Replacing rxv 671 with a stereo amplifier.

[sabarishm]

Hi all,

I have just sold my rxv671 and I am looking forward to own a stereo amplifier for my music listening. I always heard from everyone I met that the stereo amp will perform better than the avr if it is for 2 channel stereo alone.

Now my only thing is I need to get something that will perform better than the 671 for music. I heard yamaha AS500 & AS700. I liked both but thought AS700 was a bit better in bass. I also heard CA550 and CA651A at a shop in Koramangala. The sound was different (more musical I guess) and I liked both. He said he do not have the 650a in stock and is discontinued. I will hear a nad amp sometime tomorrow I believe. Can anyone suggest a place where I can audition the nad amps in Bangalore ? (I live near Marathahalli)

The price I got from yamaha are AS500 for 23k and AS700 for 42k. The CA 550 was quoted 26k and 651a at 42k.

Does it make sense to go for the 651a for the dac or is it not the only upgrade on it from 550/650 ?

Other models in mind were Marantz 7004 and Onkyo TX8050. (8050 network features are really tempting). What would be your advice in getting an amp that would make me feel I did the right thing by replacing the avr with the 2 channel amp at 40k +/- ? My speakers are Elac fs57.2 floor standers.

TIA,
Sabarish.

 

[afj]

you've done quite a bit of research already. you should trust your ears and buy what you feel sounds best to you. they're all good amps but they have their own sound signature to it. going by reputation alone i would go for the cambridge over the yamaha. the nad is also a very musical amp though a little warmer than the cambridge. though specifications isnt all to go by they do serve as a bench mark and for those sort of speakers you're better off with the more powerful amp of the ones you've been auditioning

 

[sabarishm]

Thank you afj. I am leaning towards the ca651 for now. I am going to hear the tx8050 and marantz today. I called arn systems for auditioning the nad, but they said they dont have any in stock. I guess I need to find a place where I can audition the nad amps.

Just called absolute phase and they had arcam entry level for around 60k which is way over my budget. I would love to listen to that but not planing to spend that much right now.

 

[aashish351]

I used CA650A for some time. Very nice neutral amp. Not a good partner with bright speakers like Polk Audio TSi series. I don't know about your Elac speakers, but if they are bright, stay away from CA. NAD will be a better option in that case. Marantz PM 6004 is not be missed too.

I would also recommend Exposure 2010S2 or Arcam A18. Yes, they would be outside the budget, but the reward will be much greater, in time.

 

[Vijay_s]

I have recently bought Marantz PM7004 from Unique Sys which is on right hand side of road towards forum value mall from marathahalli (1 KM from kundanahalli gate).
From my experience I will not recommend NAD

 

[sabarishm]

Thank you aashsih for the advices, and yes I am going to audition the marantz today.

@svkndv, thank you so much for that shop address, How do you like the amplifier, what speakers you have with it ? I will visit that shop today Do you have their contact number ? If yes, could you please share with me ? I tried finding them in google, but unsuccessful so far. And also if you dont mind, how much you paid for it ? Thank you.

 

[jake]

Uniquesys : call saif 9741494912. I recently bought a pair ofParadigm Monitor V7 s from him.

 

[sabarishm]

Thanks much Jake! Calling him right away !

 

[elangoas]

Hi all,

I have just sold my rxv671 and I am looking forward to own a stereo amplifier for my music listening. I always heard from everyone I met that the stereo amp will perform better than the avr if it is for 2 channel stereo alone.

Now my only thing is I need to get something that will perform better than the 671 for music. I heard yamaha AS500 & AS700. I liked both but thought AS700 was a bit better in bass. I also heard CA550 and CA651A at a shop in Koramangala. The sound was different (more musical I guess) and I liked both. He said he do not have the 650a in stock and is discontinued. I will hear a nad amp sometime tomorrow I believe. Can anyone suggest a place where I can audition the nad amps in Bangalore ? (I live near Marathahalli)

The price I got from yamaha are AS500 for 23k and AS700 for 42k. The CA 550 was quoted 26k and 651a at 42k.

Does it make sense to go for the 651a for the dac or is it not the only upgrade on it from 550/650 ?

Other models in mind were Marantz 7004 and Onkyo TX8050. (8050 network features are really tempting). What would be your advice in getting an amp that would make me feel I did the right thing by replacing the avr with the 2 channel amp at 40k +/- ? My speakers are Elac fs57.2 floor standers.

TIA,
Sabarish.

