Good amp suggestions for budget 85k

pogballistics

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I'm looking for some good amp suggestions for my Q Acoustics 3050i

I have the Rega brio v.2 paired with topping e30 atm and I like the combination but was thinking if I can improve things by changing the amp?

Should I invest in a new DAC or change the amp? This is also something I am wondering.

The brio drives the q acoustics quite loud so power is not the issue. What I am looking here is how to improve the resolution.
 
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The brio drives the q acoustics quite loud so power is not the issue. What I am looking here is how to improve the resolution.
In that case you can try different dac. System synergy is necessary. There is Marantz PM8005 in sale thread.That is a good amp.With Q acoustic speakers, music fidelity amps also work well.
 
In that case you can try different dac. System synergy is necessary. There is Marantz PM8005 in sale thread.That is a good amp.With Q acoustic speakers, music fidelity amps also work well.
Hey thanks for replying.

So do you think a DAC upgrade is what is needed?

I get the feeling that the Rega is good with its timing and pass the sound as it is. I'm using Belden 8477sc and 1694ic. Sometimes I feel the sound can be a bit thin on grunge recordings. In some cases recording is thrash and that makes it an unpleasant experience. Such as this track -

In tracks which has a solo performer, the sound is good. Such as Syd Barrett songs and also Jackson Browne for example.

Maybe in some rock band (5-7 members) the sound suffers. It could also be due to recording as bands such as Steely Dan and Dire Straits etc sound good.

What would be an indication that the amp is the problem?

I also feel that I need to get a better DAC as it is the only weak link in the current chain and is the least expensive component (almost 1/6th price).
 
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What do you find inadequate with the current setup.
I was thinking of upgrading my DAC/amp to improve resolution and also get that velvety smoothness in the mids. I replied to spirovious with some detail inputs.

The track I posted above is so bad that it gave me an itch to upgrade my gear. I don't know what's right or wrong anymore.
 
iirc we’ve had this conversation offline many times and i’ve always maintained that constantly fiddling around with dacs and equalizers will take you down a deep dark rabbit hole lol. you had told me that the "p cord"/8477/coax ic made all the difference and the rega matched the 3050i. I’ve always felt the rega was a bit underpowered for the 3050i but that’s just my two cents. IMHO save yourself from any needless expense and ENJOY your vast tidal/qobuz hd music collection! :D
 
iirc we’ve had this conversation offline many times and i’ve always maintained that constantly fiddling around with dacs and equalizers will take you down a deep dark rabbit hole lol. you had told me that the "p cord"/8477/coax ic made all the difference and the rega matched the 3050i. I’ve always felt the rega was a bit underpowered for the 3050i but that’s just my two cents. IMHO save yourself from any needless expense and ENJOY your vast tidal/qobuz hd music collection! :D
The Rega does crank up the speakers pretty loud. So I'm not sure if that's a problem or not.

I did mention that I think there was still a scope of improvement with the DAC. Altho I can't be sure since I don't have option to compare or demo.

Did you listen to the track I linked?
 
Such as this track -

Well, this track sounds horrible - not the music, the recording. It's thin, tinny and all bottom-end seems to have been sucked out. Most alternative/grunge recordings favor this type of sound.

If your like the sound for 60-70% of your favourite music, then I guess that should be ok. No music system will sound perfect for all the music one likes.

Q Acoustics 3050i is definitely not the last word in terms of detail or dynamics though it is good for its price. When music becomes complex or dynamic, these speakers lose the plot. Rega Brio does not excel in these aspects. I believe that is why you may feel that the overall pairing is inadequate for some types of music.

With respect to upgrade, I don't think there would be any significant improvement with another amp or DAC or speaker at similar price point or even one price level above in comparison to your existing equipment. From my experience, one should look at moving two levels above in terms of price point for any significant improvement. Otherwise, the change will be just incremental change.
 
Have tried a few IAs namely Marantz PM8006, CA Azur 651 & Marantz PM6006 , loudness was never an issue with any of them even while I was driving a Dynaudio Emit M20 (rated at 4 ohms @ 86DB). I moved to a separate's based setup and the experience has nothing but rewarding & if you are going into wanting to tune few things as per your liking then there is no better way then separates. I would suggest you to start with getting an AKM/R2R DAC if mids being smooth & lush is important to you & Indiq Saptak Power amp which is quiet neutral (so your initial chain determines how you want the sound signature to be) and then ultimately add a streamer (if you feel the need for the same) & a preamp.

Also on a general note depending on how flexible your budget is or you are willing to go in a phased manner , I think the below is what I would recommend to aim at from a chain perspective

Speakers - I have demoed the Qacoustics 3050i , while they are certainly good for the price but taking your budget to about 90k-1L you get many good options. XTZ 95.44 ,XTZ Spirit 11, Qacoustics Concept 40 , KEF Q750 & Indiq Platinum Achal. You can read user opinions online about all of these, however audition would be the best way to determine which one suits your playlist better ( I personally prefer the Platinum Achal from this list , having auditioned all but the Concept 40). Trust me all of these will be a good upgrade over the 3050i , the 3050i are no slouch either and should serve you well till you feel something is lacking or are ready to upgrade. However dont base the rest of your chain on the 3050i if you ever have plans of upgrading

Source - You can use a PC/Laptop or buy a dedicated streamer for this function. Lot of options are available in the market at different prices ranges and you can evaluate them when you decide to goet one

DAC - You can go for Delta-Sigma DACs (based on AKM/ESS) or R2r DACs. Generally (though very good implementations can take care of this) AKM DACs are known to be velvety with smooth sound, ESS are little bright & R2R are warm, with beautiful mids and slightly rolled off treble. I personally prefer R2R dacs over the others. If you are into DIY then the AD1862 sound really good and worth considering, else Denafrip Ares II also is equally good.

