Amplifier shortlist - Your Opinions Sought

Seeker_UK

Seeker_UK

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I've decided after all the forum members' helpful advice that the weakest link in my HiFi "chain" is probably the Audiolab 8000a so, armed with about £800 to spend and going down the second hand route, I've done some digging around and have shortlisted to:

New:
  • Adding 2xAudiolab 8000m.

What's out there second hand:
  • Meridian 501.2 pre and 556 power.
  • Sonneteer Alabaster
  • Musical Fidelity A3.cr pre / power
  • Chord SPM-1000B power amp (Keeping the Audiolab as Pre)

The amp will take Meridian 506.24 and Manticore Manatra / RB300 / Sumiko Blue Point SPecial / XLP as sources and will feed a pair of Neat Petite 2 / Gravitas speaker combos.

Although the best test is to go and audition, no two of these are in the same shop so at best I can only go and listen to 2. I would be most interested in your thoughts.

In addition, I would be grateful on thoughts on speaker cabling. I currently have the speakers bi-wired with Audionote AN-D. With the amps above, would this still be the best cable or, in the case of the Alabaster for example, I would need to run only one cable from the amp, what would be a better cable to run in that configuration?

Cheers again.
 
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Bryston 4b-st - much better than the chord 1000b I used to own

Add an avi preamp from the 2000 series

cheap qed cable wil be as good as anything.
 
I had an 8000lx and had the chance to dem the new 8000 line next to MFs A5 range. The component that astonished me was the A5 pre, it opened a window into the music that none of the other combinations came close to.

I'd suggest a s/h 8000p or the like that you can upgrade in the future and a new A5 pre at £600 (Lintone Audio). It'll be a breath of fresh air next to your 8000a (IMHO!).
 
mr cat said:
well, they don't come up that often - but there's one on fleabay...not sure what it's like tho... :)
Click to expand...

I looked at it - it's being sold by The Emporium and, given their level of knowledge of all things HiFi, I'm surprised they can't tell more. Seems a good price tho'

Can't find anything else out about them at all and their doesn't appear to be any UK support either. So I'm tempted but a little unsure....

Edit - seems also they're 30 WPC. Neat advise nothing <50WPC......
 
I third the MC2 route,I use mine(650) without a pre amp using the amps own linked controls .A cracking amplifier my NAP250 is sitting around feeling neglected.
 
You should be able to pick up a Krell 300i for around that price. If you like that sort of sound then I'd thoroughly recommend it. I had one for about a year too. You can just use the power amp section if you wanted to move to a seperate pre too.

Cheers, Tim
 

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