Stereo amp over AV amp (do i buy a stereo amp?)

Hi all,
I have a Marantz SR7200 av amp. I like this amp. It sounds fantastic for AV and pretty good for stereo too. I like the sound I'm getting for cd especially through my DAC but afetr speaking to some friends they say I would get more from a lot cheaper dedicated stereo amp!

I also read a thread on hifichoice (just! the site is truely broken!) and a guy was saying he compared the Marabtz SR6300 av amp against the Marantz PM7200 and said the £240 stereo amp would beat any of the marantz av amps.
Do people agree!

Rozzar suggested using his SR4300 AV amp as a pre amp throught the PM7200 (as a power amp) and he loves it. Would it not be better to get a dedicated power amp though instead? Or would it be better to get a good intergrated amp and bypass the av circuitry all together?

I have looked at using my SR7200 as a pre amp and using a dedicated power amp (Rotel RB970bx, but blew my mates power amp before I got a chance to really listen to it (see other thread its being fixed)).

If you think I could easily better the SR7200, could you suggest a good stereo option for me new or 2nd hand upto about £300, bearing in mind it will be intergrated in my av system (will I need a speaker switch etc).

I'm using a pioneer 656s into a MF a324 DAC for cd listening. B&W 602s2 speakers. Pretty reasonable cables throuout.
Thanks all for your help!

 

I tell everybody that also an amp like Marantz 7200 sound less fine than a 200 euro stereo integrated amplifier.
Off course is a test that anybody can do and I did.

You can connect the pre out of the your marantz to aux in of the integrated stereo.
Off course the CD player is to connect to the stereo directly.
So don't use a final amp but an integrated to avoid the pre that's no fine for music, also if the Marantz it's the less terrible of others.
I like PM 7200 and Aeron A160 (with valve pre-).

 

It's an interesting question.
My personal view is that the 4300 really isn't a great pre-amp.
I say this as I have a 4300 myself, and use it for AV duties, with the pre-outs running to my considerably better (and substantially more expensive stereo integrated).

My own question would be "how much better are the pre-amps in more expensive AV amps or processors?"

I've heard a Naim AV2, which was about on par with a £500 dedicated stereo pre-amp, but unfortunately the AV2 costs over 2 grand.
What I'd love to find is a cheapy av amp/processor with full 5 channel pre-outs and a decent pre-amp section.

Any thoughts?

 

No more helpful advice. AM thinking of going and having a listen over the weekend to a few Stereo amps. Up to about £300. Would look 2nd hand as well. Any recomendations to thin the list out a bit. They obviously need to partner my B&W602s2's.
Cheers

 

NAD C 320 BEE

 

Theres apparently a few fans of the NAD C370 when paired with the B&Ws. Should get one of those for less than £300. Some people also report good synergy with the Marantz.

I wont recommend my Rotel with these though, far too bright and forward, I dont think Rotel / B&W are a particularly great match to be honest. Not terrible, but there are better.

 

Do you really think your Rotel would sound bad with my B&W's? Which one do you have?

When I originally bought my B&W's (3 years ago) I bought them along with the Rotel RA971MKII integrated amp.

I auditioned them along with some Ruark monitors and some Kef floor standers and the rotel against a £400 NAD amp. I found the Rotel and B&W combination to be the best Value and sound. The NAD did sound a bit better but not £150 better (and the Rotel was an ex dem for £170 instead of the £269 new so it didn't sound more than twice as good).

However I though (correct me if I'm wrong) that Rotel were the english distributors for B&W and worked together on sound. And from my (limited) experience I thought everyone thought them a perfect match (Rotel and B&W). Certainly worked well for me?

I now use the Rotel upstairs on some Tannoy E663 D30's which sound pretty good. Maybe I should try it downstairs? I would have thought the Marantz SR7200 was equal to my Rotel though?

Any good 2nd hand suggestions for an amp?
Thanks all

 

There must be loads of 2nd hand options for £300. Off the top of my head - Arcam A75, Audiolab 8000S, Cyrus, Rotel etc. etc. I'm sure others will be able to suggest some better options.

However, from what you've said about how much you like the stereo sound from your SR7200, I can't help wondering if you're trying to fix something that ain't broken, so to speak.

Matt.

 

Your very probably right Matt. I do like the sound a lot! I was just concerned by a thread on Hifichoice started by tomekk (and aggreement by others) where he said that the PM7200 wipes the floor with any AV version of the Marntz amps. Also the huge thread about source first (very good arguments on both sides) is it silly of me to have a £1200 source and only and av amp to put it through. Am I hughly limiting myself?

Also my girlfriend who prefers her techno says it sounds a bit washed out and distant through the DAC (I would call it detailed, layered, seperated, lovely, warm, deep, enveloping etc etc).

So if this PM7200 £240 stereo amp will hugely increase my listening pleasure for CD's over the £600 SR7200 I want a piece of that action.

And maybe there are even better 2nd hand amps available for similar money that I should be considering (I know I know bloody upgraditus, what if what if!) I'm not definitley going to buy (but probably will in the New year!) but is it worth me doing a few demos? Maybe I should bring my RA971MKII down and plug it in to give me a gauge!

Thanks all

 

Well your mileage may vary of course, but when I auditioned my RA-01 with a number of speakers, although the dealer seemed to think the B&W would be the best for it, I didnt agree. It was ok except for being grainy and harsh. The Missions that I have now were much better with the Rotel IMO, still forward and exciting, but not grainy, not as shrill and a bit more refined, as well as faster sounding. Its just my opinion of course, but I think the Rotel being a bright and bassy amp is not a good match for equally bright and bassy speakers. They'd do well on a NAD because they are a lot less brash and forward than a Rotel. I dont agree the NADs are any better though

 

Also, just to add, if you already have an RA-971 mk2, I wouldnt expect a PM7200 to be any kind of improvement at all to be honest...

 

Thanks Paul thats the kind of response I need. In which case I'm going to try my Rotel downstairs and I'll get back to you on my findings.

Does a £270 intergrated stereo amp wipe the floor with a £600 Av amp? Watch this space!

 

Sauerkraut,

Give that Rotel a try through your B&W's.


What's happening with that RB-970?
Have you managed to find the problem?

 

Hi warren. the power amp is being repaired by a man more competent with a multimeter and a soldering iron than me.

My father (an airplane engineer) gave me a hand diagnosing the problem and his thoughts were that the transformer had shorted. ANd if his logic and approch are correct then Bugger!

Its now with a hifi repair guy and I'm just awaiting his diagnosis (although he is not necessarily convinced it is the transformer!) . I'll post a reply to the original thread once I know one way or another. Thats why I haven't posted any pics as it with my parents and not in London with me so I can't photograph it.

Definitley going to try the RA971mkII tonight though!.

 

I wouldnt get too dispondant about my findings with the B&W either, for I do listen to a lot of dance tunes, some of which have strident treble, which could of course, make the effects I heard worse. I know Issac Sibson had alright results with the 971mk2 and 602S2, and also I was using the RA-01 and S3 version, so that may account for some differences also - some say the S3 has a different tweeter, but I dunno...

 

It might also be worth mentioning that the 600 series aluminium tweeters needs A LOT of running in and once run in sound pretty good.
So maybe the Series 3 you were listening to were very new?

I also found the speaker cable used made a huge difference on the brightness (switching from Chord Layline biwire to QED profile silver 12 completely removed any unwanted brightness for me! Dramatic difference )

My girfriend loves her techno. So as you know plenty of treble. I think they cope admirably now. Very warm sound.