Chuckster Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I recently got myself a pair of RF-7 ii's. I will be using these for a 2.0 music listening system only. I am hoping someone can give me some advise on an integrated amp to drive them. I am looking at the NAD 375BEE and the Cambridge Audio Azur 851A. Budget, must be under $2000.00 (CDN). Most music (from classical and jazz to hard rock/Metal) will be via CD, however in the future "nice to have" would be able to send music from my PC/iTunes. The Cambridge looks real nice, but I have heard some say they are too bright (??) so not a good match with the RF7. The NAD 375 I have read great things, not sure how I can integrate digital sources with it (external DAC?). Unfortunately I do not have a local dealer I can demo these with the RF7's. Any advise would be greatly appreciated, including other amps to consider. I am fairly new to this, thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubo Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) My suggestion would be to get a used TOTL Yamaha, or Pioneer Elite Surround Receiver and run it as a two channel amp. If you can get a THX certified AB receiver even better. For a couple of hundred dollars you can get top shelf performance, a very good DAC and room EQ. You can also run in Direct Mode which gets you something like 120dB SN ratio, sounds good too. I have done side by side comparisons in my living room, and the Receivers can go toe to toe with my Mac and Yamaha amps, which is impressive. You can add an outboard phono amp any time you like, $200. If you have occasion to sample one of the amps you mentioned, and you think it sounds better, you can decide if it's worth it. Edited August 31, 2015 by Bubo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busht4169 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 My suggestion would be to get a used TOTL Yamaha, or Pioneer Elite Surround Receiver and run it as a two channel amp. If you can get a THX certified AB receiver even better. For a couple of hundred dollars you can get top shelf performance, a very good DAC and room EQ. You can also run in Direct Mode which gets you something like 120dB SN ration, sounds good too. I have done side by side comparisons in my living room, and the Receivers can go toe to toe with my Mac and Yamaha amps, which is impressive. You can add an outboard phono amp any time you like, $200. If you have occasion to sample one of the amps you mentioned, and you think it sounds better, you can decide if it's worth it. I am using a Pioneer Elite SC-91 driving 5.1.4, and during 2-channel reproduction, I have incredibely crisp sound. I listen to Jazz, 80's Rock, some of Hippy Hoppy. See my signature for my system specs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubo Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) My suggestion would be to get a used TOTL Yamaha, or Pioneer Elite Surround Receiver and run it as a two channel amp. If you can get a THX certified AB receiver even better. For a couple of hundred dollars you can get top shelf performance, a very good DAC and room EQ. You can also run in Direct Mode which gets you something like 120dB SN ration, sounds good too. I have done side by side comparisons in my living room, and the Receivers can go toe to toe with my Mac and Yamaha amps, which is impressive. You can add an outboard phono amp any time you like, $200. If you have occasion to sample one of the amps you mentioned, and you think it sounds better, you can decide if it's worth it. I am using a Pioneer Elite SC-91 driving 5.1.4, and during 2-channel reproduction, I have incredibely crisp sound. I listen to Jazz, 80's Rock, some of Hippy Hoppy. See my signature for my system specs. I ran my LaScalas for several years using a Pioneer Elite VSX TX-09, which is a very good AB amplifier and downmixed DTS 5.1 to 2.0. Running as a stereo, it's hard to say my other gear sounds better, and my other gear is to die for. The Pioneer fell ill, so I set it aside and unboxed my MAC gear, which also sounds great. As an experiment I purchase an Elite VSX 21 THX certified amp and some Klipsch surround speakers the top of the bottom of the line, sound pretty good actually. Predictably in all tests they can't punch side by side with the LaScalas. I did have the TX-09 repaired and it's shelved for now as I've run of rooms for my gear. I doubt I will let it go since it's such a good AB amp. Edited August 31, 2015 by Bubo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Chuckster, I think the NAD C375BEE/DAC and the CA 851A are both excellent choices to drive your RF-7II's. Personally, I have never considered CA amps as bright, more neutral IMO. Also, I know these guys ship to Canada so another option would be a Yamaha A-S1000. I love mine and it is built like a tank. http://hifiheaven.net/shop/Products/Stereo-Components/Integrated-Amplifiers/Yamaha-A-S1000-Integrated-Amplifier-demo?limit=100 With shipping and the exchange rate, you will come in under your budget. Oh, don't be put off by the "only" 90w/ch. