Help Me Choose

[MiguelSarmi]

Hello AK!

I am currently using a NAD 304 as a preamp (power amp section broken) to my Adcom GFA-535ii that are hooked up to a pair of Celestion 5 Mk II speakers. I have the opportunity of growing my system to two or three more additional systems to be placed in other rooms.

Ignoring the cost, what will you choose below in terms of reliability and maximum listening enjoyment? Please choose one or two for me from each category:

Preamps

• Kenwood C1
• Adcom GFP-555ii
• Audire Diffet 1
• Luxkit A-502
• AGI 511 Preamp
• SAE Two PA10

Power Amps

• Electron Kinetics Eagle 2A
• Audire Model 1
• Precision Fidelity M8 Hybrid Tube-Solid State
• Quad 405-2

Integrated Amps

• Rotel RA-930AX
• Rotel RA-985BX
• Creek 4140 S2 (New Old Stock)
• NAD 302
• Harman Kardon PM-660

Receiver

• Electro-Voice 1177 Receiver packaged with E-V Eleven Speakers
• Harman Kardon HK-3550
• Harman Kardon 330 Receiver (first release black glass face)
• SAE Two R6 Receiver

Would love to know your thoughts. Thank you!

 

[RunOutGroove]

I don't have any gear recommendations, but I would say that depending on your home, it might be worth thinking about having the all of electronics in one room and running different sets of speakers to the different rooms, which is what I do, though I have a house with a basement that I can run the wires through, which makes it a lot easier. If you're able to do that, then there's no redundancy of gear and you can budget more for electronics and then for the really important part: the speakers.

 

[shelly_d]

I have heard some Harmon Kardon gear and like it. I used a Citation 12 for many years and can tell you it was a beast. In the receivers, I would go with the Harmon Kardon 3550. The 330 was very good for what it was (my wife had a 330A when we married) but it requires very efficient speakers because it put out only 20 watts/channel. The 3550 is 50 watts per channel. While that is only about a 4 dB difference, at these power levels that 4 dB is significant. I did only cursory research on the SAE and EV units and was not impressed by what I read but that is hardly a significant observation as I have no direct knowledge of the units or brands.

Shelly_D

 

[RVT1K]

This: Precision Fidelity M8 Hybrid Tube-Solid State

No experience with any of them I just think it's the coolest.

 

[Natasha Bell]

Hmmmm.... I would recommend a preamp that is not on your list, but is it superior to perhaps all of them that are listed: Adcom GFP-815.

 

[Schurkey]

Ignoring the cost, what will you choose below in terms of reliability and maximum listening enjoyment? Please choose one or two for me from each category:

Why THESE components? Are these available to you locally or something? They're located in your favorite pawn-shop?

Preamps

• Kenwood C1
• Adcom GFP-555ii
• Audire Diffet 1
• Luxkit A-502
• AGI 511 Preamp
• SAE Two PA10

I had an Adcom GFP-565, and I liked it a lot.

Would love to know your thoughts. Thank you!

"Reliability" is one of your criteria. All of these are old enough to be borderline in that area.

I'm at the point where "receiver" has zero interest to me. There's NOTHING on radio broadcast that's worth listening to; and the preamp-power amp sections tend to be compromised/cheapened.

I would NOT put "all the electronics in one room" and run wires to the other rooms. Do you want to go to another room to change the volume, or change the media? Separate, stand-alone systems, separate rooms.

 

[sound hound]

If you are concerned with reliability, why look at a receiver? Separates offer simplicity, and if one goes down, it is easier to replace. If a receiver goes down, your whole system goes down until you replace it with another receiver.

 

[Natasha Bell]

If you are concerned with reliability, why look at a receiver? Separates offer simplicity, and if one goes down, it is easier to replace. If a receiver goes down, your whole system goes down until you replace it with another receiver.

If you really want reliability, I would not be looking at antiques, unless they have been completely overhauled