Stereo Amplifier for Streaming

[Cabunag]

I use Amazon Music for source looking for a good Stereo Amplifier with Wi Fi and Bluetooth here are some i have been looking at.

Cambridge Audio CXA61. Great amplifier

No bass or treble control

Cambridge Audio CXA81

749 from Richard Sounds

Cambridge Audio CXA61

Audiolab 6000A Amplifier. 600

Audiolab 6000A play. 800

MARANTZ PM7000N great but 895 pounds

Denon PMA-600NE uses is it any good i think its 4.2 version

Im an Old Codger what ever happened to Bass and Treble controls, my last Turntable was a Garrad 401, been away from Hi Fi for a while.
.

 

[ShanePJ]

You could look at something from LEAK 130 which has both treble and bass control. The only part its missing is wifi, but it has a built in USB DAC, aptX Bluetooth which will deliver you a better sounding Bluetooth quality if the device is compatible. This means you could stream directly from your phone

If you want to stream Amazon, you could add the BlueSound Node 2i which supports all these streaming services, but as you can see, you will be open to many more streaming services using this option

 

[madfiddler]

until recently I was running an av reciever as preamp into an early nineties technics integrated driving only my front speakers for stereo. Both amps had bass/treble and found a lot of the time I was rolling off treble and boosting the bass considerably.

on my upgrade path I looked at speakers first. These have definitely made the most difference for me and made my average components sound considerably better, at that point I reset all the bass and treble to zero. it really wasn’t necessary to have them I found and so when I then replaced both amps for a single stereo integrated, neither did i really need the the bass/treble. spending money on a much bettter amp was a big step up again for me, but it didn’t matter it didn’t have bass/treble

so first I’d ask about your speakers and consider whether they would be worth an upgrade (Assuming you have some already). But it would be good to know anyway in paring with an amp.

if you have trouble with the sound in your room, reflections or boomy bass or what have you then some form of room correction (physical or software in an amp) would be what I would consider, but that may be out of budget?

so do you need speakers as well as amp and what is the total budget? Would you consider separate amp and streamer?

possibky I’d add Yamaha R-N803D to the list

 

[Cabunag]

You could look at something from LEAK 130 which has both treble and bass control. The only part its missing is wifi, but it has a built in USB DAC, aptX Bluetooth which will deliver you a better sounding Bluetooth quality if the device is compatible. This means you could stream directly from your phone

If you want to stream Amazon, you could add the BlueSound Node 2i which supports all these streaming services, but as you can see, you will be open to many more streaming services using this option

Many thanks for you reply i wll look around to get a good deal i prefer an all in one setup.

 

[dannnielll]

Its been said before, but the Chromecast Audio makes an excellent candidate for any amplifier with an optical input.

 

[Cabunag]

until recently I was running an av reciever as preamp into an early nineties technics integrated driving only my front speakers for stereo. Both amps had bass/treble and found a lot of the time I was rolling off treble and boosting the bass considerably.

on my upgrade path I looked at speakers first. These have definitely made the most difference for me and made my average components sound considerably better, at that point I reset all the bass and treble to zero. it really wasn’t necessary to have them I found and so when I then replaced both amps for a single stereo integrated, neither did i really need the the bass/treble. spending money on a much bettter amp was a big step up again for me, but it didn’t matter it didn’t have bass/treble

so first I’d ask about your speakers and consider whether they would be worth an upgrade (Assuming you have some already). But it would be good to know anyway in paring with an amp.

if you have trouble with the sound in your room, reflections or boomy bass or what have you then some form of room correction (physical or software in an amp) would be what I would consider, but that may be out of budget?

so do you need speakers as well as amp and what is the total budget? Would you consider separate amp and streamer?

possibky I’d add Yamaha R-N803D to the list

What i have just now is the Denon 2500 Reciever

 

[[email protected]]

Not sure if it has all the functionality you want, but Bluesound Node 2i (streaming preamp) and Powernode 2i (streaming integrated amp) both have treble and bass. And of course there are things like NAD M10 that have Dirac, which allows much more control.

 

[ashenfie]

The audiolab 6000a play is all in one with streaming built in

you struggle to find bass and tone controls as it’s considered very low fi. These days. You really should not need these controls with decent speakers

 

[BlueWizard]

I use Amazon Music for source looking for a good Stereo Amplifier with Wi Fi and Bluetooth here are some i have been looking at.

