Club Musical Fidelity

[Boris]

The integrated A3.5 will not switch to AUX1 when in CD mode. I can always take a detour to AUX2 to get there, but this does not inspire confidence! If only one unit had problems, I would be more understanding, but both units, I am skeptical that this is isolated.

I have exactly the same faults in my MF A3.5 and it's less than 2 months old Where is the value for my hard earned money, if I can ask? I love the sound that MF creates, but how can you enjoy it if you have to keep the machine in the service?

My trust on A3.5 has gone. Maybe I should give a try for A5?

They say that if you are poor you shouldn't buy cheap ones. I thought A3.5 was expensive enough to cross the border.. :lol:

[alebonau]

I have exactly the same faults in my MF A3.5 and it's less than 2 months old Where is the value for my hard earned money, if I can ask? I love the sound that MF creates, but how can you enjoy it if you have to keep the machine in the service?

My trust on A3.5 has gone. Maybe I should give a try for A5?

They say that if you are poor you shouldn't buy cheap ones. I thought A3.5 was expensive enough to cross the border.. :lol:

I believe that is an established quirk in the operating logic in the switching. understand though thats only if you switch directly via hte panel controls ?. might be soemthign to do with the way the input switching relays are setup ?. Dont think its an issue when using the remote ?.

have the A5 pre-pwr not something I've noticed but only use the remote to switch inputs on the pre. only have sacd, cd, phono and ht-input utilised, not usign any of the other inputs.

there are other quirks with mf gear. the remote on the A5 CD for instance. if you click the play button while a track is playing it will go back to the start of the track. And if you click the "previous track" ie the " |< " button it goes to the previous track not to the start of the track as most other brand CD players do. get used to these things I suppose. Actually since using the MF A5CD for a whiel it almost seems more logical than how other manufacturers have it hehehe !

[Guy]

I have to say that I have just made the shift away from Musical Fidelity and into Krell since I am unsatisfied with the product faults I have experienced with my A5 CD and also hearing other peoples complaints on this website.

I am no longer confident buying MF equipment.

You would think in this price bracket the quality control would be very tight.

Having said that I still love the MF sound. :T

[alebonau]

thats a pity to hear guy, I'm actually very happy with my A5CD, what 'product faults' have you encountered with yours ? if your looking to sell the player, can think of a couple of other people who might keen to buy off you in oz and can put you in touch.

[Guy]

Hi Alebonau,

Faults with the A5 CD Palyer are mainly software glitches which have not been resolved since I upgraded the firmware.

Faults I have found are as follows:

1) Incorrect display reading when you paly CD with display off and switch the display on after you stop playing the CD.
2) Pause does not work sometimes. The CD keeps playing but the display says pause.
3) This is not a fault but very annoying - It will not play certain cds with small scratches where my other six cd players around the house will play the same cd with no problems.

Have spoken to two dealers here in Queensland who use to carry Musical Fidelity and now refuse to carry the brand because they have had many problems with the gear.

I am not having a go at Musical Fidelity but surely if you are going to sell product at this price bracket the customer deserves top notch product that has been designed and tested more closely.

I do however believe that MF equipment provides very good sound quality for the money and the A5 CD Player is no exception therefore even with its faults I am willing to live with it.

I have two other MF products one of which I have owned for seven years which seem to be reliable and very satisfying so it must only be certain products which have issues.

[Yasvanth]

Hi

How does the Arcam FMJ A32 amplifier compare against the MF A5 integrated amp.?
Did anybody get the chance to make a comparison when demoeing both?

Thanks
Yas

[KrisKeen]

Thanks guys! I'm looking at the Trivista CD the Ebay Melb seller has for sale but I want it under $4k. Still working on that, if all else fails then Ill be going with a MF A5 CDP and ill look out for the noisy draw

Cheers guys! I've had no quality issues at all with my MF A5i, its top notch

[Yasvanth]

MF A5 Integrated

Hello Kriskeen,

What sort of speakers , interconnects and speaker cables are you using with your MF A5 Integrated amp?

What does your A5 Integrated sound like when playing R'n'B music eg Usher, Beyonce, Alicia Keys etc?

