Stereo amplifier suggestions

[Jase 1975]

Hi all
I am a newbie here so any suggestion for a new stereo amp would be great

Current set up
Merantz cinema 70
A6 music streamer
Dali oberon5
Dali vocal
Dali rears
Svs sub

I am looking for a stereo amp . I don't want second hand . Just new
It will be conected to my merantz cinema 70 . So something with a bit more watts than the cinema 70. Only the a6 will be conected to the new amp And maybe a dac in the future . I don't use headphones.
Budget around £ 2000
Was thinking about audiolab 9000a
But would love other suggestions to try out before I buy
Thanks j

 

[Mart68]

The Audiolab has 100 watts, the Marantz has 50. So Audiolab will go 3dB louder. Which is just a bit louder. If you really need more watts look for something with 500 or a 1000. Otherwise it isn't really worth spending £2k.

 

[JeremyFife]

Hi, and welcome

What's the problem with your Marantz?
Not loud enough ( how loud do you listen, and how far are you from the speakers?), sound distorting/clipping?

If you want "something different" about the sound then an amplifier change may not be the way to go.

Do you just feel like a change?

 

[Jase 1975]

The merantz is an av not a stereo amp .
I belive to get the better sound then a stereo amp is the way to go but I could be wrong as am new to this .and yes I do like to crank the music up some what .
I am about 3 meters from the floor standing speakers .no distorting .
Clipping I am not sure what u mean
In the near future. I am planning on using 2 seperate setups
Ie . The merantz cinema plus the dali speakers I mentioned for.movies

Then the stero amp plus the a6 streamer
And new floor standing speakers and maybe a dac just for music

But for the minute I am just adding the amp untill founds permit for the second set up

 

[Jase 1975]

The Audiolab has 100 watts, the Marantz has 50. So Audiolab will go 3dB louder. Which is just a bit louder. If you really need more watts look for something with 500 or a 1000. Otherwise it isn't really worth spending £2k.

My priority is more about the sound quality.

 

[Mart68]

My priority is more about the sound quality.

Understood. But assuming both amps are happy with the load offered by the speakers, they will sound identical unless one is run into clipping.

 

[frodaddi]

If you prefer to use a separate system for two channel, but still want to use the same speakers with your AVR, you might look for an integrated amp with home theater bypass (sometimes called pass through).

The way it works is you run 12v trigger and L/R pre out from the AVR to the integrated, then the integrated runs the fronts for the AVR for home theater duty, and operates as an integrated for two channel.

I do this with a McIntosh MA8950 and a budget Yamaha AVR. Works a treat. There are plenty of integrateds to choose from which have this feature.

 

[Jase 1975]

Thanks for the replys . But nobody has offered any suggestions on what amps to try out for my 2k budget

 

[DVDdoug]

Sorry, but I can't recommend an amp either.

My priority is more about the sound quality.

There should be no difference in sound quality. If there is a difference/defect it's usually noise (hum, hiss or whine in the background).
All active analog electronics generate SOME noise and sometimes it's audible. The only two other sound quality characteristics in electronics are frequency response and distortion, and these are almost always better than human hearing unless you over-drive the amplifier into distortion (Clipping).

With speakers and room acoustics there are a few other things that affect sound quality and different speakers ALWAYS make a difference (better or worse).

See Audiophoolery for more information about what really affects/defines sound quality.

 

[Ron Texas]

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/audiophonics-mpa-s250nc-amp-review.45306/

 

[JeremyFife]

Thanks for the replys . But nobody has offered any suggestions on what amps to try out for my 2k budget

That's because you say that you want an improvement in sound quality, and a new amplifier won't give you that.

Take a look at the review index here for recommended amplifiers in your price range - there are plenty.

Or, take a little time to understand your system in your room. Measure if you can. DSP/EQ will be the biggest thing you can do to improve your sound, followed by a speaker upgrade.

If you just need more power (higher SPL without distortion) then fair enough.

Also worth considering: replace your Marantz with a more powerful AVR with good room correction and just use that.

 

[pogo]

NAD C399

 

[Jase 1975]

That's because you say that you want an improvement in sound quality, and a new amplifier won't give you that.

Take a look at the review index here for recommended amplifiers in your price range - there are plenty.

Or, take a little time to understand your system in your room. Measure if you can. DSP/EQ will be the biggest thing you can do to improve your sound, followed by a speaker upgrade.

If you just need more power (higher SPL without distortion) then fair enough.

Also worth considering: replace your Marantz with a more powerful AVR with good room correction and just use that.

So a stereo amplifier is not going to offer better sound than a home theater amp ?

 

[Jase 1975]

So a stereo amplifier is not going to offer better sound than a home theater amp ?

I find that very strange .but I am a new to all of this

 

[Jase 1975]

That's because you say that you want an improvement in sound quality, and a new amplifier won't give you that.

Take a look at the review index here for recommended amplifiers in your price range - there are plenty.

Or, take a little time to understand your system in your room. Measure if you can. DSP/EQ will be the biggest thing you can do to improve your sound, followed by a speaker upgrade.

If you just need more power (higher SPL without distortion) then fair enough.

Also worth considering: replace your Marantz with a more powerful AVR with good room correction and just use that.

So why do people add stereo amps to there system using ht bypass if they don't want a better sound for there music .

 

[voodooless]

So why do people add stereo amps to there system using ht bypass if they don't want a better sound for there music .

What they want, and what they think they get and what they actually get are three different things

The only viable reason to add an external amp is for adding high power. If you don’t need that, it’s rather pointless.

Anyway, sound quality wise, the biggest gain can probably be had by using Dirac Live or Audyssey. If you bypass the Marantz, you won’t get this anymore.

 

[Mr. Widget]

So a stereo amplifier is not going to offer better sound than a home theater amp ?

A new amp, "may" sound better, but it is quite likely that it will also sound the same. An amplifier's "sound" is a function of the speakers. Depending on the load your speakers present to the amplifier, the response of a power amp may deviate from a linear response or be current limited in parts of the spectrum.

Regardless of all of the poetic writing in most audiophile reviews, typically the differences between various amplifiers' sonic characteristics is extremely subtle or nonexistent. That isn't to say that there are no differences, but it is case dependent. There are certain speaker/amplifier combinations that are definitely less successful than others, but without knowing a lot more about your speakers and the amplifiers you may be interested in, it is difficult to make an informed recommendation.

 

[voodooless]

but without knowing a lot more about your speakers and the amplifiers you may be interested in, it is difficult to make an informed recommendation.

The Dalis aren’t particularly difficult to drive. The chances another amp would sound different are very slim unless you buy something either exotic or broke (or both )

 

[Mr. Widget]

The only viable reason to add an external amp is for adding high power. If you don’t need that, it’s rather pointless.

Anyway, sound quality wise, the biggest gain can probably be had by using Dirac Live or Audyssey. If you bypass the Marantz, you won’t get this anymore.

I would suggest that the vast majority of AVRs have undersized power supplies and many users are likely driving them beyond their linear operating region.

Except for the very least expensive AVRs, as long as you have line outputs, you can still use your AVR's room correction DSP and send the processed signal to an outboard amp.

 

[Mr. Widget]

The Dalis aren’t particularly difficult to drive. The chances another amp would sound different are very slim unless you buy something either exotic or broke (or both )

I'm not familiar with them and assume you are right... these days this is true of most well designed speakers.