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if your needs are for a one room solution you could start a new thread asking for recommendations based on your actual needs... you might get some useful tips.
Those are my needs. One room. Two bookies. Bluetooth and tv connection. Reckon I'd be happy with just about any options or is there a under $500 leader in this space?
Those are my needs. One room. Two bookies. Bluetooth and tv connection. Reckon I'd be happy with just about any options or is there a under $500 leader in this space?
Heard Denon has decent punch but can lag on dynamics and music can sound a bit hollow. However, that's from audiophiles who I'm learning are pretty picky.
For example I listened to the B&W 606 S3 in store the other day after reading it needed a sub and was super bright. Didn't sense any lack of punch or overt brightness. Did prefer the Dali Oberon 3 though for a fuller sound.
I'm either driving a Monitor Audio Bronze 50, Dali Oberon 3 or Focal Theva at this point.
Heard Denon has decent punch but can lag on dynamics and music can sound a bit hollow. However, that's from audiophiles who I'm learning are pretty picky.
For example I listened to the B&W 606 S3 in store the other day after reading it needed a sub and was super bright. Didn't sense any lack of punch or overt brightness. Did prefer the Dali Oberon 3 though for a fuller sound.
I'm either driving a Monitor Audio Bronze 50, Dali Oberon 3 or Focal Theva at this point.
Heard Denon has decent punch but can lag on dynamics and music can sound a bit hollow. However, that's from audiophiles who I'm learning are pretty picky.
Not my fav review site (prefer user reviews, read over months, leading me to total confusion and making my original choice before I started researching) that being said What Hi-fi have em 3 stars. Those sites struggle rating anything below 4 stars so whenever I see a site like that go below I figure it must be problematic in some way.
But as a teenager I always came across Denon amps and think they are cool
EDIT - note - this is a review thread for the power node. The mods ask us not to take these threads off topic. If you want to discuss your streamer choice further, please start a completely new thread here:
Both good choices. From an audio standpoint, you will not be able to tell them apart (nor will anyone else, and like pretty much all modern digital sources**).
This makes the choice much easier because you can base it on other factors.
Features
Price
Brand reputation
Your perception of quality or reliability.
Etc.
Personally I'd be leaning towards the WIim ultra for price reasons - and the room EQ feature being included. Though if you need Airplay, that is not supported.
** Another example of typical audiophiles being wrong.
That makes plenty of sense. But still the propensity to crap on a product, say there are better options and then not say what they are is probably the 3rd most common and annoying habit in this hobby.
That being said. First day here and I'm complaining which is #2 so I do apologise.
My Powernode broke right after the warranty period, the power supply needed replacement, it was an expensive repair for an already overpriced unit. That said, I like it for what it is, sounds good enough for my small bedroom, easy to operate, if the price were 1/2 it would be a great deal.
My Powernode broke right after the warranty period, the power supply needed replacement, it was an expensive repair for an already overpriced unit. That said, I like it for what it is, sounds good enough for my small bedroom, easy to operate, if the price were 1/2 it would be a great deal.
This came out right after my purchase of the regular Powernode, but it is also 1/2 the power. I am going to hazard a guess that they figured out the original model gets too hot so they reduced the output power. Maybe too many transformer failures, like my unit?
I registered here just to drop my opinion in as this thread nearly put me off purchasing one of these amps, when it really shouldn’t have.
Firstly, I’m driving a pair of Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers. Had a NAD D 3020 driving these. Loved the sound but wanted something with more modern streaming ability and multiroom.
Purchased a WiiM Amp Pro to replace the NAD. Based on reviews, particularly here on ASR it comes up very favourably. Sounded uncontrolled at the bottom end and top end lacked clarity. Poor separation to my ears. Tried adding a sub to help the low end (Q Acoustics 3060S). Did the ‘room correction’. Spent hours trying to get it to sound good. Gave up.
Switched to the Bluesound Powernode N330. Totally different sound. Immediately way better sound. Fixed all the things I’d lost going from the NAD to the WiiM. Much happier.
This all makes me very skeptical of the measurements here. Beyond a certain point I just don’t believe the human ear can tell the difference, hence an amp can measure poorly but still sound great.
I registered here just to drop my opinion in as this thread nearly put me off purchasing one of these amps, when it really shouldn’t have.
Firstly, I’m driving a pair of Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers. Had a NAD D 3020 driving these. Loved the sound but wanted something with more modern streaming ability and multiroom.
Purchased a WiiM Amp Pro to replace the NAD. Based on reviews, particularly here on ASR it comes up very favourably. Sounded uncontrolled at the bottom end and top end lacked clarity. Poor separation to my ears. Tried adding a sub to help the low end (Q Acoustics 3060S). Did the ‘room correction’. Spent hours trying to get it to sound good. Gave up.
Switched to the Bluesound Powernode N330. Totally different sound. Immediately way better sound. Fixed all the things I’d lost going from the NAD to the WiiM. Much happier.
This all makes me very skeptical of the measurements here. Beyond a certain point I just don’t believe the human ear can tell the difference, hence an amp can measure poorly but still sound great.
Hey, you have the right to your totally subjective experience and beliefs, but that doesn't mean anybody has to believe you. This just has a lot of distortion and costs a lot of money for what you get.
SINAD in the 70s with lots of distortion? I think that will make the music feel muddy.
But it isn't horrible. You should go listen to an Ayre Codex and give your thoughts.
I registered here just to drop my opinion in as this thread nearly put me off purchasing one of these amps, when it really shouldn’t have.
Firstly, I’m driving a pair of Q Acoustics Concept 20 speakers. Had a NAD D 3020 driving these. Loved the sound but wanted something with more modern streaming ability and multiroom.
Purchased a WiiM Amp Pro to replace the NAD. Based on reviews, particularly here on ASR it comes up very favourably. Sounded uncontrolled at the bottom end and top end lacked clarity. Poor separation to my ears. Tried adding a sub to help the low end (Q Acoustics 3060S). Did the ‘room correction’. Spent hours trying to get it to sound good. Gave up.
Switched to the Bluesound Powernode N330. Totally different sound. Immediately way better sound. Fixed all the things I’d lost going from the NAD to the WiiM. Much happier.
This all makes me very skeptical of the measurements here. Beyond a certain point I just don’t believe the human ear can tell the difference, hence an amp can measure poorly but still sound great.
Not sure anyone claims otherwise...
As far as I am concerned, I would not say the opposite.
One of my favourite headphones, the Hifiman Anada Nano has decent FR but HORRIBLE distorsion.
I am not able to hear it...
So despite the sub par measurements I claim I LIKE IT.
Not that IT IS THE BEST... Measurements do not lie.
