My hunt for a stereo amp - exploration notes and advice sought..

Harbeths go well with all well designed amps as stated very clearly by their designer... The Brits swear by Croft, Sonneteer, LFD and even Naim as they are available there, the Japanese owners swear by Accuphase, Luxman as they are available there...
 
Panditji,

try and hear the Sonneteer at Sid Trehans place. I heard it there and i thought it was nice. They were kind enough to shift the amp to the ground floor as GGN had a power cut that day.

It was a less than perfect setting but i think the amp conveyed a lot.

I heard it with the Harbeth C7

regards
mpw
 
Sid from Sound by Design has Cayin, which is excellent too. I can provide you his number , he provides excellent advise too.
 
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Harbeths go well with all well designed amps as stated very clearly by their designer... The Brits swear by Croft, Sonneteer, LFD and even Naim as they are available there, the Japanese owners swear by Accuphase, Luxman as they are available there...

Yes, agree wholeheartedly. Luxman and Accuphase are loved by harbeth owners.
 
Suggesting something I have not heard but have thought of buying at one point

Onkyo P3000R preamp and matching M5000R power amp. The specs are very good and so are the reviews. The pre has a phono stage a DAC and headphone. Its a very good preamp too, the amp is about 80 watts and low negative feedback. My guess is that your speakers will sing with this. The dealer's prices are same as in Europe and with full warranty. Unfortunately no demo, only on order. The pre was about 1.35 when I enquired. Do Have look at the model reviews just for curiosity. Onkyo may not be boutique high end but is well respected.
 
Eddie, tube amps also might be an option. The Leben 600 might be a good match. Arj in Bangalore has them. Maybe you could go across and listen to them. FWIW, Jeff Day, a reviewer uses Harbeth with Leben
 
Eddie, tube amps also might be an option. The Leben 600 might be a good match. Arj in Bangalore has them. Maybe you could go across and listen to them. FWIW, Jeff Day, a reviewer uses Harbeth with Leben

I just love The Leben look and sound. Just that it is way over my budget.
 
Update -

Tried to audition the Parasound, not the Halo integrated but the pre+power. I visited the dealer here on Brigade road who helped me unload my speakers and then tried for a good hour or so to find a DAC that could read my flac files on the pen drive. He struggled with it and finally found an Oppo player/dac/avr (not sure what model it was) which did read the files, but he could not switch to a stereo setup on the settings and thus it was an unsuccessful exercise.

Eventually, we did try some cds he had and I found the soundstage disappointingly shallow and the imaging not very good either. The lower ranges were not coming through and it sounded a bit too gentle.

I suspect it is not the amps that were the culprits, but improper setup knowledge of the showroom manager. I feel the amps, with the amount of power they are capable of, should have been able to easily drive my speakers. The amp is loaded with features and I find it quite alluring (anyone heard this already?)

The attitude of the manager also left a lot to be desired, along with his unpreparedness and lack of knowledge on the setting up, in that he was unwilling to let me handle the remote for the volume controls and generally had a very nonchalant demeanor, which is a bit of a put off. Overall, it ended up being a disappointing and wasteful adventure.
 
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Eddie, you have a good set of speakers. If budget is tight don't rush. Wait till you can afford to buy the right amp.
 
Update -

Tried to audition the Parasound, not the Halo integrated but the pre+power. I visited the dealer here on Brigade road who helped me unload my speakers and then tried for a good hour or so to find a DAC that could read my flac files on the pen drive. He struggled with it and finally found an Oppo player/dac/avr (not sure what model it was) which did read the files, but he could not switch to a stereo setup on the settings and thus it was an unsuccessful exercise.

Eventually, we did try some cds he had and I found the soundstage disappointingly shallow and the imaging not very good either. The lower ranges were not coming through and it sounded a bit too gentle.

I suspect it is not the amps that were the culprits, but improper setup knowledge of the showroom manager. I feel the amps, with the amount of power they are capable of, should have been able to easily drive my speakers. The amp is loaded with features and I find it quite alluring (anyone heard this already?)

The attitude of the manager also left a lot to be desired, along with his unpreparedness and lack of knowledge on the setting up, in that he was unwilling to let me handle the remote for the volume controls and generally had a very nonchalant demeanor, which is a bit of a put off. Overall, it ended up being a disappointing and wasteful adventure.

Eddie,

First impressions are gut feel. If it did not feel right, whatever be the reason, you should not go for it. Otherwise, buyer's remorse will hit even before you know it.

Keep hunting.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
The Leben CS300XS is a breathtakingly beautiful sounding amplifier. I heard it with a Zu Omen 2 and Rega CD player and just loved the way it lets you connect to the music emotionally which hardly amps even 3 times it's price fails to do. If you can buy the Leben at Rs 2.75 lacs ,it's the last amp you'll every buy. But..... If you are seeking huge dynamics ,brutal attack and plan to buy speakers with less than 89 db sesityvity look else where .
 
MA5200_Angle_Left.jpg


Macintosh Ma5200 integrated amp - with Dac, MM phono and headphone out and power output rated at 100 W at 8 ohms

Have a decent offer from the local dealer for this amp. It will mean stretching my budget quite a bit, but is it worth it? Any opinions on this amp? Any opinions on the combination of this with the Harbeths? (I can't audition them)

This is an all-in-one beauty and is also a lifestyle product. Should I bite the bullet?
 
yes, bite the bullet. lot of unsold mc lying around hence pricing should be good. take your speakers along to listen and then decide.
 
Wow mackies.....just grab them, shut off the house lights and get engrossed in the blues from the Mcintosh and get immersed in the nirvana it will produce...for someone looking at the Mcintosh I am sure the other gadgets in the chain will be no shake overs,
 
Wharfedale Linton Heritage Speakers in Red Mahogany finish at a Special Offer Price. BUY now before the price increase.
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