Preamp
- A Class-A SS combined with a tube buffer seems to be the best option here , although you can also go for a tube pre from LYRITA/Acoustic Portrait/Schiit too. I think a good preamp bodes well for the chain , having tried running my chain with & without a preamp the differences in stage, imaging was very pertinent.

Poweramp - A class AB poweramp which doesnt add any color to the signature would be perfect in this scenario. While most of the imported class AB power amps are quiet expensive , Indiq Saptak comes for 89k and sounds better than any of the IA i have tried out.

I am unlikely to move away from seperates until and unless I move to an active setup.
 
Thanks @shyamv for the feedback.


Allo USB Bridge Signature Player is the streamer I have.
The problem is with your source media , not the chain. I’m assuming you are using Tidal \ Spotify etc platforms to stream music. The recording you shared earlier in the thread itself is of very poor quality as also rightly pointed out by FM.
How can you expect to get good output (increased resolution, clarity etc ) if your source media itself is not good ?

Ain’t no amp or DAC will make your sound sound better if the recording itself is poorly compressed, thin sounding.

Try streaming some of the well known recordings (Time Out / Blue Mind / RAM etc etc ) and see if they sound good. If yes , then for your choice of music you have to look at other source media.
 
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Your amp is very good for the speaker as many folks have mentioned the source is the weakest link especially since you are mentioning Resolution hence please do not change that unless it is not able to drive the speaker

No source is perfect but the better sources have lower distortion .Assuming all components of similar sound quality, since the Amp/Speaker only amplifies the distortion better the source lower will that distortion be

Of course there is a limit that after a certain limit the distortion moves to the amp+Speaker synergy.

Only thing more important that the source itself is the quality of the Media ie FLAC/CD etc..if that is not good then none of it is worth it.
 
Your amp is very good for the speaker as many folks have mentioned the source is the weakest link especially since you are mentioning Resolution hence please do not change that unless it is not able to drive the speaker

No source is perfect but the better sources have lower distortion .Assuming all components of similar sound quality, since the Amp/Speaker only amplifies the distortion better the source lower will that distortion be

Of course there is a limit that after a certain limit the distortion moves to the amp+Speaker synergy.

Only thing more important that the source itself is the quality of the Media ie FLAC/CD etc..if that is not good then none of it is worth it.
Absolutely ^
 
I'm looking for some good amp suggestions for my Q Acoustics 3050i

I have the Rega brio v.2 paired with topping e30 atm and I like the combination but was thinking if I can improve things by changing the amp?

Should I invest in a new DAC or change the amp? This is also something I am wondering.

The brio drives the q acoustics quite loud so power is not the issue. What I am looking here is how to improve the resolution.

If you are using USB then I would say try fixing pipes rather than taps. Here are some options in the order of importance.

Try to get Wyred4Sound's Remedy.
If you play files on a computer, try the software Steinberg WaveLab Element.
Build or have someone to build a power extension board with a very thick wire running from the wall.
Now, try this but very CAREFULLY. If you have a mean of controlling the volume at something other than your Rega amp then set the volume at Rega to max and control the volume from that other point, most probably at computer. But again, please do this very carefully ensuring that when you launch any application on computer, make sure the volume isn't already set at max.
 
...Q Acoustics 3050i... Rega brio v.2... topping e30... thinking if I can improve things by changing the amp... new DAC... how to improve the resolution...

You didn't mention anything about the listening space. On paper, it appears you have a decent setup for the money. However, the way you hear and perceive the results can only be judged by your own listening experience. Guess you are missing something and can’t quite put a finger on what it is yet. Looks like you already have enough conflicting prognosis to be thoroughly confused by now. Here are my two cents to the mix.

Assuming your sources are at least as good as Qobuz and Tidal as mentioned, I doubt the E30 as a DAC is inadequate. Keeping the ever so important yet often sidelined implementation aspect aside, the AKM house-sound strikes as somewhat of a balanced take between the likes of the earlier generation ESS and the resurging R-2R topologies.

As you speculated, and as good an amplifier the Brio may be, it might be underpowering your 3050i; and hence the possible week link. By their manufacturers' own requisites, the minimum power required to drive your speakers is 50W and that's where the Brio tops out at 8Ω. Even with their claimed 91dB sensitivity and 6Ω impedance, it could be a stretch for those speakers. I’ve seen this before with Rega and Cyrus, but surprisingly not with Naim! Even though their claimed power ratings are often similar in numbers. Go figure. Anyway, I believe amps like Cyrus and Rega are better suited for intimate listening spaces. That's where their audiophile lineage really shines.

Loudness doesn't necessarily mean the speakers can maintain the same sound quality that they may output at lower volumes. What we want is control and finesse, even at higher volumes. The kind of Class A grip that helps you enjoy listening to the quietest passages and the thunderous dynamics all within the same song. The power that offers somewhat of a similar reassurance of driving a luxury sedan, with its generous power reserves that’s just there, to silently glide you on when you need it but wouldn't scream its lungs out like an exploding hot rod on a drag race/track. Sorry, went off on a tangent there.

Of course, it goes without saying that I don't mean to judge you/anyone for their choices or ownership of these brands or their specific models. All these components are individually good and had been evaluated on their own merits, and not just on what their manufacturers claims. If possible, perhaps try to borrow different amps, DACs, and speakers, first and see if any of those make a significant improvement to your sound. Helps to avoid buyer's remorse and/or having to run around trying to sell them off used. If not, which most probably could be the case these days, try to collate and trust the collective wisdom of like-minded forum members and take the plunge!​
 
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