Laid back integrated amp for stereo

[samsailo]

Hi,

I am planning on building a new stereo system with music streaming as my primary source. My room is 20x18 foot and i listen to all genre of music depending on my mood but my overall preference is a laid back sound as i felt that they cause less ear fatigue on prolonged listening. My budget is around 1.5 lakh including interconnects. I prefer floorstanders to bookshelfs but need not strictly stick to it. I am a bass freak who loves low,deep, tight and accurate bass but ironically my first priority for my speakers is the mids and highs. I wanted speakers with outstanding mid and treble response with large and deep soundstage, transparent, dynamic,good imaging and entertaining. Regarding my craze for bass I felt that it can be dealt with later by adding a good quality sub woofer( I can later spare some more for the sub..in the process of upgrading)

My requirements
1. Music streamer with wifi capable and USB compliant
2. Integrated amp with laid back signature (RMS at least 50w with provision for adding a sub later)
3. Speakers (Floorstanders/bookshelf) with outstanding mids and highs

Kindly enlighten me with your valuable expertise and experience. I may as well extend my budget to 2lkh if need be.

Cheers guys.

 

[Flash]

PSB T6 + NAD 375 fits perfectly in your budget and meets your requirements

 

[koushik]

While the suggestions will flow with experts connecting in, I can add that for a laid back stereo nothing beats a Quad 306 or Quad 606 Mk-2. But they are available only in used market now. A Quad 909 may do the job in that sense but never heard them personally.

 

[aashish351]

Option 1: New Pioneer N30 for music streaming, Arcam A18 (or A28) for detailed warm amplification... Quad 22L floorstanders.

Option 2: Squeezebox Touch for streaming, NAD C356 with DAC module for amplification, PSB Image T6 floorstanders.

 

[iaudio]

For amplification, you could look at something from Primare, Quad, Nad. Better go for floorstanders for the kind of bass you are looking for, getting a good sub and integrating it in your set up is not exactly easy.

 

[Shivam]

PSB T6 + NAD 375 fits perfectly in your budget and meets your requirements

Exactly my thoughts. I also recommend trying Wharfedale Diamond 10.6 and 10.7 with this amp.

 

[aashish351]

PSB T6 + NAD 375 fits perfectly in your budget and meets your requirements

I think this combo will go much over your budget if you add decent streamer also.. please remember, a good source can a long way with decent equipments.

PSB T6 is probably 70 - 80K and C375 is around 1L.. add 20 - 30 K for streamer... that's 2 L. If you can stretch to that.... nothing like it.

 

[aashish351]

And yes... you also want decent cables. so remove 10 - 15 K for interconnects & speaker wire.

 

[Flash]

I think this combo will go much over your budget if you add decent streamer also.. please remember, a good source can a long way with decent equipments.

PSB T6 is probably 70 - 80K and C375 is around 1L.. add 20 - 30 K for streamer... that's 2 L. If you can stretch to that.... nothing like it.

I think this combo will go much over your budget if you add decent streamer also.. please remember, a good source can a long way with decent equipments.

PSB T6 is probably 70 - 80K and C375 is around 1L.. add 20 - 30 K for streamer... that's 2 L. If you can stretch to that.... nothing like it.

The OP mentioned he can stretch it to 200k
If not the PSB T6 (75k) + NAD356(60K) = 135k would do the trick as well. Plus enough to splurge on good interconnects and Streamer


- F la s h -

 

[samsailo]

Thanks a lot audiophiles. I have just read few reviews about the Marantz 6004 and 7004 and they seemed quite impressive, esp with the tritone option, though the 6004 lacks the power i craved for. What say u guys, has anyone auditioned them? And what is their sound signature. One of my friend suggested me Tannoy Revolution DC 6T which was product of the year winner last year with What Hi Fi. I have never auditioned them nor neither he but he recommends me just on the basis of reviews and awards, lookin through the reviews, specs and cost it seemed quite reasonable.

