Amplifier Dilemma

[stevieboy]

waiting for you

 

[marsilians]

Hi psychotropic,

I think you should go for the current version of CA 540V2 rather than 10 year old Arcams or some other stuff.

cheers.

I disagree on couple points - 120 pounds is way too much for a refurb 540. You should be able to snag better deal or negotiate on that. The 640 was a better built amp when it came out. By the way all these models are not in production anymore.

In the UK if you can snag an Arcam or a Naim or NAD(even older model), then it will be better option than the CA. Personally till about 7xx and above series of CA, they cannot match up with the detail and soundstage of the Arcam's or esp. Naim

 

[psychotropic]

what about the Cairn? It's 1998 vintage, but then so is my CDP. I am actually very keyed up about this Cairn, sounds like a great amp, and the people I've seen using it on the internet (including on pages i've read translated from French, Italian and Russian) seem to be really seasoned audiophiles with some very high-end components. The seller assures it is in excellent working order.

My only concern is this, and this is where I need the help of the experts. An Arcam or a CA amp, if something goes bust I can get service, whereas a Cairn I can't. Do you think I'd be able to just find some chap who'd be able to fix it if a capacitor on the amp has failed (i am a non-technical person, I just cooked up that example, so please excuse)?

I disagree on couple points - 120 pounds is way too much for a refurb 540. You should be able to snag better deal or negotiate on that. The 640 was a better built amp when it came out. By the way all these models are not in production anymore.

In the UK if you can snag an Arcam or a Naim or NAD(even older model), then it will be better option than the CA. Personally till about 7xx and above series of CA, they cannot match up with the detail and soundstage of the Arcam's or esp. Naim

 

[anm]

I think you can buy this

NAD C720 HiFi Receiver Amplifier - New on eBay (end time 27-Jul-09 16:57:26 BST)

50wpc is pretty decent - my hk6550 sounds pretty powerful @ 50wpc - I normally listen at 9 o clock and my family cribbs, at 10 o clock they revolt and at 11 or noon, I haven't tried I can be thrown out of the house. The only problem with that no one is gonna throw the amp and speaker out along with me hyeah:

regards

 

[psychotropic]

Hey anm, thanks a ton for that info, but firstly it's way out of my budget (125 pounds was my original limit, i might stretch to 150), and secondly it's just got a lot of stuff i don't need. Thanks for that anyways, appreciate the heads-up.

I think you can buy this

NAD C720 HiFi Receiver Amplifier - New on eBay (end time 27-Jul-09 16:57:26 BST)

50wpc is pretty decent - my hk6550 sounds pretty powerful @ 50wpc - I normally listen at 9 o clock and my family cribbs, at 10 o clock they revolt and at 11 or noon, I haven't tried I can be thrown out of the house. The only problem with that no one is gonna throw the amp and speaker out along with me hyeah:

regards

 

[psychotropic]

URGENT: Amplifier Dilemma

Boys and girls , the Cairn has been snapped up by someone while I was sitting around being my disorganised self. Anyways, letting bygones be bygones, I am moving on to the remaining options, please tell me which I should go for.

How much would be a decent price to pay for a used NAD C320BEE? 100 pounds okay? (8000 rupees), or is there a chance I can get a used NAD C320 in India for similar cash? SO should i limit myself to say 75 pounds?

Anyone heard of the Audiolab 8000 LX, reviews suggest it was a superb, but brutally revealing amp. After my experience with brutal revealingness or something like it (the PSB Alpha B1s), I am not sure I should even venture in that direction, what say? or should i get the brutally revealing Audiolab and pair it with the warm and polite Epos?

 

[dinyaar]

Hi,
Firstly buying on websites can be tricky.
The Cairn was a superb smooth sounding amp.
No clue on audio Lab. " brutally revealing" may be tough to digest even for the guy who loves neutrality. May have to throw half your cd collection in the bin.
I00 pounds for a used C320Bee is fair. U should get similar deals in india too. Fair amplifier. Look for C350 too as that is generally availble too at similar prices in UK. Check out the DIVA series from Arcam as the FMJ A32 will be definately more than 100 GBP used.

Rgds

 

[jai1611]

For Sale: NAD C320 BEE, Buy & Sell - HIFI-FORUM

NAD 320 for sale.

Disclaimer: I dont know the seller and havent seen/heard the amp. Just saw the post.

 

[psychotropic]

how do i join these forums, seems to all be in German?

For Sale: NAD C320 BEE, Buy & Sell - HIFI-FORUM

NAD 320 for sale.

Disclaimer: I dont know the seller and havent seen/heard the amp. Just saw the post.

