Hi-Fi Whipped Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Not sure if this has been done before but speaking from experience I have seen good and bad speaker/amp combinations in my system. I know that best practice is to get to a hi-fi shop and listen with your own ears but sometimes this isn't possible given that the amps or speakers we own at the time may be superceded, or logistics just work against us. Plus how it sounds in the store doesn't necessarily reflect how it will sound at home anyway. There is a heap of experience and knowledge on this forum that have help people that are looking to upgrade their speakers or amp or both do so with a base line level of confidence even if they can't find somewhere to hear both. I know theres so many variables and this list should be taken with a grain of salt but it may atleast minimise some of the pain associated with getting it wrong. I'll start with combos I have not necessarily heard but have seen repeated on forums like this over the years. Or even on display at hi-fi shows, generally you'd think that speaker manufacturers have done a lot of trial and error with amps to make their speakers sing to impress us all. Rotel & B&W Classe & B&W Arcam & Kef Cyrus & Dynaudio Anthem & Paradigm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted June 18, 2019 Volunteer Share Posted June 18, 2019 Combos I’ve heard: Sanders + Maggies Sanders + Dynaudio Vitus + Dynaudio Vitus Class A + Avantgarde 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurp Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Bryson and Wilson Watt Puppy 8’s Magnus Audio and WP8...wow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 just have to be careful while something i might find a good match it might not be to everyones tastes... its one of the great things with hifi that can mix and match ot own advantage some combos have found working well (just in brand keeping in mind the huge range in some brands) Speaker and amp combos... B&W - rotel, nad and classe also found musical fidelity to work well as with elektra, naim is also an interesting choice focal - musical fidelity, elektra, unison research monitor audio - musical fidelity PMC - cyrus, musical fidelity Paradigm - rotel, elektra, primare Martin Logan - Classe, Elektra while taking speakers around to a retailer is not easy... its worth listening to something in the family to narrow down choices... can then home demo electronics in question to make final choice. ie you might only home demo 1-2 item to make sure. re speakers while will have some preferences in store where possible definitely try get a home demo... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLAH BLAH Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Sansui---Wharfedale E90 + E70 Sansui---Sansui SP-5000 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest deanB Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 ATC P1 + ATC Scm40 v2 My first question after listening to this combo was "how good would the (twice the power) P2 be then?" Always had eyes bigger than my stomach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genkifd Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Monitor Audio sounds great with Elektra also 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 3 hours ago, Hi-Fi Whipped said: Rotel & B&W Classe & B&W Arcam & Kef Cyrus & Dynaudio Anthem & Paradigm As a thought experiment it would seem to me that given enough replies to this thread you would eventually end up with every speaker manufacturer being teamed up with every major amplifier manufacturer. The second question is which is the better match Rotel & B&W or Class & B&W for example; if as you say. the speaker manufacturers go to great lengths to match amplifiers to their speakers to make them sing? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakey72 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 1 hour ago, deanB said: ATC P1 + ATC Scm40 v2 My first question after listening to this combo was "how good would the (twice the power) P2 be then?" Always had eyes bigger than my stomach. Now this would be a combo I'd be interested in hearing. Even the ATC integrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakey72 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Should add I guess: Plinius with PMC Exposure 2010/s/s2/s2D with PMC Cambridge with Richter Yamaha with Richter Sansui black face (70's) with Usher NAD and new model Klipsch 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ittaku Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Audio Research and... speakers. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt301 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Some combinations I’ve typically seen Neat speakers with Naim amplification PMC speakers with Bryson amplification . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, allthumbs said: As a thought experiment it would seem to me that given enough replies to this thread you would eventually end up with every speaker manufacturer being teamed up with every major amplifier manufacturer. Correct! (So a pointless thread.) Quote The second question is which is the better match Rotel & B&W or Classe & B&W for example; if as you say. the speaker manufacturers go to great lengths to match amplifiers to their speakers, to make them sing? Stupid question. Whereas one might think that Classe would be better-sounding than Rotel ... the most expensive Rotel (eg. if they build 200w monblocs) would probably sound better than the cheapest Classe. 