Happy Listening
Yas

[KrisKeen]

Hi Yas

I'm using JM Lab Electra 1007 BE speakers, using the Berilliyum tweeter. Cables are Audioquest indigio and interconnects are generic cable talk UK Branded. Nothing overly special there.

I dont listen to R&B Music so i've no idea sorry!

[Yasvanth]

MF A5cr Pre and A5cr Pwr Amps

[B]

Hi

I have read quite a few good reviews from HT members on the MF A5 Integrated amp, but not many on the A5cr Pre & Pwr amps. Is this because they are so expensive ?

So are there any HT members other than Al who has had a demonstration of the awesome power of the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps or one of the lucky few who actually owns them. I would like to know your own opinion on what they sound like to you?

Happly Listening all Music lovers and Hifi Enthusiasts around the world.

Yas

[KrisKeen]

Yasvanth the pre/power combo was not for me for numerous reasons including:

a) Space
b) Cost
c) Cost vs performance gained

In the listening room with my speakers the difference was so minute, it wasn't worth the extra $5100.

I got the A5I for $2900 used (bascially brand new though) the Pre/Power combo was only new at $8000

I could make my system sound better for $5100 then adding that $5000 into the pre/power.

The cost difference just didnt provide the sound quality difference to my ears!

[alebonau]

Yasvanth the pre/power combo was not for me for numerous reasons including:

a) Space
b) Cost
c) Cost vs performance gained

In the listening room with my speakers the difference was so minute, it wasn't worth the extra $5100.

I got the A5I for $2900 used (bascially brand new though) the Pre/Power combo was only new at $8000

I could make my system sound better for $5100 then adding that $5000 into the pre/power.

The cost difference just didnt provide the sound quality difference to my ears!

I agree kris with the bookshelf speakers you have the pre-pwr woudl be over kill. and the integrated is really quite capable with ample enough power.

yasvanth have a read on avs forum theres a guy there with the full a5 kit and runnign with focal 1027be as mains.

[Guy]

Thanks guys! I'm looking at the Trivista CD the Ebay Melb seller has for sale but I want it under $4k. Still working on that, if all else fails then Ill be going with a MF A5 CDP and ill look out for the noisy draw

Cheers guys! I've had no quality issues at all with my MF A5i, its top notch

I wonder if the Trivista will actually sound better than the A5 CD. According to Musical Fidelity they believe that the A5 CD is their best CD player to date.

Good luck with your purchase :T

[Yasvanth]

MF A5CR PRE &amp; pwr amp

Hello Al,

I had a quick look at the av forums but i could not find it, do you know what username he goes under, as I am very keen to see what he has to say?

p.s well done in the Ashes I really hope you Aussie guys whip the pommies back sides they deserve it.

Yas

[alebonau]

I wonder if the Trivista will actually sound better than the A5 CD. According to Musical Fidelity they believe that the A5 CD is their best CD player to date.

Good luck with your purchase :T

I was going to ask that question myself. I know my mf dealer told me on cd the A5 was as good as the current KW sacd !

[alebonau]

Hello Al,

I had a quick look at the av forums but i could not find it, do you know what username he goes under, as I am very keen to see what he has to say?

p.s well done in the Ashes I really hope you Aussie guys whip the pommies back sides they deserve it.

Yas

check the focal thread htere, cpu8088 I think it is. anyways very enthusiastic about the mf A5 trio and focal 1027be combination theres another guy there mike thats also very positive in regards the mf focal line up.

not sure what your looking for I knwo I've demoed a lot of amps over the last decade and really the A5 pre-pwr could not be more perfectly suited for what I want for the money. infact if buying again cant think of anything else I'd buy.

[KrisKeen]

I've read numerous reviews stating the Trivista is leaps and bounds ahead of the A5 CDP and still far better than the KW SACD.

I guess one needs to hear it to really get a good understanding of which is better in their system...

Of course MF will say their A5 CD is the best ever - thats cause the Trivista is no longer sold and the MF A5 CD is. Makers will always say something similar to sell a product over something thats now discontuined :roll:

[alebonau]

I've read numerous reviews stating the Trivista is leaps and bounds ahead of the A5 CDP and still far better than the KW SACD.
~

funny I've never come across any reviews saying so and think I've read jsut about every bloody mf & A5 reviews there is to read. what reveiws were these ?