...

MARANTZ PM7000N great but 895 pounds

Denon PMA-600NE uses is it any good i think its 4.2 version

Im an Old Codger what ever happened to Bass and Treble controls, my last Turntable was a Garrad 401, been away from Hi Fi for a while.
.

To the best of my knowledge, only the Marantz and the Denon have Network Streaming.

Can you give us a working budget?

The Yamaha RN803 Network Receiver (£590) is probably best value, though I don't know if it support Amazon Music Streaming -

Yamaha R-N803D Network Amplifier

The technology of RN803D comes directly from Yamaha’s legendary Hi-Fi design concept ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology), which faithfully maintains the integrity of the audio by combining a meticulously symmetrical circuit layout and signal directness (straightest, shortest...

petertyson.co.uk

MusicCast R-N803D - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

Created by tradition and progress

uk.yamaha.com

As to Amps with Tone Controls, consider Yamaha Amps -

Yamaha A-S501 Amp with 85w/ch and DAC - £350 -

Yamaha A-S501

Yamaha A-S501 offers impressively high sound quality with a wide range of features and an elegant appearance. An integrated amplifier with the advantage of digital input.

petertyson.co.uk

A-S501 - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

Impressively high sound quality with a wide range of features and an elegant appearance. An integrated amplifier with the advantage of digital input.

uk.yamaha.com

Also the Yamaha A-S701 with 100w/ch and a 24b/192k DAC or the Yamaha A-S801 with 100w/ch and a 32b/384k DAC. The A-S801 also have USB-PC for a direct connect to a computer. Though if you don't need that, the Yamaha A-S701 is more than enough for most.

A-S701 - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

Extremely pure sound quality and outstanding drive power.An integrated amplifier with the advantage of digital input.

uk.yamaha.com

A-S801 - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

With high sound quality ToP-ART circuitry and high stability construction, this integrated amplifier delivers superior musicality and powerful sound. And by incorporating advances like a USB DAC function, it fully supports the latest high resolution sound formats.

uk.yamaha.com

Unfortunately do to COVID, the A-S701 and A-S801 are hard to come by right now, though you might be able to search them out somewhere.

Here is an example that will give you the general price, but being listed in no guarantee of availability.

-Yamaha A-S701 Amplifier

Experience high-definition sound with the Yamaha A-S701 Integrated Amplifier that features a built-in DAC

www.hifix.co.uk

I suspect later in the year, availability is going to improve on the full Yamaha line.

As for the Network Streaming aspect, the Yamaha WXC-50 Network Streamer/Pre-Amp (£270) is pretty good, though you would have to verify that it supports Amazon Music Streaming -

Yamaha WXC-50 MusicCast Stereo Streaming Processor at AV.com

Yamaha WXC-50 MusicCast Stereo Streaming Processor at AV.com

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

MusicCast WXC-50 - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

The WXC-50 is a new-concept audio component that goes beyond conventional audio thinking. It let you access a wide variety of audio content such as music from streaming services or stored on a smartphone, and enjoy high quality sound and style thanks to the ability to network with Yamaha’s...

uk.yamaha.com

For more money, but definitely a good streamer, and according to info posted by others, it does support Amazon Music Streaming -

Bluesound Node-2i Network Streamer - £499 -

MusicCast WXC-50 - Overview - Yamaha - UK and Ireland

The WXC-50 is a new-concept audio component that goes beyond conventional audio thinking. It let you access a wide variety of audio content such as music from streaming services or stored on a smartphone, and enjoy high quality sound and style thanks to the ability to network with Yamaha’s...

uk.yamaha.com

From a link provided by another poster, the Bluesound Node-2i does support Amazon Music Streaming, but I would still verify that.

The Yamaha RN803 Network Receiver does have a lot of extra feature, besides 100w/ch, it has DAB/DAB+ Radio, Room-EQ, and Full Bass Management, and of course, Wired and Wireless Network Streaming. But again, you need to verify that it supports Amazon Music Streaming.

So, your options are an Amp with Streaming built in, and there are 3 or 4 to choose from, or to get separate Amp and Streaming devices.

