I traded in an Anthem for the Arcam but, as you say, well worth considering. Certainly I think the two are a cut above for music, with perhaps Marantz also.
Iāve been looking at Anthem too, and spent some time perusing Marantz offerings - and I think I may have found something I am going to look at today if the dealer has them. I am looking at a SR6010 amp with a MM7205 stereo power amp - so that I can feed the front two separately for music. I donāt have much confidence in dealers versus forums and not sure how much theyāll know about ROON. If a AV-power amp combo is something you know anything about then Iād love to hear your thoughts.
The Marantz/Denons are great units. Their biggest pitfall is that they wonāt drive low impedance loads. If the Marantz canāt drive your main speakers, an external power amp well matched to your speakers is the way to go. I am running Totems which are easy to drive, so no issues. If you get the Marantz, I would hold off on the power amp. Try the SR with your speakers to see how it behaves. Also, the Marantz MM7025 does not specify any load below 6 ohms. You may find that it sounds the same as the AVR. You might want to go with something a bit beefier. Emotiva makes some nice power amps that are about the same price. They will drive just about anything. The Anthems have pretty substantial power amps too which is why I am interested in them along with a nice sound.
Hi Peter. Just come back from a dealer who has recommended - based on the character of the speakers - going with the SR6010 and pairing it with a pair of Pro-ject mono-blocks, with the option later down the line of ordering another 2 and bi-amping the speakers. His feedback was close to yours - the MM7025 is just going to be a bit bright in tandem. The mono blocks and the idea of being to lay the foundations with 4 of them and having the option to change the processor in times, or the speakers appeals.
Sounds like a good plan. I make sure to audition an amp with my speakers. I had the experience of an Adcom amp sounding wonderful at the dealer but then very bright and a bit brittle on my speakers. I was lucky in that I had the option to return the Adcom.
Hi Jonny,
Using a 7.1 AV receiver with preout to 2.0 power amps sounds like a good solution for your needs. My experience is that a quality external DAC makes a huge difference. I would wait for a RoonReady DAC with Ethernet cable input and S/PDIF analogue out. Brianās advice regarding not needing a streamer with Roon is spot on. Given the price of your other components a budget of US $1200 might be suitable. If you are ripping music to supplement Tidal, I would advise FLAC or Apple Lossless files. Does the Marantz receiver allow for 2 channel analogue input?
Jeff
Which Ones? I have a set of Arro w/ Dreamcatcher surrounds. Going to be getting either the Metal or Forest Signature this spring.
Thanks Jeff.
I am going to pull the trigger on the Marantz - its well specced and had decent reviews - and has analogue inputs.
Iāve also gone with the two mono blocks with the option to order another two and bi-amp the speakers. That should give me a decent foundation for sound.
Like youāve advised - Iāll wait for the RoonReady devices to roll out before I invest in a DAC. That seems to be the common consensus around here. The Auralic Aries Mini might be an option - with the option to upgrade to a bigger DAC but its too early to decide but hopefully, the changes I am making to the system should keep me entertained for now - with developments to come.
Keep the advice coming though. Itās all been invaluable.
Out of intrest Jonny, how do plan to connect your laptop to the AV receiver in the short term? I guess you could use your Firefly USB DAC or digital into your receiver and use its DAC. It would be good to try both and let your ears be the judge.
Jeff
Thatās a good question Jeff. Currently I have been alternating between the Firefly and the OPPO HA-2 which I believe has a higher spec. I havenāt heard any discernible difference but the new amps should be more revealing. Certainly the Marantz is going to have itās own DAC and ear testing with all three should be fun.
As it happens, would you know about the suitability of using the OPPO which is a headphone amp and DAC? From a technical standpoint given how it is connected - should it be capable of doing a good job?
Viewpoints on things like this before I try them are always worthwhile.
Hey Peter
The Marantz and Pro-Ject order fell through because the units didnāt come in time - so I now have a bit more time to do some more research. I am still keen on the Marantz/Denon route, most likely still the Marantz SR6010 but I wondered if you had any knowledge of Audiolab power amps. There are two on my shortlist - the 8200M and the bigger more powerful and future proof 8200MBās. I can obtain at Ā£1000 and Ā£1500 per pair respectively. Getting a dealer that stocks both so I can audition isnāt easy - so if you have any info, Iād love to hear. Audiolab also do some good DACS but unless they are in line to make RoonReady then probably a moot point but as a audio brand, they have good reviews.
I had experience with Audiolab quite a while ago. They had very good amps, no issues there. If I were you, I would go ahead with the Marantz or Denon on its own. Once you have installed it and set it up, itās easy to pop in a power amp and recalibrate. That way you arenāt dependent on a dealer carrying both the receiver and power amp. Most dealers here will allow you to take home equipment on spec, returning it if you arenāt happy with it. Perhaps you dealer will oblige.
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