New Amplifier Advice

Tee-Rock

New Member
Hi everyone! I'm new to audiokarma, and also to HiFi outside of my experience growing up with my Father's system. (Pioneer SX-850, Pioneer HPM 60, Sony PS4300 TT with Shure V15 Type IV cartridge)

I am living in Malaysia where HiFi is quite expensive.

My Current system setup is as follows:

Soundstage StageOne hybrid amplifier 35W/channel -- Chinese custom build for a distributor in KL, no phono.

Mission MV6 floor standers (8ohm, 89 db). Nothing on AK about these, though I am happy with them so far. What i could afford at time.

Audio Technica AT120USB -- terrible pre-amp but bought for versatility and ease of upgrade. I plan to upgrade the cartridge to a AT440mla and bypass the pre-amp.

Speaker Cables are MIT 16/2 banana plugs (does this matter?)

Currently my set-up has two major issues (that i am aware of and I plan on fixing in the near future).

1 - i need to upgrade my phono cartridge and bypass the aweful pre-amp in my AT-120USB TT.

2. I need to purchase a new amplifier as i am not satisfied with my Soundstage StageOne. Lows and mids are nice, but it has issues. It has quite harsh highs as soon as i pump the volume at or past 50% (which is often). It also does not reproduce treble heavy music very well. (I listen to everything not limited to: classic country, rockabilly, hip-hop, funk, punk, and even metal, so this is a major issue to me)

I have family coming in December from Canada and hope to have them bring the new AT cartridge and hopefully a new amplifier or pre-amp/amp combo.

I want to stay away from digital amps as I use my TT a lot. I also would love to have a quality tube amp, but i think it is out of my price range at the moment. I used to have a Chinese tube when i lived in China but i was unable to move it with me when i left. The sound was nice but it struggled powering my speakers.
http://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/...il3-el34-4-tube-integrated-amp-2014ver-p-1251

I really like the tube sound but also realize i will probably get more bang for my buck if i take the solid state path.

Here are the options i was thinking about:

1. Art DJPreII phono stage with a either an entry level NAD (C 326 BEE for example) or a Marantz.

2. Rega Brio-R -- which i think would be a good investment due to size and weight which i could easily move with me, though it is about twice as much as option 1. I am also curious as to if the phono stage in the Brio-R would surpass the Art DJPreII? I have read lots of literature on AK about both of these products.

3. Pro-Ject MaiA -- which sounds like it would be pretty cool as i could use digital library paired with bluetooth from my laptop along with what i would assume would be a quality Phono Stage in the amp. Though i would want to wait for some reviews of this unit first. Also, the 25W/channel sounds like it might be a little bit underpowered for my speakers.

Any advice and or constructive comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tee
 
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Since you listen to a lot of vinyl, if you can, bump to the NAD C356BEE and get the MDC PP375 phono module. You save the need for more cables and a power plug. It is a fantastic phono amp and the best I have heard at US$200. You need to spend more than double to better it.
Plus you will get 80wpc with the C356BEE to help you with your listening levels and no harshness, at least from the amp...not sure about your speakers.

Good luck
 
For comparison shopping, Amazon has lots of phono pre-amps and reviews at all prices.

Also research the emotiva phono pre-amp on their web site probably also available via Amazon, less than $200.

If you want to go used, your relatives have lots of choices on e-bay, the Yamaha pre-amps being the most abundant and IMHO quite good. CX-630 or one of the more recent units are available and affordable and have MM and MC capabilities.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YAMAHA-CX-2-NATURAL-SOUND-STEREO-CONTROL-PRE-AMPLIFIER-remote-original-manual-/171361902596?hash=item27e5f72004
 
@ Catcher10

I was looking at the NAD 356BEE. I think it is just out of my price range at the moment with the additional phono module. Though the reviews sound promising an amp that size I would have difficulty moving it around country to country and would want to keep an amp of that quality and price for quite a long time. Though i am sure re-sale would not be a problem.

@ Bubo

Thanks for the advice. Been reading lots of the amazon and AK reivews of phono preamps. Other than the name recognition i am not versed at all with Yamaha HiFi. I will look into some and see what is available.

I think i would want to go new, or used from the past 5 years or so.
 
I would suggest the Yamaha AS-500. Should have enough power for the Mission speakers(likely a part of your issues with sound), good sound, and vastly better phonostage for Moving Magnet cartridges. If at all possible, I would lose that AT table. They are horrible and might well be bested by a vintage belt drive, or the Orbit table that is discussed extensively on AK. Good luck in your quest.:yes:
 
@TJLitt

Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into the Yamaha AS-500.

The AT is a stopover and will probably be the last thing i replace. I couldn't fathom purchasing the cheaper alternatives here in KL for the pile of money that they are. I also like the pitch control as i play around with some of my vinyl and try to make "music" on my cpu.

The AT has some good re-sale value here and I will have no problem unloading it when i have the budget for a nicer TT.
 
Synthesis Isobel integrated amp w/phono

http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/deta...-by-synthesis-with-phono-stage/images/813023/

This is barely in price-range and meets my compact desires. Anybody know anything about this company or product?

Can't speak about the Isobel. For what it's worth, I have the Synthesis Brio tube phono stage and it's superb. It beat my old Cambridge Audio 640P very soundly in, well, everything.. Since then I have long felt that spending money on a good phono stage is key to satisfying vinyl playback.