~

I guess one needs to hear it to really get a good understanding of which is better in their system...
~

absolutely the only way to really decide which is best for you. reviews as I've said before I find good reading out of interest and as an entusiast but really I wouldnt use them for the basis of any purchasing decision. Its worth doign some comparisons your self to come to yoru own conclusions.

[Angioguy]

Reviews

Ditto, I'm with Alebonau on this. I know of no reviews claiming the TriVista to be far better than the KW or A5. Also remember, the latter is a CD player, whereas the former two are sacd players....

How 'bout a link to these reviews?

[Yasvanth]

Hello Angioguy,

Could you explain to me when you say, these things go to eleven.

I have had the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amplifiers now for the past 8 months and I just love the sheer big enveloping sound that it produces but I wish it wasn't refined sounding but had more excitement to the music.

I used to own the Arcam A85 and P85 amplifiers but they just lacked that big powerful sound that I love, but they did have fantastic detail, speed and excitement.

What sort of system have you got?

All The Best
Yas

[Angioguy]

Yas,
The quote are the words of Nigel Tufnel from the cult classic rockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap." He is referring to the loudness of his amplifier as one louder than 10 (which is normally the loudest). See the movie, you'll understand....

My system has been a work in progress. Got the Arcam AVR-300 with the idea of building a solid audio and 5.1 HT system. Had the B&W 803S at the time, but soon stepped up to the 802D's. Because the 802's love power, I knew the Arcam's 100 wpc just wouldn't cut it, but I love the Arcam's preamp section and the fact that it's got 7 channels. So I did the economical thing-- I kept the Arcam to drive my center and rear channels (B&W), then picked up the Mac, MC-402 to drive the 802's.

Then got a Velodyne DD-12 and the Musical Fidelity Tri Vista SACD player. Next, big step will be to replace the AVR-300 with a better multichannel power amp, perhaps a MAC, Classe, Levinson or Krell and a new preamp.

:T

[alebonau]

Yas,
The quote are the words of Nigel Tufnel from the cult classic rockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap." He is referring to the loudness of his amplifier as one louder than 10 (which is normally the loudest). See the movie, you'll understand....

My system has been a work in progress. Got the Arcam AVR-300 with the idea of building a solid audio and 5.1 HT system. Had the B&W 803S at the time, but soon stepped up to the 802D's. Because the 802's love power, I knew the Arcam's 100 wpc just wouldn't cut it, but I love the Arcam's preamp section and the fact that it's got 7 channels. So I did the economical thing-- I kept the Arcam to drive my center and rear channels (B&W), then picked up the Mac, MC-402 to drive the 802's.

Then got a Velodyne DD-12 and the Musical Fidelity Tri Vista SACD player. Next, big step will be to replace the AVR-300 with a better multichannel power amp, perhaps a MAC, Classe, Levinson or Krell and a new preamp.

:T

thats excellent system you got there audio guy, a friend of mine has the 802Ds and love its sound. I've got a DD15 myself and yeah a very capable thing too. And sounds like heading along the upgrade path very nicely indeed. Good thinking in upgrading the 2ch amp side wiht a the very capable mc402 which would a nice match for the B&Ws I can imagine.

What really is worth considering in a setup like this is a quality 2ch pre-amp with ht bypass/ht input. not sure if mac make somethign of that nature and if somethign you have explored already. It will give you a top notch 2ch setup fully integrated with the ht side. And the 2ch will really get the best out of the system espcially with the 402 and 802D in tow. And certainly ofcourse can always add a quality multichannel power to drive the rest I'm doing the same and really made quite some improvements to the ht side of my system.

[Boris]

I believe that is an established quirk in the operating logic in the switching. understand though thats only if you switch directly via hte panel controls ?. might be soemthign to do with the way the input switching relays are setup ?. Dont think its an issue when using the remote ?.

Yep, that was the case. Everything worked fine when using the remote control. Well, just purchased the A5 integrated and haven't notice any faults on it yet The sound is amazing! You can easily hear the difference between A5 and A3.5.

Even though, there's a little hum when the power is on, but I think it's an attribute or a resonate from my wooden stand. The same hum was present when I used my old Marantz 7200 amp meanwhile I saved money for A5 :T

[Yasvanth]

Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated Amplifier

Hello Boris,

What sort of music do you normally listen to when using the MF A5 ?
Also what CD Player, Speakers and cables are you partnering with the MF A5?