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiva Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) I have recently become interested in amps from Rogue Audio. Check out their integrated called the Sphinx. It has a tubed preamp section mated to class D power. it also has a good phono preamp from the reviews I've read. Edited August 31, 2015 by shiva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I have recently become interested in amps from Rogue Audio. Check out their integrated called the Sphinx i. It has a tubed preamp section mated to class D power. it also has a good phono preamp from the reviews I've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Get hold of a used NAD C390DD. You won't regret it. I've put this little amp up against my Luxman & Wright triodes, McIntosh & Audio Research. It has the best qualities of all those without any of their negatives, and then some. Edited August 31, 2015 by artto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayok275 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, I drive my rf7ii's with a NAD c375bee DAC and think it works great. You will not be disappointed in the NAD integrated and you could always add the DAC into the unit. I am still surprised and the power and dynamic range of my setup. Good luck 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayok275 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I have recently become interested in amps from Rogue Audio. Check out their integrated called the Sphinx i. It has a tubed preamp section mated to class D power. it also has a good phono preamp from the reviews I've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Id love to try a highend NAD integrated if I had a dedicated HT system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer9911 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 I recently got myself a pair of RF-7 ii's. I will be using these for a 2.0 music listening system only. I am hoping someone can give me some advise on an integrated amp to drive them. I am looking at the NAD 375BEE and the Cambridge Audio Azur 851A. Budget, must be under $2000.00 (CDN). Most music (from classical and jazz to hard rock/Metal) will be via CD, however in the future "nice to have" would be able to send music from my PC/iTunes. The Cambridge looks real nice, but I have heard some say they are too bright (??) so not a good match with the RF7. The NAD 375 I have read great things, not sure how I can integrate digital sources with it (external DAC?). Unfortunately I do not have a local dealer I can demo these with the RF7's. Any advise would be greatly appreciated, including other amps to consider. I am fairly new to this, thanks in advance! Greetings Chuckster and welcome to the Klipsch forums. What part of Canada are you in? Take a look at the Marantz PM8005 Integrated amp at $1500 (2015). I myself have a PM8004 (2014) with my LaScala's and the Marantz SA8004 SACD player. The amp has gotten pretty good reviews over the last couple of years. I have been using Marantz with my Klipsch Heritage family since 2000 and could not be happier. Marantz seems to cover all the ranges from the highs to the bottom end with Klipsch. Here is a link to Gibbys Electronic store in Ontario, type Marantz into the search and it will bring up their Klipsch speakers and Marantz bundled together to give you an idea. They even might have the PM8004 still listed for less than the PM8005 and it's still pretty much the same amp. http://www.gibbyselectronicsupermarket.ca/advanced_search_results.php?keywords=marantz&contact=&comment= If your set on the NAD or Cambridge try Visions.electronics(visions.ca), they sell both the NAD C375BEE for $1999 and Cambridge gear as well, including DAC's. If you buy and ship from Alberta you only pay GST as we have no PST or HST here, and I'm sure a salesman on the phone would cut you a better deal on price plus they do ship across Canada. http://www.visions.ca/Catalogue/Category/Details.aspx?categoryId=139&productId=25765&sku=NADC375BEE Last piece of advice, if you don't mind "used" check out canuckaudiomart.com, you'll find what you want there. *cheers* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer9911 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, I think the NAD C375BEE/DAC and the CA 851A are both excellent choices to drive your RF-7II's. Personally, I have never considered CA amps as bright, more neutral IMO. Also, I know these guys ship to Canada so another option would be a Yamaha A-S1000. I love mine and it is built like a tank. http://hifiheaven.net/shop/Products/Stereo-Components/Integrated-Amplifiers/Yamaha-A-S1000-Integrated-Amplifier-demo?limit=100 With shipping and the exchange rate, you will come in under your budget. Oh, don't be put off by the "only" 90w/ch. Bill Not the way our dollar sits right now, plus you forgot to add taxes, customs duty charges, brokers fees etc. I bought my Marantz PM8004 direct from a member here in the Klipsch Garage Sale section for $525...nice price...by the time it got across the border and to my door in total I paid just shy of $900. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, I think the NAD C375BEE/DAC and the CA 851A are both excellent choices to drive your RF-7II's. Personally, I have never considered CA amps as bright, more neutral IMO. Also, I know these guys ship to Canada so another option would be a Yamaha A-S1000. I love mine and it is built like a tank. http://hifiheaven.net/shop/Products/Stereo-Components/Integrated-Amplifiers/Yamaha-A-S1000-Integrated-Amplifier-demo?limit=100 With shipping and the exchange rate, you will come in under your budget. Oh, don't be put off by the "only" 90w/ch. Bill Not the way our dollar sits right now, plus you forgot to add taxes, customs duty charges, brokers fees etc. I bought my Marantz PM8004 direct from a member here in the Klipsch Garage Sale section for $525...nice price...by the time it got across the border and to my door in total I paid just shy of $900. Sorry, I guess I made a very low assumption of the added cost to ship to CA. I figured with the 1 US$/1.31 CA$ exchange that maybe only about another 20% would be added to the exchange rate cost and on top of shipping. I got it all wrong. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomer9911 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, I think the NAD C375BEE/DAC and the CA 851A are both excellent choices to drive your RF-7II's. Personally, I have never considered CA amps as bright, more neutral IMO. Also, I know these guys ship to Canada so another option would be a Yamaha A-S1000. I love mine and it is built like a tank. http://hifiheaven.net/shop/Products/Stereo-Components/Integrated-Amplifiers/Yamaha-A-S1000-Integrated-Amplifier-demo?limit=100 With shipping and the exchange rate, you will come in under your budget. Oh, don't be put off by the "only" 90w/ch. Bill Not the way our dollar sits right now, plus you forgot to add taxes, customs duty charges, brokers fees etc. I bought my Marantz PM8004 direct from a member here in the Klipsch Garage Sale section for $525...nice price...by the time it got across the border and to my door in total I paid just shy of $900. Sorry, I guess I made a very low assumption of the added cost to ship to CA. I figured with the 1 US$/1.31 CA$ exchange that maybe only about another 20% would be added to the exchange rate cost and on top of shipping. I got it all wrong. Bill LOL....not to worry Bill as it's Federal Election time up here and our dollar usually takes a dive as no one else in the global market believes in the a$$ clowns that are running for Prime Minister(President) as much as we do....HA.....and who said it's all about oil.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckster Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 (edited) Thanks to everyone for the advice! I managed to find a spot to demo some of the options and decided to go with the NAD C375BEE. Got a great deal, $500 below list price. Also went with a NAD CD player. Will decide on the DAC later on, may get a Network Music player instead. Speakers arrive this Friday, going to be a fun weekend! Thanks again for all the great input. Edited September 2, 2015 by Chuckster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayok275 Posted September 2, 2015 Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, Which CD player did you get? Please post us your impressions after set up and breakin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckster Posted September 2, 2015 Author Share Posted September 2, 2015 Chuckster, Which CD player did you get? Please post us your impressions after set up and breakin. CD player is C546BEE. I will post some feedback once I have spent some time with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Chuckster, Which CD player did you get? Please post us your impressions after set up and breakin. CD player is C546BEE. I will post some feedback once I have spent some time with it. Great choice. I have a previous generation C542 and it is the best sounding CD player I have ever owned, and that is compared to some good ones like a Cambridge Audio 840C and Denon DCD-3520. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.