Amplifier buy new or upgrade existing

i Agree with above I’m pretty sure you well enjoy the new sound you well get after a new amplifier upgrade with, with out Bluetooth receiver. Only you can decide. Good luck.
Yes and thanks foe your input it’s well appreciated, may well order the amp tomorrow
 
Well I seem to now use my dab tuner , turntable (not as much ) and Apple Music a lot , just the way music seems to be going tbh , play lists etc , favourite band best hits , it’s just easy and good entertainment
Don’t get me wrong love vinyl and cds but unfortunately don’t really buy cds any more
Suppose that’s why the hifi industry is adapting to the way people listen to music now
I see, have Bluetooth options on my Node2i also but I use Spotify connect most of time, I think it sounds better that way. But what rocks your boat I’m happy. Then I suggest listen to as much amps in your price Classe. Rega, Arcam, Marantz, Cambridge...
 
Yes I hear you loud and clear. It’s so easy to stream your music. Now a days you can even say “Alexa, play some Dire Straits”. Pretty amazing if you grew as I did in the cd age. What speakers do have?
 
Edit, saw your speakers. I’m not familiar with them. But if you’re happy with them stay with them. Good night.
 
Yes and thanks foe your input it’s well appreciated, may well order the amp tomorrow
Are you going to order the amplifier to day unheard? The shops are probably closed now. But online ordering is still in business. Have you thought of which amplifier? Marantz, Denon..
 
Are you going to order the amplifier to day unheard? The shops are probably closed now. But online ordering is still in business. Have you thought of which amplifier? Marantz, Denon..
No I haven’t yet 🤯it’s such a hard choice av on line have Marantz for £299 which granted is another £120 Which I don’t mind paying if it was clearly better sounding , I’ve actually never heard a Marantz
Just wish I could hear them both
The 540A is your old amplifier is it not? So not gonna change after all? If you buy new. You just need a Bluetooth receiver and your good to go. If you don’t find an amplifier with build in Bluetooth. The NAD AMP1 has build in Bluetooth, but NAD reputation isn’t stellar to say the least...
 
I see. Perhaps wait to the shop opens, but that can take a long time... I would seriously consider which features do you need. One, most likely Bluetooth. But if you stream your own ripped cds, Apple Music from your phone you should be able to bypass the Bluetooth options. Do as I do use Spotify Connect. There a few amplifiers on the market that have Bluetooth on them, but I’m no expert on Bluetooth. So you need to check if the amplifier has that. It could also be smart and see if it says Aptx. That’s a new codec for Bluetooth. Supposedly super close to cd. I have Aptx on my Node2i streamer, Dac from Bluesound. Two, it’s wise to check if the amplifier has pre outs so it could be used as a normal stereo amplifier in the future if you wish to expand too home cinema sound using receiver. Marantz has both pre outs, and power amp outputs on their higher models. From PM700N I believe. That’s an amplifier with build Dac, streaming. The PM700N we’ll be an enormous difference from your current amplifier. But in some cases that’s not always the case. Sometimes the listener have gotten used to the old amplifier. But in most cases a new amplifier we’ll do the trick. Since the shops now are closed, but the online shops are still open you do of course have 30 days return right. Then in that time you listen to different amplifiers. But this is just speculation from me. It’s impossible for me and say that you well love the Marantz sound. I’m a Marantz guy. But others brand I like are Yamaha, Rega, Arcam.
 
Sorry I really don’t understand why always get double posts when sharing links. But anyway it’s your call.
 
Ah right , so much better than the 540A in your opinion , and I wouldn’t need a blue tooth receiver with a DAC built in
Mmm got me thinking
I’m no hifi expert in any shape or form so bear with me
If I purchased the amp any suggestions on a Bluetooth receiver (without the DAC ) presume it would be better with a fibre connection
And thanks for reply , me may just go down this route


These are a great price right now. I have the node 2i which doesn't have the amplifier in it and really like it. This doesn't look like it has a phono input though.
 
Yes, those Cambridge amplifiers are pricy. If you need a good amplifier with all the features you need be it pre out or not then the Marantz PM60006 with a Bluetooth receiver is probably my safest bet. Or cheaper Cambridge models. There are of course used option also. As for Bluesound I say that could be an option also. A bit expensive new those also. I have the Node2i from Bluesound as I said before, and it has been very stabile. Only hardwire it by LAN, don’t use WiFi. The WiFi card is not that good. But again it depends on which router you have, where it is placed etc. Strangely enough Bluesound products are very stabile even though NAD are their sister company. And NAD are not stabile on their own. Their amplifiers. I had a few. Just problems more or less from day one.
 
