MUSICAL FIDELITY M6i

[ajay124]

Has anyone heard the new Musical Fidelity M6i integrated amp.How does it compare with the MF A5 integrated/ MF A5 Pre Power/Plinius 9200/Krell 400Xi?

 

[ajay124]

78 views and no reply.Merely confirms my suspicion that the M6i may not really have caught on.Price,I would venture to guess is the main reason.With the discontinued A5's going for 80 K(new) does it make sense to spend 150 K on what would possibly be a similar amp dressed up in new clothes.Many amp manufacturers seem to have cut costs by shifting production to China/Taiwan,compromising on power supplies and transistors.Makes more sense to hunt around for demo pieces of discontinued models rather than pay 60-100% more for the latest model.MF has a reputation for changing models quickly.Would demo M6's be available for 80K a couple of years down the line?Possible.Anyway I am more inclined towards a Krell integrated S300i/KAV400xi/KAV 300IL.Any advise on these from folks who have actually used them?
A nice joke in a review of Krell integrated amps goes like...
Since Krell has chosen to call one of them FBI perhaps the other one,the S300i could have been named CIA--Chinese Integrated Amplifier

 

[longshanks]

^ Ive used A308 power amp and it was very good, A5 ive listened at a store and it was very good but i preferred the A308.

Compared to krell Integrated amps(Krell KSA power amps are a diff story though) i would say MF amps are more musical and less analytical, more lush and smoother.MF amps always have high current output which will suit many speakers very well.

Try and audition before you buy since both MF and Krell will cost quite some money.

 

[malvai]

^ Ive used A308 power amp and it was very good, A5 ive listened at a store and it was very good but i preferred the A308.

Compared to krell Integrated amps(Krell KSA power amps are a diff story though) i would say MF amps are more musical and less analytical, more lush and smoother.MF amps always have high current output which will suit many speakers very well.

Try and audition before you buy since both MF and Krell will cost quite some money.

I really do not about the MF amps Ajay.... but I can tell you that the Krell integrated amps are not worth it....

I have heard a lot of Krell and hence putting in my two bits... The Krell Integrated's are a shade or two better than the other mass market stuff... but when compared to what the Big Krell's of old do - Absolute S#1T.

I too had an option to go for a Krell 400xi but passed on it... Went in for a FPB 200 instead. The older KSA's are good too...

i'd say you can do a lot better than this. And after observing your posts and the kind of music you like, you could really look at better amps...

You just need to look around and you'll find it all there!

 

[ajay124]

MF being more musical than Krell is the genral consensus.Krell is more analytical and seems to have a better bass response.But presently I am unable to locate a new A5 integrated.The M6i and A5 Pre Power are available but at elevated prices.

 

[ajay124]

@malvai
You just need to look around and you'll find it all there!

Yeh!I know what you say is correct.Unfortunately patience is not one of my strongest virtues!
What is your opinion of the Pathos Logos and Conrad Johson PV 14 Pre/MV 60 SE Power?

 

[malvai]

@malvai
You just need to look around and you'll find it all there!

Yeh!I know what you say is correct.Unfortunately patience is not one of my strongest virtues!
What is your opinion of the Pathos Logos and Conrad Johson PV 14 Pre/MV 60 SE Power?

Bro, I haven't heard the Pathos at all.

The Conrad Johnson is very very decent. What is your budget, though?

 

[ajay124]

@malvai
60-70 for a decent lightly used integrated amp.100-120K for a decent Pre Power.Looking for something I can use for 6-12 months.Planning to go to Singapore in the winters to really audition EVERYTHING we keep reading about in forums/whathifi/Stereophile/6Moons.Will not spend big bucks until I have actually heard a decent amount of equipment.

 

[malvai]

@malvai
60-70 for a decent lightly used integrated amp.100-120K for a decent Pre Power.Looking for something I can use for 6-12 months.Planning to go to Singapore in the winters to really audition EVERYTHING we keep reading about in forums/whathifi/Stereophile/6Moons.Will not spend big bucks until I have actually heard a decent amount of equipment.

Hmm... see there are some pretty good power amps that are nicely used by audiophiles - ranging from Mark Levinson 333 to ARC Classic 60 etc... Good preamps are not that easy to come by... I know of someone selling a lightly used Hovland pre... I might be letting go of my ARC pre amp... but not quite sure as it is a tough one to better at the price....

