2. amps-preamps
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NAD C272 or Onkyo A-9555 or what? Please Help

I bought one of those Tivoli Radios for my kitchen a couple of years ago, and realized it sounded better than my 1980's A/V receiver and tower speakers. I realized I had to upgrade. My budget was very limited. I did a lot of research on the internet, and eventually purchased a Sonic Super T-Amp, and Oppo DVD player, and a pair of Infinity Primus 150's. I think the system totaled under $500. I was a huge improvement.

In the last six months, I've started getting into headphone audio. I bought a HeadRoom Micro DAC, a Musical Fidelity X-Can v3, and AKG K701's. Most of my music listening moved to headphones, and my loudspeakers were used mostly for movies. Shortly thereafter, for the utility of multiple inputs and a remote control, I bought a NAD C325bee. The Sonic T-Amp went into storage.

This week, after rearranging my living room (which is approximately 12' x 24') into a more listening-friendly configuration. I thought about buying new speakers, and I started really spending some time with the 325bee. I was not happy. The music sounded muddy, blurred, undetailed. I pulled the T-Amp out of storage, hooked it up with the NAD as a preamp, and things dramatically improved. Not sure I'm using the correct audiophile terminology, but the attack was faster, the silence blacker, and the music generally more toe-tapping.

So I'm in the market for a new amp and/or speakers. If I was to stick with the T-Amp, I would want to get much better speakers, but the selection of inexpensive (under $1000, preferably under $600) sensitive (T-Amp is only 15 Watts) looks very limited--especially considering what I can audition locally. Dealers near me (Detroit, Michigan suburbs) carry B&W, Monitor Audio, Totems, and Magnepans. None of those, as far as I know, are known as high-sensitivity speakers. I haven't been able to find any other high-end brands around here, and I'd rather listen to them before buying.

On the other hand, the local selection of inexpensive amps is even more limited. Local dealers carry mostly either A/V receivers, Yamaha, some Rotel, or stuff that's way above my budget.

Given that I like the sound of the digital T-Amp, I looked for a more powerful digital. I found the Onkyo A-9555. It's generally well reviewed, but I'm gun shy of buying based on reviews after my 325bee experience. Another option is to use the bee as a preamp, and buy a NAD C272, but I also can't listen to it before I buy. Would the combined NAD's give me the fast, detailed quality I hear with the T-Amp?

I found the C272 for $600, while the Onkyo is $450. If I'm also going to buy new speakers, $600 is a stretch for me. I listed mostly to jazz, classical, and some indie rock--no hip-hop or metal. Room size is about 12 by 24 feet. I live in an apartment, so I don't normally listen at very loud volume levels.

Please suggest speaker/amp combos. I a "WOW!" experience compared with the Primus 150's and T-Amp. Can it be done for around or under $1000? Sorry this was so long. Thanks for you advice.
paulgorman

Showing 1 response by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
I've auditioned the Rega Brio 3. I own an Onkyo A-9555. I only heard one number through the Brio--"So What?" from Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue," but it's a track I'm very familiar with. I felt that some of the detail I heard (it was an all-Rega rig) was exaggerated, and once the track got under way, the clarity started to suffer. I don't know if the amp was struggling to keep up, the Rega floorstanding speakers were too insensitive, or if the room was overloading, but as the track got louder with more instruments, the music became murkier.

OTOH, my experience with the Onkyo is very encouraging. it can produce up to 80 amps of current for instantaneous peaks, so the amp sounds clearer and louder than you would expect of a 100 wpc amp. I have it paired with some 91 dB efficient speakers located in a cathedral-ceilinged open architecture living room/hall/dining area, and it does the kinds of music you like very well. I also listen to a lot of acoustic jazz and classical and like the match very much.

I bought the amp specifically to flesh out an upgrade to an LP-based signal chain, but I've also found that this amp can bring a breathtaking element to digital sources as well. When I played "Steal Away," an acoustic collaboration of Hank Jones and Charlie Haden doing spirituals and hymns, I heard a realistic (not electronic or edgy-sounding) articulation I'd never heard before. The way this amp sorted out the bass from Jones' left-hand piano figures was mesmerizing. I also have an iPod Touch loaded with ALC-encoded albums and it pairs exceptionally well with the Onkyo for musicality and clarity.

The Onkyo brings frequency extension, dynamics, liquidity, speed, and clarity--without losing musicality--to a degree I'd never heard in a sub-$1.5K integrated before. After a 100-hour break-in, that is.
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