What amp

kevsimner

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Any advice on an amp and DAC to suit my Rega R3's.
Must have a phono stage and looking to spend around £1000.
 
The XTZ Class A 100 D3 integrated should work very well , it has a built in DAC and a mm and mc phono stage ,
It is quite large and heavy and has very high current delivery which is important for good sound quality IMO , you also have a choice of class A or AB operation which makes it very versatile .
You can try one on home loan too which takes the worry out your decision to buy or not :).
Details are in the link .

XTZ Class A-100 D3 Integrated Stereo Amplifier Silver | Integrated Amplifiers | Amplifiers | Audio Sanctum
 
The HK990 amplifier is your man. Includes multiple digital inputs, room EQ, digital xovers for two subs, digital outs again AND it's actually a very powerful amplifier - 150Ws/300Ws into 8 and 4 ohms respectively and a claimed +/-100amps peak current available. Oh, it has MM and MC phono stages too.

I know I recommend this amp to everyone but till the day the competition catches up, this is the amplifier to get IMO. It does it all and reportedly does it very well too. (ok I'm linking a mag review, but still... specs alone sell this)

[Edit] - I would like to add this point: there is a whole class of amplifiers that do what the 990 does, only with more channels, with integral radio and network streaming and multizone etc... it's just that we don't talk about these uberamps here... ;)
 
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Rega Brio R and Rega DAC :) :) Although depending on your source you possibly dont need a DAC at all.
 
Thanks for those suggestions. I was leaning towards the Rega's as they appear to be the current darlings in the press but I shall look at the HK and XTZ too
 
Don Dadda said:
I 2nd either of the above.

What is the source?

The source is iPod and computer via an onkyo nd s1. I also have a rega planar 2 hence the need for phono stage.
 
Any of the choices suggested will do nicely IMO.

One thing i would say is that the Rega and XTZ amps do not have tone controls. If this is an issue then you may want to look elsewhere.

Ben could be right about not needing a ext dac. If its only for the ipod you could try direct to amp and see how that goes. I tried my friends 4s on my 2nd setup, connecedt by a basic 3.5 -2xphono cable and was extremely shocked and surprised at what i was hearing. It seems as though the dacs in this generation of ipods has vastly improved on previous ones. It also helps if the recording is of good quality which his was. If you have a few digital sources then the additional inputs and flexibility of an ext dac will come into play.

And the rega planer TT, thinking about one of those myself. How is it and what are you using with it at the moment or is this future planning?
 
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Thanks very much for the advice.
I'm going to see if I can get a listen on a HK 990. I like the sound of the reviews on here and being able to add a sub later (when funds allow).

The TT is something I've come into. A friend was selling it and I had it in prep for building my system.
Haha. I'm building this arse abouts :)
 
Kev, you can get or, rather, buy (...unforunately, it must be bought...) a HK 990 from John Lewis... under the distance seller regulations and of course in accordance with John Lewis's own terms and conditions, you can return it at no extra cost if you are not happy with it. As I have heard from others here looking to audition it, you might find it hard to find one in an actual store. It's a pity, as I really think this is the best two-channel amp out there right now... and HK haven't made it that easy for people to discover it.

May I also suggest you audition an AVR in the same price range. They do exactly what the HK 990 does, but a lot more too. You might be surprised, and appreciate the extra facilities (notwithstanding the extra channels of amplification). If you got an Onkyo, you can plug your Onkyo dock into it, and they can be remote-controlled by an iPad too. I think the Onkyos could be a natural match for your stated sources :)
 
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