Upgrade options for Integrated Amplifier

[chefcurry]

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased a Marantz NR1200 with Wharfdale Diamond 12.3 speakers. While I am happy with the setup, I am already looking to upgrade the system. I primarily use the built-in streamer to play music through Tidal and use a record player as well.

I am looking at the following options right now and wanted to know if these combinations would be an upgrade to the existing setup -
1. Cambridge Audio CXA61 + WiiM Pro Plus
2. Audiolab 6000A + Wiim Pro Plus

I am leaning towards the CXA61 due to budget constraints. But would be selling the NR1200 once, I make the purchase.

Open to any other amp suggestions as well!

Thanks!!

 

[Phew]

Rotel A12.

 

[chander]

I can whole heartedly recommend Audiolab 6000a for almost any speaker in the budget category. I have heard the amp with the following speakers (that I can remember & a few more I can't)
QA Concept 20 & 40
Wharfedale diamond - 10, 10.2, 9.1, 9.0, Linton & Dayton
Quad S1 & Z1
Elac Debut 5.2 & 6.2 & the FloorStanders of the same series
Focal Aria & Chora Bokshelf & Floorstanders
Few speakers from Fyne Audio, Sonus, Amphion, Audiovector, Tannoy & a few more I can't remember.

In all fairness, with various loads to drive in this entire brand goop listed above, the amplifier was never at fault. I had this amplifier & I had a hard time putting this on sale as I needed to fund my next journey into actives. If I had the option I would have kept this amp. It is still on my list of "to-buy" as soon as I have some money to spare.

I have friends who are using some fairly expensive chains like the DACs & the sources & speakers with this amp at the heart of it.

For some reason this amp never runs out of juice, I have mentioned this in my posts earlier and I do not know what the engineering behind it is like, but however hard the load, this amp has enough to offer to even the most difficult speakers in the budgets I have heard. It is also a fairly neutral amp, so you can cater the sound with minimal coloration from this amp.

 

[MaSh]

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased a Marantz NR1200 with Wharfdale Diamond 12.3 speakers. While I am happy with the setup, I am already looking to upgrade the system. I primarily use the built-in streamer to play music through Tidal and use a record player as well.

I am looking at the following options right now and wanted to know if these combinations would be an upgrade to the existing setup -
1. Cambridge Audio CXA61 + WiiM Pro Plus
2. Audiolab 6000A + Wiim Pro Plus

I am leaning towards the CXA61 due to budget constraints. But would be selling the NR1200 once, I make the purchase.

Open to any other amp suggestions as well!

Thanks!!

That is already a decent setup. What are you missing in it? That might help us understand what the issues could and whether the new chain would help solve that.

MaSh

 

[drkrack]

1. Cambridge Audio CXA61 + WiiM Pro Plus

This will be a much decent upgrade, especially if you're not liking the Marantz Wharfedale combo. CA will be a better option. (I don't know what's lacking, Neither your room Size or Genre preferences)

I'd otherwise suggest try running Audessey in NR1200( if you haven't already), add a Music Subwoofer if you want to Retain NR1200.

 

[DB1989]

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased a Marantz NR1200 with Wharfdale Diamond 12.3 speakers. While I am happy with the setup, I am already looking to upgrade the system. I primarily use the built-in streamer to play music through Tidal and use a record player as well.

I am looking at the following options right now and wanted to know if these combinations would be an upgrade to the existing setup -
1. Cambridge Audio CXA61 + WiiM Pro Plus
2. Audiolab 6000A + Wiim Pro Plus

I am leaning towards the CXA61 due to budget constraints. But would be selling the NR1200 once, I make the purchase.

Open to any other amp suggestions as well!

Thanks!!

Hi,

I kinda get where you're coming from.

The Marantz NR1200 was a well specced good VFM amp when it first came out at around 55k.

However, considering the new slew of products in the market and prices now, it is possible to get better SQ than the NR1200 through a good budget dac (something like the Ifi Zen DAC would also do) combined with a Fosi V3 and have plenty of change to spare.

if you're looking at the CXA61, another contender in the same budget, especially if you consume mostly music through your system, is the Willsenton R8.

On pure SQ terms alone, it betters my Cambridge Audio CXA81. It has better soundstage layering, instrument separation and imaging, a more textured midrange and sounds phenomenal with my Wharfedale Evo 4.2s.

However, it's not as elaborately specced as the Cambridge, it does not have digital connectivity and you must remember to shut it off every single time.

