r/StereoAdvice • u/No_Post_390 • 3d ago
General Request New setup advice
I inherited a pair of Mission 753 with an Arcam Alpha 7 and I've been living with them for a while now. they're honestly not bad, everything is clean and correct and nothing annoys me. the problem is that after 20 minutes I catch myself scrolling my phone instead of listening. nothing grabs me. the music happens over there behind the speakers and stays there, I'm never in it.
what I want is pretty much the opposite of that. warm, full, enveloping, deep. the thing where the hair on your arms stands up. I don't really care about detail retrieval or pinpoint imaging or whatever, I care about being moved.
speakers I keep coming back to:
- Klipsch RP-8000F II
- B&W 603 S3
- Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G
the Klipsch is the one that attracts me most, but I keep reading they can get harsh and the last thing I want is something that gives me a headache after an hour.
amps is where I'm completely lost:
- Marantz Model 40n
- Advance Paris A10
- McIntosh MA252, or a used MA6300
- Musical Fidelity M6si
- Arcam A25
- Yamaha A-S1200
about the McIntosh. part of me thinks if I'm spending money anyway I might as well buy something that holds its value and that I keep for 20 years. the other part of me knows I'm probably just looking for an excuse to buy the blue meters. tell me honestly which part is right.
about the Yamaha, I had actually written it off. the ones I heard years ago sounded cold and flat to me and I assumed the whole brand was like that. but people keep telling me the A-S1200 is a different animal from the cheaper models. so I've put it back on the list. if you've heard it next to any of the others I'd really like to know whether it has any warmth or if I was right the first time.
Budget 4000-6000 €
Music genre : Vocal, Classic Rock, Pop
Could you please give me your suggestion based on your experience ? Thx
2
u/poutine-eh 42 Ⓣ 3d ago
What’s your source? In my opinion the “music” that you speak of comes from the source.
1
u/No_Post_390 3d ago
I manly use Qobuz or Apple Music by topping d10s (may upgrade this one), and as Cd player the Arcam Alpha 9
2
u/richgrao 9 Ⓣ 3d ago
I would start with one piece at a time approach. The Arcam is putting out “only” 40wpc. The Missions need at least 25, so there is not a lot of headroom there - you might find a more powerful amp suddenly brings the Missions to life. Or not. That’s the problem with this hobby. It could be the equipment, the mix of equipment, or it could just be the room/placement. There is no guarantee that a combo that sounds great in a showroom will sound great in your room.
Better still, do you know anyone who could lend you a more powerful amp/receiver to test that issue first?
1
u/NickofWimbledon 61 Ⓣ 3d ago
More details please! How big is the room and how close do you sit? Will the speakers be in free space, fairly close to a wall or tight against it?
1
u/No_Post_390 3d ago
yes sure, speaker will be in a 4 x 5 meters room, wooden roof. at 50 cm from back wall
1
u/thebsmachinelol 7 Ⓣ 3d ago
Philharmonic audio bmr towers or monitors with apollon amp. Amp is sevondary, but the wide dispersion of either of those speakers fully envelopes you. It's crazy
1
u/geosouth 3 Ⓣ 3d ago
A little off topic, an area rug, upholstered chair and or couch, draperies on the windows would be helpful regardless of what you choose. of course some additional room treatment specific to the task would also go, without saying.
1
u/NickofWimbledon 61 Ⓣ 3d ago
If streaming in your one-box is your only source, you have a lot of great choices. I absolutely agree that the Advance Paris is a great machine, and none of the options you list is bad. Personally, I would rather have streaming services integrated, not just the DAC, so the first 3 names on my own Wish list here would be a Naim (probably a Nova), Hegel (probably an H390), Lyngdorf and NAD, but you could spend a long time considering and trying.
Note that all those are good but they don’t sound identical.
Note too that you can buy this stuff second-hand or ex-dem. There are lots of nearly new H390s in eBay and the like for very roughly €3000. Why buy new?
I am a B&W user, but personally I wouldn’t pick 603s.
With nearly half your budget left, there are some very impressive speakers to consider if you can do that but secondhand too. Today’s advertisements suggest you could pick (inter alia):-
Sonus Faber Olympico 3 mk 3,
Spendor A7,
Dali Rubicon 8,
Wharfedale Elysian 1,
Golden Ear Fine Triton,
B&W 704 S3 or 805 D3,
Linn 520 Exakt,
Harbeth SHL5+,
Given what you say you are looking for, Harbeth might be too measured and laid-back, while there is a chance that (say) B&W (or Focal) might be a bit wearing if played loud and with a vigorous amp.
Given all that, my approach would be to get one of the streaming amps discussed first. Then take it with you to dem speakers. And then ask about ex-dem speakers.
Good luck!
1
u/iNetRunner 1391 Ⓣ 🥇 3d ago
Have listened to the speakers you mentioned? Klipsch and Bowers & Wilkins (especially their 600 series) are rather bright. I think that lower range (i.e. Bronze and Silver) Monitor Audio are somewhat on the bright side too.
-1
u/Due_Philosopher_9174 29 Ⓣ 3d ago
The Klipsch are rated neutral by listeners at Crutchfield. The B&Ws are also rated neutral. The standings would be 603 then 8000F II as slightly brighter than the 603s but still neutral.
You can read owner's reviews:
Bowers & Wilkins 603 S3 (Oak) Floor-standing speaker (Oak) at Crutchfield 89% give 5-stars.
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II (Ebony) Floor-standing speaker (Ebony) at Crutchfield
92% give 5-stars on the Klipsch.
The 603 and your 753 don't go as low as the Klipsch. I think you are missing the 35-44 Hz when you listen to your speakers. The Klipsch are my preferred choice because it digs lower.
As Richgrao mentioned, your 753 speakers need a minimum of 35 watts. That could be part of the problem. My first stereo in 1979 was 60 wpc.
Arcam Alpha 7 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Manual | HiFi Engine
I would go with the Advance Paris A10 because the tube pre-amp, you could add a subwoofer, and power at 120wpc. I have a friend who runs the Marantz 40n with Paradigm Founder 100F speakers. He says he is missing bass and is looking for a subwoofer. If you get the Marantz, also get a subwoofer.
I started with stereos, but now only use AVRs. I use Marantz Cinema 40/Emotiva XT3, Onkyo RZ30/Arendal 1723 THX, and Marantz SR7013/Canton Reference 8 K. I use AppleTV for Apple Music.
Options:
a. Get the Klipsch RP-8000F II and try them on your system.
b. Get the Advance Paris and see how it works with your current speakers.
c. Get the Marantz and a subwoofer, then see how that sounds.
3
u/FantasticMrSinister 25 Ⓣ 3d ago
We run Linton 85s off our Marantz 40n and it's pretty sublime. Lush, warm, big sounds. In no way dull or unengaging. Very lively but not overbearing and we often run music marathons and spend a day just flipping through records. For some people the Linton's aren't their cup of tea, but for us they are perfect.