Vruksha
New Member
What do you guys recommend as a good amp to pair with MA Bronze 100? Looking for an integrated amp, something slightly warm if possible to tame down the highs.
Best amp to pair with MA Bronze 100
- Thread starter Vruksha
- Start date
MasTerasTrix
Active Member
The Macintosh range of amps definitely. The MA bronze 100 will shine (overkill too). Let me know if you want specifics.
Believe Marantz PM 8006 could suit you, generally considered Warm by reviewers and users.
In addition it has Tone Controls, which may help you provided if you are interested in it.
girishtd8262
Well-Known Member
Rega Brio should be an ideal one
What are you currently using with the MA's? It'll give us a good baseline for recommendations.
Vruksha
New Member
It’s over our budget, anything around 60-65k is our budget
Bit over our 60-65k budget but looks like a great amp
It’s for a friend who is planning to get the Bronze 100, something that’s not so bright sounding for the MA sound.
MasTerasTrix
Active Member
Afternoon Chief @DB1989 ....how's ya doing ?
Vruksha...you better trust this man & whatever he suggests....thank me later ...
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ajuvignesh
Well-Known Member
You may try Marantz PM 6007. Please take audition before buying.
The plot thickens! Some questions that immediately crop up and will help resolve this problem better since this person is yet to acquire the MA's:
1. Has this friend heard the MA Bronze 100 while forming the opinion that they are bright? I have heard the Bronze 50's and they did not particularly come across as bright to my ears amongst the speakers that i auditioned alongside (Monitor Audio Studio, B&W 607 S2, 606 S2, 706 S2, 705 S2 Signature, Definitive Technology D9). I can think of quite a few other speakers too around the price point that are brighter. According to me, bright isn't necessarily bad. Some speakers are voiced to have a bright presentation as it lends a dynamic and energetic performance and helps highlight high frequency details if done right. From what I heard, the MA's definitely did it right!
2. Any particular reason this friend is planning to get the MA Bronze despite thinking it is bright? perhaps a speaker that has a more well rounded performance as per the Listener's perspective of neutrality could provide a better foundation?
3. If he did audition the MA's, which amp did he hear it with? That tidbit of info will also help give us a reference point to begin with.
4. And of course, what is the price range he's looking at? Suggestions will be meaningless if they far exceed the budget.
Vruksha
New Member
Thanks for taking the time @DB1989 I had personally heard the MA Silver 100 and 500, to my subjective taste and library they were a bit edgy. We (myself and the friend) listens to a wide range of music which includes a lott of fast/busy tracks like metal sub genres. There is lotta fast drums, lotta cymbals, guitars, screaming, screeching, growling..you name it we have it all and it’s pretty much putting the speakers to some real work. Unfortunately a lotta metal and rock music is mastered too hot for whatever reasons so if there is a slight roll off from higher Mids to highs it would be perfect to enjoy. I had demo’ed MA speakers few years back, my impressions after spending a short time with the Silvers paired with CA and Denon amps were that they lean towards slight V territory with good emphasis on higher frequencies to keep the sound more lively and engaging. This works great for most of the music but not ideal for metal music. They are terrific speakers of ofcourse and probably one of the best in its budget but I felt it could use a warm amp for that perfect sound. After going through few setups personally I’ve settled down on a more darker/laidback PSB + NAD combo which sounds very warm and smooth. MA sounds was quiet upfront when compared to what my ears are used to, it’s good for certain music but a bit edgy at times depending on the mastering and slightly fatiguing for long sessions with metal, that said you are absolutely right they are not bright like many of the other speakers (klipsch, Q , B&W and similar that falls around the same budget). Maybe calling them bright is not fair, they are more dynamic and lively in better words. Lott of rock and metal is poorly produced so dynamic and lively could also be a negative in this case.The plot thickens! Some questions that immediately crop up and will help resolve this problem better since this person is yet to acquire the MA's:
1. Has this friend heard the MA Bronze 100 while forming the opinion that they are bright? I have heard the Bronze 50's and they did not particularly come across as bright to my ears amongst the speakers that i auditioned alongside (Monitor Audio Studio, B&W 607 S2, 606 S2, 706 S2, 705 S2 Signature, Definitive Technology D9). I can think of quite a few other speakers too around the price point that are brighter. According to me, bright isn't necessarily bad. Some speakers are voiced to have a bright presentation as it lends a dynamic and energetic performance and helps highlight high frequency details if done right. From what I heard, the MA's definitely did it right!
2. Any particular reason this friend is planning to get the MA Bronze despite thinking it is bright? perhaps a speaker that has a more well rounded performance as per the Listener's perspective of neutrality could provide a better foundation?
3. If he did audition the MA's, which amp did he hear it with? That tidbit of info will also help give us a reference point to begin with.
4. And of course, what is the price range he's looking at? Suggestions will be meaningless if they far exceed the budget.
