2. amps-preamps
  3. 173846-151014

Suggestions for an integrated upgrade please

Hello everyone,

I am looking to upgrade my integrated here is my system

FLAC on mac book pro — Singxer Su6—Lampizator level4+ Gen5—jolida jd1000a

with gold lions preamp tubes and Mullard tubes— NHT 3.3 speakers

Before the Jolida I had an Hegel H100.

I like the midrange of the Jolida, it has a nice presence, nice timbres but the problem is when raise the volume, I don’t go deeper inside the music, it just gets louder but the sound doesn’t get bigger, soundstage is small. Also there’s no air with this amp. Bass is very weak.

 

The Hegel was technically nicer but I could never emotionally with the music on this amp. It just sounded fake.

 

I listen to 65-85dbs level, my room is small, 12’x18’

 

I want to stay with an integrated as my wife wont allow multiple components ans cables in the room

 

The NHT 3.3 are rates 87db @ 6ohm

 

I listened to a Kora 400, which sounded amazing but at 12k usd it is out my budget

 

It is hard to organize listening session because of covid

so I am looking for suggestions to narrow down the numbers of sessions needed.

 

I don’t mind if it is tube or transistor as long as it has beautiful midrange, timbres, deep soundstage and air.

 

budget is 3 to 5K usd, I don’t mind buying used or new.

 

any suggestions are welcome!

 

thanks

 

 

 

 

maurice89
alan60's avatar
alan60
164 posts
 

Jadis Orchestra, musical all the way.

alan60's avatar
alan60
164 posts
 

"Jadis Orchestra Black integrated amplifier | Stereophile.com" https://www.stereophile.com/content/jadis-orchestra-black-integrated-amplifier

 

bgchz
14 posts
 

Wired 4 Sound STI1000v2. At 460W per channel will have plenty of power to drive your speakers (or just about any speaker) with authority and delicacy. Currently, out of stock at factory but available used. A great audio bargain and you’ll have plenty of $ left to upgrade your source. Try to find unit with binding post and wiring upgrades.

fatdaddy2
367 posts
 

Luxman (various models), especially if you're looking to buy used.  Should be several within your budget.

rbstehno
1,401 posts
 

When you ask for input for an upgraded integrated to match your speakers, you would hope that you would get feedback on what amps would work with your speakers, not just amp feedback. I had your speakers over 20 years ago and not just any amp will work with them, it doesn’t matter much about the efficiency of the speaker to some degree.

With your nht’s you have 2 parts of the speaker that I treated differently, the speakers on the front and the 12” woofer. 
 

The NHT tweeter is a metal dome type and you need a warm sounding amp to tone it down. If you look at most smaller tube amps, they will be fine for the front panel speakers but will not control your woofer, your will get more sloppy bass and the volume won’t be inline with the other speakers.

My suggestion (I actually did both ways) is to get a good quality tube amp or warm sounding SS amp for the 3 speakers on the front baffle (maybe the rouge Cronus magnum with the kt120 tubes or a McIntosh 6500 type integrated) and then get the nht’s sa-3 amps for the woofers with the volume control to match woofer output to the other 3 speakers. In a small room, it’s tough to get the woofer output to match the output of the other 3 drivers if you go with a under powered amp, which brings me to my other recommendation:

Get a large warm sounding amp that will control the woofer and tame the tweeter. The McIntosh 6900 was a good fit back when I had the speakers. I also went the separates route with the odyssey monoblocks with a classe preamp.

Goid luck

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