[audiophilic]

Hey all

I have searched this forum for a while and I still can't make up my mind.
I am building a new Desktop and I'll be buying a good stereo sound card. I read about the ASUS Xonar Essence ST. I'm thinking of going with the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD. I am planning on getting the PSB Image B6 bookshelf speakers and a good subwoofer(haven't decided yet). My main concern is the amplifier.

I was hoping you guys could suggest good stereo amplifiers. I am willing to spend upto $1500 on the amp. Is Bryston really worth the price? What about NAD and ARCAM?

I am open to suggestions in the choice of speakers, subwoofer and sound card too

Thanks in advance!

 

[mattkosem]

The Cambridge 740a is worthy of consideration, and falls on the lower end of your budget. I had to settle on the 650a due to price, but the 740 sounds wonderful. The 840a v2 is better still, but is a bit beyond $1500. If you have a Hi-Fi retailer nearby, you may want to demo a variety of amps. An amp that sounds nice to some may not to you. NAD and Marantz make fantastic amps as well. I haven't heard an Arcam personally.

--Matt

 

[audiophilic]

Yes my dad talks alot about Cambridge and their sound quality. Never heard one unfortunately

I'll definitely check out the Cambridge. Another thing I noticed on most integrated amplifiers; they don't seem to have an optical input. Is it something to do with the fact that RCA is analog and Optical digital?

Thanks for the quick reply Matt

 

[Cankin]

A $1500 amp and a pair of $500 speakers? How about putting more of your budget to speakers?

 

[mattkosem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophilic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes my dad talks alot about Cambridge and their sound quality. Never heard one unfortunately I'll definitely check out the Cambridge. Another thing I noticed on most integrated amplifiers; they don't seem to have an optical input. Is it something to do with the fact that RCA is analog and Optical digital? Thanks for the quick reply Matt

It seems pretty common for high-end stereo amps not to include a DAC. It gives you the opportunity to pick the DAC that sounds best to you. I don't think a single one of the integrated amps that I demoed had one built in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif A $1500 amp and a pair of $500 speakers? How about putting more of your budget to speakers?

I don't feel that that's a bad price ratio for a power amp/speaker setup personally. Depending on the equipment that you can demo, you may want to consider something closer to $1200/800 if you like it, but ultimately it's your ears that will be listening to it so get what sounds best to you.

I went with an amp that was 2.5x the cost of my speakers and haven't regretted it yet.

--Matt

 

[jax]

For conventional systems you may also want to solicit advice on Audiogon and AudioAsylum. I'll give you two suggestions: Buy a DAC outside of your computer - don't rely on a sound card for digital to analog conversion - take it out of the very noisy electronic case of the computer. If you are also interested in using the integrated as a headphone amp the Portal Audio Panache integrated can be found used for anywhere from $700-1000. They are both an excellent integrated, if you do not need a remote, as well as a very good headphone amp that has minimal buffering straight off the amp circuit. On the more expensive side of that coin would be a Cary integrated, but probably beyond the budget stated.

Good luck!

 

[audiophilic]

Quote:

It seems pretty common for high-end stereo amps not to include a DAC. It gives you the opportunity to pick the DAC that sounds best to you. I don't think a single one of the integrated amps that I demoed had one built in.

Makes sense. If I'm not mistaken, I don't think I'll be needing a DAC since I'll be connecting the PC to the amp via the line out(analog) jack.

Quote:

A $1500 amp and a pair of $500 speakers? How about putting more of your budget to speakers?

Cankin, The imagine series by PSB goes for 1200$ a pair while the high end of the Image series goes for $500. I don't think there will be a difference that is worth paying more than double. If you could suggest better speakers for more than 500 that are worth it, it would be helpful.

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattkosem /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't feel that that's a bad price ratio for a power amp/speaker setup personally. Depending on the equipment that you can demo, you may want to consider something closer to $1200/800 if you like it, but ultimately it's your ears that will be listening to it so get what sounds best to you. I went with an amp that was 2.5x the cost of my speakers and haven't regretted it yet. --Matt

I always put more money into the component which improves the overall SQ most, headphone or speaker. It is a good thing to know you like your current speaker and amp combo. Enjoy

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophilic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cankin, The imagine series by PSB goes for 1200$ a pair while the high end of the Image series goes for $500. I don't think there will be a difference that is worth paying more than double. If you could suggest better speakers for more than 500 that are worth it, it would be helpful.

Have you compare to them side by side? While you may not realize double increase in SQ, improvement is more than noticeable, it is still worth a demo.

If $500 is your absolute budget, take a look at some used speakers like Quad 11L here:
Quad 11L - Canuck Audio Mart

If I remember correctly, they were retail for $999 when new

 

[mattkosem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I always put more money into the component which improves the overall SQ most, headphone or speaker. It is a good thing to know you like your current speaker and amp combo. Enjoy

I agree and follow that convention generally, but you can't always stick with it given the price points of each piece of equipment. In my situation, I was at the point where increasing my speaker budget would require stepping down to a receiver or a cheaper amp that would need to be special ordered and wasn't available for listening. A $2000 budget avoids compromise a bit more than a $1000 budget, but you still don't want to be stuck with speakers that outclass your amp or something that you can't demo in my opinion....but YMMV.