Looks like a pretty small amp. 50 watts (90 into 4 ohms) should be enough to drive most speakers in most settings, but I wouldn't want to stress it too much. That said, I'd expect it to better your current amp. Would be interesting to see how it compares to the Rega Brio. Given how most fawn over the Brio, it seems like a safe bet.
 
I have found a couple of used Yamaha A-S500 here in KL from 330$-400$ (Silver model too :yes: ). I am hoping to check them out in the next couple of weeks here. The only problem with the Yamaha for my needs is the size. Will be difficult to fit it on my AV cabinet.

The reviews of the Yamaha are all positive, though i have read a few who are not completely satisfied with the Phono stage on it. Any thoughts on that?
I might pick up the Art DJPreII and use that as my Phono Pre. I figure it only aroun 50$ and is a safe experiment.

Also, I plan on heading up to my local Rega dealer soon as well to see how much the Brio-R is going for here.

I wish i could audition that Synthesis Isobel. Though without much information i am probably going to stay away from it.
 
having both around, the Yammie phono section beats the ArtII pre, but not by much. In my case, neither comes remotely close to the Phonomena, so not a decision maker for me in picking an amp.
 
If you are on a budget and want a tube amp you can't afford, you probably won't be very happy with the class AB amp you can afford.

It's my policy to avoid spending money on things I don't want.

Trying to get good phonograph playback with a turntable that has USB in the name sounds like throwing money down a hole.

If you don't want to throw money in a hole, identify what you want to improve, create an upgrade plan, see what fits in your budget and then start compromising.

Compromise isn't a bad word, it's about balancing priorities.

In my opinion, LPs shouldn't be a priority, the return on investment can be very poor.

Maybe a tube headphone amp could give you the sound you want with a budget that you can afford?

If you can't find a good plan that fits your budget, just keep saving your money until that changes.
 
The Rega Brio-R has everything you would require sonically and then some. The quality of the phono stage it has is mindblowing for the price. It would work fine with any moving magnet or high output moving coil cartridge.
 
Tee-Rock wrote:
I really like the tube sound but also realize i will probably get more bang for my buck if i take the solid state path.

Here are the options i was thinking about:

1. Art DJPreII phono stage with a either an entry level NAD (C 326 BEE for example) or a Marantz.

2. Rega Brio-R -- which i think would be a good investment due to size and weight which i could easily move with me, though it is about twice as much as option 1. I am also curious as to if the phono stage in the Brio-R would surpass the Art DJPreII? I have read lots of literature on AK about both of these products.

3. Pro-Ject MaiA -- which sounds like it would be pretty cool as i could use digital library paired with bluetooth from my laptop along with what i would assume would be a quality Phono Stage in the amp. Though i would want to wait for some reviews of this unit first. Also, the 25W/channel sounds like it might be a little bit underpowered for my speakers.

Any advice and or constructive comments are greatly appreciated.


For a phono preamp, I recommend the Emotiva XPS-1. Compatible with mm and mc cartridges. A lot of members have bought the XPS-1 and are very satisfied with its performance.

For an integrated amp, I would recommend the Teac NP-H750. Not only do you get an integrated amp, but you will also gain a network audio player, an internet radio. Make sure you check out the specs. These can be had for under $400, and it's definitely worth looking into. The Teac puts out 40wpc. This one is definitely on my short list.
 
Plus 2 on the Yamaha A-S500. This has been replaced by the A-S501. My AS500 has been performing perfectly. I also recomend the UTurn turntable, but it might not be available for you. I am running a Denon DP300f turntable and it has never given me any trouble. The Rega amplifier is a real nice unit and has had a lot of positive reviews. For a tuner I recommend an Internet capable tuner like the Grace Digital tuner.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for all the advice everyone. I looked into a couple leads on Yamaha A-S500 used but they turned out to be dead ends. I think I will take my time and see if i can scoop up a used deal for either the Yamaha or a similar valued/sounding product when it pops up. I will have to be patient.

Again, I appreciate all the advice. It opened my eyes to some exciting sounding products and solutions to my problems. I will update when a purchase(s) take place or if I have any more questions.

:music:
 
Update:

Purchased a Marantz PM6005 was on sale so got it at 100 off US msrp, which is a significant deal here in Malaysia. Fit my phono, and digital needs with the nice DAC. Been running it for a few months now and can say i am quite happy with the sound.

As of last week though my mid/bass driver in my left Mission MV6 stopped working. Tweeter still functions and i checked the amp and wiring with other speaker on all settings/input. So i need to get my speaker checked & fixed.

I am checking out my options and if nothing affordable here to fix i will start looking at new speakers and wait till i can scoop a replacement driver (if that the issue) for cheap sometime in the distant future.

I also removed the pre-amp on my TT and it now sounds very nice with the Marantz phono stage. Have yet to replace the At95e (harsh and lean at times). Am now leaning towards an Ortofon 2M Blue. Think it will suit my set up a bit better than the At440mla.

Thought i would let yous all know about the update since you all kindly responded to my inquiry.
 
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The Rega Brio-R has everything you would require sonically and then some. The quality of the phono stage it has is mindblowing for the price. It would work fine with any moving magnet or high output moving coil cartridge.

+1 for the Brio R, particularly in light of your description of the problems you are having. Great phono stage, VERY solid bottom end performance with a sweet high end, detailed but not in your face.

I've owned one and its quite a nice amplifier but not a good match for my speakers. For Mission speakers, probably excellent fit.
 
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