Club Musical Fidelity

[Yasvanth]

Hello Nektarios,

I really enjoyed reading your test on the KW550,500, A1008 and the A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps. It's a shame about your suspended floor!

Anyway out of three that you tested, which one would you love to have , and I'm not talking about it's looks?

Also I'm dying to know what sort of music material did you use to test these fantastic amps?

Happy Listening

Yas

[hifidez]

Is the "relaunched" A1 an April Fool? I see the release date is set for April. And the front panel really does not work; it looks like a very quick design job to me - the proportions of the original were beautiful I thought.

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/news/a1.html

It's got them taliking over in HiFi Wigwam.. not very constrcutive though; and soon goes off topic.

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum1/22816-1.html

Derek

[nektarios]

interesting stuff nekt, the kw stuff even in appearance is quite something ! intersting to read oyour impressions there. wonder the effect of floor placement perhaps related to the valve/tube pre stage the kw550 has. With some valves are microphonic and maybe being impacted in this case with vibrations coming through the floor..

Hi alebonau!

I really don't know. The hi-fi shop guys told me that the carpet and suspended floorboards gives a similar effect like placing squash balls under the equipment. Both kWs and the A1008 exhibited the same behaviour, not just the 550. The reason I distinguish between equipment with power supplies internally or externally, is because the Trivista 21 DAC although it has valves, when placed on my floor the sound thickens and looses incisiveness.

At the end I am thinking of going with the A5 pre-pow as they sound very nice on my hi-fi rack; it's the first time I can follow the bass lines so clearly together with the rest of the music. Highs lows and mids are all there in front of you in a very musical presentation.

[nektarios]

Hello Nektarios,

I really enjoyed reading your test on the KW550,500, A1008 and the A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps. It's a shame about your suspended floor!

Anyway out of three that you tested, which one would you love to have , and I'm not talking about it's looks?

Also I'm dying to know what sort of music material did you use to test these fantastic amps?

Happy Listening

Yas

Hi Yas!

If the kW550 would sound nice in my room other than placed on the floor, then that would be the amp I would go for. However, the sound of the A5 pre-pow is similar - only the kW550 has a serious grunt, goes much lower (subwoofer levels) and the highs higher but without sounding edgy. Actually, I am wondering if that would be attributed to the valves? For example violin's high notes would go really thin but detailed (textured - the strokes are very clear to you) but smooth as if no big deal, i.e. no "cat scratching". To achieve the same in solid state, the amp would need to have a fuller sound which makes it more palatable but the texture info becomes less obvious, or the resolution not as good?

I was always thinking that since I have valves on the source then I don't need a hybrid amp or even that a hybrid amp would be too much, but after listening to the kWs and A1008 I realised I was wrong.

The A1008 is really nice too, but it depends on the source you have. It goes for texture and extension and as my sources do the same the sound lacks slam and impact. Not that it doesn't sound nice though. Amazing detail and resolution in an effortless and smooth way, very musical - this is a hybrid integrated too.

The A5 pre-pow gives most good things of the hybrids above but also some enjoyable slam! High current delivery and nice transients.

The music I try is Diana Krall, Eric Clapton, Secret Garden, Buena Vista and other Cuban plus Latin music such as salsa and merengue, then Greek stuff (bouzouki and island music that has plenty of strings and percussion instruments), classical music, Carpenters, some Barry White (those vocal chords!), and some pop music.

[Yasvanth]

A Rumble In The Flat! Be Warned

Hi Nektarios,

If I were you I'll choose the A5cr Pre & Pwr. Even though the KW550's bass goes much much lower than the A5 Pre & Pwr, and has far greater power reserves I don't think it will be as fast and fleet footed as the A5's. Also the KW 550 will probably be a bit bass heavy due to you living in a flat with suspended floors.

Second you will be saving yourself a considerable amount of your money. If you actually think about it, the A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps have all the pwr and grunt that you could dream of to control those spks, and I feel they look better than that ugly monster of an amp (KW550).

After comparing the A5cr Pre & A5 cr Pwr against the KW550, did you feel that the A5's had more slam,excitement and speed or was it vice a versa?

P.S Have you been sent an ASBO yet, due to the neigbours complaining about the noise?

HAPPY LISTENING

Yas

[Ken71]

Exact measurements

Hi, i have just ordered an A5 integrated amplifier and A5 cd player, now it's a bit late to make sure of this but can someone tell me what the width is at the widest point. On MF's website it is quoted as 440mm, but it looks as though the facia is slightly wider and since my unit can only take 440mm i would be pretty stuck if they were any bigger. My current system is A3cr pre and power and A3 cd player(just about fits).

Thanks

[nektarios]

Hi Yas,

actually that's just one of the nice things about the kWs: they go lower but they are fast - not sure how, maybe the damping factor or the fact they are bridged. Definitely they are faster than the A5 pre-pow, especially the kW500!

Having had the kWs in my room, they don't really look ugly; but they are room unfriendly because of their size. You somehow "respect" the equipment for the way it sounds and hence looks! Everything else feels like a toy!

