Amplifier for Wharfedale Linton, budget $ 1,300

[Power Pop 23]

As long as it's silver.

View attachment 339490

to paraphrase what they used to say about IBM computers.....

'nobody got fired for purchasing a Yamaha integrated amplifier in silver'


that said, select Denon/Marantz AV receivers are compatible with the $19.99 Audyssey MultEQ Editor app that Amir reviewed and recommends:

Audyssey Room EQ Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Audyssey Room Equalization. Audyssey is standard technology in a number of Audio/Video Receivers such as the Denon AVR-X3600H I recently reviewed. The standard version in the AVR is mostly all or nothing so I downloaded the Marantz/Denon...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Amir commented 'I think (the Audyssey MultEQ Editor app) comes very close to advanced solutions like Dirac and Anthem ARC'

 

[Count Arthur]

The different dac won't make any difference to the sound and the Denon power supply has a higher wattage than the A-S701 (which doesn't have YPAO or usb input or streaming support). I'm not sure why you think the Denon won't last as long as the Yamaha.

Regardless of all that, the Denon isn't available in silver.

 

[Golf]

Nearly all Denon audio product lines have some sort of »Home-made threshold«. Meaning: From a certain sales price upwards, the units are made in Japan.

Within their range of AV receivers, that threshold is pretty high. The AVC-X4800H seems to be the »cheapest« Made-in-Japan model there.

This looks way better when it comes to Denon’s 2-channel integrated amplifiers. Here the PMA-1700NE is the equivalent model.

 

[ZolaIII]

@jooc well I in short explained you how for cheap amplifiers with external power supply their biggest disadvantage is their advantage. External switching power supply as that's the part that will fail most of the time's. A7 Max suports bridging which makes it more useful than most such which don't and when you combine two of them as mono blocks you get deacent power output with let's say 48V 5A power supply's and good enough for most mid 80 dB sensitive medium sized low impedance economy class (and even not so cheap ones with such impedance) speakers which is generally majority of them. And you will be fine and probably for a long time. Don't put Amir's though out of the context or selectively and try to understand them in wider aspect including what you get for the price.

 

[jooc]

Regardless of all that, the Denon isn't available in silver.

I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that I almost didn't buy the very good IotaVX SE3 just because the logo looked cheap/80s-ish to me. That Yamaha really does look nice on the shelf and I guess we're lying if that doesn't inspire gear lust

 

[jooc]

@jooc well I in short explained you how for cheap amplifiers with external power supply their biggest disadvantage is their advantage. External switching power supply as that's the part that will fail most of the time's. A7 Max suports bridging which makes it more useful than most such which don't and when you combine two of them as mono blocks you get deacent power output with let's say 48V 5A power supply's and good enough for most mid 80 dB sensitive medium sized low impedance economy class (and even not so cheap ones with such impedance) speakers which is generally majority of them. And you will be fine and probably for a long time. Don't put Amir's though out of the context or selectively and try to understand them in wider aspect including what you get for the price.

Thx, this is exactly what the numbers suggest.

One thing that seems apparent is that some of these products are extremely transitory and an updated vserion will be out in a matter of months, sometimes based on what people are asking for in forums like this. Pretty exciting as long as they don't come out with stuff so fast it's a fire hazard or destroys speakers with some fault.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

Glad you're coming around!

In typical forum-obsessive mode I'll refer you to good old post # 97:

"...It (subjectivity) can perform a function before the final arbitration if you've come to trust and agree with the subjective opinions of some source. It's never going to map to your experience 100%, but that opinion can deliver a very good lead-in - depending on the source.

If fact I'd say that's a necessary function as we can almost never do that final arbitration ourselves until after the purchase

The trick is to find the sources of subjectivity that you trust, someone who isn't trying to sell you something or justify a past purchase."


Again, no 'friends' involved - trusted sources such as our host.

...I guess I should allow a caveat in that friends' subjective take could be valuable if you both share technical experiences and have the ability to describe them to each other consistently, but overall subjective value is delivered best (usually) by the same folks who can deliver objective value and map the two.

I would gently suggest (to anyone) not trying to shame people if they're here to give subjective takes - That's in part what I and many others are here to read, because we can get it delivered in the same dose as the real data and it makes everything fleshed out and more enjoyable to read.

Well, I have to admit I didn't take your comments the way they are now presented. That's my fault. I apologize for jumping to conclusions.

Jim

p.s. - I still find the normal. run-of-the-mill "subectivist" opinions impossible to swallow. I see your point about trusted sources such as our host, but that is not normally how subjective opinions are presented here. They are usually uncorrelated, undisciplined garbage based on further uncorrelated, undisciplined garbage that scam artists, con men and snake oil purveyors spew. I have therefore come to routinely doubt the authenticity or accuracy of "subjective" views, especially when a poster asks the open forum for subjective opinions rather than reading opinions by Amir or other clear-headed authorities who are members here.

It's the same problem with the term "audiophile". It's usually used by subjectivist ninnies who spout garbage and attach authoritative value where it does not exist. As a result, I detest the term. So I sometimes do the same thing as I did with you; I jump to conclusions, and as a result I may unfairly damn some people who are both serious and circumspect.

It's a bad habit, and I will attempt a course correction.

 

[kaffe]

To spare you from another topic this time around, I’ll ask a question pertaining to WiFi here.

As mentioned earlier, I need to stream somehow.

At some point I will probably buy a miniDSP Flex HT so as far as the streamer goes I am really only interested in one which I can use for Airplay from my iPhone and laptop.

There’s the WiiM which looks like a fine option for this purpose. Several models available to choose from. But how about Ethernet? How much is there to gain compared to WiFi?