I own the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr and I also get I very tiny amount of hum coming from the speakers, but only when I place my ear the speaker cone. But this is completely normal.

Yas

[Boris]

Hi Yasvanth,

What sort of music do you normally listen to when using the MF A5 ?

I prefer all sorts of heavy metal sub-genres :twisted:

Also what CD Player, Speakers and cables are you partnering with the MF A5?

I'm using budget range CD player Marantz CD5001, Gradient Evidence MkIII speakers, Analysis Plus and Taralabs cables. Nothing special here. I think Gradient and Musical Fidelity are perfect match when listening to heavy metal, which is usually more darker and musty in tone.

I own the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr and I also get I very tiny amount of hum coming from the speakers, but only when I place my ear the speaker cone. But this is completely normal.

Do you get hum when you place your ear close to amplifier (Pre or Pwr) itself?

[Angioguy]

Alebonau,

Yes, the 2 channel w/ HT bypass is an interesting idea, I had not previously considered. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Will investigate the possibility of such a device.

Thanks

[Yasvanth]

Hi Boris,

No I do not get any hum when I place my ear near the Pre but I do get some from the Pwr amp but this is extremely small.

Thanks
Yas

[alebonau]

Hi Boris,

No I do not get any hum when I place my ear near the Pre but I do get some from the Pwr amp but this is extremely small.

Thanks
Yas

yes thats due to the large torroidal psu in there. Very difficult to get them hum free when getting up in size according an amp designer I spoke too. Some manufacturers encapsulate them in resin(as in my multichannel amp) or cover them up with a metal casing to hide the hum.

[alebonau]

Alebonau,

Yes, the 2 channel w/ HT bypass is an interesting idea, I had not previously considered. Thanks for your thoughts on this. Will investigate the possibility of such a device.

Thanks

yes its a popular approach in a pre-pwr setup as does not restrict to using a ht/av pre-pro and compromising the 2ch side.

[Yasvanth]

Hi all members,

If anybody's interested a pair of MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps are up for sale on Ebay UK and this could be a fabulous bargain if anyone wants to feel the full power and performance of MF amp monsters!

Cheers
Yas

[alebonau]

Hi all members,

If anybody's interested a pair of MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps are up for sale on Ebay UK and this could be a fabulous bargain if anyone wants to feel the full power and performance of MF amp monsters!

Cheers
Yas

hehe they must have been a real bargain yas ...theyre gone already !

you sure they were'nt one of those chinese ones ? mf seems one of the popular brands for the chinese pirate ebayers hehe

[Yasvanth]

MF A5cr Pre and A5cr Pwr Amps

Hi Al,

Have they already been sold, wow the seller only listed them on Ebay last night.
I checked again the amps are from the UK and not from abroad.

Last night I played Shakin Stevens Greatest Hits CD it was fantastic. The highest that I could turn it up was about 8 o'clock on the dial this due to the size of my room. Everything was fanastic a big powerful soundstage where I could feel the full force of his voice, the guitars and drums, I just wish MF amps weren't refined sounding and had a bit more bite or treble excitement but otherwise these amplifiers are just top class.

Have you bought any new CD's recently or what sort of music are you listening to at the moment?

All The Best
Yas

[Yasvanth]

Hi

I checked on Ebay Uk again, and the MF A5 Pre & Pwr amplifiers that you said have already been sold are still there. So If any members are still interested in putting a bid on these beauties now is the time as they have already got a couple of bids.

The owner bought them brand new and has only had them for 7 months! can you believe it, after spending £3000 that is a lot of hard earned money, so now is the time as these are very scarce and very rarely come up on Ebay.

Good luck all HT Members

Yas

[alebonau]

Hi

I checked on Ebay Uk again, and the MF A5 Pre & Pwr amplifiers that you said have already been sold are still there. So If any members are still interested in putting a bid on these beauties now is the time as they have already got a couple of bids.

The owner bought them brand new and has only had them for 7 months! can you believe it, after spending £3000 that is a lot of hard earned money, so now is the time as these are very scarce and very rarely come up on Ebay.