Well, every song has a particular volume setting to sound a tad realistic and enjoyable. With the A5 pre-pow the volume dial is between 8:30 - 11:00 o'clock. With the kW the volume dial is between 7:00 and 9:00. It's not the volume power I am after but the sound and music.

The A5 pre-pow can't have the same impact and transient as the kW, but the sound is nice and exciting and has better transients than the A5 int and the A1008.

I would have finalised buying the A5 pre-pow already but for some reason classical music sounds dull and pieces with chorus sound mushed, as if there is no resolution, or some bass frequencies taking over. I hope it's not an A5 pre-pow in relation to source and speakers issue, so I am investigating...

[alebonau]

Is the "relaunched" A1 an April Fool? I see the release date is set for April. And the front panel really does not work; it looks like a very quick design job to me - the proportions of the original were beautiful I thought.

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/news/a1.html

It's got them taliking over in HiFi Wigwam.. not very constrcutive though; and soon goes off topic.

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum1/22816-1.html

Derek

hehe a bit of retro fun !

the a1 was a classic, good on mf to rediscover it. its what laid the foundations for the company, will be interesting what it turns out to be. probably likely to be lot more reliable to the original ! which you could use as a room heater or fry an egg on bbq like griddle it had as a top casing ! hehe

the top loader cd plaeyr sounds interesting too, wonder whether that will be a retro peice too like the original cdt that ran a couple of 6922 valves on the output stage.

[hifidez]

hehe a bit of retro fun !

the a1 was a classic, good on mf to rediscover it. its what laid the foundations for the company, will be interesting what it turns out to be. probably likely to be lot more reliable to the original ! which you could use as a room heater or fry an egg on bbq like griddle it had as a top casing ! hehe

the top loader cd plaeyr sounds interesting too, wonder whether that will be a retro peice too like the original cdt that ran a couple of 6922 valves on the output stage.

If this is a serious product then I wish it well. I feel MF should have retained a rotary volume control to retain the essential design character of the first A1; it could still have been remotely controlled of course. I guess that this new A1 will be an assembly of existing amplifier 'buliding blocks'. I wonder what the mix will be? And how would they tweak their existing amp topology to create a Class A version? And will it be 'real' Class A this time around?
There was much debate and criticism over the original A1 about how much power was delievered in Class A mode.

In any case it (the original) did sound good, but I bought the B200 'version', in the same casing, as it was more powerful and punchy. Even the B200 had a bit of a strange early history. I believe MF created and sold a B200 Mk 2 very early on - but this wasn't obvious as they never advertised a B200 as a Mk 2 version. The Mk 2 had smaller power supply caps for example. So my interpretation is that the good reviews that MF received for the B200 were based on the original design; MF then went on to produce a Mk2 version, different slightly to the Mk1, but didn't tell anyone. Is this a correct interpretation of events?

derek

[johnecuevas]

Hi Nektarios

Does the A5cr Pre & Pow sound "sweet" or not at all a part from the excellent soundstage ? (compared to KW550/KW500/A1008/XT100) These are the amps I read on MF website that sounds sweet. How does it sound if you take the DAC off the chain ? I know A5cr Pre & Pow is solid-state.

[Yasvanth]

Hello John,


I also have the MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps and I do not think they have a sweet sound as you describe it. More refined but with excellent detail. Also they are Solid State amps.

Yas

[alebonau]

well no more A5cr pre-pwr on the mf website, I'd say end of the run for these...all good things must come to an end ! as they say .....what it does mean though if theyre on run out, its likely theres some bargains to be had and to pick these up cheaply for anyone looking....

Will go down as a classic I think these amps, the best I've seen in the mid-range mf pre-pwrs in the last 15 years ! back when I bought my first mf pre+pwr !

[nektarios]

Hi Nektarios

Does the A5cr Pre & Pow sound "sweet" or not at all a part from the excellent soundstage ? (compared to KW550/KW500/A1008/XT100) These are the amps I read on MF website that sounds sweet. How does it sound if you take the DAC off the chain ? I know A5cr Pre & Pow is solid-state.

Hi John.

Just to be sure, by sweet we don't mean warm in the sense of extra bass, do we? The A5 pre-pow is fast and lean, but unfortunately as I found out lately, it also depends on what audio interconnect you use. The sound is neutral to slightly laidback and when the source and cables allow, it sounds sweet on certain instruments such as guitar and bouzouki - by sweetness I mean high frequency extension that has body and does not sound steely. Which is a good thing. But the overall sound is not sweet.

My DAC makes instruments to sound more real and adds harmonics - not sure about the sweetness - I need to test that.

The kW500 is tubed but does not sound sweet. The kW550 sounds very sweet with the good meaning when the volume is low, before the grunt kicks in. The 1008 was completely neutral in my system.

Personally I prefer the sound of the tubes in the preamp, but with kWs I would need different speakers and the A1008 lacks a bit of ooomph although it's amazingly musical without emphasising anything.

What exactly would you like to know?

[nektarios]

A5 pre-pow owner too (for the time being!)

