Earlier as per various discussions in this forum I had narrowed down my search to: Amp Norge 1000 or 2000 with Wharfedale spkrs.
But when I had audition with Norge 1000/2000 (spkrs: Yamaha Tower 8390 and Sonodyne Sonus 2605) I found not appealing to my ears. Instead I found Amp Yamaha S300/500 are more refined(I am not sure 'refined' is right term to use, but I liked the music from it) than Norge.
arivuchelvan welcome to HFV, the only true blue audio & video forum in India.
I think you should never compare the sound quality & performance of Norge amps with that of Yamaha or Marantz since they belong to a different segment and also costs much more than Norge.
All this depends on your budget. Below INR 14K you have Norge, above it you have 101 options.
I have a Norge 1000 which I bought spanking new(1 month old) at INR 10K. For its price it is a stonker of an amp. The truth is at this price you cannot find a better amp in India than Norge 1000.
Here is my review :
Norge 1000 GOLD
Recently I bought the
Yamaha DSP-A2070 Digital Sound Field Processing Amplifier at INR 8K from an audiophile. The amp is 15 years old.
Here is my impressions :
Yamaha DSP-A2070
The person who bought the A2070 paid $2000 (INR 1 lakh) when he was in UK back in 1995. Then he had to pay customs duty.
The Yamaha DSP-A2070 was their top of the range amp back in 1993. This was their "Signature Product" reflecting every thing that Yamaha audio engineers have learnt from designing some of the best amps in the world.
So naturally Yamaha did not cut any corners and used
GRADE-A audio components with A2070. This amp is oozing quality inside out, and if properly maintained can last for 50 years or even more. After having a look at the A2070 inside components and its back busting 21kg weight all other amps seem
dinky to me right now.
The Yamaha DSP-A2070 have more power than Marantz SR6003 + Marantz PM7004 combined and can beat both of them in terms of sound quality & performance any day, hands down. And I am saying this after auditioning all of them for over two hours with B&W floor-standers.
Now if I compare this Yamaha A2070 with my Norge 1000, the A2070 will always come back as the winner and blow the shit out of the Norge in terms of performance & power.
But at the same time look at the difference in price, Norge 1000 costs 1/10 of Yamaha A2070.
So, the logic is very simple, you pay more you get more.
I have heard the Marantz PM7004, excellent stereo amp for its price, great for mids & highs where as the base is what you can call ok.
Since i am a base lover I will prefer NAD or Yamaha over Marantz any day.
The Yamaha A-S500 have great rave reviews. Considered as the best amp under $400 by whathifi. Very dynamic amp maintaining the trademark & famous
Nippon Gakki 'Natural Sound" of Yamaha.
Review of Yamaha A-S500 :
WhatHiFi.com --> Yamaha A-S500
Now the choice is yours.
On speakers side Sonodyne Sonus 2605 was good than Yamaha 8390.
The Yamaha 8390 are meant for HT use. They are not designed for listening music. If you have the moolah buy the Yamaha Soavo series speakers.
The Sonodyne Sonus 2605 are better tuned for music. So, its natural that you will prefer the Sonodyne.
I you do not listen loud, more inclined to mids & highs and happy with ok base, then buy a good pair of bookshelves. But if you like bass, and want chest thumping feel which will create the depth & ambiance in sound, look for the floorstanders paired with a powerful amp like A-S500. Still not as powerful like my Yamaha DSP-A2070.
As told to me by the audiophile: "
The audio amplifier technology have matured for the last 20 years and have remained more or less the same in terms of performance & sound quality. What has improved over the years, are the number of audio input options & looks. But gone are the days when an amplifier was designed & built to last and provide flawless service for decades. A quick glance at the rapid reduction in weight during amp design speaks for it."
Good Luck.
