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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-11 | This is an integrated amp I bought years ago to play vinyl. It was paired with a Dual CS5000 turntable and Spica speakers, for a very nice budget audio system. I must have had a terrible power surge because the amp was not used for years but was kept plugged in. The next time I went to turn it on, it was completely dead. It's now in the shop and I'm told the power supply MOSFETs need replacing at a cost of approximately $350. Is it worth spending the money to have the work done? I understand that almost all new reasonably priced integrated amps or receivers lack phono stages these days. If I got the work done, I'd know the history of the amp and would have confidence that it wouldn't die immediately, which is a thought when buying used equipment on places like ebay. Advice, please. |
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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 2 Registered: Dec-11 | I should add that I listen almost exclusively to classical music so volume isn't important. Along with the Spicas I also have a very small set of KEF C15s which put out plenty of volume. Not sure of the ohms of either the Spicas or the KEFs. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 15107 Registered: Feb-05 | I would look at a new amp. There may still be some Rega Brio 3's available as the model has been replaced and it has a nice phono stage. Wouldn't cost much more than the repair of your NAD. It doesn't have a remote however. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4506 Registered: May-05 | I'd get a new one too. Even if everything gets fixed right and everything's all fine and good, what's going to need replacement in a few months? Things fill fail, and how many times will it be feasible to fix it? If you really like the sound of the 314 (I had a 304 and loved it), maybe look into a current lower end NAD? The 326BEE is an excellent integrated for the money. You'd need an external phono stage, but there are some excellent ones out there for not too much money. NAD makes one, but there's better ones for about the same money. What you should look into depends on your budget. The Rega integrateds are an excellent recommendation. There also Cambridge and a few others. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 15114 Registered: Feb-05 | Stu is right there are a bunch of great sounding integrated amps at budget prices now. Very few have onboard phono preamps but most companies make reasonably priced external ones. NAD has the PP2, Cambridge the 540P and 640P and so on. I'm listening to an NAD C326BEE as I type this and it's hard for me to believe that you can do better for the money but everyone hears differently. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17039 Registered: May-04 | . I would never repair a component which has been hit by a few thousand Volts of lightning. If that is the cause of the power surge, I'd forget about this amp ever working again. If this was just a surge through the AC lines, I'd say you might want to have the amp repaired, but why? The amp is old enough that other problems will eventually show up. It's likely the surge didn't actually stop at the power supply, just that the ps took the brunt of the damage. The tech might find more damage once they get the ps repaired and the amp in better shape to troubleshoot. You could easily find yourself in a constant state of having to put money into this amp when that same money could be going to a new amp with a warranty - and a good surge protector. Learn your lesson with this unit and move on. Buy an outboard phono pre amp and either a Panamax or Furman line conditioner/surge protector to go with your new amplifier. . |
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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 3 Registered: Dec-11 | The Cambridge Topaz AM 10 integrated amp has a dedicated phono stage and is available at no more than the repairs to the NAD. Would that be a decent option, given my financial situation? Would the sound quality be acceptable for classical/easy listening type music, including opera? I've also found the Maranz PM5004 with a phono stage which gets an excellent review from Stereophile. However, they don't seem to have listened to opera through it. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17040 Registered: May-04 | . Twenty years on from the purchase of the NAD, the Cambridge would be a good partner to the Spicas. Where the NAD was soft on the edges, the Cambridge is cleaner and much faster IMO. You should perceive sounds the Spicas are certainly capable of producing with the correct associated gear. However, upgrading to a modern amplifier might also require more up to date source components. The Dual is fine if that is still in use. What about your cartridge and CD player? What are you using now? Are your Spicas on stands? Or, do you own a pair of Angelus? . |