Hi guys.

I managed to find the bloatness of some bass frequency making classical dull and reducing resolution with chorus.

As I've told you before, I have the Clearlight Aspekt rack. Amazing rack - it makes equipment sat on it sound clear but without reducing bass or making the sound thin. It's doing it by trying to eliminate resonance and vibrations.

However, after a lot of experimentation, placing the equipment on the shelf is not as straightforward as it seems. The mdf shelves underneath them have a woven spiral filled with a non resonant compound material. After many tests I came to the conclusion that this thing acts like some sort of filter and that, it is very important the feet of the equipment (not the equipment itself) to be centered on the shelf, i.e. distance of the rear feet to the back of the shelf should be the same to distance of the front feet from front side of the shelf. The left and right distances should match between themselves accordingly. Otherwise, depending on where the feet are landed (distance from, or directly above the compound spiral), the sound becomes thin, or dull, or with sibilance, etc.

The A5 pre-pow I got are ex-demos and the rubber pad from the foot (the one under the power supply) was missing on both pre and pow. So, the components were touching the shelf sat upon, only with 3 feet and the fourth was in the air.

We contacted Musical Fidelity and asked for 2 rubber pads, but they send two feet instead as the pads go with the feet. I replaced the feet and voila! Erroneous bass frequency gone!

If anyone has a Clearlight Aspekt rack and wants some clues or share ideas feel free to tell me.

Anyway, as I was not sure if the feet would have done the trick, I ordered in between a second QED silver spiral to replace the interconnect between the pre-pow. Just in case. And this is where I opened another "can of worms" as they say. I'll describe my findings on another post.

But I bought the A5 pre-pow and I am very pleased with the sound. At last I can sit down and enjoy some music!

[AlanB]

Hi Nectarius
Get something better than the Silver Spiral and really hear what MF stuff can do.

[nektarios]

Hi Alan.

Unfortunately, as you'll see from my next post, something better is not necessarilly in terms of quality, but it depends on the components' and cables' character and overall sonic match?

Give me some suggestions and I'll try to demo the cables if I find them. At present I find some of the VDH a bit polite and the cable I like for the A5 pre-pow is the Sonic Link SG Control. I found on the net that Sonic Link is now called Black Rhodium - just from the pictures it looks as if the Sonic Link Control is similar to Balck Rhodium Concerto, not sure though...

[nektarios]

Audio interconnects!

Hi to all.

As I mentioned on my previous post I tried to get a different interconnect for the A5 Pre-Pow as I was looking for the origin of the weird bass frequencies making classic sound dull.

As I was happy with my QED Silver Spiral (amazing open and detailed mids, highs extension, and good bass presence), I ordered another one. In the meantime I sorted the bass issue out (feet). I connected the new cables and the sound suddenly became lush but thick and very slow - voices almost got drawned.

Placing the Sonic Link Control the familiar sound was back. Once again shock, so I got the Chord Crimson, Van Den Hul Bay C5, VDH D102 III (MK3) and started experimenting.

Not sure if any run-in is required for the cables as I never did any such experiment and don't have a clue, but the cables (except my old QED Silver Spiral and Sonic Link) are new.

Source - A5 Pre: QED Silver Spiral

A5 Pre-Pow:

Chord Crimson: bass mids and highs all there but sounds restrained, too controlled: eg highs do not extend high enough and questionable attack.

VDH Bay C5: sound polite, more spark than the Crimson, open mids, sweet highs, very good and controlled bass. The whole music delivery is lighter (i.e. less bass presence).

VDH D102 III (MK3): polite and mellow sound, fluid, bass is fast, mids somehow recessed, and the highs extend high! Soundstage gained extra depth (or it is more obvious now) and the sound can become bright and noticed ear fatigue.

Sonic Link SG Control: this is the cable I was testing the a5 pre-pow with. Full bodied sound with bass and mids and highs that extend but without ear fatigue. With this cable you can hear intonations in Diana Krall's voice that the others miss (in my system always). Very nice sound with great and realistic soundstage, sweet highs in Eric Clapton's guitar in Unplugged.


Now I started changing cables around:

Source: Sonic Link SG Control
Pre-pow: QED Silver Spiral
Not much difference when put the other way around except that highs became a bit hard and acute from time to time - not good.

Source: Chord Crimson
Pre-pow: QED Silver Spiral
Nice fast and rhythic sound - much better when Crimson is used at the source. Highs though still not resolving like the rest of the cables.

Source: VDH Bay C5
Pre-pow: QED Silver Spiral
Sound lost weight, sounded soft. Clear sound and excellent bass lines but classic music lost scale.

Source: VDH D102 III (MK3)
Pre-pow: QED Silver Spiral
Polite refined sound, fluid, but bright (ear fatigue).

Source: VDH Bay C5
Pre-pow: VDH D102 III (MK3)
The more natural character of the Bay C5 came out (open mids, controlled and tight bass, sweet highs). Percussion sounds though lost harmonics or they got subdued - this could be the recess sound of the D102 III.

