Amplifier pageant

[Sansiiro]

I decided to get a new amplifier.

Audiolab 6000A (800 eur) has caught my eye,
as well as Marantz PM8005 (1050 eur).

I also quite like the idea of a 18kg Onkyo A9070 (1200 eur),
though this model is about 8 years old and no more in production.

I have heard the first two (sound similar), but not the Onkyo.
Would you believe the pricing to be justified or could you see Audiolab or Marantz punch
above the quality-level of more expensive yet older Onkyo?

I am very happy for any feedback, say if perhaps you have one of them and you feel that it has a great value.
Or if you can even compare, or insert another model into the pool, in the price-range up 1200 eur.

[hifi_dave]

Rega Elex-r and money in the bank.

[Fullrange]

Totally agree.
Get the Rega.

[Sansiiro]

Yes it looks well rated and I also like that it has no dac nor bluetooth.
The lack of headphone socket might be a problem though.

[antonio]

If you are planning on using those beautiful Estelons in your avatar, I would definitely go with the Onkyo from your suggestions. I know Estelons are quite easy to drive, but are better with a few more watts, my only concern with the Rega would be power, but if you don't listen at higher levels I'm sure would be fine. My other suggestion class D, something like this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1200W-Pow...MAAOSwVQxesFu1 with a passive pre. There is of course the vintage route https://www.ebay.co.uk/myb/WatchList
Good luck in your search Veiko

[Sansiiro]

I would like to own these beautiful Estelons but sadly I don't, picture is taken in the centre of a famous composer, where they use
Devialet amplifier for these (and an ipad for streaming and conversion :O)

I am leaning towards Onkyo anyway, since some extra power is always nice to have. I will check Onkyo-enthusiasts group on facebook for
more info. I have a problem with Rega, since it does not have headphone option. I guess the Marantz is always an option, I have heard it
and it sounds good, and can also be used as a preamp if needed. Thanks for the recommendations, going preamp+poweramp might also be an option.

[Sansiiro]

And the winner is!..... Marantz PM8005 wupp-di-dooo!!

Got a good price, it is time to listen and reflect.

[hifinutt]

great , enjoy and let us know how you get on

[Sansiiro]

Well. The encounter with this Marantz was very brief, yet very educational.
I had read that this Marantz has sound that is warm, laid-back, and smooth, but I really did not know what that meant. Once I heard it myself, I realized that I do not like it. Don’t get me wrong, I think it's a great amp. It has a great soundstage, spacious sound, somewhat magical even. But I have returned it now due to this warmth, smoothness and laid-back-ness.

However it got me wondering - perhaps I am stuck in the old? It happens a lot, that how we first experience certain music, it becomes a standard, and further interpretations, once they stray too far, can be taken as blasphemy.

And we can take it even further. It is not only about us liking or not liking a certain play or tone. The tone, over time, will also receive a different reception in our brain, it will be PERCEIVED differently. Many musicians have become deaf in one ear - but yet they become to perceive the sound as balanced, over time. It is the brain, that adjusts the perception. I believe, that if from now on all the high frequencies in the world will be cut down a notch, yeah, it will be bad for some time, but after a while, we would return into thinking, that these violins are kicking a**!

This is a problem that is particularly evident when switching gear. And for that reason I believe a lot of engineers say that they don’t like AB-tests. The brain needs time. Perhaps I am poisoned by this Onkyo. Somehow I believe that if I could have had a few months with this Marantz, I would have became to love it.
But the decision was made.

I now was able to bring home Audiolab 6000A, for testing, and I like it more.
I have used Onkyo A-9130 so far, and I became to think, that I need something better, to the point that I was so discontent, that I was rushing to the store. But now, I kinda miss the way its brightness and sharpness drilled into the brain. As the Audiolab, to my understanding, is also a bit laid-back and warm(er). Again, I like it a lot, it has lot more detail, and it’s sound is more pleasant. I have the weekend to listen to it now, but I am not sure I will get past this brightness and sharpness problem, and I am not willing to spend my hard-earned money for something that is not a full improvement (on my Onkyo).

There is also a peculiar observation, which I first made when I upgraded the power cable. About the sound becoming more accessible. It is funny to me, with Audiolab it is yet MORE accessible, and now I even feel, that it is TOO accessible. Let me try and explain this. I feel like the music and the artist are coming so close to me, that it is ruining the mystique. That must be a good thing, but somehow I also feel like the music is losing it’s importance. Perhaps I have less left for my imagination, which sees the artist as some kind of a god in ivory tower. It becomes more like an everyday dude.

But back to the struggle. I guess unless I hear something that keeps this brightness and sharpness and yet adds detail, space, depth and so for, I am also contemplating going for another Onkyo, A-9150, which is cheaper yet. Spend the rest on cables.

Do you believe that sharpness and brightness is something that class D offers?

What I also observed is that the very first songs with this Audiolab 6000A (it is used for demo in the store, but the merchant said, they hardly ever listen to it) had a strong background white noise present. This threw me off quite a bit. But after having listened to amp for few hours and returning to these same songs, the background was cleaner. So there is that.

Not to mention endless possibilities of detecting another culprits in the system, where nothing at the moment has untouchable status, synergy and cost are to be considered.

Luckily I have now the whole weekend to test this amplifier, and it’s a good thing that I could voice my thoughts here, because there are a lot of surprises and I am frankly a bit stressed out about this situation. Thank you for your time.

[hifinutt]

"Do you believe that sharpness and brightness is something that class D offers?"

all class D amps sound different , i use 2 icepower amps , both are different , but they are dynamic , warm , realistic and extremely good . hence why so many manufacturers are using them

don`t get too stressed and allow everything to settle down before you judge it. get plenty of hours on the clock and the sound can change a lot