Recommendation for Stereo amplifier

[SundarSarangi]

Hi Everyone, I am from Bangalore, India and I have purchased Wharfedale diamond 12.4 floorstanding speakers (30-200 watts at 8ohms).
This is my very first hifi setup looking for an amplifier to pair with the speakers and also please suggest DAC and streamer which I am planning to add later.
I am planning to get demo of Rotel A11 tribute but I feel 50 watts per channel would be less and my understanding is I cannot add a power amplifier with its pre out since it's not volume controlled. I got a demo with Rotel stereo integrated amplifier 1592, I liked the sound but it's out of budget.
Please recommend any good integrated amplifiers around $750.
And also if there are any integrated amplifier with good pre amplification stage so that I can add a power amplifier later.

 

[Doodski]

Yamaha. One word. Integrated amps are very nice.

 

[sanmateo]

I agree. I have the Yamaha A-S801 and couldn't be happier with it. I especially like the Loudness knob and other tone controls; I have used DSP in the past, but sometimes it nice to quickly adjust a physical control instead.

 

[Audionaut]

Take a WiiM Ultra and
an IOM amplifier for the WiiM Ultra

The IOM Ultra is special designed for the Wiim® Ultra

The IOM Ultra is a high-end stereo power amplifier. It's housed in a compact full aluminium chassis with trigger on/off control.

internetofmusic.nl

or, cheaper than the IOM, two Fosi V3 mono
or two Aiyima A70 mono
Then you have the complete package for your budget

 

[Overseas]

Must have, considering price and options: Wiim for streaming and Room Correction.
Why is 50w per channel not enough? How big is the room?
Go with Wiim amp.

 

[SundarSarangi]

Must have, considering price and options: Wiim for streaming and Room Correction.
Why is 50w per channel not enough? How big is the room?
Go with Wiim amp.

Thanks for your suggestion sure I can plan to add a wiim streamer. The room is around 200sqft but since it's a rented appartment I am looking for a provision to add power amplifier later if required and good to have an option.
I believe wiim is a class D amplifier I was looking for a class AB amplifier, but I can give it a try.

 

[Overseas]

You need Room Correction first... too good and to cheap with Wiim to miss.
Then depends on what amp or power amp you want then. I also recommend Yamaha.

 

[Overseas]

Alternative is Yamaha Rn... series, new or old, that includes Room Correction. Old Yamaha is Rn803d.

 

[Overseas]

50-60w for 200 sqft is absolutely enough.

 

[Overseas]

Best from all worlds, not exactly aligned to this forum view:
Wiim for streaming and ROOM CORRECTION
DAC - Topping E50 or choose Wiim Pro Plus
Yamaha As1100

 

[SundarSarangi]

Best from all worlds, not exactly aligned to this forum view:
Wiim for streaming and ROOM CORRECTION
DAC - Topping E50 or choose Wiim Pro Plus
Yamaha As1100

Thanks for the suggestion I can surely consider wiim streamer and topping DAC. Regarding Yamaha amplifier I got a chance to audition Yamaha RN 600 with Yamaha NS555 and NS777 tower speakers but I felt the sound bright and did not like it much that could be because of speakers as well. I can give a try with the Wharfedale speakers.

 

[Audionaut]

Thanks for the suggestion I can surely consider wiim streamer and topping DAC

You can do that, but why? The WiiM Ultra is a streamer, DAC, preamplifier and phono preamplifier in one.
Add to this the power amplifiers I suggested and you have a beautifully designed and powerful-sounding complete system for your 750 dollars that you can use straight away and no longer need to add to.

 

[SundarSarangi]

Using Wiim Ultra as streamer and pre amp would be ok I feel. But both Fosi and Aiyima are class D amplifier. I have never got a chance to audition class D power amplifier I can try to get a demo first. Thanks

 

[DVDdoug]

I believe wiim is a class D amplifier I was looking for a class AB amplifier, but I can give it a try.

You can't hear the class of an amplifier. I suspect the future will be mostly class-D if we're not there already. It requires more complicated circuitry but complicated chips are cheap. With class-D you can make a smaller, lighter, more energy-efficient amplifier and it's usually more economical, especially it you want higher power. A smaller amplifier often looks less impressive than a big class A/B amp!

FYI - Class-A isn't class-A because it's better... It's class-A because it came first before class A/B was invented and when it was cheaper because class A/B required an additional vacuum tube (or later one more transistor), adding cost. (Class C is not for audio.)

 

[Overseas]

From the dark subjectivist side of things, try to audition a Sabre Dac and Yamaha amp with Wharfedale.
I know, it is not scientific but it is not snake oil and it does not cost a kidney. Why NOT try, since all good amps and all good DACs do the same?

 

[DanielT]

Using Wiim Ultra as streamer and pre amp would be ok I feel. But both Fosi and Aiyima are class D amplifier. I have never got a chance to audition class D power amplifier I can try to get a demo first. Thanks

First, hello and welcome to ASR.

If I had chosen a small class D amp, I would have chosen one that is not load dependent, like this one:

3e Audio A5 Stereo Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the 3e Audio A5 Stereo class D amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $229.99. Despite its simplicity, the A5 has very well thought out features. Clipping indicators are provided for each channel. And selection of inputs is made...

audiosciencereview.com

It has enough power, (92 watts into 4 Ohms, 62 watts into 8 Ohms, with the power supply Amir tested it with) for your Wharfedale diamond 12.4. That if we assume that Wharfedale's information about 89 dB sensitivity is correct. Even with slightly lower sensitivity speakers and if you don't play at super high volume, 3e Audio A5 power is enough.

Edit:
The fact that I mentioned whether the sensitivity is correct is due to the fact that the manufacturer can, for example, choose to take a peak in the FR and say that it is the speaker's sensitivity. Or whatever they base their information on. For example:

Sensitivity (2.83v @1m) 90dB

LINTON Heritage - WHARFEDALE

www.wharfedale.co.uk

Whereas if one starts from a more fair account of the sensitivity, an average value, it becomes:

Sensitivity is about 85dB @ 2.83v/1m.

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speaker Review

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Review

www.erinsaudiocorner.com

Wharfedale is not unique in its way of reporting some happy numbers regarding sensitivity. So do many other manufacturers. Klipsch are known for their over-the-top sensitivity numbers, see here:

Speaker Sensitivity: Advertised vs Measured

Speaker sensitivity is an important aspect that can sway potential buyers towards or away from a specific model or brand. Thus, it gives an incentive for manufacturers to fudge their numbers; this fudging can be accomplished via the frequency range, weighting, in-room estimates, etc. I decided...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Overseas]

The man already got his speakers.

 

[DanielT]

The man already got his speakers.

I know. I don't see any tests done on the Wharfedale diamond 12.4 so I brought up the Wharfedale Linton 85th just to show an example of the phenomenon of exaggerated sensitivity numbers.

Edit:
I don't know how it is with the Wharfedale diamond 12.4, but I had in any case assumed that they have a sensitivity of let's say 86dB if I chose how much amp power I matched them with. That's in order to have amp power headroom, so to speak.

Then I should add that if SundarSarangi plays mostly at low to modest normal volume (60dB-75dB), then for example 3e Audio A5 power is enough, regardless of whether the speakers have 86dB or 89dB sensitivity.