Source: Sonic Link SG Control
Pre-pow: VDH D102 III (MK3)
Sound got fuller, nice highs, no fatique now, more body in the soundstage. Diana Krall sounded OK. Classic music sounded boring.

Source: VDH D102 III (MK3)
Pre-pow: Sonic Link SG Control
Fluid sound, even easier on the ear. Diana Krall lost vocal intonations. Bass lines not so obvious and percussion harmonics were there but recessed.

Source: VDH Bay C5
Pre-pow: Sonic Link SG Control
Fluid sound, very enjoyable, but because of less weight instruments were not coming as real.


Going back to: Source - QED Silver Spiral, and Pre-pow - Sonic Link SG Control it strikes how amazing the vocals become with emotion and detail. Full body sound with realism and sweet highs.


Both VDH cables were making the sound polite and refined with the VDH D102 III (MK3) sounding very artificial (maybe because of the recessed soundstage?).


Unfortunately I didn't have the same cable for both source and pre-pow except the QED silver spiral. I'll have the chance to have two Sonic Link SG Control though and see.

I managed to find the following on the net:
SonicLink Control £135 p.m. Feb 01 Well balanced with detail and cleanness of sound. Will spark up a dullish system.

I also found that Sonic Link is now called ... Black Rhodium!

About the QED Silver Spiral:
What hi-Fi had given it 5 stars and I remember they had written something like: transfers the signal from A to B without adding or removing anything. Nowdays they give it 4 stars and say pleasing bass and big soundstage.

The VDH and Chord Crimson have a very controlled bass, but then the singer and instruments don't feel as real in front of you.

I like the QED silver spiral at the source although I'll try others too. From all the above I think it is clear the idea is not really to place the same cables everywhere in the system. It depends what the cable's character is, whether a component is neutral, laidback or forward and what you want to achieve, i.e. good luck! X-Ray V3 + Trivista 21 DAC have a neutral sound so the Sonic Link SG Control (when placed at the source) makes the highs sound acute from time to time.

The pre-pow is neutral to laidback and in source QED silver spiral has fuller bass, so the Sonic Link SG Control at pre-pow does its magic?

[Yasvanth]

Suitable Interconnects !

Hello Nektarios,


My first interconnects that I used with my MF A5cr Pre & A5 Pwr amps were the VDH D102MK3 Hybrid, same ones that you had tested out. I found this interconnect not suitable for the MF amps. As you rightly said, that these cables are refined and a bit smoother or mellow in the treble and will not match well with slightly refined and fuller bass of the MF amps.

Have you tried testing or auditioning the Nordost interconnects as they have fantastic, with speed, detail and a tight solid midrange bass.?


That's what i use now, and these Nordost Red Dawn int have made a tremendous difference to the sound. Another make you could try is Chord Anthem or the extremely expensive Chord Signature, or maybe the Atlas Navigator. But I have never tested the Chord or the Atlas, so I would not know.

In the end, it all depends on what particular type of sound you are after if you are after a more mellower sound there are other interconnects to try but if your after a faster sound i would try the Chord's and the Nordost range and see how it goes from there.

One last thing, don't bother paying the full RRP at your dealers, if there is a particular interconnect that you like and suits your MF A5 Pre & Pwr amps I would hunt around on Ebay UK, you never know, you may even pick up a great bargain.

One last thing the VDH D102 MK111 Hybrid interconnects are very highly rated cables, as you know have one heaps of awards throughout the years from all hifi magazines but I feel these interconnects as they are midrange interconnects, are out of it's depths when it comes to using them with the high end A5 amps you really should look around for something which is up to the job.

Have you spoken to your SevenOaks hifi dealer about what interconnect brands would best suit the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amplifiers and your style of music ?

By reading your reviews on the different interconnect brands that you have tested so far, I get the feeling that you are on the lookout for an interconnect that has the excitement factor in the treble department, but is also extremely detailed and fast, but without the fatigue creeping in. If I was you, test out the Nordost and Chord range of interconnects and tell me what you think.

Anyway testing, mixing and matching cables is all part of the fun and excitement of being a hifi enthusiast, but it can also be expensive with endless upgrades .

If there is anybody else you can advise Nek on suitable interconnects for his A5 cr amps then let's go!


Happy Listening!

Yas

[lawoftrust]

@nektarios

as You made several comparisons between MF equipment, I have a question. I am considering an upgrade from the A5 int to either the A5 pre pro, the KW 500 or the KW 550. The KW 500 or the pre pro would be about the same price, the kw 550 50% more expensive. Speakers are actually B&W 804S and are likely to be upgraded to 803D or 802S. Which amp would be your proposal and why? Very personal opinions highly welcome from all members.

KR

lawoftrust

[nektarios]

Hi Yas!

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try to find those Nordost and the Chord cables too if possible. The cables I try so far I just borrow them from SevenOaks. They are very helpful but don't really know which cable is the best because it's not just the A5 pre-pow, but the whole system of source + A5 pre-pow + speakers + room acoustics. Not even the cable manufacturers know how their cable will affect a system sonically.