It shouldn’t cost you more than about a hundred quid after selling the 540 as you say, and a bargain upgrade indeed.
I do have one worry about the purchase of the Ca SR20 I’ve read somewhere that after a year a lot were stopping working totally and being sent back , this could be why that have a lot for sale , presume the fault would now be rectified
However, although you‘ll get more volume for the same pot position, that’s not the point of this particular upgrade, the extra current available will control the speakers better and it’ll all sound abit more grown up.

The improved preamp section will help with extra detail retrieval too, and the Dac may well be an improvement on the one in your CD player.

And it will certainly improve Bluetooths sound so long as you get even a half decent one with an optical output.
i Agree with above I’m pretty sure you well enjoy the new sound you well get after a new amplifier upgrade with, with out Bluetooth receiver. Only you can decide. Good luck.
one worry I do have about the CA SR
It shouldn’t cost you more than about a hundred quid after selling the 540 as you say, and a bargain upgrade indeed.

However, although you‘ll get more volume for the same pot position, that’s not the point of this particular upgrade, the extra current available will control the speakers better and it’ll all sound abit more grown up.

The improved preamp section will help with extra detail retrieval too, and the Dac may well be an improvement on the one in your CD player.

And it will certainly improve Bluetooths sound so long as you get even a half decent one with an optical output.
 
I really don’t understand why always get double posts when sharing links
You may just be heavy handed. :) If you want any deleted then delete your own text and just put delete in it's place. I'll do the rest.
 
Still umming and Arring about which way to go
Not easy as it’s now on line only
Some one has suggested a Yamaha RN 803 £480
Slightly more than I was wanting to pay , but means I could sell my tuner and amp
Any thought on this unit sound wise , reviews do look pretty good , obviously not as good as a £600 amp
I’m presuming should be better than my Cambridge 540a Sound wise ????
the features seem to future proof my sound system for a while also
 
If it got all the features you want, why not. Yamaha tends to make good amplifiers. They sound a tad warm like Marantz but also very different. Cambridge Audio have also struck to me to a bit to neutral for my taste. But they do know how to make good amps that’s for sure. But I would just buy whatever suits you. You have 30 days money return policy in your web order. Most amps need a couple of days before they sound good. Though many disagree! But that has always been the case when I have bought amplifiers. Again good luck.
 
Nice Amp , bit out of my price range though
Yup I bought the CXA60 but soon discovered that it had a hard time handling some of the more complex tunes and it seemed to be clipping at times. I replaced it with CXA80 and then added Parasound 2125V2 since it is a power amp that can supply 150watts which is more than capable of running my KEF R500. Now I am pretty happy with my sound and hopefully that will keep me happy for another decade or so :)
 
Still umming and Arring about which way to go
Not easy as it’s now on line only
Some one has suggested a Yamaha RN 803 £480
Slightly more than I was wanting to pay , but means I could sell my tuner and amp
Any thought on this unit sound wise , reviews do look pretty good , obviously not as good as a £600 amp
I’m presuming should be better than my Cambridge 540a Sound wise ????
the features seem to future proof my sound system for a while also

A quite very well reviewed and lauded amp at £700


At £500 its a bargain indeed.

And it’ll easily handle a speaker upgrade (even two).

Not many left I gather, so grab one if you can.
 
A quite very well reviewed and lauded amp at £700


At £500 its a bargain indeed.

And it’ll easily handle a speaker upgrade (even two).

Not many left I gather, so grab one if you can.
[/QUOT
It is a hard decision sometimes, doin mrs head in , just choose one and buy it she says 😂
But yes maybe it’s worth the bigger outlay for this Yamaha that is everything in a box more or less
Well reviewed so must be good , definitely good enough for what I’m looking for and has all the upgrades I need
 
I agree with Paul7777x. As Issac said about the Cambridge it might be wise to buy its bigger brother instead. But it’s all subjective in the end. But it’s no fun buying an amplifier that can’t keep up with your current speakers you have at the moment. A power amp/pre amp is a nice option to have on your amplifier if you need more power. But I’m no expert at that as I always used an normal stereo amplifier. But I know my Marantz PM8006 has both pre amp, pre outs. I simply don’t know why other manufacturers only have pre outs where as Marantz have both pre outs, pre amps options. Paul7777x might explain? But it’s nice to have an amplifier that has does option should you need them in the future for more power. But if your desired Yamaha has all the features you need I see no point of not buying it. But Yamaha and Cambridge are completely different. Where as Cambridge emphasize a bit more in upper end of the midrange and sounds a tad cleaner Yamaha sounds warmer, and has a bit more power to the sound. At least in my ears. But not confuse even further it could you gotten used to the Cambridge amplifier, and when your Yamaha arrives it does not sound good. It’s a testimony to Cambridge build quality for amplifier to last so long as it had been used more or less each day. But again Yamaha is a good brand.
 
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