PM's you my number in case u wanna discuss and need pointers.

 

[ajay124]

It's done!
Spent Sunday mulling over the amp dilemma and the 'right path' opened up for me,late evening.I came to the conclusion that an integrated is not the way to go as it would be another compromise like the Dyn/Nad/Cyrus and pretty soon the upgrade bug would have reared its head again.So I first deleted Krell S300i/MF M6i from the list.Next to go were MF A5 Pre Power/Conrad Johnson Pre Power.And the winner by a mile is Bryston 3B SST/BP6.Hopefully I will stay put for a few years after that!I was planning to visit Chennai/Mumbai and Singapore for auditions but figured that the 60-80 K I would wind up spending would be put to better use by simply going for the Bryston.I have never heard it,but after 100's of conversations and poring over info on the net I am 100% certain that a long love affair with Bryston is about to begin.....
Will have to postpone plans of buying more CD's,as well as budget a few things here and there,but hopefully the hunt for a good system which began in January with the Dynaudio's is finally over!I am happy that I moved quickly out of the NAD/out of the Dyn/out of the Cyrus/out of the Chord/QED's.Life is short and there is plenty of music that I still want to listen to....

 

[malvai]

It's done!
Spent Sunday mulling over the amp dilemma and the 'right path' opened up for me,late evening.I came to the conclusion that an integrated is not the way to go as it would be another compromise like the Dyn/Nad/Cyrus and pretty soon the upgrade bug would have reared its head again.So I first deleted Krell S300i/MF M6i from the list.Next to go were MF A5 Pre Power/Conrad Johnson Pre Power.And the winner by a mile is Bryston 3B SST/BP6.Hopefully I will stay put for a few years after that!I was planning to visit Chennai/Mumbai and Singapore for auditions but figured that the 60-80 K I would wind up spending would be put to better use by simply going for the Bryston.I have never heard it,but after 100's of conversations and poring over info on the net I am 100% certain that a long love affair with Bryston is about to begin.....
Will have to postpone plans of buying more CD's,as well as budget a few things here and there,but hopefully the hunt for a good system which began in January with the Dynaudio's is finally over!I am happy that I moved quickly out of the NAD/out of the Dyn/out of the Cyrus/out of the Chord/QED's.Life is short and there is plenty of music that I still want to listen to....

Very very very good call! I had bought a Bryston 3BSST for a few months and it is one of the best amps ever...! I let go of it very very reluctantly because there was a Krell FPB 200 available at a decent price!

Otherwise I woudl never ever let go of the Bryston!

(Incidentally a fellow forum member bought it! But now he too is letting go of it as he has some Crisis in the family!)

The BP6 is a superb pre-amp as well! Though, i'd advise a warmer pre-amp. But, then, that is my preference...

 

[aku]

With the discontinued A5's going for 80 K(new) does it make sense to spend 150 K on what would possibly be a similar amp dressed up in new clothes.

Is the Indian dealer willing to sell at this price?

 

[ajay124]

Which one the A5 or the M6i?

 

[malvai]

when does your Bryston pair arrive bro?

 

[ajay124]

@malvai
This week.
I'm curious.Why did you part with the Bryston after a few months
if you found it to be 'one of the best amps ever'?
Would like to know your impressions of the amp?Did you buy new/used?What do you feel the Krell is doing which was missing in the Bryston.Which forum member did you sell your amp too?

 

[aku]

Which one the A5 or the M6i?

The A5.....

 

[ajay124]

@aku
The last A5's seem to have gone of the shelves a few month ago.Tried locating them in India but couldn't.The only two big integrated amps (200WPC for MF and 150WPC for KRELL) I could locate in India were MF M6i app.150K and Krell S300i 125K.Prices for new with bill and warranty.Had earlier tried the NAD C 375 BEE(80K) and sold it at a 25% loss after 3 months.In this price bracket the Quad 99/909 Pre/Power is a good option.Price for both together should be app.130K.The Quad cdp2 which has a variable output option can be directly connected to the 909 power amp giving one the choice of having a cd player/pre/power all for app.150 K.Worth auditioning especially with the Quad 22L2 Tower's.

 

[malvai]

@malvai
This week.
I'm curious.Why did you part with the Bryston after a few months
if you found it to be 'one of the best amps ever'?
Would like to know your impressions of the amp?Did you buy new/used?What do you feel the Krell is doing which was missing in the Bryston.Which forum member did you sell your amp too?