Up to now I am not really impressed with the cables I tried and tighten the bass because all of them "steal" something from one type of music or another. I like the QED Silver Spiral because it is an "honest" wide bandwidth cable that just gives what your equipment produces. It then becomes a choice of putting the sonically right components together. Of course I may be wrong!

Yes, I always check ebay and other sites of 2nd hand hi-fi, but because I appreciate a lot the fact I can test things out before I buy (I really need that!), I go and tell them how much I found something on the net and they try to match the price up to a logical limit. Up to now I am happy.

I am wondering how the kW250S sounds! All in one and no interconnects! I was told that because people don't buy them, their price has dropped heavily! They used to cost 5000 pounds but now shops sell them new for 2000!

[nektarios]

@nektarios

as You made several comparisons between MF equipment, I have a question. I am considering an upgrade from the A5 int to either the A5 pre pro, the KW 500 or the KW 550. The KW 500 or the pre pro would be about the same price, the kw 550 50% more expensive. Speakers are actually B&W 804S and are likely to be upgraded to 803D or 802S. Which amp would be your proposal and why? Very personal opinions highly welcome from all members.

KR

lawoftrust

Hi there!

I am not sure if I have heard the B&W 804S or the other models. All I can say is the differences between the amps using the X-Ray V3 + TriVista 21 DAC + Monitor Audio GR20. Which I don't know how good it is.

For me the kWs made me realise what an amp is about! They are bridged mono blocks, and maybe because of the valve pre-stage too, they have an effortless delivery and are very musical. They give both texture and slam; you hear everything and have amazing resolution. Dynamics are superb, transients impressive. They extend both sides of the spectrum but without sounding weird. You just listen music with them. Very neutral (i.e. not warm, not cold, not laidback, not forward) but they are not boring for some reason! Very hard to explain, you need to listen to them to understand.

kW500 has a leaner, or maybe cleaner, personality, and the kW550 has a warmth in music but the sound is not warm. With both of these I didn't have to block the front firing ports on my speakers.

The A5 pre-pow probably tends towards the kW550 but with a bass lighter sonic signature. I find the voices on A5 pre-pow impressive but that could as well be the cables emphasizing some frequency? Not sure. If other A5 pre-pow users say that the vocals are amazing then they must be! Very enjoyable sound with amazing resolution too. The soundstage is impressive.

As all of these amps are the very best of MF, I think the important thing to consider is the space you have available in the room. You may not realise, but the kWs are absolutely huge and heavy. Plus the extra transformer box. In the case of the kW550 the transformer is like 32 Kg and bigger than normal amps. The pictures cannot possibly show you their dimensions.

I think kWs are in a different category and would benefit from speakers with at least 3 cone drivers. Which means a lot of room space too. If your source and speakers are on the warm side, then the kW500 would be a better match. Otherwise kW550 and the A5 pre-pow would probably match better.

If space is no concern, before changing your speakers get the amp you think you would be happy with, then get your source and amp to a hi-fi shop and demo the speakers. In that way you know what you get. Ask for a discount if you have prices from the net and they'll probably try to match somehow.

By the way, the kWs won't strike a difference or try to impress ou on an A/B test. Only when you listen for a couple of hours to them and THEN switch to another amp, then you'll feel the difference!

The A5 pre-pow is an impressive kit too - read alebonau's comments a few posts before.

Not sure what to say, good luck!

[fmuratgedik]

Speaker cable for MF equipments

Hi to everyone..

I own Musical Fidelity A3.5 amp and CD player.
Now, i use TMC gold label speaker wire, but i am not satisfied with the result.

The old MF nu-vista speaker cables are still available in a local seller here, but he has no idea about the cable specifications.

There are two types of sets which have different colors marked on the cable: Red or blue. What do these colors mean? If someone here can help me, i will be grateful.

Do you suggest these cables? Or, do you have a better match for MF, as a someone who may have experienced more alternatives so far..

Thanks very much for any of your interest..

[Yasvanth]

Hell0,

Maybe Red is positive and the Blue is negative.

[johnecuevas]

Hi John.

Just to be sure, by sweet we don't mean warm in the sense of extra bass, do we? The A5 pre-pow is fast and lean, but unfortunately as I found out lately, it also depends on what audio interconnect you use. The sound is neutral to slightly laidback and when the source and cables allow, it sounds sweet on certain instruments such as guitar and bouzouki - by sweetness I mean high frequency extension that has body and does not sound steely. Which is a good thing. But the overall sound is not sweet.

My DAC makes instruments to sound more real and adds harmonics - not sure about the sweetness - I need to test that.

The kW500 is tubed but does not sound sweet. The kW550 sounds very sweet with the good meaning when the volume is low, before the grunt kicks in. The 1008 was completely neutral in my system.

Personally I prefer the sound of the tubes in the preamp, but with kWs I would need different speakers and the A1008 lacks a bit of ooomph although it's amazingly musical without emphasising anything.

What exactly would you like to know?

