DJEditor Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 I have Heresy IV's and have held off from upgrading my Yamaha R-N500 receiver. How much do you think I should need to spend for a quality SS integrated before "The Law of Diminishing Returns" kicks in big time? I've looked as the new Yamaha line and Schiit gear and wonder if $3K is about as much as one needs to spend to get the most out of the speakers amplification wise. Room treatment is a whole other story. Hey, I'd love a Pass Labs XA-25 but budget doesn't permit that at this time. The Benchmark AHB2 would be high on my list too for that matter. Would the Heresy's be up to the task ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 I don't know prices but I'd suspect using dollars might not be the best metric? Example: Certainly you can spend multiple thousands on the newest fanciest (enter newest and fanciest) However, you can also spend quite a bit less for something like a HK *30 series which get rave reviews (I think it's 430, 730 and 930??) I was ready to buy one of those once on a lark....but was too late. Do some reading on them. 3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJEditor Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 Yeah, the money metric is probably not the best limitation. I wonder if a new SS integrated such as the Yamaha A-S 1200 or something equivalent to that is as much upscaling as the Heresy IV's could benefit from. I am looking at new and not used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryGillmore Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 6 hours ago, DJEditor said: Yeah, the money metric is probably not the best limitation. I wonder if a new SS integrated such as the Yamaha A-S 1200 or something equivalent to that is as much upscaling as the Heresy IV's could benefit from. I am looking at new and not used. That Yamaha 1200 would likely be fantastic with the Heresy IV. I have to tell you though, I picked up a 50wpc Audiolab 6000a Play for my Cornwall IVs and it's a fantastic pair. This amp has grunt. Though I could have saved $300 and got the non-Play version, and I would suggest you do too. The streaming sounds fantastic, but for whatever reason it uses your phone as a go-between. Plus there's a ridiculous gap between tracks. I mean like 3-5 seconds. So no gapless playback when streaming. The Audiollab 6000a Play is $1300 and the 6000a is $1000. I was prepared to spend up to $5000 on an integrated amp and it was something I thought about literally all summer. But I was recommended the 6000a Play and I'm glad I was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoryGillmore Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Also: look into the Topping PA5! It has a matching balanced DAC and the pair is less than $600! ASR just measured it and it was the second best measuring amp they've ever measured. Right behind the Benchmark AH2B! It's a 50wpc Class D amp and it's one of the best measuring amps in the world. I intend to get a stack eventually myself. Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 7 hours ago, DJEditor said: I wonder if a new SS integrated such as the Yamaha A-S 1200 or something equivalent to that is as much upscaling as the Heresy IV's could benefit from. I am looking at new and not used. the A-S 1200- is perfect for the Heresy IV ,it's both an excellent preamp and an excellent amplifier - 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 43 minutes ago, CoryGillmore said: Also: look into the Topping PA5! It has a matching balanced DAC and the pair is less than $600! ASR just measured it and it was the second best measuring amp they've ever measured. Right behind the Benchmark AH2B! It's a 50wpc Class D amp and it's one of the best measuring amps in the world. I intend to get a stack eventually myself. Topping PA5 Review (Amplifier) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum If it was my money I would start there. The beauty of an efficient speaker like the H4 is that you don’t need to spend a ton to get a great sound. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 7 hours ago, DJEditor said: I wonder if a new SS integrated such as the Yamaha A-S 1200 or something equivalent to that is as much upscaling as the Heresy IV's could benefit from. I am looking at new and not used. Though my Yamaha A-S1000 was bought to drive my RB-75s, I have on occasion hooked it up to my Heresy IIs and the pairing was incredible. I could bet my last dime that the A-S1200/Heresy IVs combo would be that much better. Bill 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJEditor Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 Strong endorsement for the A-S 1200 for sure and the Topping stack too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YK Thom Posted December 5, 2021 Share Posted December 5, 2021 Your choices for 3K and under are massive - there are all sorts of nice products available. You have some happy hunting coming your way. Take your time ( there is no rush), and you will find what you are after. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted December 8, 2021 Share Posted December 8, 2021 I'm pretty much with the rest. The cost of the amp/preamp is set by your checkbook. Pick an amp setup that does what you want and sounds good. You want phono? Streaming built in? Plays digital music? FM? I'm powering my H IVs with a refurbished Technics SA-300 receiver (35 watts). It works great and sounds good if you don't clip it. I have a Yamaha CR-820 (55 watts) on the shelf waiting to be refreshed. (I detest black components.) I'd suggest you look in the 50 to 100 watt range, with an emphasis on quality, low noise, high-ish damping factor and a relatively large power supply (high 4 ohm ratings). That should net a good sounding set that will comfortably drive your Heresies. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invidiosulus Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 On 12/8/2021 at 11:43 AM, JohnA said: I'd suggest you look in the 50 to 100 watt range, with an emphasis on quality, low noise, high-ish damping factor and a relatively large power supply (high 4 ohm ratings). That should net a good sounding set that will comfortably drive your Heresies. Just curious, how high would you consider high-ish when it comes to damping factor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 2 hours ago, Invidiosulus said: Just curious, how high would you consider high-ish when it comes to damping factor? I would say 300 would be the start of "high-ish". My Acurus amps have a spec'd damping factor of 500 which is pretty high. They are sure fast and really thump the woofers. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 On 12/8/2021 at 11:43 AM, JohnA said: I'd suggest you look in the 50 to 100 watt range, with an emphasis on quality, low noise, high-ish damping factor Oops, just realized @Invidiosulusquestion was for @JohnA. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 I use the Cambridge CXA81. I've been here forever and have owned more that I can remember. This thing, and it's sibling the CXA61, sound simply outstanding. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave A Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 While I could spend much more if I chose to I seek for the best bang for the buck. Setting a certain dollar level as being the minimum for quality is what overpriced audio equipment makers trick you into on places like Audiogon. I am very happy with plain old Crown XLI800 amps at less than $300 each. No one that hears my setup complains about sound quality or poor amps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invidiosulus Posted December 11, 2021 Share Posted December 11, 2021 2 hours ago, willland said: Oops, just realized @Invidiosulusquestion was for @JohnA. Bill No worries, I was just wondering since the receivers John mentioned look to be in the 40 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJEditor Posted December 14, 2021 Author Share Posted December 14, 2021 Truth be told my Heresy IVs sound great with my Yamaha receiver and a SVS SB-3000 subwoofer. I’d love Yamaha to update their receiver lineup and then I’d buy another one. The A-S 1200 has caught my attention however….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 Think someone posted an A S2000 yesterday here fwiw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woofers and Tweeters Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 There's nothing better than using your own ears to hear what you like. + 1 on the HKX30 receivers, like the Yamaha S1000 and the old school Marantz, Sansui and such have body and are worth the cost. 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.