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$500 amplifiers to test and review?

VMAT4

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If you need or want 125 wpc at 8 Ohms or 250 wpc at 4 Ohms the CDA 250c may be an option.
I use a SONOS Connect, Emotiva MC700, and the CDA 250c with Airmotiv T1 speakers.
But, yes, I guess it is an old form factor. The CDA 250c, or any other power amp could also be used with a minDSP SHD pre/pro/streamer .
I'm saving for one of those miniDSP units.
 

JJB70

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I tend to see that system speakers with built in DA conversion, amps and wireless capability will be the future. Hi-fi sources will be our regular devices such as tablets and smart phones or a memory card slot on the speaker. The mainstream audio market has been there for quite a few years now with BT speakers from Bose, JBL, Creative etc etc but I think we'll see the same evolution in the higher end audio world. There are already some very good hi-fi system speakers and although many hi-fi enthusiasts are very reluctant to abandon all that gear they love so much I think the trend will steadily move in the speaker direction.
On amplifiers, if I go to my local hi-fi retailer they always have a selection of nicely made amplifiers offering good levels of power and functionality from the likes of Cambridge, Onkyo, Marantz and Yamaha. I suspect most if not all of them are audibly transparent although I haven't listened to many. A friend has a Yamaha 301 which he picked up ex-demo for £170 which seems to be very well made, powerful enough and I can attest that I have never noticed it audibly indicating it is audibly transparent.
 

Sal1950

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Sal1950

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There are already some very good hi-fi system speakers and although many hi-fi enthusiasts are very reluctant to abandon all that gear they love so much I think the trend will steadily move in the speaker direction.
We'll see. I don't necessarily disagree but we'll see how long it takes. A few of the actives have gotten good coverage in the main media but they're not going to lay down on the bread and butter advertisers of passive speakers, amps, dacs, dsp, etc etc.
Witness that even after the glowing Kii & Beo reviews in Stereophile. this months review by JA of the Tidal Akria called it the finest sounding system he's ever hear.
So we shall see what we shall see.
 

Thomas savage

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Amir hasn't built his filter yet. The AP will throw a rod otherwise.
Life’s been hard for @amirm , his chief fruit peeler ( a Moroccan boy named habbidi) has run away so he’s all sixes and sevens at them moment. He’s invested a lot of time trying to train his dogs to take on this task but it has proved fruitless..
 

restorer-john

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I suspect most if not all of them are audibly transparent although I haven't listened to many...and I can attest that I have never noticed it audibly indicating it is audibly transparent.

OK. I'm done with this 'transparent' crap. :)

Transparent means you can see through it. It has nothing to do with sound. Never did, never will. It's meaningless when used in that manner.

Unless your amplifier looks like this:

transparent02.JPG


or this:

transparent03.JPG


or this:

transparent04.JPG


Or your powered speakers look like this:

transparent01.JPG

(what a geek, even his speaker 'stand' is a microelectronics textbook- I love it)

Otherwise, they have no business being described as transparent.

Baaaaah. :)
 
Last edited:

Thomas savage

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OK. I'm done with this 'transparent' crap. :)

Transparent means you can see through it. It has nothing to do with sound. Never did, never will. It's meaningless when used in that manner.

Unless your amplifier looks like this:

View attachment 16817

or this:

View attachment 16818

or this:

View attachment 16819

Or your powered speakers look like this:

View attachment 16816
(what a geek, even his speaker 'stand' is a microelectronics textbook- I love it)

Otherwise, they have no business being described as transparent.

Baaaaah. :)
But how can you have a window into the performance if it’s not transparent?

Are you saying the window is open and that’s why we can hear through it? It’s that the correct technical language?
 

andreasmaaan

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OK. I'm done with this 'transparent' crap. :)

Transparent means you can see through it. It has nothing to do with sound. Never did, never will. It's meaningless when used in that manner.

Unless your amplifier looks like this:

View attachment 16817

or this:

View attachment 16818

or this:

View attachment 16819

Or your powered speakers look like this:

View attachment 16816
(what a geek, even his speaker 'stand' is a microelectronics textbook- I love it)

Otherwise, they have no business being described as transparent.

Baaaaah. :)

Or this:
CONVAR87.jpg


Why do you object to the word "transparent" btw?
 

Thomas savage

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restorer-john

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But how can you have a window into the performance if it’s not transparent?

Are you saying the window is open and that’s why we can hear through it? It’s that the correct technical language?

Aren't your windows all double glazed over there? You can't hear anything through them can you?

I remember looking at a poor little insect locked inside his glass double glazed prison when I was over in the UK once. Clearly, in an air-gap, no-one can hear you scream.
 

restorer-john

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Why do you object to the word "transparent" btw?

Because I can. I'm Australian.

We have transparent water in our mountain stream rock pools and you can't hear through them, especially if you are underwater.
 

Thomas savage

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Because I can. I'm Australian.

We have transparent water in our mountain stream rock pools and you can't hear through them, especially if you are underwater.
It’s this kind of sound scientific reasoning that makes ASR diffrent from the rest,, very different.
 

Wombat

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restorer-john

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FWIW NAD has remove the embedded Spotify integration on the D7050: https://support.nadelectronics.com/...000158908-How-to-Stream-Spotify-on-the-D-7050

So (hypothetically), if you had purchased that item based on that functionality, and communicated that to the retailer at the time of purchase, under Australian Consumer Law, you would be entitled to remedy or full refund as it would be classified as a major fault, not representative of the sample shown and not as advertised? After all, the thing is only 4 years old and surely has not satisfied the expectation of a 'reasonable' life of such a device has it?

Not speaking as a class-action lawyer, just a goober on ASR. :)
 
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