Yes :W this is it ..."by sweetness I mean high frequency extension that has body and does not sound steely" and "The kW550 sounds very sweet with the good meaning when the volume is low" also "by sweet we don't mean warm in the sense of extra bass". I first encountered and understood the meaning of sweetness 15 years ago when I happen to audition an AV setup of a tube AMC amplifier (if I remember correctly) and the movie was portraying a scene very early in the morning in a green ashly forest with some birds and chorus singing (just like in heaven)

Sweetness is one thing I find it hard to get and the only time when I do get it is only after long-hours of operation and listening. I also found that having 1 tube in the chain is the best. I think having 2 or more tubes would further "expand" the sound at the loss of resolution (like adding too much water into my dessert) :W

[Yasvanth]

Is there a new MF A5.5 Integrated amp around, which is an improvemnt on the original A5 amp?

I think it came out last year. Has anybody reviewed it or even listened to one?

Anyway, tell me whether you guys have been experimenting with different interconnects that would best suit the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr?

Nektarious is already on the case!

Thanks

Yas

[unkhman]

aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!

NEWS: Musical Fidelity supersizes its Supercharger
Jan 27, 2008

Just a few months after unleashing its 550K Supercharger amplifiers, designed to be used between existing amps and your speakers, Musical Fidelity is now launching an even more powerful version.

The 750K Superchargers use exactly the same circuitry found in the company's kW750 amplifier, and deliver over 1kW of dynamic power, with a peak capability of 3kW. That should wake your speakers up!

The new amps have three inputs - line, balanced and speaker level - and use the same signal-sensing power on/off found in the 550K.

The company says they make a fine partner for the new A1 integrated amplifier, and can deliver a 'sweet and light' sound, with 'very extended and tight bass', a 'deep and wide' soundstage and 'awe inspiring' dynamics.

The Superchargers deliver 260amps peak to peak current, and a peak output of 120V. Available from late February, they'll sell in the UK for £2499 each.

source:

http://whathifi.com/hi-fi/archive/2008/01/27/news-musical-fidelity-supersizes-its-supercharger.aspx

Cheers!

[Yasvanth]

Speaker Cable or Cd Player Upgrade!

Hi everyone,

What amazes me is how does the MF team come up with these seriously powerful amps that not many other hifi manufacturers can keep up with.

Also the other problem is the big increase on your electricity bill. Using a pair of 750K Superchargers will not only give an immense kick up the backside of your spks but I wouldn't surprised if your house walls come tumbling down.
Oh yes and also a massive hole in your wallet.

P.S I am already using Nordost Red Dawn interconnects with my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps and it has made a fantastic difference to the sound of my sound system with far greater detail and speed. Should I change my spk cables to Nordost Blue Heavens?

Also does anybody else use Nordost cables with there MF gear and have they noticed big improvement?

The reason I ask this is, as these cables are extremely expensive and I do not want to regret buying them incase there is not improvement in the sound quality.

I am also using the £450 Arcam CD72T with my amps and feel the midrange bass with R'n'B music could be tighter, do you think it would be a good idea to change my cd player to a more suitable component that would match my amps and which ones should I audition?

Your advice would be great!

Yas

[p.s]

Hi Yas,
I'm using Nordost Heimdall interconnect between my MF3.5 cd player and A308 integrated amp and am very pleased with the results. Not too forward, not too bright, lots of detail and depth, quite satisfactory from the moment I first tried it. Compared with Wireworld, Slinkylinks, Qunex 3 and 2, the Heimdall wins hands down offering more than the others, however, I may not be the most discerning ear. Some people may like things brighter and in their face but not me.

[Yasvanth]

Hello p.s,

Just out of interest, what sort of spks are you using with your MF 3.5 CDP and 308 Amp?

Happy Listening

Yas

[p.s]

At the moment my main speakers are the Auckland made Image 402's that use Morel tweeter and driver and give a good midrange, currently paired with Klipsch sf 2's that have more low frequency and highs, and a second room (via bi-amp) with older Monitor Audio's that give good range and detail.

[Yasvanth]

HI

IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED SOME CHAP ON EBAY UK IS SELLING BOTH THE MF A5cr PRE & A5cr PWR AMPS. ONE OWNER WHO HAS NOW CHANGED AND MOVED FURTHER UP THE LADDER AND PURCHASED THE KW550.

P.S Can anyone recommend a cd player that would be a suitable match for my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps. As long as it's not the MF A3.5 or A5. CD player has to have fantastic speed,detail and slam for my hard pumping Dance and R'n'B music? :T

HAPPPY LISTENING

YAS

[sciguy82]

Hi mates, I'm an owner for the X-T100, triple x PSU and X-RAY V8 and are using them with my Dali Mentor 6 floorstand speaker which i just got them less than a week. I'm thinking to upgrade my amp and the most important factor is i'm with my computer more often for music, movies and gaming. So i really thinking to buy a DAC as well as upgrade my amp after i've change my speaker from bookshelves to floorstanding. I will need some advice from you guys, pls.