Now with that out of the way when my friend asked for help with her setup, I looked around for the best option that works with her library/budget which is available in India and found Bronze 100 to be the best fit, I am aware of ELAC’s but was not sure if she would like the Andrew Jones sound, it could sound a bit boring to some maybe? Especially a beginner maybe? Now she had not demoed any speakers while I posted here which was kind of dumb on my side and it took her some time to finally get a chance to demo couple speakers, she listened to an old Epos and MA speaker. Epos didn’t work with metal tracks, it struggled with anything fast it seems. Yesterday she finally got to demo the Bronze 50’s and loved them, they handled every thing extremely well and only complaint was a slight lack of bass which I believe will be covered with the Bronze 100’s 8inch driver. Now we all hear different and lean towards different tonality, while I found MA a bit edgy, clean/sharp for my liking she didn’t and this is what makes the hobby interesting. I had to wait to get her impressions to get a better idea about her choice of sound first and also to post a reply to your questions, apologies for the delay. It is not easy to demo speakers from any shops it seems, what a bummer when you want to invest so much money but not having the chance to demo. Anyways on a brighter side she got to hear the 50’s after calling around few showrooms. Unfortunately She was not able to find out which amp it was paired with. She seems pretty happy with MA sound and planning to go ahead with Bronze 100. About the amp, its yet to be decided, people have recommended Marantz multiple times on this post so guessing they pair well with the Bronze? I have never heard any modern Marantz amp so not sure about their tonality but they make great amps ofcourse.
Budget has been around 50k+50k for speaker/amp but it seems she might have to spend more for an amp. Marantz 6007 is about 60k and puts out 45wpc 8ohms and If my memory is right MA recommends 35wpc for Bronze100. If we increase the budget more there is Marantz NR1200 for 70k which puts out 75wpc which sounds even better. Basically both sounds like good synergy with MA? What do you think ?
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MasTerasTrix
Active Member
You seem to be lucky incase you are looking out for NR1200 as FM @rajudhs had listed his brand new amp in the classifieds section with 10 months warranty remaining at 55k ( as per what i remember).
If you are interested you can contact him and check it out.
I believe i can relate to where you're coming from. My current primary setup isn't ideal for rock and metal either as it is a little hot at the top. While it successfully conveys the energy and dynamics, its fatiguing for an extended duration.
Check out Dynaudios for Rock. I've found myself revisiting metal after I got myself a pair of Excite X14s. Not the last word in dynamics but infinitely listenable with harsh recordings.
PSB infuses their speakers with a generous dose of a special something. I had a PSB Alpha P5 in my setup and while they have a prominent top end, the energy and drive is to be reckoned with. However, some ears have found the treble to be a bit too hot when paired with my Cambridge Audio CXA81 or SMSL DA9. I suppose a NAD amplifier would make a great pairing for reigning in the top end for someone who finds it a bit too spicy.
True. Bright speakers don't usually work well with Rock and Metal for most ears.
However, I've found a curious beast (or tyke if you consider its dimensions) in the Definitive Technologies D9. They are lively and dynamic with a V curve that lends a spicy top end which never gets "bright".
You can't go wrong with Marantz, at least in the budget segment which is what i have experience with. They play well with most speakers.
Insofar as the comparison between the NR1200 and the PM6007 is concerned, the relevant criterion for Sound Quality is not the number of watts but how those watts are reproduced.
The NR1200 is going to the more versatile "device" owing to its digital connectivity suite (HDMI, WiFi, Built-In Streaming from Music Services, BLuetooth, variable crossover for sub) and better ease of use whereas the PM6007 is going to be much more limited in its features but i would wager that it sounds better.
In fact, the PM6007 costs significantly more (USD 899$) than the NR1200 (USD599$) in other countries.
The fact that the PM6007 was available as low as 34K till this past December made it an absolute bargain!
The NR1200 is basically a stereo AVR i.e. without the additional channels/surround sound support. Much like the AVR's, it uses an EL transformer insead of a Torroidal that is used on the PM6007 and higher Stereo Amps from Marantz to save costs. This is down to a part of the budget being allocated towards also has to account fhaving lesser of the allocated budget for parts available for pure audio reproduction.
Mukul77
Active Member
MA bronze 100 is not a bright speaker at all. I purchased this for a stop gap arrangement and used for six months which is now lying unused. It has excellent bass response at low volume. Only thing is that you need a large room for the same. You can adjust the hf by putting some cotton cloth on the tweeter grill.
That's a Lovely Amp! Heard it with a Monitor Audio Bronze 50, a few B&Ws (606 S2, 607S2, 706 S2 & 705 S2 Signature) and finally ended up with a Deftech D9.
Avzone in CR park
Where sir to get AN tube amp in budget 60k ?
Purchase the Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier at a special offer price.