Ajay, I was really really happy with the Bryston 3 BSST. I mean really happy.
I let go of it only because a more powerful Krell FPB 200 suddenly came up at a fairly reasonable price.

I don't know if you know this, but the Thiel CS 2.4 speakers that I have are mated very well with the Bryston 3BSST. It did very well. It even drove the speakers effortlessly.... and these speakers are not that easy to drive mind you!

But, the Krell is supposed to a tad better! Especially since JIM Thiel voiced them (while developing them) on a Krell FPB 300 amp!

Overall, i'd say the Krell is more refined in every department. It has huge reserves of power - 200 wpc @ 8 Ohms, 400 @ 4 Ohms, 800 @ 2 Ohms, 1600 @ 1 Ohms and it goes down a step more - 3200 @ .5 Ohms....

Now, the Thiels usually play at about 3.7 ohms.... so this amp does better at handling them.

BUT you must understand that this is a 10 year old amp that has costed me a lot more than a brand new Bryston 3Bsst.... The risk is huge... and it runs very very hot in minutes as it is a pure CLASS A...
It also HOGS power and needs the A/c to be on while its being operated!

All in all, I'd say the Bryston is the Best deal for any audiophile, because it is rugged no fuss technology that beats amps at least three times the price.

Oh and I sold it to a member called BK Mehra.

 

[ajay124]

@malvai
'It also HOGS power and needs the A/c to be on while its being operated!'

That's a lot of external noise being added to the music.Even with split a/c there is a persistent hum which puts a 'blanket' on the music.Listening to music with a window ac is a pointless exercise.The room where I have my system has a window ac.But when I am listening to music,I chose to sweat it out in the heat with even the ceiling fan running at a low speed.I also find the sound better with all the lights off and the best sound is after 10pm with the lights off with just a small 10w bulb emitting a bit of light on my cd rack....
Have already stacked up the cd's for day 1 with the Bryston's
Clifford Brown/Max Roach at 52nd Basin Street(currently RED HOT for me)
John Coltrane A kind of blue(sorry Miles!But thats the way I view this CD)
Paco De Lucia Essentials
Oscar Peterson In Russia
Diana Krall Live in Paris
Cream Live
Steely Dan The very best of
Ashkenazy--Beethoven's-Diabelli Variations
Yundi Li--Prokofiev's Piano Concert 2
Pierre Armand--Homage to Messiaen
Bach Well Tempered Clavier
Schubert 'Unfinished' Symphony No.8(The Bryston's will live or die depending upon how they render my favorite symphony)
Mahler Symphony No 5 (Big Daddy)

 

[malvai]

@malvai
'It also HOGS power and needs the A/c to be on while its being operated!'

That's a lot of external noise being added to the music.Even with split a/c there is a persistent hum which puts a 'blanket' on the music.Listening to music with a window ac is a pointless exercise.The room where I have my system has a window ac.But when I am listening to music,I chose to sweat it out in the heat with even the ceiling fan running at a low speed.I also find the sound better with all the lights off and the best sound is after 10pm with the lights off with just a small 10w bulb emitting a bit of light on my cd rack....
Have already stacked up the cd's for day 1 with the Bryston's
Clifford Brown/Max Roach at 52nd Basin Street(currently RED HOT for me)
John Coltrane A kind of blue(sorry Miles!But thats the way I view this CD)
Paco De Lucia Essentials
Oscar Peterson In Russia
Diana Krall Live in Paris
Cream Live
Steely Dan The very best of
Ashkenazy--Beethoven's-Diabelli Variations
Yundi Li--Prokofiev's Piano Concert 2
Pierre Armand--Homage to Messiaen
Bach Well Tempered Clavier
Schubert 'Unfinished' Symphony No.8(The Bryston's will live or die depending upon how they render my favorite symphony)
Mahler Symphony No 5 (Big Daddy)

Thankfully the split a/c does not make noise in my case! Plus, all my electricals for the music are on a completely dedicated phase! So no hum, dings etc!

I can see that you're gonna have a great time listening to your set-up!
I listen to almost the same kind of music that you have listed, and I can tell you that the Bryston's wont fail you!

Now its all on your speakers! Btw, what speakers do you have? If i remember right, you had the Dyn's?