Actually i've been demo my mentor 6 with 1) A1008 int amp and cd plyer and 2) A5 int amp (the hifi stuff told me the sound are similar with A5.5) and A1008 cd plyer. To be honest, other than the 1st system has a better clarity, and a bit more open and wide sound, its bout the same as 2nd system. Although the A5.5 has an usb 1.1 input but i believe that it doesn't have a built-in DAC. Hence the seller recommend me to add on a X-DAC V8 on top of the A5.5, and i could even stick back with my X-RAY V8 cd player. And i think the A1008 cd plyer is retails around 2500 pounds.

So, i'm wonder if anyone of you tried out the matching system with A5.5 int amp + X-DAC V8 + X-RAY V8. And how does it sound? I've read on some reviews that the different series of the separates could lead a bad system such as A5.5 int amp will be best matching with A5.5 cd player but when it matching with A3.5 it could be bad. And also, i've read the previous thread and found someone states that when the X-RAY V8 connection to computer and surfing web will result a sound lost or lagging, is that true? And how will it preform when the A1008 int amp connected to the computer using the USB connector?

I don't have a chance to try out the A1008 build-in DAC comparing with the A5.5 int amp + X-DAC V8 both connected using the computer source, wonder if they sounds the same or either of the will be richer in sound? As both system cost around the same price without cd player. But i do really understand that if i'm going to get the 2nd system, i will have a cd player without further saving, but i seldom listen to cds, more time on computer as i do my web surfing a lot like looking into forums.

Or if anyone of you tried out the A1008 int amp with any other cheaper cd player which works about the same as it own A1008 cd player? thank you

[Dmm53]

I have owned a PSUV3, X10V3 and DAcV3 for about two years. Really like the setup running thru B&w 803S, MAC 352 and C41.

Now looking for XrayV3. Wondering whether anyone has compared the old series to the new XDacV8 and XrayV8. Is it worth selling my MF set-up and buying new 8 versions.

[sciguy82]

hmm....., no one around?

[Yasvanth]

Hey your right. Where is everbody? Look's like there loosing interest in Musical Fidelity hifi equipment!

Yas :Z

[sciguy82]

hmmmmm, i tot i could get some info before i buy anything........... Maybe i should wait another week,

[uncle_dito]

Hi mates, I'm an owner for the X-T100, triple x PSU and X-RAY V8 and are using them with my Dali Mentor 6 floorstand speaker which i just got them less than a week. I'm thinking to upgrade my amp and the most important factor is i'm with my computer more often for music, movies and gaming. So i really thinking to buy a DAC as well as upgrade my amp after i've change my speaker from bookshelves to floorstanding. I will need some advice from you guys, pls.

Actually i've been demo my mentor 6 with 1) A1008 int amp and cd plyer and 2) A5 int amp (the hifi stuff told me the sound are similar with A5.5) and A1008 cd plyer. To be honest, other than the 1st system has a better clarity, and a bit more open and wide sound, its bout the same as 2nd system. Although the A5.5 has an usb 1.1 input but i believe that it doesn't have a built-in DAC. Hence the seller recommend me to add on a X-DAC V8 on top of the A5.5, and i could even stick back with my X-RAY V8 cd player. And i think the A1008 cd plyer is retails around 2500 pounds.

So, i'm wonder if anyone of you tried out the matching system with A5.5 int amp + X-DAC V8 + X-RAY V8. And how does it sound? I've read on some reviews that the different series of the separates could lead a bad system such as A5.5 int amp will be best matching with A5.5 cd player but when it matching with A3.5 it could be bad. And also, i've read the previous thread and found someone states that when the X-RAY V8 connection to computer and surfing web will result a sound lost or lagging, is that true? And how will it preform when the A1008 int amp connected to the computer using the USB connector?

I don't have a chance to try out the A1008 build-in DAC comparing with the A5.5 int amp + X-DAC V8 both connected using the computer source, wonder if they sounds the same or either of the will be richer in sound? As both system cost around the same price without cd player. But i do really understand that if i'm going to get the 2nd system, i will have a cd player without further saving, but i seldom listen to cds, more time on computer as i do my web surfing a lot like looking into forums.

Or if anyone of you tried out the A1008 int amp with any other cheaper cd player which works about the same as it own A1008 cd player? thank you

Hi sciguy82,
Maybe you have seen my review of A1008 with A5CD compared to A5 CR PWR/Pre (which are much better than A5 integrated):

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpost.php4?p=349135&postcount=537

Hope it may help you. A5 CD player is excellent, and the combination with A1008 amplifier is very good.
I tried the DAC through USB connection, sound OK, but I have not done indepth listening.
Good luck with your search.
Regards

[sciguy82]

Hi sciguy82,
Maybe you have seen my review of A1008 with A5CD compared to A5 CR PWR/Pre (which are much better than A5 integrated):

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpost.php4?p=349135&postcount=537

Hope it may help you. A5 CD player is excellent, and the combination with A1008 amplifier is very good.
I tried the DAC through USB connection, sound OK, but I have not done indepth listening.
Good luck with your search.
Regards

hi uncle dito, wonder have you ever compare the A5.5 int amp with A1008 int amp? Even if i'm going to buy the A1008 int amp, i guess i will be matching it with the A5.5 cd player as well. And how will it goes for the A1008 int amp matching with the X-RAY V8?