My router will be sitting 2 meters, i.e. 6.5 feet, from the device.

 

[Golf]

Don't put Amir's though out of the context or selectively and try to understand them in wider aspect including what you get for the price.

On the other hand it is quite obvious that integrated amps don’t really have an easy time with Amir. Of those reviewed by him less than quarter got a recommendation.

 

[Digital_Thor]

Yup... choose a decent power amplifier, that won't complain, when confronted with the below 4 ohm load - and be done with. Then use some pre-amp( mostly mini dsp) with DSP - obviously. Correcting a bit for bass in any room, will greatly increase sound quality - no matter the source or amplification - so remember a mic and some old pc to run REW.

 

[ZolaIII]

On the other hand it is quite obvious that integrated amps don’t really have an easy time with Amir. Of those reviewed by him less than quarter got a recommendation.

Just read what you quote slowly.

 

[DanielT]

It's quite old teach and very prowen in last 50+ years and Yamaha didn't change much if anything at all.

Speaking of half a century ago. OT for the thread but a bit of HiFi history. About Yamaha:

"Yamaha did not manufacture, develop or sell hi-fi at that time. Sonab entered into an agreement with Yamaha to build a development department and manufacture HiFi in Japan. Clas-Göran Wanning was the person who designed the electronics in Sonab. He was stationed in Japan and jointly built Yamaha as a manufacturing company of HiFi for Sonab. So, Sonab,were the first HiFi products that Yamaha manufactured. Lars Lallerstedt was responsible for industrial design. When Sonab withdrew from HiFi, Yamaha had to take over laboratories and development department and Yamaha began to develop, manufacture, market and sell HiFi products under its own brand.

Sincerely
Peter"

faktiskt.io • Visa tråd - Var Stig inblandad i Sonabs elektronik?

Sonab:

"Stig Carlsson began designing speakers in the 1950s. In 1966 he founded the company Sonab. In the late 1960s, Sonab ended up in an acute economic crisis and was taken over in 1969 by state-owned companies. State-owned companies gave Stig Carlsson substantial research resources and after a couple of years, the 1970s series could be presented. In 1978,state enterprise shut down Sonab and all speaker production, this after losing one hundred million kronor by trying to manufacture and sell poorly developed mobile phones without a market. [Source needed].."

Sonab – Wikipedia

sv.wikipedia.org

carlsson story

 

[ZolaIII]

@DanielT exactly 50 years ago.

Cult Classics, Part 1: Vintage Yamaha Gear of the 1970s - Yamaha Music - Blog

The 1970s were considered the golden age of Hi-Fi. Learn more about vintage Yamaha hi-fi stereo equipment of the era.

hub.yamaha.com

Have fun!

 

[Golf]

Just read what you quote slowly.

Trust me – I did. And I still have my problems with your fourth word

 

[Power Pop 23]

To spare you from another topic this time around, I’ll ask a question pertaining to WiFi here.

As mentioned earlier, I need to stream somehow.

At some point I will probably buy a miniDSP Flex HT so as far as the streamer goes I am really only interested in one which I can use for Airplay from my iPhone and laptop.

There’s the WiiM which looks like a fine option for this purpose. Several models available to choose from. But how about Ethernet? How much is there to gain compared to WiFi?

My router will be sitting 2 meters, i.e. 6.5 feet, from the device.

I am uncertain how much there is to gain compared to WiFi. IF it not unsightly, I would connect your router to a WiiM device with an Ethernet jack for the reliability of a wired connection.

 

[JustJones]

To spare you from another topic this time around, I’ll ask a question pertaining to WiFi here.

As mentioned earlier, I need to stream somehow.

At some point I will probably buy a miniDSP Flex HT so as far as the streamer goes I am really only interested in one which I can use for Airplay from my iPhone and laptop.

There’s the WiiM which looks like a fine option for this purpose. Several models available to choose from. But how about Ethernet? How much is there to gain compared to WiFi?

My router will be sitting 2 meters, i.e. 6.5 feet, from the device.

At 2 meters WiFi shouldn't be a problem. If you have drop outs you could always run a cable and try to hide it best you can. Sound wise there's no difference, either way will do Airplay.

 

[kaffe]

Another question, this one pertaining to Dirac Live.

Can I use a laptop with Dirac Live as a proper alternative to a miniDSP Flex or the like?

 

[DanielT]

To spare you from another topic this time around, I’ll ask a question pertaining to WiFi here.

As mentioned earlier, I need to stream somehow.

At some point I will probably buy a miniDSP Flex HT so as far as the streamer goes I am really only interested in one which I can use for Airplay from my iPhone and laptop.

There’s the WiiM which looks like a fine option for this purpose. Several models available to choose from. But how about Ethernet? How much is there to gain compared to WiFi?

My router will be sitting 2 meters, i.e. 6.5 feet, from the device.

Spotify has a nice feature. You can remote control one device with another. That is, you leave a mobile phone, laptop or tablet connected to the amplifier, then you exchange songs with the other device. The best feature Spotify has.

 

[JustJones]

You can read about Dirac here. Yes it runs on computers.

Downloads - Dirac

Download Dirac Live on your computer or mobile and optimize your sound. Available on Android, iOS, Window, and MacOS.

www.dirac.com

 

[kaffe]

Spotify has a nice feature. You can remote control one device with another. That is, you leave a mobile phone, laptop or tablet connected to the amplifier, then you exchange songs with the other device. The best feature Spotify has.

Exactly this got me wondering if I can replace a miniDSP or something similar by using Dirac Live on my Laptop and then playing directly from the laptop via some USB cable. If that is a viable option I can even cut out the streamer too.