Stereo Integrated Amplifier required

[S. Basu]

Hiiii Friendz,

I have Book Shelf Speaker Focal Chorus 706V and Marantz PM 5004 purchased the same from Ace Audio at Purna Das Road, kolkata last February. But I am not happy with it's performance, I didn't get the detailing the sound. Marantz PM 5004 Low & High frequency is very high but Mid is almost blank. I decided to sale out my amplifier and want to upgrade the same.

I need some suggestion from you what will be the best matching integrated amplifier for my Focal Chorus 706V. My Budget is around 35K.

I have some choice 1. Yamaha A-S500, Marantz PM 6005, NAD 326BEE.

Plz suggest me.

 

[panditji]

Please change the speakers and not the amplifier...The Marantz is a decent amplifier and you will get much more improvement if you change to better speakers...Guru Audio has a distributor in Kolkata and for smaller rooms they are excellent speakers..If you have a larger room, then you need to hear other options...

 

[madman29]

It may be a mismatched speaker and amp combo - but both, the speaker and the amp are fantastic in their own rights. Focal Chorus 706V is a very good speaker. In my opinion Nad will be a better match. I have a Focal NAD combo and it sings pretty well.

 

[Nikhil]

I also would agree with Panditji on the recommendation. This particular Focal series was designed with Western houses in mind where you have a lot of drywall and wood construction. Does not sound very good in our hard floor cement constructions where there would be much more reverb and wall reflections.

This is of course my opinion - your room conditions play as much a role in the sound as the gear itself.

Regards.

 

[Rastapopulus]

What are the other components?
Source component, source quality, DAC, interconnects

Please provide placement details for the speaker. Have you tried experimenting with the placent of speakers?

 

[joysen2002]

I am using Yamaha AS500 with Focal 706v, and the combo is pretty good...The detailing that is provided by Yamaha is beautiful...and being yamaha on the brighter side and focal on the opposite, the combination really plays well...I am very happy with this combination...

 

[Naturelover]

Yet another thread, Mr Basu and the same queries from forum members. We'll all be going round in circles with no satisfactory result. It would be best to continue in one thread and please do respond to advice given.
!!!The forum is with you!!!

 

[Rastapopulus]

Joysen
Yamaha is not bright in any way.
If anything, I will comment it is warm.
I have the A-S2000 model and can vouch for that.

@Naturelover
And I agree with you. Maybe a sticky with common FAQ should be put up

 

[Amitkg]

@ Rastapopulus,

I have been regular on this forum for almost a year. Till today, I have always heard from fellow FMs that Yamaha is always bright, some of even complain that Yamaha stereo amps are ear piercingly bright. I wanted to buy Yamaha AS-500 but almost everybody suggested that it's bright, ear-fatiguing, not recommended for long sessions; thus finally settled for Marantz PM6004. This forum is very informative and I owe a lot to FMs for my delectable voyage through the hifi world. But at times, also I get confused because of antithetical views from FMs.

@ S.Basu,
Moral of the story> Trust your ears only. Take advice, guidance but end-of the day its your music, your taste, your money, so use your judgement.
BTW, why don't you take help from Kolkata FMs? or any FM who stays close to your residence for practical guidance?
Just my 2 cents hyeah:

 

[dheerajin]

Hiiii Friendz,

I have Book Shelf Speaker Focal Chorus 706V and Marantz PM 5004 purchased the same from Ace Audio at Purna Das Road, kolkata last February. But I am not happy with it's performance, I didn't get the detailing the sound. Marantz PM 5004 Low & High frequency is very high but Mid is almost blank. I decided to sale out my amplifier and want to upgrade the same.

I need some suggestion from you what will be the best matching integrated amplifier for my Focal Chorus 706V. My Budget is around 35K.

I have some choice 1. Yamaha A-S500, Marantz PM 6005, NAD 326BEE.

Plz suggest me.

Give a shot to NAD-D3020 digital amplifier. You will be surprised after hearing it, It is not in the same league of other NAD amps.
By the way it is always combination of amp, speaker and room that determines the brightness or warmness. So IMO no amp can be classified as warm or bright, its the house sound of a brand that gives some charcteristics to amp but its acceptance differs from person to person. I have AS-2000 and it is pretty much neutral sounding amp.