BTW, lately been looking for the A1008 int amp but couldn't find a real bargain, min quoted is 2200 quids, i'm thinking to look a demo unit or probably a used at arond 1600, hopefully can get it soon. :lol:

[nektarios]

Hi sciguy82.

I haven't done an A/B comparison between A5.5 and A1008. My friends at Seveoaks Sound and Vision Hi-Fi shop say that the A5.5 is basically an A5 integrated but with the USB and built-in DAC.

I heard the A5.5 CD and amp, but with the new Monitor Audio platinum stantmounts (first time I had heard those speakers) so I don't have any reference to compare really.

USB connection is digital, so the A5.5 int must have a DAC inside it to convert the signal to analogue for the amp.

So with A5.5 and A1008 ints, you don't need a CD player.

Now in the A5 and A5.5 series, the valves are on the CD player only - i.e. the amp has no valves.

The A1008 series has valves on both CD player and amp - you can use solid state or tube output on the A1008 CD player.

The A1008 has valves and DAC (X-DAC V8 circuitry) built in. So no need to buy XDAC V8 if you have A1008 int; however you don't have the choice of solid state output and tube output as with X-DAC V8. A1008 has tube sound output only (I loved the neutral valve sound of the A1008 so no complaints from me)!

I have tried X-Ray V3 CD player into digital in of A1008 and sounds impressive! So with the A1008 you get the DAC and tubes.

Up to now, I prefer the sound coming from gear with the power supply external. Between the A5 integrated and A1008 amp, the A1008 amp wins hands down for my tastes.

You won't find the A1008 int cheap as they are new I think, practical, and with very nice sound.

Please read the stuff I wrote about the A1008 and its built-in DAC here:

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?p=380028#post380028

Now computer systems are a different kind of story and stutters could relate to drivers, hardware, using CPU assisted I/O instead of DMA based one, badly written application software, incompatibilities, etc. I haven't tested that area, so I can't really help, but in that case it wouldn't be the fault of the A1008 int I hope.

I hope this helps.

[sciguy82]

hmm....... thx for the info, i guess i will be sticking with the A1008 int amp as budget restraint. As i still can play cd using my computer's dvd rom, just hope that the source through the build in DAC will sampling it nicer, and wait till i have extra cash then i will get the A1008 cd player, its indeed very pretty.

[nektarios]

Sciguy82,

I've just realised that you have the X-Ray V8. These ( X-Ray V3 and V8 ) are supposed to be very good transports, so with the digital out of the X-Ray V8 feeding in the digital in of an A1008 int you could well be better off than geting the A5.5 player.

The best thing is to take a few CDs and demo in a Hi-Fi shop; A1008 int with your CD player, the A5 or A5.5 and the A1008 CD. As a matter of fact you can have them all connected on the A1008 int and then press the button on the remote control on various music passages to hear the relative differences. Don't forget to listen to each of them on their own too, as the A/B test may emphasize the more exciting sound.

Although it depends a lot on the rest of the system, you can't go wrong with the A1008 integrated. I totally agree with Uncle_dito's review too.

[sciguy82]

Hi nektarios, I did thought of using the x-ray v8, but the problem comes in as the x-ray v8 will need the triple-x psu to power on it, hence i don't only have lots of equips, and its also hard to sell the x-t100 at its own without the psu. Or maybe i should hold them until i have enough fund for the a1008 cd player.

[nektarios]

Yes, you are right. Well, you've got a plan, so demo equipment when unsure and you can do so, and good luck with your bargain hunting!

Although CD transports are supposed to give you the bits out of the CD I have found that they add their personal character, so when you have your A1008 int and looking for a CD player, you'll have a better idea if you can listen both to the CD player's normal analogue section and its digital out into the A1008 int's DAC and see which sound you prefer - you can have both of them connected and switch in A/B fashion.

Good luck!

[Yasvanth]

Spks With Bone Crunching Bass For My Mf A5 Pre & Pwr

Hello all fellow MF owners,

I'm thinking of changing my spks from the Kef Reference 1:2 to possibly the Monitor Audio GS10, GS20 or the new Platinum standmounted spks. Do you chaps think this would be the perfect match for my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps. The spks should have something extra special, which detail, speed and that bone crunching bass for Dance and R'n'b without that awful bass coloration or boominess you normally get with paper drive units?

I feel that the MA spks would be perfect due to there aluminium drive units so should sound much faster, brighter and tighter than my Kef Reference 1:2's.

Anyway your advice would be most appreciated

Thanks

Yas

[sciguy82]

Hi there, yet, still couldn't find any good bargain for the MF A1008 int amp, but i do saw a lot of KW series int amp on ebay uk. KW500 and KW550 are there around 2000 quids ++, i've no idea on how they preforme comparing to the A1008. Any of you listen them before and compare them with the A1008? thank you