How married are you to Amazon Music Streaming, because most device certainly support Spotify and a few others.

From Yamaha -

The R-N803D is compatible with a large variety of popular streaming services, including the widespread Spotify, the up-and-coming Tidal and Deezer services, as well as Napster®, Qobuz, Juke and others — letting you enjoy all your favourite artists, discover new ones, and get music content from all over the world.

* Music service availability varies by region and may change or be discontinued without notice.

It seems the surest choice is the Bluesound Node-2i, which is highly regarded, with the amp of your choice. If Tone Controls is a deal breaker, that is, you definitely want them, then that narrows down the field of available amps.

With Tone Controls, I would say - Yamaha, Denon, Marantz, Rotel, and perhaps a few others that escape me at the moment. Of those, I consider Yamaha Best Value.

At a higher price point than the Yamaha, the Rotel are worthy considerations -

Rotel A12, 60w/ch, DAC, Tone, Phono, etc... - £699 -

Rotel A12 Amplifier

With Bluetooth aptX streaming capabilities, the Rotel A12 Amplifier will open up your entire music library in stunning high quality.

www.hifix.co.uk

Rotel A14, 80w/ch, DAC, Tone, Phono, etc... - £899 -

Rotel A14 Amplifier

With Bluetooth aptX streaming capabilities, the Rotel A14 Amplifier will open up your entire music library in stunning high definition.

www.hifix.co.uk

You haven't made your budget clear, so that would be helpful. But you have some sense of the possibilities now.

I would definitely consider the Denon PMA-800NE (£450) over the 600. But even on the higher model, the power is only 50w/ch. That's still workable though.

Stereo Amplifiers | AV.com

Stereo Amplifiers | AV.com

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

The Marantz PM7000N is certainly a consideration (60w/ch, £895) -

Marantz PM7000N Streaming Amplifier, Silver at AV.com

Marantz PM7000N Streaming Amplifier, Silver at AV.com

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Assuming you can confirm that it supports Amazon Music Streaming.

To maximize what you get for your money, and assuming you can find the amp -

£440 = Yamaha A-S701, 100w/ch, DAC
£499 = Bluesound Node-2i Network Streamer
---------------------------------------------
£939 = Total

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[wrighty1]

Have a look at the SVS Prime Wireless Soundbase @ £550. Does network streaming, Amazon music plus all the other online music providers.

 

[BlueWizard]

What i have just now is the Denon 2500 Reciever

WAIT! You have a Denon 2500 Receiver? Is that an AV Receiver or an Amp?

Denon PMA2500NE Integrated Amplifier

Discover a new depth in your favourite music tracks with the Denon PMA2500NE Integrated Amplifier

www.hifix.co.uk

Or is it an older version of this -

Denon AVR-X2700H 8K AV Receiver Black

The Denon AVR-X2700H 8K AV Receiver is a 7.2 channel home cinema receiver featuring Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound for immersive 3D audio. With 8K video support, the AVR-X2700H is ready for the future of video, as well as handling music, with numerous wireless streaming options for a...

www.hifix.co.uk

Again, a clear statement of working budget would be helpful.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[[email protected]]

It seems the surest choice is the Bluesound Node-2i, which is highly regarded, with the amp of your choice. If Tone Controls is a deal breaker, that is, you definitely want them, then that narrows down the field of available amps.

Or the Powernode 2i, which is a Node 2i plus a Hypex amp. That seems the simplest, and among the least expensive ways to get an amp with the Node. The Hypex amps are pretty good.

 

[BlueWizard]

Or the Powernode 2i, which is a Node 2i plus a Hypex amp. That seems the simplest, and among the least expensive ways to get an amp with the Node. The Hypex amps are pretty good.

For a simple no frills minimalist option, the Bluesound Powernode 2i (£799)is a consideration -

AV.com | UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

AV.com | UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

I would prefer a more versatile system, but for someone looking for minimum complications and for simplicity, the Powernode is a consideration.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[Hianholland]

This may meet your streaming requirements. Not sure if the Playfi app has an equaliser you could use for bass/treble:

Quad Vena II Play Streaming Amplifier Review

Quad has taken its Vena II amplifier and added network functionality to create a product that is old school at the front and cutting edge at the back.

www.avforums.com