JonnyBingham
Established Member
As you can see from the signature, I currently have an Arcam R dock going into a 30 year old Pioneer amplifier's (the SA-130) auxilary, which powers the Monitor Audio BR2s.
It actually sounds really good, and all the better when the volume's switched up, but maybe could do with slightly greater control of frequencies.
I imagine that changing the very old amplifier for a new one would result in a fairly noticeable improvement in sound - is that assertion right?!
While I appreciate that replacing the Pioneer with a mid range amplifier would seem excessive considering the level of my current speakers, I thought that in the long term I would prefer to not perform 2 upgrades if I can make one. Whilst aware that for the time I decide to keep the MA BR2s they won't be revealing all the resolution, soundstage, dynamics etc that the amp upgrade is capable of, it won't sound detrimental will it, making the BR2s actually sound worse? If not then I was thinking of doing something like:
Current system
Arcam rDock (apple lossless files) > Pioneer SA-130 > MA BR2s with custom design stands
to
Arcam rDock (apple lossless files) > naim nait 5i > MA BR2s with custom design stands
Perhaps then going:
Arcam rDock " "> naim nait 5i > Ruark Sabre III (I currently can't identify many other speakers below the £900 mark that would really perform that much better than the BR2s. IMO the BR2s really hold their own against models below the £500 mark quite well. I would have to make sure that there's system synergy with the Sabre and Naim obviously)
I appreciate that I have not factored in changing the source up to this point, but I guess I'm not convinced that CD playback will offer me that much more than the rDock provided the files are encoded well enough. being able to choose from your entire music collection is fantastic, so I'd want to keep this functionality. I suppose the next step up, which some may see as more of a quantum leap if the press actually aren't full of hyperbole, would be:
NAS connected to ethernet port > Linn Majik DS > naim nait 5i > Ruark Sabre III
My main reservation about the DS (other than the high price) is the user interface. It sounds like a bit of an aftethought. I think I would want a bit more lifestyle user interface/simplicity to it, whilst as it is I appreciate they've gone down the audiophile route (rightly so) but with the system control perhaps as an after thought.
NAS connected to ethernet port > Linn Majik DS > naim nait XS > Ruark Sabre III
I think then I'd just stop and listen.
It actually sounds really good, and all the better when the volume's switched up, but maybe could do with slightly greater control of frequencies.
I imagine that changing the very old amplifier for a new one would result in a fairly noticeable improvement in sound - is that assertion right?!
While I appreciate that replacing the Pioneer with a mid range amplifier would seem excessive considering the level of my current speakers, I thought that in the long term I would prefer to not perform 2 upgrades if I can make one. Whilst aware that for the time I decide to keep the MA BR2s they won't be revealing all the resolution, soundstage, dynamics etc that the amp upgrade is capable of, it won't sound detrimental will it, making the BR2s actually sound worse? If not then I was thinking of doing something like:
Current system
Arcam rDock (apple lossless files) > Pioneer SA-130 > MA BR2s with custom design stands
to
Arcam rDock (apple lossless files) > naim nait 5i > MA BR2s with custom design stands
Perhaps then going:
Arcam rDock " "> naim nait 5i > Ruark Sabre III (I currently can't identify many other speakers below the £900 mark that would really perform that much better than the BR2s. IMO the BR2s really hold their own against models below the £500 mark quite well. I would have to make sure that there's system synergy with the Sabre and Naim obviously)
I appreciate that I have not factored in changing the source up to this point, but I guess I'm not convinced that CD playback will offer me that much more than the rDock provided the files are encoded well enough. being able to choose from your entire music collection is fantastic, so I'd want to keep this functionality. I suppose the next step up, which some may see as more of a quantum leap if the press actually aren't full of hyperbole, would be:
NAS connected to ethernet port > Linn Majik DS > naim nait 5i > Ruark Sabre III
My main reservation about the DS (other than the high price) is the user interface. It sounds like a bit of an aftethought. I think I would want a bit more lifestyle user interface/simplicity to it, whilst as it is I appreciate they've gone down the audiophile route (rightly so) but with the system control perhaps as an after thought.
NAS connected to ethernet port > Linn Majik DS > naim nait XS > Ruark Sabre III
I think then I'd just stop and listen.
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