Stereo system advice

[dpdcp]

Hi Friends,

Iam having PSB alpha B1 speakers with Denon 1312 for HT setup.

I am planning to utilise same PSB alpha B1 speakers and make it stereo system.

Mostly I stream music from spotify.

Please suggest some best combinations.

I dont know whether DAC is required or not?

My budget range is around 30-40k.

 

[DilipPune]

I would suggest Marantz PM 6007 (no Bluetooth) or Denon PMA 600NE, (with bluetooth). But both are now 50K plus. Why not Try out AIYIMA DO3 Integrated Amplifier with DAC and aptX bluetooth 5.0. Presently available for 15k on hifi mart. It has decent reviews. Can do your own research and decide.

 

[moinau]

Take a look at the following products, all inside the 30-40K budget you specified, at least what I can see in Canada.
Onkyo receiver TX-8220
Sony receiver STR-DH190
Pioneer receiver SX-10AE
Pioneer integrated A-10AE
Yamaha receiver RS202B
Yamaha receiver RS300B
This one might be of special interest to you: Yamaha advanced CD receiver, CRXN470
Manual
Good luck...

 

[dpdcp]

Thank you for your response.
Checked the hifimart for AIYIMA DO3, seems interesting, but i want to know whether this makes any better difference than the existing configuration
spotify in Apple tv - denon 1312 - PSB alpha B1 .
Please let me know the better configuration for my desire .

 

[DilipPune]

IFI Zen Airblue V2. Its a Hi-Res Bluetooth 5 streaming device. Have connected the same to my Denon PMA 600NE which has a 4.2 Bluetooth. I stream Apple and Spotify music. Day and Night difference then the inbuilt 4.2 Bluetooth version.

 

[dpdcp]

IFI Zen Airblue V2. Its a Hi-Res Bluetooth 5 streaming device. Have connected the same to my Denon PMA 600NE which has a 4.2 Bluetooth. I stream Apple and Spotify music. Day and Night difference then the inbuilt 4.2 Bluetooth version.

Ok. Thank you for your information.
Which will be better among the below combinations?
1. IFI Zen Airblue V2 to Denon 1312 (AVR 5.1 capable)
2. Apple tv HD to Denon 1312
3. IFI Zen Airblue V2 to Stereo amplifier

 

[DilipPune]

For Music, would prefer stereo amplifier over AVR anytime. My Stereo Amplifier Denon PMA 600NE is performing well with the IFI Zen V2 for music. Also am using the Optical out for TV connection for movies, which i watch with Apple TV 4k Box. Prefer Streaming Apple Music through IFI Zen V2 than the Apple TV box 4k.

 

[DB1989]

Ok. Thank you for your information.
Which will be better among the below combinations?
1. IFI Zen Airblue V2 to Denon 1312 (AVR 5.1 capable)
2. Apple tv HD to Denon 1312
3. IFI Zen Airblue V2 to Stereo amplifier

The Apple TV is going to be a far better bet by a long shot. Not only will you be greeted with better SQ but also better PQ than (a) native apps to your TV or (b) Amazon Firestick 4K.

 

[dpdcp]

Hi all,
Thinking of to take Marantz PM7000N which will have all required features.
Can anyone share their experience on this amplifier?

 

[PTP]

Hi all,
Thinking of to take Marantz PM7000N which will have all required features.
Can anyone share their experience on this amplifier?

You could instead look for a preowned IA and add a dedicated streamer with or without inbuilt DAC (like IFI Audio Zen or Bluesound Node ). This will give you room for future upgrades.

 

[DilipPune]

Someone is selling Marantz PM6006 on OLX for 22k, Had it once and sold it. Regretting ever since. Its really good for a stereo set up.

 

[dpdcp]

Someone is selling Marantz PM6006 on OLX for 22k, Had it once and sold it. Regretting ever since. Its really good for a stereo set up.

Please share link

 

[argho]

Hi all,
Thinking of to take Marantz PM7000N which will have all required features.
Can anyone share their experience on this amplifier?

Hi.
I have the Marantz PM7000N. Really happy with it.

Its a proper stereo ampplifier, not a receiver, and has network streaming capabilities.
I have paired it with Dali Oberon 5s.

Let me know if you have any specific queries.

 

[dpdcp]

Hi.
I have the Marantz PM7000N. Really happy with it.

Its a proper stereo ampplifier, not a receiver, and has network streaming capabilities.
I have paired it with Dali Oberon 5s.

Let me know if you have any specific queries.

