Page 1 of Advice on which amplifier?

I`m looking for DD/DTS/ES/EX etc if possible. Can anyone suggest a decent make/model that won`t break the bank (i.e. under £1000) and also the best place of purchase?

Thanks.

Shenkman.

This item was edited on Sunday, 15th September 2002, 14:07

I`m also looking for an amp, but also need to connect it to my small form factor PC for playing mp3 files etc via the SPDIF or the 3.5mm front, rear and center/bass connectors. I`m also hoping to spend at least half that of Shenkman.

Thanks.

Hi

Here`s a perfect one for you DENON AVR3802 for less than £700 in Black or Gold from http://www.empiredirect.co.uk/

Happy shopping

Lee

Dear "Shenk=man",

With regard to your recent posting, it would only be fair to point out that a multi-format amplifier can be grabbed at a price considerably lower than £1,000 at one of the nationwide Richer Sounds stores. Check the `net for details, and keep it loud!

Kinjo

Kinjo.

Thanks for the advice. Richer Sounds has been a good investment in the past. I wasn`t going to spend quite that much - I just wanted to keep my options open. I`m always being told how good DTS is compared to DD so I thought with my current amp on it`s way out that it might be time for a new kind of amp - nothing lasts forever these days.

You sound like a man in the know - what do you make of the Denon AVR 3802?

Thanks.

The Shenkman.

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd September 2002, 12:18

I personally dont rate richer sounds, ok there cheap but there ALWAYS one model behind esp with home cinema Amps. If you check out "What HiFi" this month its there Awards issue - Basically the best amp ( according to them ) for under 1K ( I think ) is the Yamaha 630RDS. BUT this is based on a value for money aspect aswell as sound. The Denon gets some great reviews and is a beast of a machine probably in a different class from the 630 Yamaha - depends how deep your pockets are really and what speaker your driving etc etc ?

The overall amp/reciever winner was the Sony 555 ( !! )

The Yamaha 630 sells for about £370 on the web verses
the Denon 3802 for around £630 or
the Sony 555 at £760 ish

Have fun 1K is a HUGE budget these days for an amp.....

Hope this helps

G

Westy says the Yammy : http://www.area450.com/homecinema/amplifiers/yammyvssony.htm : £296 from QED :-)

OK guys (and girls), here`s some food for thought.

I have been spoiled. I have just come away from some extensive hands-on testing with the Naim AV2 and I know that my 5 channel listening is never going to be the same. Sadly that`s also true of my bank balance if I carry out what I know now to be the essential deed - buying one!

This thing strips away all forms of artifice so prevalent (until now) on 5 channel replay through any other processor (bar maybe the Mark Levinson but at £30,000 I`ve neither listened to it or could possibly afford it) and that includes the "big guns" of Tag Mclaren, Lexicon, and Meridian. If you`re in the market for an AV amp at any price you just have to hear it to know what`s possible - even on crummy old Dolby Digital which actually sounds great on this deceptively simple yet very versatile little marvel.

My point on a thread talking about £1K amps? Well, when you start spending real money on an amp it`s worth seeing what you get for a bit more... The jump in performance available from the AV2 over it`s immediate competition is far greater than you get moving from say a £300 AV amp to one costing £1000. Was it any coincidence that despite crummy acoustics, the Naim AV dem room at the recent London Hifi Show was consistently praised as one of the most impressive people had heard...?? Granted the AV2 is only a processor and the associated amps will double your outlay but be warned, I initially set out on the search for a really good £1000 AV amp.....

Remember, you can`t take it with you when it`s all over....;)

Check it out here at www.naim-audio.com

This item was edited on Monday, 23rd September 2002, 19:20

Oh rommel, now you`ve got me dreaming.....

Okay, I`ve gone and done it....

It should be with me in a few weeks - we just need to go over the setup for the room and decide whether we wish to take advantage of it`s multi-room capability (!!!!). Trouble is, I`m now in a quandry as to whether to go for new speakers all-round.... or maybe a bigger TV.... oh hell, this is getting out of control!

Thing is, when you consider that this is the absolute best of it`s kind out there and that it`s fully upgradeable by RS232 &/or board exchanges and then you also take into account Naim`s reputation as King`s of after-sales service (they still service and upgrade every single piece of equipment they have made), it`s actually a very rational purchase and a bit of a bargain too... (OK, I`m in the rationalisation stage, I realise that....;)

Thus far, Naim have proved themselves to be an exceptionally helpful company, happy to answer all your questions patiently and authoritatively whether by phone or e-mail and are happy for you to drop by the factory should you so wish. Try that with Sony, Denon, or for that matter with Mark Levinson... That`s worth anybody`s money, I`d say.

p.s. Their site has an excellent forum on it - not just for Naim gear either...