| Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
June 10, 2008 - 7:45pm
#1
Ready To Continue Upgrading, Please Advise
| Loudspeakers Amplification Digital Sources | |
Analog Sources Accessories Featured | |
Music Columns Retired Columns | |
Show Reports | |
Features Latest News Community | |
Resources Subscriptions |
© 2024 StereophileAVTech Media Americas Inc., USA
All rights reserved
The problem with your HK AVR235 may be its insufficient dynamic headroom. The front end (preamp) may actually be pretty good. You could try using a good power amp through the HK's preamp outputs to provide more power to your loudspeakers. Not for ungodly SPLs, but to easily handle the peaks of program material. That way you won't lose all of your investment in this receiver.
Otherwise, I always recommend listening to the Jolida JD 1501A. I really like the sound and the oomph of this amp. You may too.
Other possibilities:
Cambridge Audio Azur 840A V2
NAD C372
I heard a Shanling A-3000 the other day and was really impressed by the sound. Reminded me of Jolida gear, but with more dynamics, a little more edge. $1200 at Underwood right now.
Klipsch are so ridiculously efficient that wattage is rarely the problem. HK and Yamaha have very different tonalities that is most likely where the answer lies. HK are a bit warmer, whereas the Yamahas can be a bit brighter. Check out the Rotel RA1062 integraded and Rotel RCD1072 combined they are right around $1500. They also make a really great two channel receiver (a real rarity) called the RX1052. The Rotels have the detailed sound you are looking for if I'm reading between the lines of the post.
Jackfish, thank you for the timely reply.
I listened to the NAD C355BEE recently and I was mostly impressed, but I thought it sounded just a little bright in my Grado cans (which are already slightly bright). I did not like the speakers this amp was demoed with, although I don't recall their make. There was no sub hooked up, and they needed help badly in the lower frequencies.
I researched online the Cambridge 840Av2. I really like its looks. I have never heard a Cambridge amp. Are they a little bright sounding like the NAD or Rotel amps?
After you mentioned the Jolida JD1501A, I looked it up also, and was surprised to see it is a tube hybrid amp. My curiosity is piqued. I had a rich friend back in the eighties that had a tubed McIntosh paired with McIntosh floorstanding speakers that I so envied him for, as it had such rich, warm sound. Now I don't expect that kind of sound from a much less expensive amp, but if the Jolida even approaches that type of sound, I might be very interested in it.
Also, do you have a recommendation on a power amp to pair with the HK if I decide to go that route?
Thanks again.
Mrlowry, your perceptions are correct. It is more detail that I seek first and foremost. The HK is somewhat warm sounding,which I actually do like, but it lacks detail. The NAD that I listened to recently had greater detail, but was a little bright too. I have not listened to any Rotel amps in many years, but I recall liking the receiver I heard demoed back in the early 90's, but honestly don't remember much.
I'd personally find the Rotel and Klipsch combination a bit bright, but some people might not. Check it out I also like the Arcam stuff. It is more musical, but has less high frequency.
Well, I was off work today, so I decided to try something out before investing that $1500 in a new amp. My listening room (bedroom) is 14' x 12.5', which is fairly good sized. However, I had not been able to really place my speakers in an optimum position the way I had the room arranged. The room looked great, but for music, not so good. I decided that looks be damned, then proceeded to rearrange the furniture so I could get my speakers into the corners, and have my listening point directly in the middle and to the far side of the room. I'll be danged if that did not make a big difference in the soundstage, bass response, and detail. It may not be audiophile quality, but I think I can live with this sound for now.
I like the idea of getting a nice power amp, and then utilizing the HK as a pre-amp to give the sound quality a further boost. Thanks for all the input.
Yes, Klipsch speakers actually like being placed in the corners, unlike almost every other speaker. They are designed to be in corners, they even use a corner in the anechoic chamber when measuring them.
After further listening the last couple of days after the aforementioned tweaks, the sound is still a little too harsh and bright, just not quite as bad. I think the room acoustics are a big problem. I tried placing some softer objects at reflection points between my speakers and my listening spot, and I noticed that helped make the bass a little less boomy. The kick drums in rock music seemed to be a little more punchy and tighter. I am still just not satisfied, as it seems like I am just applying a band-aid to a festering mortal wound.
I have decided to again purchase a new amplifier and CD player. I researched the Jolida website, and I am wondering if going to a tube amp/tube CD player might be the way to go to warm and soften the harshness provided by my less than stellar performing amp/CD changer and less than ideal room acoustics. I am also raising my budget to $2000.
I am eyeing the Jolida JD302B and JD502B tube amps, and the JD100A CD player.
I was also thinking about instead just going to a very good quality tube headphone amp to go with my Grado SR325 cans to warm and enhance their sound some, which is already very good.
Any further advice on these options would be very much appreciated.