another amp recommendation sought ..

I feel the need to change my amp. I have the following Squeezebox3 --> NAC62 --> NAP110 --> Dynaudio 52

I listen to most types of music. A few years ago I demoed a Simaudio Moon I-3SE, loved it (but couldn't afford it), my Naim kit sounds thin and dry in comparison. Also listened to a Unico hybrid and Sugden A21 as well. The hybrid was good, but a little too coloured. The A21 was slow and plodding, didn't like it at all.

I'e heard good things about the Densen Beat 100, but I've never listened to one.


The sale of my Naim kit will be financing a significant amount of the cost of the replacement (hopefully).

For similar money secondhand, which would you go for ?

 

Take with the usual pinch of salt, just my opinion here.

I used a pair of Audience 52s with Crimson 640monos. Great amps (175w version) no lack of bass there. I personally just didn't ever really like the Dynaudios that much, maybe too accurate for my (then) source.

If you aren't set on selling the Naims, have you thought about contacting Avondale Audio to see what they recommend? They apparently do wonderful things to Naim using voltage regulators and improved power supplies.

Ref the Sugden, I think it probably struggled with your speakers, the A52s are 86Db with a nominal impedance of 4 Ohms, the little A21a only goes for 25w. As Tenson said a long time ago, almost the more power you give a stand mount the better, especially the Dynaudios in my experience.

I'd go for some kind of monos or big assed power / integrated. Not sure how much you want to spend but on the Power front:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/QUAD-99-SERIE....c0.m14&_trkparms=65:3|66:2|39:1|293:1|294:50

Or even better (and cheaper)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Meridian-505-....c0.m14&_trkparms=65:3|66:2|39:1|293:4|294:50

Bargain

If you aren't bothered about looks then try one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mc2-AUDIO-AMP...trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:2138|293:1|294:50
Very well regarded by lots of folks on here and other forums.

On the Pre front: maybe look at a nice Valve pre-amp, or just get that 110 sorted out with some of those 'teddyregs'. Alternatively there's a Bent Audio Passive on ebay too, and a Dyna vector L300

Hope this is of some help

 

Hi Scott,
thanks for the suggestions, PA Amps - always they were rough and unrefined ....

I started reading the PA Amp - the Alesis PA-500 is a likely candidate, the MC2 is really fugly. How do the Alesis and MC2 compare ??

I had an Avondale 260Z a few years ago, I didn;t do it justice though, running it from the NAC62 .... I put it together from prebuilt modules from LesW. I sold it before my first sprog arrived.

I wonder if I'll get over £250 for the Naim bits ...

 

On the PA amps there is a thread round here somewhere primarily dedicated to the MC2 audio range.

They are indeed a bit cosmetically challenged but are allegedly first class amps. They certainly seem solid and well respected in pro circles and therefore can't be that bad.

Ask Tenson about the Alesis. I believe he mods them. Just based on price new I don't think they are the same kind of product as the MC2 Audio. However your Dyn 52'd probably aren't going to demand as much as a pro-audio PA stack either.

Good luck.

 

Scuse me I dont think the MC2 amps are cosmetically challenged,I think they are rather colourfull certainly prettier than a Crown K2.(My 650 is a pretty metallic Aqua Color)

 

Fair enough Smithy, each to their own dude.

 

The aesthestics isn't too important, I can always hide it ! Although I'd have to buy a preamp too.

I have two main sources, my (TV) PC and a Squeezebox.

Main question for me is that do I really need 300W ?

I'm starting a new thread as I don't know if the problems lay with the amp of somewhere else.

Thanks for your input !

 

I don't think you need 300W, that's only twice as "loud" as 30W. The dynaudios like a lot of current (I have a pair of Foccus which I often use). If the "thin and dry" aspect of the Naim is the main bugbear I'd suggest Meridian or NVA. I don't have enough experience of pro gear to comment with any knowledge. Also - a left field suggestion - if you swallow hard and ignore the name problems the Cambridge Audio 840A is a very nice amp indeed, it may be too much of a contrast to the naim sound but I'd recommend a listen.

 

Have you used contact cleaner on every bare wire and connecting area of your mains supply*, and all interconnects through to speaker terminals, including fuses and earth pins, and tightened every contact screw as hard as is sane to do so? Naim will always, imv, sound a bit anaemic, but securing loadsa power to it and from it will give it a more red-blooded presence. £15 on Kontak and a few hours with cotton buds, pipe cleaners and screwdrivers may save you a lot of hassle and cash.

*Safety first, of course. Isolate the mains before cleaning mains sockets.

And try reversing the fuse direction.

 

loose connections, oxidised connections ? possibly. The amp and pre is mid 80s. So it won't hurt to tighten things up and unplug and plug things in a few times. I'll reterminate the speaker cables too, its low or no-cost stuff.

fuse the wrong way - this I am sceptical about ... unless it has some diode like qualities.

How does the kontakt stuff work ? is there a low cost alternative?

Cheers

 

Diodes, yes, though the mains is AC. Profound paradox. All wire is directional, it's the way it's made. All of your music goes through one tiny bit of wire, and getting it the right way round makes a difference to everything you listen to. Try reversing the fuse, and listen. Then reverse it back again, listen again. It takes a few minutes, but is worth it, usually. But the fuse and holder should be cleaned first, ideally. You can do that with all your mains-driven units, and internal fuses also. You'll want to, I reckon.

It's Kontak, it costs £15*, and sounds like a £1500 upgrade in some systems. 'No Kontak, no music,' I say. There is also Caig Deoxit, though that's more expensive. Don't spend a penny/cent/escudo before you have used Kontak or the like, and tightened all screws to the max, because without it you don't really know what you have got.

Even when you've done that, a change of interconnects can have more effect than an expensive amp upgrade. Electrons move more in wire than they do in all other components combined. But the first move is to have a good clean-up, and you might then like your system. Even bright, clean-looking phonos can produce a dirty black mark when using Kontak, so spare no effort. Nice, compact cotton buds are £1.75 at Tescos (what a nerve!), and you'll need them if you have a big system. But hang the expense, I say.

Having said all that, I never did like Naim.


*http://www.britishaudio.co.uk/kontak.htm