Whose the daddy?

J

John-D

Guest
Right, need some help!

Whats the best amp? Don't wanna hit £2500 but if i must, then 0% may be an option.

first off:

Pioneer VSX-D2011 £750
Denon AVC-A11SR £1800
Pioneer VSA-AX10 £2500

Which one folks?

Thanks for you thoughts,
JD
 
Denon AVC-A1SR , I just bought one , amazing amp.
 
Just to add to your list...

Onkyo 898 THX Select 7 channel Amp.. with Pronto remote as standard.. was £2000 can get it from sevenoaks hifi (to name one place) £1099 and they do 9 months interest free....
(black only though)..

Damn well impressed so far :))

Matt
 
There are a couple of other options that you may want to look at if £2.5k is, understandably, too much (though to say any amp is "best" can only be described as a subjective opinion, not fact)

1) The Harman/Kardon 8500 is supposed to be a damn fine piece of kit, and has Logic7 decoding for analogue and digital sources. It also has an "EZ-Set" speaker setup routine using a mic. built into the remote. It isn't as thorough as the Pioneer AX10, but it is a damn sight better than nothing.
2)The Rotel RSP-1066 and RMB-1075 power amp should be good. I used to have the amp and it rocked! (haven't heard the 1066, but the 985 predecessor was good). Also, if previous Rotel form is anything to go by, the RSX-1065 receiver should be the above processor and amp in one more affordable box. Go to
here for more info.
3) Marantz 9200 receiver. Comes with a Philips Pronto Neo derived remote which is alright as long as you have kit that it will learn (I briefly had a Philips Neo, and it wouldn't learn Sky Digi, Harman/Kardon receiver or Panasonic video remote codes). The 9200 also has SCART sockets on the back for RGB throughput.
4) There is also the mostly overlooked Yamaha AZ1. A very fine amp indeed, that certainly deserves a listen (as does all of the above) especially if you are more inclined toward Home Cinema rather than music.

Russell
 
The Pioneer AX-10i can connect with the Pioneer DV757Ai dvd player via firewire to give you 24/192 DVD-A digital signal feed to the receiver directly. This is a killer reason IMHO. Add in the superlative performance of the respected VSA range of amps (the AX-10i/VSA-10 are the same right? someone slap me if they aren't!!!). The Pioneer also has a microphone-based setup feature which is very highly regarded and includes decent bass management with this.

Personally, I find the pioneer lcd remote rather cool-looking! Dunno if that's a good reason to drop over two grand on an av amp though... :)

I'll second the vote for the Yamaha too. I'd also second the vote for a Denon AVR1SR - if you can afford it!!!!

If you are going to borrow money - find what you want at the best cash price and get a bank loan. You'll save loads on both the purchase price and the interest. If you can't afford a loan, you shouldn't be looking at 0%! IMO.
 
Thanks for your time and thoughts everyone. I'm gonne be out & about this week, shopping for it, so hopefully I'll let you know the results by the end of the week.

I must admit, I shouldn't of left Onkyo Amp's off my list (slap wrists) :D

Thanks again, for all your time and trouble.

JD
PS. I hate it when there's so many quality Amp's around. It make's our job a lot harder, but fun.

Cheers.
 
If Pioneer released that touch screen remote, I reckon that it'll sell by the bucket loads! (Kenwood make one, too, but I haven’t used it). After all, the ergonomics of the amp is an important factor in choosing which to buy. I mean, have you used that Arcam grey remote that they use? It's dreadful to operate, certainly bad enough to spoil some of their kit in my eyes.

Russell
 
Don't forget the A1SR can be bought new for £2100 (but no 0%!).

I bought the Denon for its awesome power and feature list, but most importantly for music where it excels for an AV amp. This is backed up by the recent award from HiFichoice.

As for firewire connections for DVDA etc, Denon has the same thing on the A1SR and will produce compatible DVD players at lower price points next year that use this feature (currently only available on DVD A1 £2500!)

Have fun shopping :)
 
OK chaps

I'm not going for either of the Pioneer's (AX-10 & VSX-D2011)

Heard alot about them cutting out i.e. AX-10 and I don't think the D2011 will better the sound of my Denon AVC-A1. In fact, all the time I've had my Denon, it's never cut out, and I've had my amp up at THX ref levels, most time's.

I'm only really changing the system, coz I wanna hear the 6.1 sound formats, and the internal amps need to warm for half an hour, or they crackle. :D

So, I'm gonna stick with what I know and go for the Denon, but which one. :D . Only joking!

It'll have to be the AVC-A11SR, which is also in my price range. Thanks for all your time and kind advice.

Only choice I've got now is, black or gold? Any advice :eek:

JD
 
Gold, if you have no preferance. They're easier to sell on second hand.

Russell
 

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