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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 4 Registered: Dec-11 | TC50 Spicas are on tall metal stands that have as the only connection point a set of spikes. Cartridge I THINK is a Linn, but I cannot find the box from the early 90s. I remember buying one. I did find a box for a Music and Sound Imports Econo Coil. Box is empty and I haven't taken the cartridge off the arm to see (if the information is there) just which of the cartridges it is. I also have a 72 rpm cartridge that was a Shure (I think). I just did an internet search and I must have bought the Linn Basik. But if they made a lower price point cartridge, that's probably the one I got. I do think the cartridge on the arm must be the Econo Coil. This stuff is all so old and hasn't been in use for years. I definitely need a new CD player--one that is relatively good and relatively cheap. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 15131 Registered: Feb-05 | The Cambridge would be a fine piece, I think. Their dedicated phono pre amps are quite respectable for reasonable money so there is no reason to believe that the one in their integrated is poor. I really don't like the Marantz option. The CD player in the same series, though decent, is not as musical in the sense that it doesn't make sense of the timing cues that are so important in music. Good luck on your search and if Jan has continued advice it's a good thing to listen as she knows of what she speaks. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17042 Registered: May-04 | . I thought I read in another thread that several of the Cambridge components are on sale right now. Posssibly someone can direct you to a retailer who could help you out on price. And, while I wouldn't suggest you repair your vintage NAD, you might look through a reputable site for something pre-owned; http://www.audiogon.com/ or http://www.audioclassics.com/ There are also retailers who specialize in "B" stock and refurbished gear; http://m.spearitsound.com/content.cgi The TC50's are a very benign impedance load for any amplifier and their average sensitivity means they will play well with about 15 watts minimum. They do respond to the stand you use and just filling the stand with sand - if possible - to add some mass and dampen the resonances will be heard as a more solid musical presentation. Spiking the stand to the floor will also make for a cleaner, more lucid sound with greater intelligibility to nuances and inflections in individual performances. Opera is no different than any other music in that everyone in the Western style still relies on the same scales and theories. If you're interest is truly acoustic styles of music, you are interested in hearing timbre and tone with accuracy. Realistic spaces are important as a performer walks across a stage or responds across the stage width. I agree a review which states you should prefer one component simply because at exactly 1'35" into track three of a disc you don't own and don't care to own the piano soundly slightly more "metalic" than through another component is of no use what so ever. That's the fault of the reviewer and not the component. If you can glean from the writing that the component performs its duties in those basic areas you find atractive, say, vocal neutrality, musical flow and momentum, pacing and dynamic control, then opera should pose no problems over any good jazz or string quartet. Phono cartridges do not wear out internally, The stylus will need to be replaced on occasion. However, cartridges do grow old in their sound quality. The Linn cartridge wouldn't have been the best mechanical pairing for the Dual's low mass tonearm and you could probably find a more suitable replacement with a more "modern" sound in something more like the lower priced Ortofons; http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store/Budget-Phono-Cartridges?sort1desc=F&sor t1=Item_ONLINECUSTOMERPRICE Looking at that page there are several good options under $100. You will need your Dual alignment gauge to install a new cartridge though. As to CD players, I would begin by sticking close to whichever brand of amplifier you select. The system can be no better than the source player allows; whatever it leaves out cannot be replaced by the components downstream and whatever distortions it adds can only be amplified by those downstream pieces. You might check the "CD players" portion of the forum for more specific advice on which lines and models might be workable on your budget. Finally, if you haven't updated your cables in the last twenty years, they should be on your list of updates also. IMO AudioQuest and Kimber have always repesented good value in their lower end offerings. For speaker cable, you really can't beat going to Home Depot and buying one of their orange outdoor extension cords. Cut off the plugs, strip back the outer insulation and wire up just the white and black conductors after giving them a good twist to make sure there are no loose ends. This makes for a very musically relaxed and surprisingly neutral speaker cable at a bargain basement price. A free upgrade is available in proper speaker set up; http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/speakerplacement.html Here's my favorite technique for improving the overall sound of virtually any system in any room; http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/waspe.html And "finally, finally", I wouldn't want to leave you thinking you have to spend vast sums of money to arrive at a musically enjoyable system. One alternative to the more typical grey/black boxes which do only a moderately good job at amplifying music would be the current crop of T amps. This unit has two inputs though you'd need an outboard phono pre amp; http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=310-322 IMO these small chip amps defy all expectations when it comes to sound quality; https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/reviews/209464.html They've done a good job of rearranging many listener's expectations regarding how much good sound should cost. I would add Parts Express is a very good retailer. You can audition any of their amplifiers in your home and, if you feel they don't suit your needs, they will do a no questions asked return. Outboard phono pre amps are not expensive and, depending on your situation, could be added at a later date. The Belari here is a bit pricey but outstanding in all respects; http://www.musicdirect.com/c-531-phono-preamps.aspx?sortfield=Price&sortdirectio n=ASC&perpage=24&BrandFilterID=0& https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/698681.html . |
