amp upgrade

[keith_correa]

Take your source, amplifier and speakers to a "Richer Sounds" store close to where you are at. Tell them what the problem is and let them connect various amps/source components to find out what would get you the best "type" of sound you are looking for. You will be surprised at the "little" money you would have to spend to get what you are looking for.

BTW, the amps on the e-bay links you provided: IMO, they are horribly overpriced. DO NOT buy unless you can listen to them first.

 

[gianni78]

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies. I also have a Naim CD5. At the moment i'm not using it cause recently has stopped working properly. It still works with some cds but in most cases it doesn't recognise the cd. Over the last 4 years I tried the combo Nait 5 - CD5 With different speakers (
such as Monitor audio RS6, Linn Katan (i still have them), Naim speakers (can't remember the naim but they were the worst speakers I've ever heard) and now Kef 102/2), in different rooms (I've moved home a few times) and with different cables. Despite all this i've never managed to get a warm and pleasant sound. When i started to use my old Denon instead of the CD5 I didn't hear any difference. But when i Plugged in my old technics instead of the Nait 5 it was like night and day. It's not the sound I want yet, but at least it's enjoyable. Perhaps the naim sound is not for me, or most likely my Nait 5 just needs servicing but to be honest i feel I have wasted enough time and energy on this amp. I don't really feel like spending any more money on it, i don't eve know wether that would solve the problem and it's still an amp that seem to be very fussy about speakers and cables.
I've been told my reference 102/2 are good speakers and they sound the best out off all the ones I've tried so far so even if they are power hungry I think i should keep them and get a good amp.

 

[gianni78]

At the moment I'm considering a nad c370 (the cheapest option), a musical fidelity m6i, an icon audio valve amp or a 70s solid state. What do you think? Do valve amps require maintenance or give problems ( I've heard of bias etc but no idea what it means) and also would they have enough power to drive my speakers? Also is it risky to buy a solid state from the 70s? Is it easy to find parts and people to fix them? Thanks a lot

 

[dheerajin]

Your soeakers are having impedence of 4 ohm and they are very good. low impedence speakers require high current amp and you wont be dissapointed with class-A amps. You need serious auditions with your speakers with different amps and see what suits you best.No one can exactly suggest you the exact amp because no one knows your taste for music.., so better to hunt down on your own. Valve amps are in different league and sound gets changed as the valve aged with time....also they can drive the 4 ohm speakers despite lower wattage, since being a class-A, they provide constant current. To exploit your speakers to full potential , drive them with SS class-A amp IMO.