AVcrazy
Member
Background:
I recently lost my Yamaha DSP-A1000 while moving to my new place. I was using that amp both as an AVR and a Stereo amp for a long time. Other than the A1000 I have owned (and sold) the DSP-A3090, DSP-A2070, a NAD 3020, a Pioneer SA-8500, Marantz SR7400 AVR, A Rotel Pre-power, Arcam FMJ A28 and some other integrateds over the course of time.
Interestingly of all the Amps I've heard; the A1000 holds its own when it comes to stereo performance. I mean this amp IS A BEAST. Rated at a mere 80WPC, this kid could drive almost anything I threw at it.
Even though it is an AVR; meant for cinema more than it is meant for pure stereo use, it's odd and interesting that the A1000 was so darn good at both (overall better for the stereo, DSP-A3090 being the AVR champ).
The Setup:
Before I moved, my setup was as follows:
Stereo:
Amp - Yamaha DSP-A1000 (2ch Stereo Mode)
DAC - Beresford TC-7520
Speakers - Custom 3-way floor-stander with Peerless (not the Indian brand) drivers.
Source - FLACs and digital content played from the PC.
HT:
Amp - Yamaha DSP-A1000
Player - PC /Sony BDP-S1500
DAC - Beresford TC-7520
Speakers:
->Front - Custom 3-way Floor-stander
->Rear - JBL ES10
->Center - JBL ES25c
->Sub - Astonia DF-10
The Dilemma:
Since the past few years my passion towards music has grown more and I have been watching less and less movies. I'd say my use has come down to 75% music and 25% movies.
So I have made a decision to move to a pure stereo set-up and get rid of all my gear (except the DAC and/or the custom speakers). I think I can watch whatever movies I want on a stereo too (which is what I was doing most of the time anyway). Doing so is netting me somewhere around 70k total available cash to spend on component(s).
Now the thing is that I'm getting some killer deals at the moment. There's a friend whos' selling his krell amp (somewhere around my budget, condition is so so), A few pre-powers, some good speakers, etc. But all these items will completely swallow my 70k on their own (ie the speaker or the amp costs as much as or near to 70k). And thus I come to my problem(s):
Q1. If I have a budget of around 70k, what should I buy first? A good amp (keep the speakers and the DAC)? Or a good speaker (Let's say which takes away 75% of the money~52k) and rest for amplification? This is keeping in mind that I'll upgrade the weaker part as and when I have the means.
Q2. My speakers are pretty old, if I am keeping them; would getting them refurbished from someone improve them a bit? (Getting the drivers reconed, changing the binding posts, general maintenance etc?).
Q3. If I should be spending the maximum dough on speakers then which ones should be on my audition list? And what amp to go for in that case?
Q4. If I'm supposed to make a more symmetric investment, can someone please advise me what combinations would work well?
Q5. I've recently taken a shine towards tubes. Is there any Indian manufacturer offering a Speaker-Amp combo in the above budget?
Some Pointers which may help you help me:
1. My room size is 14ft*16ft*11ft (b*l*h).
2. Room will be used mostly for music and thus would have minimal furniture apart from the audio rack (a sofa cum bed, a small study table and a chair).
3. My taste in music is quite wide. I like Dimmu Borgir as much as I love Diana Krall. Also I would want as much detail in my music as is possible.
4. I have tried bookshelves in the past (Dali Zensor 1) but I guess bookshelves just can't give me the bass I need for listening to certain tracks by artists like Archive, Portishead, Massive Attack, etc. I need that visceral feeling while listening to music. However at the same time I would not want boominess and bloated bass.
5. My total listening time goes over 1hr/day. Sometimes well over 4hrs (esp. weekends).
6. On the source front; All my collection is digital and I don't like collecting hard copies of my tracks. If I buy CDs I rip them and store it to my HDD. Thus I wouldn't care if my amp did not have many inputs (esp. phono).
7. I already have good interconnects and cables so would be using the same.
8. I will definitely be upgrading my system components as and when I can.
9. I don't mind buying used gear/refurbished stuff/indigenous brands as long as they can give me the satisfaction I need. In other words I don't care for the "brand".
I would really appreciate any help. Please forgive me for my ignorance as I'm nowhere near as experienced or knowledgeable as most members on the forum.
Thanks and regards,
AVCrazy.