--Matt

 

[muad]

I really don't wanna tell you what to do but... this is what i think anyways

If you're gonna spend that kind of money, a different dac may be something to consider. The analogue source from your soundcard is what your $1000 plus amplifier is gonna amplify. Sometimes they can be noisy, digital etc. Remember Poo in = Poo out. You can't polish a turd.... You don't have to drop alot of money on a dac either. There are some affordable gems if you do a little research. Just go external with it, internal soundcards have to deal with alot of interference. You can still use your sound card as a digital transport (spdif out) to your dac.

I think those quads posted above would be an amazing purchase at that price. I kinda wish I had the money, I'd buy them! Also check out the paradigms also. I'd personally spend an equal amount on the speakers and amp, depending on what my research uncovers. Do you have any specialty hifi stores near you? Take the speakers in when you go amp shopping and try them with different amps, or see if they can let you demo some at home. Speaker setup and amp matching is more important than how much they cost... I heard some "audiophile setups" recently and hated half of what I heard. There were B&W's hooked up to mcintosh amps and cd player that cost more than most cars. Sounded terrible. While in the next room, a lower model of the same speaker sounded better out of a cheaper rotel amp.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophilic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey all I have searched this forum for a while and I still can't make up my mind. I am building a new Desktop and I'll be buying a good stereo sound card. I read about the ASUS Xonar Essence ST. I'm thinking of going with the Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD. I am planning on getting the PSB Image B6 bookshelf speakers and a good subwoofer(haven't decided yet). My main concern is the amplifier. I was hoping you guys could suggest good stereo amplifiers. I am willing to spend upto $1500 on the amp. Is Bryston really worth the price? What about NAD and ARCAM? I am open to suggestions in the choice of speakers, subwoofer and sound card too Thanks in advance!

I have immense respect for Bryston as, unlike much of the high end, they have the appropriate respect for measurement and science, and their gear is well done and extremely well-built. It is, however, over-priced. You can get the same performance from Cambridge Audio or the little 2 channel stuff still offered by the likes of Yamaha and Denon. Spend the money on the watts. Headroom cannot be overrated.

Or bi-pass the integrated amp altogether and go straight to active speakers.

P

 

[audiophilic]

Quote:

...a different dac may be something to consider.

Yes I will be buying a DAC for sure.

Quote:

Or bi-pass the integrated amp altogether and go straight to active speakers.

Wouldn't the quality be inferior to that of an integrated amp?

Does anyone have/had PSBs? I have heard them and I really like their clarity. I haven't heard a lot of other brands. Maybe I fell in love with them too soon? Maybe its a good idea to just go and hear them for myself, but I just want some good names to keep an eye out for.

Also, is there anything I am missing in the following loop.

Computer sound card--> external DAC--> integrated amplifier-->speakers and sub.

Finally, I have a pair of Denon d2000s and I just love their clarity and how accurate the bass reproduction is. How do the headphone jacks on amps, for example the cambridge or brystons compare to a dedicated headphone amplifier? The denons are 25 Ohms BTW.


You guys have just made my choice harder with all the advice!! I appreciate it

 

[mattkosem]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophilic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Does anyone have/had PSBs? I have heard them and I really like their clarity. I haven't heard a lot of other brands. Maybe I fell in love with them too soon? Maybe its a good idea to just go and hear them for myself, but I just want some good names to keep an eye out for.

I've not heard or owned PSBs, but some other popular brands that you may want to check out are Paradigm and Bowers & Wilkins. I'm sure others can chime in with other suggestions as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by audiophilic /img/forum/go_quote.gif Finally, I have a pair of Denon d2000s and I just love their clarity and how accurate the bass reproduction is. How do the headphone jacks on amps, for example the cambridge or brystons compare to a dedicated headphone amplifier?

Cambridge generally recommends that headphones be no lower than 32ohms on their headphone jacks. I'd say the headphone jack on my 650a is roughly similar in output quality to the slightly overbuilt CMoy I have at work, which is just a basic CMoy with an OPA2227PA plus 470uf power caps and .47uf input caps. Definitely not as good as a PPAv2.

--Matt

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Quote:

"Or bi-pass the integrated amp altogether and go straight to active speakers." Wouldn't the quality be inferior to that of an integrated amp?

Not at all, but I'm not talking about cheap powered speakers, I'm talking about true actives, with a separate amp, matched to the load characteristics of the individual drivers in the speakers, and with an electronic crossover before amplification. Actually, this design eliminates a whole lot of problems and, if done properly, will provide greater clarity, control and detail with less distortion and coloration than an equivalent passive design. But you'll find very few true actives made for domestic use. Most are studio monitors, and while they can be very cost effective, for a whole lot of reasons that would take a while to explain, they are usually a little utilitarian in appearance. You won't find much in the way of pretty wood veneers and speaker cloth covers are almost unheard of. Some good brands to listen to are Dynaudios, KRKs, Adams, Yamahas. Even the better M-Audios and Mackies can sound surprisingly good. They're pretty easy to find at music stores, even big ones like Guitar Center and Sam Ash. Go listen.

P