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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 5 Registered: Dec-11 | I'm feeling really dumb now. In my day, you could have a separate power amp and pre amp (with phono stage), or go with an integrated amp with phono stage built in. Did the pre amp have any other function other than the phono stage and switching between line level inputs? What I'm now wondering is what purpose a modern integrated amp without phono stage serves other than switching besides the amp function. And whether I could use a pure amp with direct inputs to, say, a CD Player, add a phono preamp and not need the preamp stage of an integrated? I was looking at the T Amps, and they do look like just what I would need. But I certainly could never build my own amp. I know I had a set of really good headphones that I think had a separate amplifier or pre amp. They were Stax SR30 earspeakers, and I've still got them but have no idea how they would work with today's equipment. I bought all this stuff from George Merrill in Memphis and if he said it was good for the price, I bought it. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17043 Registered: May-04 | . A "pre amp" is a component placed in the system after the source components' outputs but before the power amplifier's main inputs. Power amplifiers often have what would be called a "pre amp circuit" which simply sits at the front of the power amp's inputs and "makes ready" you might say the incoming signal to be handled properly by the next gain stages of the power amp. In most cases a "pre amp" as a separate component provides the user a convenient source of control over the system's functions. It may or may not have gain circuits which, should they be included, would be used to step up the small voltage output of a low level source such as a tape head or phono cartridge. Should the phono cartridge be of the low output moving coil type, there might even be a "pre-pre amp" used to add more gain to the extremely low voltage output of such a cartridge before it reaches the phono "pre amp". But in truth, a pre amp should more typically be called a "control amp" in that it is the most likely component to provide the basic functions of switching between inputs, directing the flow of signal from one component to another, adjusting volume and balance along with any tone controls or eq and possibly adding filters or signal shaping circuits. Until the coming of CD most pre amps served primarily as phono pre amps with the ability to also switch to components such as tuner or tape. Most reviews of pre amps in the 1970's wouldn't have even mentioned the line level inputs for a tape deck and the focus would have been almost exclusively on the performance of the phono pre amp section of the component. With CD's entry into the market many pre amps are now just switching between higher voltage "line level" inputs which do not require any additional gain circuits. Most CD players have sufficient amounts of output voltage to drive a power amp to full wattage output but they lack the ability to control the volume at anything other than full output levels. Many straight power amps likewise lack "gain" or volume controls. Since LP is now a secondary or even non-existent source for many listeners, many pre amps no longer have phono pre amps included. The terminology of "pre amp" remains intact though many of these components have little more than a volume control in line with the outputs of the CD player. In a component such as the T amps, the volume control alone serves as what is known today as a "passive pre amp" in that there are no active circuits in line. As most power amps can be run directly off the outputs of a CD player and see sufficient voltage from the player to reach full power, all that's really required is a convenient method for trimming the levels in front of the power amp's inputs. So, yes, you could use a CD player directly into the inputs of a power amp - if you provide a way to control the voltage levels to the amp's inputs and, therefore, the total wattage going to the speakers. There are a few disadvantages to this sort of set up however. A pre amp with "active" circuits will typically provide "buffer" circuits at the inputs and outputs of the component's signal chain. These circuits maintain a constant impedance load to the input and output of the pre amp. Without these buffers - as in the case of the passive volume controls in the T amps - the output of the CD player will see a constantly changing input impedance to the "pre amp" which will be based upon the position of the volume control at any moment. Additionally, the power amp will see the same impedance changes at its inputs (or the pre amp's outputs). This means, in sonic terms, the impedance loading of the component will be best within a certain range of the volume control and "wrong" at all other positions. To some extent the frequency response and dynamic capacity of the system might be slightly altered should you select a volume control position outside of this "ideal" impedance loading position. The effects of this imbalance can be reduced by proper selection of the volume control and the power amp's input impedance on the part of the integrated amp's designer or the user of separate components. Also just how much you will notice this as a detriment to sound quality is up to you to decide. Many listeners using active pre amps will contend there is only one correct volume level for any piece