 

[joysen2002]

I m using as500 for more than 3 months now..i find it on the brighter side, which may be due to the room acoustics or something else as said by dheerajin...but i found it little bit bright compared to other amps that i hv..this completely depends on ur personal listening characteristics how u categorize the sound signature...again emphasizing on my earlier point, as500 and focal 706v form an excellent combo..that is completely my personal opinion...As correctly said by Amitkg, Mr Basu should audition his speaker with couple of integrated amp before finalizing..

 

[soulforged]

Joysen
Yamaha is not bright in any way.
If anything, I will comment it is warm.
I have the A-S2000 model and can vouch for that.

@Naturelover
And I agree with you. Maybe a sticky with common FAQ should be put up

AS2000 is a totally different beast than the AS500. I found the 500's sound hard, brittle and thin. The kind that would cause ear fatigue in 30 minutes...AS2000 on the other hand is very balanced, full-bodied and has a great sense of depth to it. I used it for a fair few weeks with my Harbeths and really liked the sound.

 

[S. Basu]

Dear Amit,

Thanx for your suggestion. I am also confused with Marantz PM 6005 or Yamaha A S500. Actually PM 6004 is discontinued model. Plz share your experience about your amply. I had Marantz PM 5004 it's Mid & Low was excellent but Mid was almost zero. I need some clarity how it's detailing?

 

[soulforged]

I had Marantz PM 5004 it's Mid & Low was excellent but Mid was almost zero. I need some clarity how it's detailing?

Could you elaborate this a bit? I've always found the Marantz, to have a very sweet mid-range, across the board - both amps and AVRs. If you could describe your listening experience, it would help us understand your problems a bit better.

 

[S. Basu]

Hi,

Actually when I listing the music with my Focal chorus 706V with Marantz PM 5004 it's Bass & Trible is very high I can't recognize detailing instrument. Sound detailing has been missed up with Bass & Treble.

 

[sound_cycle]

I had Marantz PM 5004 it's Mid & Low was excellent but Mid was almost zero. I need some clarity how it's detailing?

Very very curious, How did you come to this conclusion.

What was the source, what was the room, did you try this with another speaker and setup

and while at it what do you mean by mids ? what instruments, voices. Does another amplifier in your setup allow you to hear this absent portion.

I am not trying to be a doubting thomas questioning your direct personal experience, just trying to figure out if there is an alternate, amp and money saving, explanation to your observation.

ciao
gr

 

[S. Basu]

Hiiiii,

My Room size is 10*11 my source of CD Player Pioneer BDP 170.

 

[rpanand25]

I think since the question of what constitutes the mid range sonically has been raised with reference to the absence of mid range, it would be appropriate to either invite some FM to listen to the combo or if some FM in Kolkatta invites Basu to carry his speakers to check on some other amp/source combo. IMHO it would be better than visiting showrooms at this stage as he would have the unbiased view of fellow FM. Then he can do the rounds of showrooms to shortlist and listen.

 

[soulforged]

What music were you listening to? what is the format and the player? Have you tried the same music on other setups? Try this test - use the headphone out of your amp and listen to your music via a decent headphone. Are you still missing your mids or are they prominently there? If you know folks with other equipment, try swapping your amp with something else and observe. Do the same for your amp, hook it up to your friend's setup and compare.

In this thread and the last one, the one thing that all of us are trying to tell you is that don't leap into the conclusion that it's your amp that's the culprit without giving it a fair trial. Else you may end up with another amp with the same result.

We are not questioning your ability to decide for yourself whether a piece of equipment suits your taste or not, none of us can do that. If you have already implemented the suggestions that are pouring here and then come to the conclusion that your amp is the reason for your discontent, please mention the details so that the other may think in a different direction.

In any case, think of tube amps if you really must change. I am not sure how compatible your speakers are with low-powered tube amps but you may want to try our Viren's Lyrita Audio amplifiers or something similar.

:cheers:

edit: Just noticed you mentioned Pioneer BDP as your source. Can you try a different player?

 

[mbhangui]

Before jumping to conclusion about your amp, check your room setup. How far are your speakers from the back and side walls? A photo of your room with your setup will help.

An excellent suggestion by soulforged to check the sound with a good headphone.