Question Should I upgrade my amp to power Tannoy revo DC6T SE's?

Dcurran87

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First time poster here guys, I'm relatively new to all of this and have found this forum a very good source for useful information so thank you!

Now, I recently scored a good deal on a pair of mint condition Tannoy Revolution DC6T-SE speakers (£250!), they have replaced my Mercury V4's.

I'm currently powering them with my Marantz PM6006. Everything sounds good, however, once I push the volume up the amp clicks off where I assume the amp's circuit protection kicks in.

The amp is 45w per channel at 8 ohm where the speakers can take up to 200w. The circuit protection kicks in at about 40% volume. This volume is pretty loud but I feel the speakers have much more to show if they had the right amount of power behind them, even at lower volumes.

So my question is to you guys with way more experience than I do. What would you consider a good amp to power these speakers? My budget is around £5-600 and it must have a built-in phono and DAC as I also have it hooked up to my turntable and smart TV.

I'm currently looking at the Cambridge Audio CXA60 (CXA80 if I can get a good deal) or a Yamaha AS701. I've no experience with how these would compare to the PM6006?

Any tips or advice would be much appreciated.
 
Relatively easy for the Marantz to drive at 88dB sensitivity and if under strain I would expect clipping rather than a safety shutdown. How much ventilation does the Marantz have? Check all the wiring to the speakers, no strays touching the body of the amp?

I'm moving this to HiFi Stereo Systems as it's more suitable.
 
Relatively easy for the Marantz to drive at 88dB sensitivity and if under strain I would expect clipping rather than a safety shutdown. How much ventilation does the Marantz have? Check all the wiring to the speakers, no strays touching the body of the amp?

I'm moving this to HiFi Stereo Systems as it's more suitable.

Thank you for the prompt response and for moving to a more appropriate section of the forum (apologies!).

The amp does have my turntable on top of it but with a good inch and a half clearance. These stand alone on a single table with lots of ventilation.

I've re-jigged the wiring a few times with no difference. The same issue occured with the Mercury V4's which could also take 200w.
 
The 6006 has a large heat sink inside that passively ventilates through the top of your amp case. By placing your TT on top of it you are probably causing heat to build up inside the case and thermally trip. I would suggest try running it with the TT to one side and nothing on top of it. See how it runs then
 
Amps can run quite hot and hot air rises. The TT is stopping that dispersion. I would remove it and play again at the same volume. If it's happening with the Marantz then I suspect the same would happen with a different amp. If you like playing loud the amp works harder and the heat builds. Don't put any store the figures that speaker manufacturers place on their equipment. The only figures that matter is the ohm loading and the sensitivity and the figures with the Tannoy 8 ohm and 88dB sensitivity is fairly easy on most amps including the 45 watts that the Marantz has on offer.

You should not have a TT on top of an amp as it can also cause interference from electro magnetic fields as well as heat issues.
 
Thanks for the tips guys, I've moved the TT off the amp.

My only concern now is the risk of clipping? If the TT position was the issue and I can now increase the volume further do I risk maxxing the amp out? Keeping in mind the amp usually shuts off at around 40% volume currently.

Also, in terms of quality/performance, do you think the CXA60 or AS701 is much of a step up from the PM6006?

Apologies for the noob questions but I'm new to a lot of these terms and you gotta start somewhere :)
 
The CXA60 will give you a little more headroom with 60 watts per channel, that's not that big a leap. The Yamaha has 100 watts into 8 ohms, more power yes but I find the entry level Yamahas lack finesse. Are you adverse to looking into the classifieds as used can often get you far better quality amps for around the same money. There are some very good examples of Marantz pm8005 on flea bay.

However I would experiment with your 6006 at the moment as it is a very good amp and one of the best, regardless of power, in it's price range.
 
I imagine the heat caused by the TT was the problem.

But the 6006 is not a current flinging powerhouse so I’d replace it anyway with something that has a more generous power supply.

Lots to choose from with your budget.

Selling your Marantz will put this within your budget.

 
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Hell yes.

A serious amplifier indeed.

No dac, but that’s easily taken care of by one of these, or similar, simply added to one of the 1100s inputs.


Both, and many others are tiny and can be placed behind th tv so that they’re not seen if that’s important.

The amp itself is a top class bargain.
 
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@Dcurran87 - you've received some great suggestions from both @Hixs and @Paul7777x.

Personally, I'd be inclined to go new with Peter Tyson and see if you can trade in your Marantz as part of the deal, so that would exclude the Yamaha A-S1000. Though it's up to you if you're happy to buy used and find your own way to offload the Marantz.


Either way, you'd still be getting the Yamaha house sound, which is on the warm side of neutral and quite smooth, which should partner well with the Tannoys as it shares similar sonic characteristics.

The A-S1000 is a more "purist" amp, the A-S801 is more practical in terms of connections. Plus the latter has a remote control and I really cannot emphasise enough how useful that is, once you lose that facility you really miss it!

Finally, try and avoid putting anything on top of your amp! :)
 
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Been doing some more reading around.

Okay, so you've got a pair of £1000 speakers and you want to do them justice?

You're currently using a Marantz but you're looking for better performance - not just volume and impact, but nuance and detail - and have a budget of £5-600?

You've been recommended Yamaha, which falls within your budget and is a good match. I know nothing about Cambridge Audio, sorry.

I know that these Forums have a reputation of taking people's queries and absolutely smashing their budgets (and it's true!), but I'd like to offer an alternative:


I know the Arcam SA20 is WAY outside your budget, but hear me out!

1. It picked up a very good review on here:


And that's at £1000!

2. The Arcam house sound is very detailed, but smooth and non-fatiguing. I had a pair of Tannoys (M20 Gold) long ago and partnered them with a NAD (3155) and a Marantz (can't remember, a something KI Signature), but they only sounded really good once I bought an Arcam (FMJ A32). In fact, the Arcam was so good that I had to replace the Tannoys and go PMC floorstanders to match the Arcam!

3. You could always demo your amp choices at Richer Sounds:


I think the nearest store to you would be Bournemouth? And they sell the Cambridge Audio, Arcam and Yamaha amps too:


The things is, we can make all the suggestions in the world, but you really need to hear them and see which one YOU prefer. It might be the Cambridge Audio! You could always ask them about trade in too?

In my opinion, music isn't just about sheer volume and pinning you to the wall, it's also about detail, nuance, subtlety and energy and a good amp should do this.

And whatever you get, still don't put anything on top of it! ;)
 
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Guys thank you all so much for your responses so far, it's really appreciated.

My main hobby is electric guitar so I understand the "try before you buy" aspect and how subjective all things audio can be. However, I'm just expecting my first child so don't think I'll be able to take a trip to Bournemouth anytime too soon to hear comparisons in person.

I didn't actually know Peter Tyson did trade ins, and with that deal on the AS801 I'd be very tempted. I know I could go with a more purist amp but to be honest for my own needs I'd prefer something with a DAC etc already built in + remote, but thank you for the suggestions...who knows further on down the road!

Also, I've removed the TT from the top of the amp and it still clicks off when volume is pushed. Is my assumption that it's basically circuit protecting or clip protecting unlikely? I have an image of a weight lifter trying to lift more than he's capable so pulling out to avoid injury lol.
 

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