603S3's what to expect by adding a poweramp?

[george_k]

I have a pair of 603S3's being driven by a NAD T742 (50watt x 5) receiver. I'm considering adding a seperate power amp (either a rotel or NAD) how will this affect the sound if at all?

Thanks

[sikoniko]

I know when I upgraded my yamaha (90x5) to my rotel 1055 (75x5) there was a significant difference. My cinenova powered my 603's in the back and I didn't notice any difference, though it was only getting surround information.

[weijst]

I used to have a Marantz SR5200 (6x75?) powering a pair of 602 S3 and a LCR60 S3. The upgrade to an RMB-1075 (5x120) sure was a noticeable one...

[rick c]

I have a rotel rsx1056 which powers my 603s3 just fine.But,i have been thinking about adding an amp also and even posted ref. getting either 2 or 3 channel or maybe 5 channel.I want to do this cause want to bring out the best in these speakers.I use my system 75-80% ht/tv and the rest music (stereo and dts).But i'm actually on the fence right now until i can be convinced what type of amp to get or even if i should.Was actually wondering how much of a difference would it really make.

[PewterTA]

My friend has my RB-1080 running his 603s, fed by an Onkyo receiver (about a 2 - 3 year old model maybe 100-120watts). At first I didn't notice a difference. Now this was probably due to fact that the amp was brand new when I gave it to him to "break-in." About a week or two of use and I would stop in here and there while we were watching TV mainly...after the first week, I came back (had not listened to it at all), and I thought there was some difference...sound stage was starting to really open up more. After the second week, I was like, wow, that is really starting to feed a lot more into the main Left/Right during television watching. After the third week now I can definitely tell a huge difference. The detail, clarity, imaging, and over all "power" to the sound has definitely changed.

If you add a good amp to the 603s, they will definitely take on a whole knew side to them. I'm now a pretty firm believer that all B&W speakers love power, the more they get the more they open up and begin to put that smile on your face.

I think it's definitely worth getting it!

The RMB-1095 has made a huge difference over my old Yamaha Rx-v1400, there was a lot of detail and clarity that it brought to the setup. I would highly recommend trying out a good powered amp. I ended up removing the Yamaha for the RSP-1098 and haven't looked back. I'm still having a tough time selling the yamaha though, I did really like it and it's a really good receiver!

On a side note though, I think you really need to set a spending limit first (with some flexibility on both sides -- more/less)...then don't deviate. I was going to (and still probably will later on down the line) put a CineNova 5 or 7 channel amp, I think that guy has definite potential in my set up, but the price for it was just a little more than I really wanted to spend...so I went with the 1095, and am happy with it, but wish I could've gone for more... So you really need to know your limits and try to plan for the future. I figure the 1095 should have good resale value to it when I plan to go to either earthquake or bryston.

[bcgator]

George, I think it depends on a few variables that haven't come up yet in this thread, or that you haven't mentioned.

First off, what size room are you looking to fill with sound? Also, how much volume are you looking for? Concert-level? Low-level listening? Finally, what type of music are you listening to?

I don't know much about the NAD T742....are you happy with the sound it is currently producing? Is it powerful enough for your particular living space? 50 wpc may not seem like much, and it won't be if you're trying to fill a 9000 cubic foot living room. But if you're in a condo, or an apartment, or a 2000 square foot home, it's probably plenty. Now, if that NAD is clipping on you because you're trying to play AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" or the 1812 Overture at concert levels, then it may be time for some more amplification. Then again, maybe you're actually spending most of your time listening to Patricia Barber or Diana Krall at relatively modest volumes - if that's the case, I wouldn't make any promises about getting extra benefit from an external amplifier, unless you are currently flat-out unhappy with how the NAD sounds and you're just desperate to try anything.

My questions to you, and any advice I offer, come from personal experience.
I'm running a pair of B&W Nautilus 805 Signatures off an Onkyo 701 receiver (100 wpc x 6 channels), and it sounds amazing. I'd also been told by numerous dealers that I was underpowering the Sigs, and a better amp would reveal much more detail and quality. After trying a Rotel 1075 (125 x 5 channels) for 4 months and then a fully broken-in Parasound Halo A51 ($4000 amp, 250 wpc x 5 channels) for 3 weeks, as well as demoing Shanling and Audio Research Integrated Tube Amps, and hearing absolutely no difference in sound quality, I finally decided to keep my money in my pocket, sold the Rotel and Parasound, and am sticking with the Onkyo. Even up to insane volume levels, the Onkyo's 100 wpc were more than enough, and neither the Rotel or Parasound made the Signatures sound any better during modest-volume level critical listening sessions. In my particular case, and to my ears (and my girlfriend's as well), the extra amplification was a waste of money. Both the Rotel and Parasound amps were basically very heavy shelf decorations.

So before you buy anything, ask yourself those questions I've posed above:
- how unhappy are you now?
- are you trying to fill a large space, that the NAD simply cannot handle?
- are you listening at such volumes that the NAD is running out of juice?
- are your listening sessions such that you concentrate and focus on every parting of a vocalists lips, or every sign of cymbal decay, and every hint of a guitarists fingers gently moving across the strings? Do you feel the NAD is robbing you of the enjoyment of hearing these things, because you're just not getting them now?

Unless you can answer at least one of those last 3 questions with an unequivocal "yes", I'm not so sure an external amp would bring you extra enjoyment. At the very least, if you're still hooked on getting one, do so from a dealer who will let you demo it for a weekend without obligation. Your ears may be better than mine, and you may find that you get great benefit from external amplification. Then again, you may get the same results I got and find yourself with extra cash in pocket to spend on more CDs.

Let us know how it goes,
BCGator

[perato]

I agree with bcgator. I also use an Onkyo TX-SR701 but I have 705, HTM7, DS7. I have not had any problems with this receiver driving these speakers. My room is approx. 12 feet x 30 ft x 8 feet high. Ask yourself those questions bcgator wrote. If you still think you need an amp, you might want to invesigate digital amplifiers. Some of them have impressive specs and are not nearly as expensive as many of the other amplifiers mentioned on this forum.

[george_k]

BCGator,

Thanks for the informative post, it was exactly what I needed hear ( the oracle ??? ) I was basically told the same thing (adding a power amp would reveal better sound, bass would have more punch, etc etc)

- how unhappy are you now? --> Happy
- are you trying to fill a large space, that the NAD simply cannot handle? --> Living room of a small 2bedroom appartment
- are you listening at such volumes that the NAD is running out of juice? --> No
- are your listening sessions such that you concentrate and focus on every parting of a vocalists lips, or every sign of cymbal decay, and every hint of a guitarists fingers gently moving across the strings? Do you feel the NAD is robbing you of the enjoyment of hearing these things, because you're just not getting them now? --> No

I will see if my dealer will let me demo a power amp over the weekend, if not I'll just save my pennies for a pair of 804's, a sub would be nice too but could not be played very loud in the appt.