 

[Jith77]

for translation try:

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

 

[stevieboy]

how do i join these forums, seems to all be in German?

its a german forum with an indian section. try looking around on the site to see where you can register in english. or better still i'll log on and alert the seller to come here

regards

edit: have asked him for his phone number, will pass it on to you. he's based in mumbai. you can call him and figure things out.

here's the post for you

Have a NAD integrated amplifier for sale.
Bought it in Hyderabad when I was based in Chennai.
Purchased sometime between July and Sept, 2005.
Used 3-4 hrs a week with my DIY speakers since I watch a lot of movies on my HT (a separate system in a different dedicated room).
Pictures have been uploaded (too lazy to dust!)
Forgot to take picture of Remote (but available)
Looking for a quick sale (reason given below)

Reason for sale: Moving out of the country. Prefer to sell in Mumbai (since I am based in Mumbai but willing to sell in Hyderabad also since I will be moving some stuff to Hyderabad before leaving India)

Pls PM me for any more information and price.

http://s7.directupload.net/images/090720/cl8z56ue.jpg

http://s12b.directupload.net/images/090720/k2rebei9.jpg

http://s4.directupload.net/images/090720/r3eirfh4.jpg

 

[psychotropic]

thanks a ton stevieboy, that's really kind of you!

its a german forum with an indian section. try looking around on the site to see where you can register in english. or better still i'll log on and alert the seller to come here

regards

edit: have asked him for his phone number, will pass it on to you. he's based in mumbai. you can call him and figure things out.

here's the post for you

Have a NAD integrated amplifier for sale.
Bought it in Hyderabad when I was based in Chennai.
Purchased sometime between July and Sept, 2005.
Used 3-4 hrs a week with my DIY speakers since I watch a lot of movies on my HT (a separate system in a different dedicated room).
Pictures have been uploaded (too lazy to dust!)
Forgot to take picture of Remote (but available)
Looking for a quick sale (reason given below)

Reason for sale: Moving out of the country. Prefer to sell in Mumbai (since I am based in Mumbai but willing to sell in Hyderabad also since I will be moving some stuff to Hyderabad before leaving India)

Pls PM me for any more information and price.

http://s7.directupload.net/images/090720/cl8z56ue.jpg

http://s12b.directupload.net/images/090720/k2rebei9.jpg

http://s4.directupload.net/images/090720/r3eirfh4.jpg

 

[magma]

phscho?

i dont know if you are a gambling man
but if you are, do you want me to try and find a used amp of a guy in mohmedali road

i dontknow the guy but i chanced on his shop sometime last week.
Amps are stacked as if they are raddi newspapers
they are all vintage.
i was really tempted too but ive already boughtan amp for myself

ofcourse for such a sale the amp should be at a real throwaway price

sometimes many ofthe amps are clean and have just been bought off guys who had old vintage stuff, didnt know its value and soldit off tobuy some 5.1 channel latesss receiver wich isfarlessinfereior than that vintage ampthey sold ( 2.0 channel stuff only)

 

[stevieboy]

check your pm pyschotropic.

regards

 

[unleash_me]

This one looks interesting!

 

[psychotropic]

hehe, except that it's almost 4 times my budget with some days left.

This one looks interesting!

 

[psychotropic]

wow, sounds damn interesting. If i were in Bombay i would have loved to check this place out!

phscho?

i dont know if you are a gambling man
but if you are, do you want me to try and find a used amp of a guy in mohmedali road

i dontknow the guy but i chanced on his shop sometime last week.
Amps are stacked as if they are raddi newspapers
they are all vintage.
i was really tempted too but ive already boughtan amp for myself

ofcourse for such a sale the amp should be at a real throwaway price

sometimes many ofthe amps are clean and have just been bought off guys who had old vintage stuff, didnt know its value and soldit off tobuy some 5.1 channel latesss receiver wich isfarlessinfereior than that vintage ampthey sold ( 2.0 channel stuff only)

 

[thevortex]

psychotropic,

if I were you, I would just wait till I can stack up on a bit of cash and then buy a new amplifier. After all you dont want to spend even 10000 bucks and find out in a couple of months that all the juice has ran out of the amp!

Do hear the Marantz-PSB combo and let us know what you make of it.

 

[psychotropic]

That probably is sound advice, but right now I've sort of decided I am going to get a set-up of some sort together, and so with my limited budget I am trying to stretch it and see how far it goes. The benefit is that I am new to hi-fi and not yet spoilt by the sound of megabuck components, so the sound that some of the stuff that I am looking at right now would probably give me a lot of happiness and make me listen to all my music a lot more.

The good thing is that if something costs 10k and has a problem, I won't feel bad about opening it up at all, and then maybe another journey can begin

If I end up with something like a Marantz CD63SE - NAD C320BEE - Usher S520 combination, I don't think I'd be too unhappy

psychotropic,

if I were you, I would just wait till I can stack up on a bit of cash and then buy a new amplifier. After all you dont want to spend even 10000 bucks and find out in a couple of months that all the juice has ran out of the amp!

Do hear the Marantz-PSB combo and let us know what you make of it.

 

[Asit]

If I end up with something like a Marantz CD63SE - NAD C320BEE - Usher S520 combination, I don't think I'd be too unhappy

That sounds good to me already. Why don't you go for something like that? I don't think you would make too big a mistake for the price if you go for something like that.
The little Nad 320 is a wonderful little amp, Marantz CDPs are generally excellent, and Usher always offers VFM. Just ask somebody like Sridhar if he has ever heard any Nad with the little Ushers and how is the synergy.

You have named this thread "Amplifier Dilemma". I was thinking if the word "dilemma" covers all the multiple options you have been considering. But with the above simple statement, you have reduced the problem from "multilemma" (I do not think the word exists) back to the original simpler problem .