I suppose if I don't know I probably don't deserve to own this stuff but this is a dream system I've been trying to assemble since 1991. I just got a beautifully and gentally used NAD 7140 receiver to hook my Thorens 280 MkIV and little paradigm titans to. For the last 10 years they've been hooked to a NAD 312 integrated amp. She's been dreamy but limited my other component options as well as # of speakers.
so...the question...is there any reason to continue to use a intergrated amp? Would it defeat the purpose of the wonderful phono abilities of the 7140?
sorry if this is too junior for the forum. the 312 has been so good to me, if I can't use her, I want to give her to somebody who will.
if the 312 has more power than the 7140 and makes your Titans sound better, you could always hook it up to the 7140's pre-outs (assuming they have any).
I'm not real familiar with the RMS numbers on either the 7140 or 312, so you'll have to look that up and see.
If you try it and don't hear any difference, I'd eBay the 312.
thanks for the thoughts. The 312 plays those speakers well. fills my living room on just 1/4 of a turn. I think the 7140 is equally powerful if not more so. I guess I'm not sure what an integrated amp is for. I had like $300 to spend and had heard NAD had the best phono capabilities so the 312 was the only thing in my price range. are they normally sold not to stand alone but to add power a receiver?
again, dumb, I'm sure. I can't really play my stereo any louder than the 1/4 turn since I'm still apartment living. 1/2 way up the dial hurts the years and thumps the walls. So loud isn't my bag. I want warm and solid sound and the 312 has given me that. The 7140 will, too, so if louder is all hooking an integrated amp to a receiver gets me, I guess the 312 will be put to other uses.
Either or. There are benefits to having the processing and amplification stages seperated into different components. The best systems will typically have a seperate component for each stage of the process ie Pre-amp, processor, power amp, tuner, DAC, etc. A receiver contains all of the above and is typically aimed at the entry level user. The components are typically inferior to ones found in seperate component systems.
Looking at both units, my opinion is you will get the best sound by using the 312 to power your speakers plugged into the 7140's pre-outs (assuming it has them)
the only way to know is to do an AB comparison: 7140 alone, vs. 7140 with 312 hooked up to its pre-outs (assuming it has some). If you don't hear any difference then by all means keep the 7140.
I'd be curious as to what you find---please follow up.