of music - the same intensity level you would experience in a live performance. Not many of us use our systems in that fashion and we don't find the problems of lower volumes to be a deal breaker. If you opt for a passive pre amp though, you will need to use cables which have a relatively low impedance. Most especially you will require a low capacitance per meter length. Most cables sold to consumer audio users should be fine for this application though you will need to keep the total length of the all interconnects to no more than 1.5 meters. While speaker cables can run for tens of feet, this restriction on system lay out to minimze interconnect length can be a problem at times for anyone using a passive pre amp. I use a T amp in my main system along with my McIntosh tube amps and I have no problems with the interconnect restrictions or the volume control position. I would say most users would find themself in a similar situation. Due to the simplicity of the T amps and the use of short signal paths switching more than one or two inputs is normally the most restrictive aspect of their design since most "audiophile" pre amps today also lack tone controls. An in line equalizer could be added to a T amp but that would seem IMO to defeat the purpose of the short-as-possible signal path found in such components. "What I'm now wondering is what purpose a modern integrated amp without phono stage serves other than switching besides the amp function." In a sense there is no good answer to your question. Certainly, an active pre amp should include those afore mentioned input and output buffers in the signal path. This will add some small degree of flexibility to the use of the component. You might expect a good pre amp to filter out any DC voltage component which might be leaking through the outputs of the CD player but, in a well designed and executed player, this shouldn't be a problem in the first place. The "sound" of each line level pre amp then depends largely on the selection of the passive parts and their lay out. Capacitors and resistors do affect the sound of a component as will the connectors used on the back panel. How well the component handles the signal while it is passing through the circuits of the pre amp would possibly be affected by the demands of the music on the power supply of the component as all gain stages - amplifiers - are nothing more than modulated power supplies. So while a line level pre amp doesn't have to concern itself with functions such as RIAA equalization as would a phono pre amp, the sonic signature of each pre amp - and, therefore, each integrated amp - will be dependent on the manufacturer to decide. Cambridge's house sound is slightly different than is NAD's which would be unlike Marantz's and so on down the line of manufacturers. How different? Since I don't have your ears, I can't tell you but most astute listeners will detect some differences in manuafacturer's lines. If you intend to use your turntable, you'll still need that phono pre amp. Otherwise, for just a CD player, if you had a power amp with gain controls (or a CD player with a volume control), you could run the player directly into the power amp. Just keep in mind the same rules regarding cables and system lay out. Cables running directly from the phono cartridge on any turntable shouldn't exceed 1 to 1.5 meters in length - basically the length of cable provided by the turntable or tonearm manufacturer. Longer phono cables will likely have too much internal capacitance which will begin to roll off the high frequencies of the cartridge's output. Using a turntable almost always results in a short cable length between table and pre amp and then longer cables between pre amp and amp and, if so desired, even longer cables between the amp and speakers. One advantage of the integrated amp over separates is the integrated amp requires fewer interconnect cables and distance from input to output is set by the designer. On the other hand, with separates you can pick and choose just which components do the best job at each task. If you start with a T amp and later add a more traditional "pre amp", you can use the T amp as a straight power amp by increasing the position of its volume control to 3/4 to fully advanced. This would turn the formerly "integrated" T amp into just a straight power amp with a gain control. . |
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New member Username: VineyridgePost Number: 6 Registered: Dec-11 | I am now thoroughly confused. Thoroughly. I just looked at the Spica tech information and they are 4 ohm speakers. Then I looked at the Cambridge AM10, and it's rated 35 watts at 8 ohms. I could find nothing that said it could drive 4 ohm speakers. Will it work with the Spicas? And can any amp that can run 4 ohm speakers also run 8 ohm speakers, which seem to be the current standard? Do I need an amp rated for 4 ohms? The NADs definitely are. I understand Ohms not at all. How do the T Amps work with 4 ohm speakers? Are any of them true integrated amps--since it does seem that the pre amp circuits do have real benefit. I hadn't realized trying to put back together a decent basic system was so complicated. And I could hardly understand half of Jan Vigne's last post. I do wish I weren't so ignorant. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17045 Registered: May-04 | . "And I could hardly understand half of Jan Vigne's last post." No need to understand everything, just grasp a sufficient amount to know when you are being thoroughly BS'ed. "Pre amp" is a term which colloquially applies to any component which provides the user control over the audio signal. How complicated or simple that control is will be up to the individual user to decide. In audio, there are few things which do not have both advantages and disadvantages. The fewer components the audio signal must pass through, the better the chance it will emerge unscathed. The opposite view would be to provide the user as much and as many ways to manipulate the signal to their liking since no two recordings are equal in all respects. Each has its proponents and each has its detractors. Ideally, as you found in George Merrill, a very good dealer who has your best interests at the forefront of the their advice will be there to guide you towards the best music reproduction for your budget. If a "straight wire with gain" is the classic ideal for audio reproduction (add nothing/loose nothing), the more times you change that wire, the more it will cost you to have the same quality as the end result. Unfortunately, the times have changed and many dealers who had relied on the goodwill of their clients have been forced to shut their doors and surrender to the forces of home theater and whole house installations purchased at the lowest bid. Before you make a purchase, I would strongly suggest you make an effort to find a replacement dealer in your area in whom you can trust. Support your local dealer(s) whenever possible. They are vital to the longevity of this hobby. "I just looked at the Spica tech information and they are 4 ohm speakers. Then I looked at the Cambridge AM10, and it's rated 35 watts at 8 ohms. I could find nothing that said it could drive 4 ohm speakers. Will it work with the Spicas?" Spica wished to make the most honest representation possible for their speakers. So, yes, the TC50 reached to just slightly below four Ohms impedance at certain frequencies. And that is what you need to understand about "reactive" loudspeakers. Rather than representing a single impedance of 4, 6 or 8 Ohms, their actual load on the amplifier is constantly changing with frequency. Your concern, and the concern to which Spica has responded, would be to know the lowest impedance the amplifier will deal with when driving any specific speaker system. In the case of the TC50, that would be four Ohms. However, the TC50 remains at a higher impedance for most of its frequency range and at those frequencies where it dips down to four Ohms is it still a very "safe" load for the vast majority of amplifiers due to other mitigating factors of its design. I would be very surprised if a high quality amplifier such as the Cambridge could not satisfactorily drive the TC50's to levels which would approximate live performance values. The speakers are more likely to give out before the amp will as the smallish woofer in the TC50 was fairly easy to overdrive when the listener wasn't paying attention. For that flaw it traded out excellent qualities which relate to music portrayed at rational volume levels. An amplifier might become slightly warmer to the touch with the TC50's, if your goals are high level volumes, than it would while driving a very simple eight ohm speaker but there should be no concerns in reality. Allow the amplifier good ventilation and you should be fine. If you have any hesitations, confirm the retailer's return policies before you make a purchase. Lacking a local dealer who will allow an audition before purcahse, this is about the only way to go about buying high quality audio today. Understand how long you have to make a decision and just what restocking fees might be assessed should you change your mind. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/697727.html#POST1980695 I would suggest you use any buying service which might assist you in recouping your funds should problems arise. That said, the Cambridge should in my estimation work well with the TC50's. It will develop slightly higher wattage into the lower impedance load of the Spicas, which will account for the possibility of slightly warmer operation. But I cannot foresee any instance where the two components would not be copacetic. "And can any amp that can run 4 ohm speakers also run 8 ohm speakers, which seem to be the current standard? Do I need an amp rated for 4 ohms? The NADs definitely are." Specs are largely useless unless you know exactly what to look for and the manufacturer has been kind enough to provide that information in advance. That is, in a way, exactly the statement Spica was making when they rated the TC50 at 4 Ohms - it represents the most difficult impedance the amplifier would see while driving the speaker, not just the most "sellable'. Since a speaker which might be labelled an eight Ohm system could easily dip well below that point at certain frequencies, labelling the system to sell will present problems with a less than stellar amplifier. Spica was, in effect, saying don't bother using their speaker with cheap, mass market junk. Similarly, if speakers do not represent a single, consistent impedance load to the amplifier - which mostly they do not, suggesting an amplifier can drive a single, lower impedance load (a large, single value "load resistor" on a test bench) ignores many of the complexities of the real world. And, that is the difference many high end manufacturers would like you to pay attention to. Specifications have their obvious limitiations when it comes to describing music's complexities and beauties. Therefore, it is up to the buyer - along with a knowledgeable retailer - to make wise decisions based not just on the number of "0.00000's" on the THD specifications for an amp or the lowest frequency response spec for a speaker. Once again, it should be pointed out that the number of knowledgeable retailers has shrunk dramatically over the last two decades. It is quite a phenomenon, as the number of high end manufacturers has risen over the