B&W Matrix 801s paired with Harman Kardon HK3490???

[tugmcmartin1973]

Howdy all...

So a couple years ago i inherited an old pair of Matrix 801s from Dad. They've been sitting in my basement unused since then since i never felt i had enough power to do them justice. I recently dug out my old Denon DRA-565, which is from 1990 or so, realized it had a pre-out, plugged it in. Amazingly still works. Paired it with an old POA 5200 from Denon and am currently running the 801s. They naturally sound great. Not like i know they can though. I'm thinking of upgrading the Denon. I'm looking at the HK3490 and then running the POA for the extra power for the 801s.

Does anyone have any experience with this receiver??? While i'm certain that a newer piece of equipment can only be an improvement over the archaic Denon, i'm wondering if there are better options for the same amount of money as the HK. I'm not interested in multi-channel. I have the HT setup in the basement and use the upstairs setup for stereo listening. Budget is definitely not available to do the super high end stuff that would really make the speakers shine. My dad had them paired with a McIntosh MC2255, which my brother now has.

Thanks for any input!


Tug Martin

[blackraven]

The HK is a nice warmer sounding receiver and good for an entry level product- lots of power and high current but I would consider going the used route for an amp or even a class D audio amp if you have a preamp that you can use. Check out audiogon.com for used amps like a B&K 125 or an Adcom. It looks like there is a Rotel, a few Parasound Classics, a Parasound A23 and a Belles Hot Rod 150A which is a great amp for sale on Audiogon, all in the $300-$600 range.


Class D Audio Amplifiers