Regarding PM7000N, how the network streaming features performing?
Is it better to go with it instead of going with streamer separate and integrated amp separate?

 

[argho]

Regarding PM7000N, how the network streaming features performing?
Is it better to go with it instead of going with streamer separate and integrated amp separate?

I am very happy with an all in one solution. Have never faced any problem.

I have connected using ethernet cable, so havent tested wifi.
I mostly play using Spotify Connect and it works flawlessly.

 

[amit11]

Hi Friends,

Iam having PSB alpha B1 speakers with Denon 1312 for HT setup.

I am planning to utilise same PSB alpha B1 speakers and make it stereo system.

Mostly I stream music from spotify.

Please suggest some best combinations.

I dont know whether DAC is required or not?

My budget range is around 30-40k.

1. A separate dedicated stereo amplifier is a must. It will always be better than AVR.

Here you have multiple choices.
If you like marantz sound, my take would be PM6007.
Why? Bcos in case you have a streamer / apple tv or anything that outputs optical spdif / coax, then you are done. It is ready for stereo music. It has those digital inputs that's why.

Also, the new pm6007 comes with AK dac chip, with so called velvet sound. (And not sabre chip etc).

The dac chip is quite good and musical especially. Not suffering from problems of the general chips coming inside streamers.


2.if you don't have a streamer, then you can buy one. Here also many options are there.


But in first place a stereo amplifier is a must. It will get you started atleast with spotify with just a phone headphone out cable going to RCA to the amp.

3. With above option, you don't require a separate DAC. In future if you want to upgrade, then surely you can buy one.

4. Remember, the internal DACs of most streamers are not that good. Hence my recommendation of PM6007 stereo amp with in built DAC of AK company. I myself have it and liked it. I stopped using external dac currently.

 

[dpdcp]

1. A separate dedicated stereo amplifier is a must. It will always be better than AVR.

Here you have multiple choices.
If you like marantz sound, my take would be PM6007.
Why? Bcos in case you have a streamer / apple tv or anything that outputs optical spdif / coax, then you are done. It is ready for stereo music. It has those digital inputs that's why.

Also, the new pm6007 comes with AK dac chip, with so called velvet sound. (And not sabre chip etc).

The dac chip is quite good and musical especially. Not suffering from problems of the general chips coming inside streamers.


2.if you don't have a streamer, then you can buy one. Here also many options are there.


But in first place a stereo amplifier is a must. It will get you started atleast with spotify with just a phone headphone out cable going to RCA to the amp.

3. With above option, you don't require a separate DAC. In future if you want to upgrade, then surely you can buy one.

4. Remember, the internal DACs of most streamers are not that good. Hence my recommendation of PM6007 stereo amp with in built DAC of AK company. I myself have it and liked it. I stopped using external dac currently.

Thank you for your suggestion.
I'm zeroed on Marantz pm6007.
Regarding streamer Im thinking on WIIM MINI.

 

[Kannan]

Remember, the internal DACs of most streamers are not that good

why may I ask? Can you point to streamers where DAC is not of appreciable quality?

 

[amit11]

why may I ask? Can you point to streamers where DAC is not of appreciable quality?

Hi Kannan,

This observation i made from 2 things.

1. Some posts on the forum where in some cases people have directly mentioned their experience. For example bluesound node 2i.

Then in couple of cases indirectly mentioned and they started using external dac after some point of time. Cambridge cxn v2


2. Then in my case, i have the marantz streamer nd8006. DAC chip is ess sabre 9018 and it is absolutely musical, no doubt about it. I used to listen on it only for many months.

But sometimes on some occasions i used to feel something missing and connected external dac.

And after that i removed external dac, and realized that pm6007 amp's dac is sounding even more musical. And then i happened to read that pm6007 has AK company chip ( with velvet sound, normally found in Schiit dacs). So i got even more hooked to it.

And ofcourse the quality of optical spdif which goes inside pm6007 matters. I mean the quality of transport matters.

 

[amit11]

why may I ask?

It would boil down to, bcos the design of streamer is more focused on streaming. And less of DAC functionality.

Second, compared to external dac which has a less complex circuitry, a streamer has just got too much of circuit , and that too handling complex software for streaming purpose, just like a mini computer. This creates more current noise, rfi etc.... which directly would impact circuit of the dac.

Third is common power supply and mix of above point. If by design there is single transformer handling duties of both streamer and dac functionality, it is bound to impact. This point may be technically wrong as i am no expert on it, but i still feel that way.