Good luck all HT Members

Yas

yes your right still there and looks a legit sale too.

noticed an A5CD listed at starting price of $1US
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Musical-Fideli...QQcmdZViewItem

plus a A5 integrated thats also and at 11 gbp !

good bargais depending on how hte sales go !

one great thing with importing mf gear not sure people are aware but under the bonnet with the A5 range theyre actually designed to run off either US 110V or UK/Oz 220-240V. for us market for instance jsut a simle matter of swapping internally the power cable from the 240V terminal to the 110V terminal all clearly market out !

[Yasvanth]

Hi

Al,

I just read one of the reviews on the MF A5 int, and the reviewer claims that MF are going to bring out a new A5.2 limited edition of the A5, tell me this is not true. Do you also think they will improve on the A5 Pre and Pwr amps?

Yas

[alebonau]

Hi

Al,

I just read one of the reviews on the MF A5 int, and the reviewer claims that MF are going to bring out a new A5.2 limited edition of the A5, tell me this is not true. Do you also think they will improve on the A5 Pre and Pwr amps?

Yas

could be yas who knows there were a3.2 version to improve on the a3 not that there were huge differences in my opinion and same might be with the case with this one. Could just be a minor update not worth worrying about. who knows time will tell. what was this review can you post ?

[tonych31]

Which review of the A5 is that ?

[Chui]

Which review of the A5 is that ?

Perhaps he means this one. Sounds more like the guy dislikes MF, not that the actual product exists.

http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_332967_2717crx.aspx

Cheers,

Chui

[alebonau]

Perhaps he means this one. Sounds more like the guy dislikes MF, not that the actual product exists.

http://www.audioreview.com/PRD_332967_2717crx.aspx

Cheers,

Chui

yeah well thats no published review just someone with sour grapes and who knows what agenda.

anyways is there anything wrong with continuously improving product if not we'd all be listening to wax cylinders right now saying how music sounds the best it ever has and how it always will !

all brands I know keep improving their product. You have to or your competitors pass you buy.

the customer will decide in the end anyways. If the upgrade is worth the money they'll buy it if it isnt they wont worry about it.

[Yasvanth]

A Very Merry Christmas

Hello all music lovers and Hifi enthusiasts around the world.

Let me be the first to wish everybody a Very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

p.s the more I crank up the volume on my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps they seem to improve in sound quality, but they do sound a touch flat when the dial is at around 7 or 8 o' clock. Maybe these amps only sound there best at very high volumes depending on the size of the persons room.

Happy Listening!

Yasvanth

[alebonau]

Hello all music lovers and Hifi enthusiasts around the world.

Let me be the first to wish everybody a Very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

p.s the more I crank up the volume on my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps they seem to improve in sound quality, but they do sound a touch flat when the dial is at around 7 or 8 o' clock. Maybe these amps only sound there best at very high volumes depending on the size of the persons room.

Happy Listening!

Yasvanth

merry christmas and a happy new year to you too yas.

what you mention with your pre-pwr was that with other speakers in other rooms as well. Reason I ask I predominately d oinfact listen at low levels 60-70db with the vol knob aroudn where you mention and really think this amp combination with my speakers are particualrly good for that. Dont need to crank them up to enjoy.

I have read that certain speakers do need a bit of oomph to get going. A crossover/speaker design charecteristic I've heard it explained as. Can also be room related if yoru room is overdamped could be lifeless at low levels and needs to be taken up to high volume levels to sound lively. Could be the size of hte room as well. if have a gianormous room might take a bit of grunt to get some decent levels in the room.

I'd suggest trying soem other speakers. Also can experiment with the room, try remove some dampening - soft furnishings see if that impacts. Or try the setup in another room to check the effect.

Some times toe in and speaker setup related too if your not right in the sweet spot of yoru speakers you could be missing out on their best perfomamce to really have you engaged.

[tonych31]

Merry Christmas to all.
I'm still tossing up between MFA5 and the new NAD M3. Any opinion about the NAD M3. Same price range as the MFA5.

[uncle_dito]

Hello all music lovers and Hifi enthusiasts around the world.

Let me be the first to wish everybody a Very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

p.s the more I crank up the volume on my MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps they seem to improve in sound quality, but they do sound a touch flat when the dial is at around 7 or 8 o' clock. Maybe these amps only sound there best at very high volumes depending on the size of the persons room.