years, the number of brick and mortar stores which would support such lines seems to have expotentially diminished. That forums such as this have also increased in number is, I suppose, a good thing for the dissemination of, hopefully, good advice. Ignore most specs. My concern for most purchases is height, width and weight to make sure it fits where I want it to go. Beyond that, you probably won't find enough information between competing brands to make a truly useful comparison. Manufacturers know this and even the better ones of the bunch use this to their advantage when it comes to the "average" consumer. Indeed, there are a handful of manufacturers who feel "traditional" specs are so useless that they post "specs" for virtually none for their gear and rely on the strength of the designs and the word of mouth recommendations of their clients to maintain their position in the market. To these designers I really have to say, "Bravo!" Spit in the eye of the mainsteam BS and walk your own path. As long, that is, as the hype matches reality. That is the risk you take when you trust. And, on occasion, as you can see from the above link, at times the hype doesn't come close to matching the reality of the ethics one should expect from another hobbyist. "How do the T Amps work with 4 ohm speakers? Are any of them true integrated amps--since it does seem that the pre amp circuits do have real benefit." The T amps I linked to should work fine with the TC50's. Again, they are not a difficult load for an amplifier despite their lowish impedance rating. The T amps are hyper efficient in their operation and heat shouldn't even be a concern with these components. They require no warm up time before they sound good and can be left on constantly with no more drain on your energy consumption than, say, a 4 watt night light. They are "integrated amps" in the sense they represent a fairly bare bones approach to sonics. They provide minimal buttons, knobs, switches and unnecesssary circuits. You have to approach them with their needs in mind and this makes them somewhat less than universal recommendations. If you want bass and treble controls, look elsewhere. If you need a phono input, you have to "add to" a T amp. They are designed not for a hairshirt approach to audio but, in the days of a predominantly digitally sourced system, a common sense approach to arriving at superior sound at minimal cost. In that regard they follow a long line of budget oriented "giant killers" which have virtually always existed in high end audio. There have always been a small cadre of designers who have appealled logically and emotionally to the listener who doesn't require a component system which resembles the control panel of a 757 airliner to get as close as possible to their music. Approach a T amp with the idea, "All that needs to be and no more", and you should get along well with the T amps. If the T amps fit your needs - and only you can determine that, they will offer excellent sound quality at a bargain basement price. They represent a somewhat different take on music than your old NAD or even the new Cambridge - though they lean more to the side of the Cambridge than any new NAD. They will play nicely with the TC50's as long as you avoid the very lowest powered T amps. The "fifteen" watts you see advertised in a less expensive T amp is at relatively high distortion levels and the amps should really be regarded as having about 5-7 watts of useable power with higher wattages available only on short term peaks in the music. Buy the 25 to 50 watt amps and you shouldn't run out of steam with the T amps and the TC50's unless you prefer your music at room shaking levels. Though, if you've been satisfied with the old NAD and the TC50's for twenty plus years, I don't envision you as that sort of listener. Consider the T amps' highest hurdle to be their lack of inputs and a purposely chosen lack of geegaw buttons and knobs. Keep your interconnect cables relatively short and, by piecing together T amp and an outboard phono pre amp, you will be able to assemble a very nice system for minimal cash. If that doesn't truly appeal to you - and I fully understand why it might not - IMO the Cambridge would be a suitable and, IMO, very musically satisfying amplifier for the TC50's. To achieve higher degrees of perfection in music reproduction than either of these products are capable of offering will likely cost you far more than most of us are willing to spend. https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/688776.html#POST1984937 . |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 17046 Registered: May-04 | . https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/668896.html#POST1978664 This pertains to a different Topping amp than I had linked you to, vineyridge. I have no idea how the Toppings compare to each other. I woud assume a certain house sound from any good audio company but the "guts" of the amp will determine its sound as will the power supply. Along with that each of us have our own expectations for music reproduction. What I find objectionable might not be bothersome at all to another listener and vice versa. I am rather picky about my sound and having sold high end audio for a few decades I've heard some very nice systems playing some very nice music. I also listen on a regular basis to live music and that is my ideal for any comparison with an audio component. Finally, I am talking about a $99 amplifier here. Just to compare it to a far more expensive component and have it do as well as it can should suggest the Topping might be a very suitable component for a wide group of listeners. Certainly, the Toppings receive consistently high marks from most consumer reviewers. . |