaners (because they have to sell for much lower) when they want to change things out.

So, I'd second the suggestion of getting something like: Emotiva XPA-2 ($699) a used preamp (Tons on really good 20 year old pre-amps on the market, I got mine for $85) and a good set of speakers. Then see what you like, read more, and have fun on your journey towards musical nirvana--instead of trying to jump into it in one big step.

Best Regards,
Stan

Mr Peabody
12-22-2009, 03:33 PM
I haven't heard the Krell 300iL side by side to the 400xi but the 300iL should be a slightly better amp. The iL is an older model but had a higher retail.

Bluetrain, the 300i was Krell's most entry level integrated. Although we differ on it's degree of performance, I hope you have a chance to listen to some additional Krell gear to see if you maintain your opinion. I will say that Krell does perform better with Krell, or similar sonic character gear. So it could be possible you mated it with speakers and source that just didn't have synergy with the 300i. I personally prefer the more musical presentation of Conrad Johnson but still own and respect Krell for it's abilities. And, there aren't many to approach their ability in certain areas.

blackraven
12-22-2009, 04:44 PM
One of my big worries with the A21 is the size, I don't have the race space for it at the moment and there don't seem to be a lot of racks I've seen that can support its size. My wife is also a bit of a furniture/decor nut, er, enthusiast, and since this is going in our living room, I have to work her tastes into it a bit. I've shown her some pics of the MG 1.6s, but I don't think she's grasped how big they are.
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I was concerned about the size of the A21 as well. I bought this rack and its an excellent audio rack

http://www.vtimanufacturing.com/RGR%20Series.htm

I bought the 406B The top shelf is able to accommodate the A21 and the top and bottom shelves can hold 150lbs each and the middle shelves 60lbs each. I have the 60lb A21 on top and my 55lb Adcom AVR on the bottom.

By the way, I would also look at the Thiel 2.4 speakers http://signature.crutchfield.com/s_684CS24NC/THIEL-CS2-4-Natural-cherry.html?tp=185

http://www.thielaudio.com/THIEL_Site05/Pages/models/Current_Models/CS2_4/cs2_4nws.shtml

Thiels are my second favorite speakers.