22 minutes ago, jt301 said: Some combinations I’ve typically seen: Neat speakers with Naim amplification PMC speakers with Bryson amplification . Yes, you've seen them ... but have you actually heard them? I would suggest that Neat speakers would sound better with, say, a Sanders Magtech - and PMC would also. A 200w AKSA 'Maya' would also sound better with both of those speakers than the amps you listed. But no hifi shop - or reviewer - has ever combined these speakers with these amps ... so you've never heard any comments as to how the combinations sound. Andy Edited June 18, 2019 by andyr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy8 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 How about bypassing the problem? Active speakers should be a perfect match between amp and speaker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volunteer sir sanders zingmore Posted June 18, 2019 Volunteer Share Posted June 18, 2019 12 minutes ago, andyr said: Correct! (So a pointless thread.) Feel free not to contribute if you think it’s pointless 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt301 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 28 minutes ago, andyr said: Yes, you've seen them ... but have you actually heard them? No, I haven’t. You got a problem with that? As the Op clearly provided examples that he hadn’t necessarily been heard, I think it’s quite appropriate for this so called pointless thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irek Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Focal aria with Exposure, Naim or Devialet Focal Electra with Musical Fidelity or Primaluna PMC with Rega Kef with Rega 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyW Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Linear Tube Audio + darTZeel + Aurum Cantus Oldchen K3 + Oatlon W2-1000F (Klipsch KG5.5 copies) or Dayton PS220-8 Naim + B&W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Fi Whipped Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 10 hours ago, andyr said: Correct! (So a pointless thread.) Stupid question. Whereas one might think that Classe would be better-sounding than Rotel ... the most expensive Rotel (eg. if they build 200w monblocs) would probably sound better than the cheapest Classe. Yes, you've seen them ... but have you actually heard them? I would suggest that Neat speakers would sound better with, say, a Sanders Magtech - and PMC would also. A 200w AKSA 'Maya' would also sound better with both of those speakers than the amps you listed. But no hifi shop - or reviewer - has ever combined these speakers with these amps ... so you've never heard any comments as to how the combinations sound. Andy So you think it's a pointless thread because apparently all speakers work well with all amps, but then you contribute to the thread the way it was intended and suggest an amp/speaker combination that you believe works. But not before you question another poster about his "experience" with a combination and then you do the same implying a Rotel "would probably sound better" than the Classe, struggling to see your point. After all, most people got this thread and contributed positively, its opinions, views and experiences, nothing more. A guide given there's so many more variables which everyone that posts is well aware of. If theres someone with B&W speakers thinking about an amp upgrade for instance, they now have a few amps that have been listed here to atleast have on their radar for audition based on real world experiences, not website reviews. At the end of the day if everything sounded the same this forum wouldn't exist because we'd have nothing to talk about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Fi Whipped Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 11 hours ago, Snoopy8 said: How about bypassing the problem? Active speakers should be a perfect match between amp and speaker. Couldn't agree more but bang for buck down this route appears to be a lot less than passive speakers and seperate amps...... doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 4 minutes ago, Hi-Fi Whipped said: So you think it's a pointless thread because apparently all speakers work well with all amps, No, I didn't say this - maybe you need to read what people write, more carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Fi Whipped Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 3 minutes ago, andyr said: No, I didn't say this - maybe you need to read what people write, more carefully. if that wasn't what you meant, do enlighten me as to your point because your post was contradictory from start to finish, thats what I read anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy8 Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 38 minutes ago, Hi-Fi Whipped said: Couldn't agree more but bang for buck down this route appears to be a lot less than passive speakers and seperate amps...... doesn't it? It shouldn't be more expensive. But the bigger challenge is overcoming the desire/need to upgrade passive speakers, power amps. Many people still want the freedom to upgrade individual components. I was using active speakers for about 6 years and did not consider going back to passive + power amp. And any passive + power amp combination that may be better was likely to cost even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kab Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 Duntech & ME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 1 hour ago, Hi-Fi Whipped said: Couldn't agree more but bang for buck down this route appears to be a lot less than passive speakers and seperate amps...... doesn't it? yes and no... try getting my focal 1007be stand mounts in an active version with my unison research S6 pure class A tube amp built in.... why its live and let live I think...and why there are many roads.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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