One more thing i want to add here is that I love aesthetics and would prefer good looking FS. Of course, now i am planing on dropping the idea of pairing a BS with a sub.

Any light to the above mentioned gear?

Really appreciated all your help, keep up the good work Audiophiles

 

[Nikhil]

I was on this same path some months ago. Ended up with the Onkyo TX 8050. Posted a thread on this earlier as well. The TX 8050 has all that you mentioned - wifi support, USB connect etc which seamlessly connects to your pc. Very good solution that comes in a solid integrated amp.

 

[aashish351]

I auditioned Tannoy DC6T and Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 side by side using NAD, Denon, Yamaha amplification and narrowed down on Mezzo 6 + NAD C356. My inclination was also towards laid back sound like you. Tannoy has more sparkle and zing! It is an excellent speaker by the way... but not for me (or you) if you like laid back sound.

Onkyo TX-8050 mentioned above can be a convenient option, but may not offer the same level of sound that the options you were considering earlier will offer.

 

[anm]

Nad is what I would suggest as well.
PSB speakers, nad amp and nad streamer plus FM

 

[jaudere]

I have Marantz 6002 45 watt RMS into 8 ohms. I think, for your room, Pm6004 is more than enough. for My room of 16X12, I never push the volume button beyond 9 o"clock position (I must admit that my speakers are very sensitive at 97db/w/m). I love the sound. I will not call it laid back but it pleases my ears. What you need to do it to get the combination of speaker and Amp right. one should complement the other. if both are laid bacl/bright, it becomes a mess.

 

[jls001]

What do folks here mean when they say "laid back"? I am bit confused and would be real glad to be enlightened.

Is it:
1) sound stage well to the rear of the speakers? as opposed to the sound stage being forward?
2) low highs as opposed to shouty highs?
3) something that's not too resolving of details?
4) something else?

Please enlighten.

 

[koushik]

For me, if I call a system laid back, that would contain the first 2 points-
1) sound stage well to the rear of the speakers? as opposed to the sound stage being forward?
2) low highs as opposed to shouty highs? (But detailed)

 

[jls001]

For me, if I call a system laid back, that would contain the first 2 points-
1) sound stage well to the rear of the speakers? as opposed to the sound stage being forward?
2) low highs as opposed to shouty highs? (But detailed)

Isn't soundstage forwardness or rearwardness a function of the speakers as well? And perhaps their placement and the room?

 

[koushik]

Isn't soundstage forwardness or rearwardness a function of the speakers as well? And perhaps their placement and the room?

Absolutely, it is mostly about what you said, characteristic of the speakers and the placement.

 

[aashish351]

An amps contribution would be mostly in the character of high and mid frequencies. the speaker and it's placement would have more contribution towards sound stage. However, I have experienced that all pieces of the puzzle contribute towards the various parameters of sound to less or more extent. For example, when I changed the speakers to Dali I saw a major improvement in sound stage. The reason is that they have excellent off axis response and can be kept closer to side walls together offering a much wider sound stage. But when I upgraded the amp to exposure, I saw an improvement in the depth as will which made the speakers completely disappear.

Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk 2

 

[jaudere]

I take laid back as less emphasis on higher frequencies and forward as more emphasis on highs. However all these terms are relative and subjective.

Not only the source/speaker/amp play a role in character of sound but it is the source material as well.

e.g. Himesh Reshamiya's most of the songs were forward but those from 'Tere Naam" were not so.

A.R. Rehman's most songs are well balanced but I find Taal to be bit too bright.


So whether a song /piece of music is laid back depends on preference of the musician, recording engineer, the type and quality of the monitor that they use while mastering the music (depending on which they are going to make the recording as neutral which in reality may not be so).
So there are too many other factors involved .

What we do on HFV is almost always speak about the characteristics of "sound reproduction equipment" without talking much about sound production.

I hope we have some members on HFV who aree involved in recording studios and can shed some light on this issue.