Home amp

Mr.Cambio

Member
Messages
7,096
G'afternoon all. After the purchase of a set of monitor audio bronze 2 speakers, i am seeking for an amp to combine them. Had a look at onkyo. What are you guys having or suggesting?
Place is about 100 sqm, or a bit less.
Main interest would be a tube amp, but for now i would go to something cheaper, pricing it at 700 euros max. NAD are said to have a good and warm output, but i have never come across them.
Any thoughts?
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,542
Got to say I wouldn't spend €700 on an amp to drive Bronzes. Golds, yes but (at least with mine) there was a massive difference between the Bronze (B2) and the Gold (GR10)

Sadly you're unlikely to like my preferred brand if you're into tubes. Cyrus kit is (to me) stunning, but about as far from tubes as you can get :)

C
 

Rwc13

Member
Messages
1,668
NAD produce some good Amps, but I'd recommend a pre-owned Naim amp


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
Go to a specialist with a demo room and listen to some amplifiers , take your speakers and music source and get them to set it up, you can narrow the search down with advice and reviews but listening is the only way to choose.

I went to doug brady hifi in warrington many years ago to buy a complete system , ended up with arcam which was at the top of my budget at the time but 20 years on it's still sounding great, though is in the extension as it failed the beauty test.

If you're looking for something all in one I can highly recommend the B&W Zeppelin both from a sound quality and wife approval point of view
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
In my experience Naim and Cyrus have quite a clinical sound, probably no good for someone who wants a tube amp. Also don't see a problem with getting a decent amp even if you have cheapish speakers - you can always upgrade speakers at a later date. I've heard some good systems where the amp is worth more than the other components put together. What Hi Fi is a bit like What Car - fine if you're in the market for an Audi or a Toyota. But if you want the equivalent of a Maserati or Pagani, you need to look elsewhere. I used to read Stereophile and Hi Fi News magazines and go to the Hi Fi shows in Bristol and London where you could hear components from hundreds of different manufacturers. Definitely need to hear stuff with your own ears. For me, some very expensive equipment from the big names produces sound that hits you when you walk into a room and grabs your attention but is tiring to listen to after a while.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,542
Wouldn't argue that Cyrus can be regarded as clinical. Naim I think, less so. But not like a tube at all.

Nothing wrong with getting a decent amp, but it's going to be largely wasted driving the B2s. Of course, you can upgrade, but there's an imbalance there I feel. To stretch your analogy, I'd definitely put the B2s as a Toyota, not a Maserati.

I was very lucky that a friend used to be a product manager for Cyrus, and I simply love the sound of my StreamXP and associated amps / power. But the speakers hanging off the end list at roughly 10 times the price of the B2s. (Not that I paid that for them!)

C
 

Wack61

Member
Messages
8,764
This is as bad as AV Forums :D

Just go and listen , spend your money in a shop , your ears are the judge , if I'd listened to online points of view I'd have bought the wrong headphones , standing in the shop taking the advice of the shop staff meant the ones I was going to buy were quickly discarded
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,542
This is as bad as AV Forums :D

Just go and listen , spend your money in a shop , your ears are the judge , if I'd listened to online points of view I'd have bought the wrong headphones , standing in the shop taking the advice of the shop staff meant the ones I was going to buy were quickly discarded

:lol2:

You're not wrong chap :)

C
 

Mr.Cambio

Member
Messages
7,096
In my experience Naim and Cyrus have quite a clinical sound, probably no good for someone who wants a tube amp. Also don't see a problem with getting a decent amp even if you have cheapish speakers - you can always upgrade speakers at a later date. I've heard some good systems where the amp is worth more than the other components put together. What Hi Fi is a bit like What Car - fine if you're in the market for an Audi or a Toyota. But if you want the equivalent of a Maserati or Pagani, you need to look elsewhere. I used to read Stereophile and Hi Fi News magazines and go to the Hi Fi shows in Bristol and London where you could hear components from hundreds of different manufacturers. Definitely need to hear stuff with your own ears. For me, some very expensive equipment from the big names produces sound that hits you when you walk into a room and grabs your attention but is tiring to listen to after a while.


Wouldn't argue that Cyrus can be regarded as clinical. Naim I think, less so. But not like a tube at all.

Nothing wrong with getting a decent amp, but it's going to be largely wasted driving the B2s. Of course, you can upgrade, but there's an imbalance there I feel. To stretch your analogy, I'd definitely put the B2s as a Toyota, not a Maserati.

I was very lucky that a friend used to be a product manager for Cyrus, and I simply love the sound of my StreamXP and associated amps / power. But the speakers hanging off the end list at roughly 10 times the price of the B2s. (Not that I paid that for them!)

C


I would never expect that the bronze would be 'cheapish'. You guys seem to have a big experience in hifis, bronzes (after my own old hifi) sounded like i drove a merc after a toyota. From what i read here and on hifi forums they are good value for money, but now i realise that there a a lot better ones. I now think that, because they are still new and unpacked, they should be sold and money invested on others. Oh god, it's harder than deciding to buy a new car!
 

Mr.Cambio

Member
Messages
7,096
From what i see golds are three times the price of the bronzes. Question is, is it worth it? Is quality so, so better?
 

rossyl

Member
Messages
3,312
Go to a specialist with a demo room and listen to some amplifiers , take your speakers and music source and get them to set it up, you can narrow the search down with advice and reviews but listening is the only way to choose.

I went to doug brady hifi in warrington many years ago to buy a complete system , ended up with arcam which was at the top of my budget at the time but 20 years on it's still sounding great, though is in the extension as it failed the beauty test.

If you're looking for something all in one I can highly recommend the B&W Zeppelin both from a sound quality and wife approval point of view

Sevenaoks can be great for this.
 

montravia

Member
Messages
1,617
There is often focus on the amp.
The speakers are usually the weakest link providing coloration no matter what.

I always choose the speakers first.

It used to be the magnetic pickup (and may be still if you're a purist) next but now the decode.

Test whatever with your speakers