@anotherbob not sure what specifically your question ’which is better?’ is referring to... but when i had the m33, iirc, the chain was wtl amadeus --> dyna xx2 --> ayre p5xe --> INTEGRATED A v B v C ---> three speakers 1. proac d30rs 2. spatial m3 sapphire 3. harbeth shl5+ (briefly) compared m33 (no dirac, straight int amp mode) against hegel h390, devialet (with sam on the harbeths), primare i30, sony ta 1es also used digital streaming front end - blue node 2i dig out to denafrips pontus or audio mirror tubador |
Yes, pick up the NAD M33 and all your wants will be happily satisfied! Nothing comes close… respectfully disagree -- the m33 sound pretty good, and is much improved over the prior gen nad m series amps, which were downright poor (grey, lean sound) but ALL of the integrateds on my list below are superior in sq to the m33, used within their power envelopes m33 has tremendous features for sure, dirac, onboard dac etc etc... but the sq of its amplifier stage is inferior imo (feel free to see my system page for speakers and associated gear) |
hey - whatever lets you sleep well at night bob! you posted the hard-sell, outlandish claim ’none comes close’ - to that, i say, simply not true, many come close (the op’s hint6 for example), and a number in fact exceed, in sound quality (a devialet, for one -- integrated one box solution with dac, AND phono stage, AND SAM, and configurability, or a hegel h190/390/590) in my original reply to you, i stated clearly the nad is full of features, good on that, and it sounds pretty good -- for 5 grand it should, but for those who prioritize sound quality foremost, it can absolutely be bettered you can then say, well the nad has dirac, it solves room issues (if done right) -- indeed, if room problems plague a system that cannot otherwise be solved by setup and room treatments, i might agree - but for me, i have no use for dirac, my room works, so i exited the m33 after 6 weeks, kept other integrateds that make music sound better to my ears |
@anotherbob jjss49- sure if you like clinical presentation that lacks warmth and rhythm go with the Devialet Pro 140 Expert, and by the way, the NAD M33 HAS a phono stage with both mm/mc, HAS configurability with two slots for new hardware AND is much easier to upgrade via Wi-Fi. SAM may work well for some speakers, but it is not a substitute for Dirac Live as most people’s room can do with various levels of correction AND personal customization. Did you really have an M33, seems to me you should have known about these features? your lameness is speaking volumes - i bought a dealer demo m33 to hear its sound, through its amp section, THE prominent weakness in the prior series hypex m10 m22, which sounded downright poor... online shills were touting the m33 upon its release as the best thing since sliced bread, so i got one, as i do many other items, to hear for myself, how much have they improved the amp with the purifi’s? -- to me, if the fundamental amp section doesn’t sound right, all the other frills are worthless... as such i had zero interest in its built in phono stage, nor its configurable inputs... my point in my earlier post is to say devialet units have all these features too, not that the m33 doesn’t i won’t let this go because of your claim that the m33 ’has no equal’... is just plain-as-day b-s...just because you spent 5 grand on an m33 doesn’t make it the best out there, non-pareil, saying all others who have something else ’just can’t compare’ -- claiming so is ignorant and weak i buy stuff, listen carefully, under my well controlled conditions, and call it as i see it -- i speak with my wallet and my actions, keep what i like, sell off what i don’t i have no dog in this hunt... do you? to me what the m33 is is a very decent (but short of great) sounding one box unit with plenty of power and lots of useful features, so it will have a happy user base who values that... there many other alternatives, numerous cheaper, and some others with superior overall sound ...and finally, if you think the devialet 120 or 140 has a clinical sound lacking warmth compared the m33, you are not only weak but deaf... |
@earlflynn 07-26-2021 8:29pm lmao -- well at least one of us had no dog in the fight... 🙄🙄🙄 let this be noted by other ’innocents’ coming to a forum like this for advice you come here, post a question, then advice and recommendations coming back at you often are not what they seem to be on the surface, ulterior motives abound always take note of who is answering, check their listings for sale, whether they are a dealer and not saying so, check their username 'details'... read other posts by the user before you act on what they are saying |
re reading this entire thread, i am struck by what a wealth of high performing integrated amps we have in this present day... so wonderful to have such an extensive range of choices, using different technologies, at different price points, with different features integrated of course, we have lost many brick n mortar stores to let those in the market to buy one to easily hear/audition... but with such a lively used gear market, many of these can be economically auditioned at home if one makes a bit of an effort in this chaotic world we live in, it is actually wonderful time to be a music lover and hifi enthusiast! |
this has been a good thread, but at this point, it seems like a market research tabulation of what is out there in people's systems, irrespective to the applications, features, and performance parameters desired ... not sure it is all that useful for someone seeking directional input as a buyer as the playing field is so incredibly broad, it might be helpful to break out by some useful segmentations/characteristics such as power output tube v solid state 'standard' old school integrated (line stage + power section) vs full meal deal (dac, phono, dsp, streaming....) and of course, price level having a thread include a ps audio sprout @$500 vs a $12000 gryphon 300 vs a $5000 lta berning circuit tube unit is a broad broad waterfront... |