If you intend to us more digital connections (or) if you prefer to use the DAC inside the stereo receiver, i think Onkyo stereo receiver makes more sense.

listening to DTH content, FLAC files & other stereo content might sound good on Onkyo TX-8050 as the Stereo receiver has a SNR of 106db. This SNR ratio is better than many HT receivers offered today. It is close to stand alone CD players SNR of 110 db.

Audition the Onkyo TX-8050 & then decide.

 

[sabarishm]

Thank you elangoas, I am starting now to a shop near my office to audition the tx8005. Best thing is they have the same speakers I have (I bought my speakers from them, modern world, domlur) so I can listen to the receiver with the same speakers.

@jake, I called saif and he said no demo is available, I can tell him the model number and he will get it for me. I hope he can give me the best price for the final one I decide on.

Thanks all for the help. I am off in 30 minutes for the auditions and most probably might decide on one today!

 

[elangoas]

Thank you elangoas, I am starting now to a shop near my office to audition the tx8005. Best thing is they have the same speakers I have (I bought my speakers from them, modern world, domlur) so I can listen to the receiver with the same speakers.

@jake, I called saif and he said no demo is available, I can tell him the model number and he will get it for me. I hope he can give me the best price for the final one I decide on.

Thanks all for the help. I am off in 30 minutes for the auditions and most probably might decide on one today!

I hope Onkyo are the distributors for ELAC in India. When i went 5 yrs back to their showroom in Chennai, i guess they had ELAC. I think ELAC are warm speakers... Good luck....

Please post you impressions of Onkyo TX-8050 with ELAC, it will help others atleast me hyeah: I have started liking this Stereo receiver offlate.

 

[sabarishm]

Thank you all for all the advice/help. I was never a patient soul when it comes to buying new stuff. My friends and family thought when I started angling as a hobby, I will learn patience, but remains a hope as yet.

I went to buy ca 550a and ended up buying ca 651a. I thought if 550a, I will buy their 550c cd player also, but then as I remembered I have more flac files in my pc than cds, I thought I will buy the 651a for the USB connectivity and better power rating so that in case I upgrade my speakers later, I do not have to upgrade the amp also.

Just hooked up everything (using bi-wiring for the speakers) and played my first song (Here I am - Bryan adams unplugged) using the USB from computer, its was divine :yahoo: I am not close to the audiophile listener standard by miles, in fact a newbie into this hifi world, I can make out that this amp is better than my yamaha 671. I would not say it is far far better or its amazingly better than the avr, but it is better and I am happy I spend 42k for this amplifier.

Second song I played is going on (Bruno mars - it will rain) and it seems just the right bass for my liking, nothing boomy. Initially I thought it was a bit, a wee bit lavish on the high frequency, but it seems alright when I adjust the the treble a bit. Overall it goes well with the elac speakers Its only 10 minutes into playing. Does it betters itself after some time of playing ? Does the burn-in applies to the amp also ? I would just love to hear a yes as I will be ecstatic if it is going to improve on what I already like like like !!!

 

[sabarishm]

I forgot to mention, I heard the tx8050 with the same speakers I had and I found it lacking in the low frequency. It had good features, but was not appealing enough. I heard another amp from onkyo, A 9377, that one was singing really nice but they were paired with energy cf 70 (I believe it was that) and I did not had the same class speakers. To me it was the Cambridge audio as the winner and runner up was yamaha as700 out of the amps I auditioned. I did not get a chance to hear a nad though.

 

[jake]

Congrats bro. Enjoy your gear .
Where did you buy the stereo amp ?

 

[sabarishm]

Thanks much Jake!! I bought it from Audio planet, in Koramangala, right behind the bda complex.

 

[YPS]

Congrats Sabarish

I think i need one more visit now to audition them at your place :-D

 

[vizeta]

Congrats Sabarish !!!!

 

[Amarendra]

Congrats Sabarish. In fact all this while I was under the impression that the Yamaha 671 was the panacea for all illnesses. At least that is what the whathifi magazine had made it out to be in one of their reviews.
Thanks for your insights.

 

[sabarishm]

Thanks much YPS, vizeta and Amarendra. I had hardly 15 minutes on the amp to test it before my wife and kid took over the bedroom . I need to continue the running-in tomorrow. Just discovering the small and silly shortcomings of the amp compared to the yamaha avr. I am dearly missing the sleep function on the avr. I used to play music in very low volume and set the sleep timer to 30 minute or so and go to sleep. I don't see any option in the amp for that.

 

[X man]

Try Marantz 7004. They are good well balanced with a warmer tilt. Leads to performance vs. SR6005 (which I think is more muscial than 671).