I recently lost my Yamaha DSP-A1000 while moving to my new place. I was using that amp both as an AVR and a Stereo amp for a long time. Other than the A1000 I have owned (and sold) the DSP-A3090, DSP-A2070, a NAD 3020, a Pioneer SA-8500, Marantz SR7400 AVR, A Rotel Pre-power, Arcam FMJ A28 and some other integrateds over the course of time.
Interestingly of all the Amps I've heard; the A1000 holds its own when it comes to stereo performance. I mean this amp IS A BEAST. Rated at a mere 80WPC, this kid could drive almost anything I threw at it.
Even though it is an AVR; meant for cinema more than it is meant for pure stereo use, it's odd and interesting that the A1000 was so darn good at both (overall better for the stereo, DSP-A3090 being the AVR champ).
The Setup:
Before I moved, my setup was as follows:
Stereo:
Amp - Yamaha DSP-A1000 (2ch Stereo Mode)
DAC - Beresford TC-7520
Speakers - Custom 3-way floor-stander with Peerless (not the Indian brand) drivers.
Source - FLACs and digital content played from the PC.
HT:
Amp - Yamaha DSP-A1000
Player - PC /Sony BDP-S1500
DAC - Beresford TC-7520
Speakers:
->Front - Custom 3-way Floor-stander
->Rear - JBL ES10
->Center - JBL ES25c
->Sub - Astonia DF-10
The Dilemma:
Since the past few years my passion towards music has grown more and I have been watching less and less movies. I'd say my use has come down to 75% music and 25% movies.
So I have made a decision to move to a pure stereo set-up and get rid of all my gear (except the DAC and/or the custom speakers). I think I can watch whatever movies I want on a stereo too (which is what I was doing most of the time anyway). Doing so is netting me somewhere around 70k total available cash to spend on component(s).
Now the thing is that I'm getting some killer deals at the moment. There's a friend whos' selling his krell amp (somewhere around my budget, condition is so so), A few pre-powers, some good speakers, etc. But all these items will completely swallow my 70k on their own (ie the speaker or the amp costs as much as or near to 70k). And thus I come to my problem(s):
Q1. If I have a budget of around 70k, what should I buy first? A good amp (keep the speakers and the DAC)? Or a good speaker (Let's say which takes away 75% of the money~52k) and rest for amplification? This is keeping in mind that I'll upgrade the weaker part as and when I have the means.
Q2. My speakers are pretty old, if I am keeping them; would getting them refurbished from someone improve them a bit? (Getting the drivers reconed, changing the binding posts, general maintenance etc?).
Q3. If I should be spending the maximum dough on speakers then which ones should be on my audition list? And what amp to go for in that case?
Q4. If I'm supposed to make a more symmetric investment, can someone please advise me what combinations would work well?
Q5. I've recently taken a shine towards tubes. Is there any Indian manufacturer offering a Speaker-Amp combo in the above budget?
Some Pointers which may help you help me:
1. My room size is 14ft*16ft*11ft (b*l*h).
2. Room will be used mostly for music and thus would have minimal furniture apart from the audio rack (a sofa cum bed, a small study table and a chair).
3. My taste in music is quite wide. I like Dimmu Borgir as much as I love Diana Krall. Also I would want as much detail in my music as is possible.
4. I have tried bookshelves in the past (Dali Zensor 1) but I guess bookshelves just can't give me the bass I need for listening to certain tracks by artists like Archive, Portishead, Massive Attack, etc. I need that visceral feeling while listening to music. However at the same time I would not want boominess and bloated bass.
5. My total listening time goes over 1hr/day. Sometimes well over 4hrs (esp. weekends).
6. On the source front; All my collection is digital and I don't like collecting hard copies of my tracks. If I buy CDs I rip them and store it to my HDD. Thus I wouldn't care if my amp did not have many inputs (esp. phono).
7. I already have good interconnects and cables so would be using the same.
8. I will definitely be upgrading my system components as and when I can.
9. I don't mind buying used gear/refurbished stuff/indigenous brands as long as they can give me the satisfaction I need. In other words I don't care for the "brand".
I would really appreciate any help. Please forgive me for my ignorance as I'm nowhere near as experienced or knowledgeable as most members on the forum.
Thanks and regards,
AVCrazy.