Happy Listening!

Yasvanth

Hello Yasvanth,
Merry Christmas. I just joined this MF forum. My first quote is for you, as I see your passion for MF A5 CR PWR/Pre. I have since March this year A5 CR Pwr/Pre/CD with B&W 804S speakers. I am quite happy with the sound and musicality. I hear classical, pop, big bands, all excellent. Violin and Piano really excel in the system. Also with wind instruments, the high frequencies are extremelly detailed and sharp. The bass is quite sharp and under control. Maybe this is where I miss some little more weight. When I initally set up the system I also had that subtle annoying hum. I tried all combinations of connecting and disconnecting cables to sort out the problem, and found that was more localized in the A5 CR pre, and only happend when both L and R were connected to the A5 CR PWR. I thought maybe it was induced, so I tried separating a bit both Pre and PWR from each other. IT WORKED, NO FURTHER HUM. So today I have the A5 CD in between the A5 CR PWR and PRE, and NO HUM. Now to my latest concerns on BIWIRING, BIAMPING for better performance. After searching many forums, I have come to the conclusion the biwiring will introduce little or no improvement. I am now wondering if for improving the bass, investing in another A5CR PWR will do the trick, or I should better consider upgrading my B&W804 to 803. I wonder if anybody in the forum has any experience biamping with A5CR. Also I wonder how BLEWIS did on the trial for A5CR PWR/PRE along his B&W803S? Well, for a start I think this is OK. Look forward to your comments, and good luck with the HUM.

[Yasvanth]

MF A5cr Pre and A5cr Pwr Amps

Hi Uncle Dito,

A Very Merry Christmas to you to.

Thanks for reading some of my MF forums, as you know I have the same humming problems as you. So I decided to phone up Musical Fidelity and there answer was it was either that the interconnects are not sheilded or I have a ground loop. So like you I painstakingly checked all the speaker cables and interconnects, switched off one hifi component at a time and found out that the humming was in fact coming from the A5 Pre. But unfortunately that humming sound persisted. The good thing is I can only hear it if I place my ear right next to the speaker cone and not when I am sitting in my listening position. Your test of placing your A5 CD player in between the A5 Pre and A5 Pwr might work,I am very pleased that a fellow HT Guide member has finally come up with an answer.

Do you know what is actually causing this hum when the A5 Pre is near the A5 Pwr amplifier?

Just out of interest, what sort of interconnects and speaker cables are you using to get the best possible sound out of your fabulous A5 system?

I am using Nordost Red Dawn interconnects and VDH Cleartrack Biamped speaker cables as I used to own VDH D102 MK111 but just found them too smooth in the midrange.

Just once last question before I go, after owning the fantastic MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amplifiers, what is your overall opinion of there performance and do they live up to your expectations ?

Thank you once again for your advice.

All The Best
Yas

[alebonau]

hi uncle dito, if you got rid of a hum problem by moving the pre and pwr apart then I suspect your hum troubles were due to interactions of the magnetic fields from the transformers in the pre and power. Keep in mind there are 3 transformers in the pre and another 3 in the power amp so plenty to interact between them. I have never had the pre and pwr next to each other. Used to be a meter apart and now theyre 4 meters apart. check my signature for how I have them set up. A bonus with the mf 2ch pre that it can drive upto 30ft(10m) of cable between pre and pwr. This way I have the pre to the side now and the pwr amp between the speakers.

That said do have a tiny bit of hum but only as yas says if you put your ear right to the speaker with nothing playing. As I think I've mentioned both the pre and pwr use a couple of frame transformer as chokes along with torroidal as power supplies. Frame power supplies are known for their hum issues and the torroidals used are big ones which typically can have a little hum as well. That said the hum really is so tiny not something thats remotely bothered me and not sure would bother anyone unless they keep their ear to the speakers with no music playing.

ps what aspect of the bass would you be lookign to improve uncle dito ?
I'm using a velodyne DD15 with my mains, gives me a pretty flat response down to 15hz in the bass adding depth and good punch to the sound.

Perhaps using a quality sub with your B&W mains might be a cheaper & better option than upgrading your mains. The mf A5 pwr has a pair of pre-outs that makes configuring to drive a sub extremely easy.