Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › Will adding a speaker amplifier *really* make a difference?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Will adding a speaker amplifier *really* make a difference?

post #1 of 4
2/13/11 at 8:08am
Thread Starter 

Hey all. I've been out of Head-Fi for a long while now, having found near-contentment with my speaker setup which I have been running for about a year now. It sounds GREAT! And I believe I still have it in my signature.

 

Now I'm at the point where I'm wondering whether to upgrade anything. My Peachtree, I believe, is the perfect DAC/Preamp. Its speaker outputs also sound quite nice. I use my speakers, Cambridge S30, in a rather small bedroom (rough estimate: 12' square). 

 

FWIR it might not be worth it to add in a separate amp in such a small room with such small speakers. But if something like an Emotiva UPA-2 would put me in aural heaven, I'd have to jump on it. Can anyone weigh in on the pros and cons of dropping more cash on a dedicated amplifier? Should I settle and stop wondering, or continue pricing out amps?

Reply
post #2 of 4
2/13/11 at 8:28am

Cambridge S30 are very good bookshelves for what they cost, but I think an amplifier upgrade would go largely unnoticed.

 

It's much more sound to actually upgrade the speakers if you want a significant step forward.

Reply
post #3 of 4
2/13/11 at 8:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by audiofil View Post

Cambridge S30 are very good bookshelves for what they cost, but I think an amplifier upgrade would go largely unnoticed.

 

It's much more sound to actually upgrade the speakers if you want a significant step forward.



Sort of what I figured, thanks. So what can I look at to upgrade without breaking the bank (I feel like it would be hard to make a significant step up without going into $700+, and my options are quite limited without having room for floorstanders?)

Reply
post #4 of 4
2/13/11 at 10:18am

plenty of choices from 300-700 for decent bookshelves. all are off the top of my head but you're best to search on audiogon (fyi, your cambridge are in the 150 price range). these are all upgrades but i'd go after the 500-700 range for a decent upgrade

 

Wharferdale 10.1

 dali ikon 2

focal 807v

Monitor audio rs1 and rx1

b&w cm1

b&w 685

QUAD 12L2 

 

 

placement is KEY

so is a decent set of stands or something inert to put them on...

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Cables, Power, Tweaks, Speakers, Accessories (DBT-Free Forum) › Will adding a speaker amplifier *really* make a difference?