I'm gonna pull a Chander and list the Speakers that I've tried with the R8 and can attest to a good pairing i.e. which sound better paired with it than the CXA81:

Wharfedale Evo 4.2
DynAudio Focus 160
Definitive Technology D9
Quad S-5
KEF Q350
Klipsch RP600M
Mission SX-2
DynAudio Excite X14
Mission QX-2 Mk-ii
PSB Alpha P5
Boston Acoustics A26
Mission LX-II Mk-II

Speakers the CXA81 pairs better with:
Spendor Classic 2/3

If I may throw in another tidbit - If you want to stop chasing the upgrade bug and get an endgame Amp, audition the Willsenton R800i. It's a huge leap over the likes of the CXA81, R8, Marantz NR1200, NAD C388 and Roksan K3 in solely SQ terms.

2x the cost of the R8 but I daresay ups the musical enjoyment by more than 2x, a phenomenon that I've seldom experienced when upgrading any piece of kit.

 

[chefcurry]

Rotel A12.

I was looking at the A11 Tribute as well. How does that compare with the A12?

 

[chefcurry]

That is already a decent setup. What are you missing in it? That might help us understand what the issues could and whether the new chain would help solve that.

MaSh

While I don't have any problem as such with the current setup. I just feel that the amp holds back the speakers and the sound is not open enough.

 

[DB1989]

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased a Marantz NR1200 with Wharfdale Diamond 12.3 speakers. While I am happy with the setup, I am already looking to upgrade the system. I primarily use the built-in streamer to play music through Tidal and use a record player as well.

I am looking at the following options right now and wanted to know if these combinations would be an upgrade to the existing setup -
1. Cambridge Audio CXA61 + WiiM Pro Plus
2. Audiolab 6000A + Wiim Pro Plus

I am leaning towards the CXA61 due to budget constraints. But would be selling the NR1200 once, I make the purchase.

Open to any other amp suggestions as well!

Thanks!!

Just noticed you're from Delhi. I'm in Vasant Kunj and if you're not too far away, you can come checkout the CXA81, Willsenton R8 and R800i. I have the Marantz SR6013 which mimics the SQ of the NR1200 to provide a good reference point.

 

[chefcurry]

Just noticed you're from Delhi. I'm in Vasant Kunj and if you're not too far away, you can come checkout the CXA81, Willsenton R8 and R800i. I have the Marantz SR6013 which mimics the SQ of the NR1200 to provide a good reference point.

That would be great, thank you! I live close to CP so that is not too far!

 

[Phew]

I was looking at the A11 Tribute as well. How does that compare with the A12?

The a11 tribute is also a good option but the a11 mark II is out now(essentially the same except with the addition of a dac and subtraction of a screen), which might interest you more. the A12 is more in line with the cxa61 and audiolab 6000A. The build quality and hand feel of rotel feels better than the cambridge and also has a easier, balanced, likeable to all kind of sound.
Got a chance to hear the rotel s14 with SF lumina V, straight out of the box very pleasing, easy on the ear sound. I have owned the cxa80 for a good year before switching to the nad c368 and somehow never in that time with cambridge I felt like the sound was what I had liked. Anyways all three rotel, audiolab, cambridge will easily extract the best from your speaker so if you get a chance to audition then do so and select the one you like. Also pay some attention towards your dac, it's not always the speaker or amplifier thats the bottleneck.

 

[CKumar]

Atoll 100-signature is another good contender for audition ,apart from those suggested by others FM in almost same price bracket. Not heard personally , but you can check reviews and matching speakers for same as wharfedale is wonderful match for this amp.

 

[heliumflight]

Go for Cyrus 6 dac amp cumdac

 

[chefcurry]

The a11 tribute is also a good option but the a11 mark II is out now(essentially the same except with the addition of a dac and subtraction of a screen), which might interest you more. the A12 is more in line with the cxa61 and audiolab 6000A. The build quality and hand feel of rotel feels better than the cambridge and also has a easier, balanced, likeable to all kind of sound.
Got a chance to hear the rotel s14 with SF lumina V, straight out of the box very pleasing, easy on the ear sound. I have owned the cxa80 for a good year before switching to the nad c368 and somehow never in that time with cambridge I felt like the sound was what I had liked. Anyways all three rotel, audiolab, cambridge will easily extract the best from your speaker so if you get a chance to audition then do so and select the one you like. Also pay some attention towards your dac, it's not always the speaker or amplifier thats the bottleneck.

Makes a lot of sense, I'll check these out once and then decide on one of these