Club Musical Fidelity

[uncle_dito]

Hi Uncle Dito!

I did something similar as you; below in quotes are fragments from previous posts of mine and my general impressions.

"I connected the premp of the X-150 to the A5CR and the sound even on the GR20s was not only leaner but totally unreal - as if somebody messed up the equiliser or something..."

X-150 and A5CR have their own characters. When I had the X-150 driving the tweeters and A5CR the rest of the drivers on the Monitor Audio GR20s, the character of X-150 could easily be heard in the highs but then it was not integrating well with the character of the A5CR on mids and lows. When I was connecting the other way around, the same phenomenon but reversed and I could tell X-150 was not powerful enough for the bass. Maybe a tweeter is easier to drive, not sure.

Some more post fragments of what I had found:

"Manufacturers usually have their CD + amp complement each other. For example X-Ray V3 goes for politenes with extended highs and lows while the X-150 provides the slam. When I home demoed the new X-series and connected X-Ray V3 with X-T100 the sound was totally pathetic and lethargic! The system sounded like retarded! When I connected the X-T100 with X-Ray V8, the familiar big MF sound re-appeared but with crystal clear highs and bass (the bass was too weird or strong for my taste - always when connected to the S6 speakers)."

"So a CD player may be lean but the amp provides the fat part and vice versa."

"Pre + amp share the same ideas as with CD + amp."

So in other words your findings agree with my impressions too (pre-amp + pow combinations).

By the way, thanks for sharing your experience with us. It's really interesting reading and getting some initial idea and feel for new components.

Nektarios.

Hi Nektarios,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I guess we have learned the lessons. Somewhere else I have read it is important to biamp with the same AMP all the way, to avoid messing up the sound due to different input sensitivity, output, etc...I just thought being the specs so close with A5 CR that it would have worked well.

[alebonau]

Hi Nektarios,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I guess we have learned the lessons. Somewhere else I have read it is important to biamp with the same AMP all the way, to avoid messing up the sound due to different input sensitivity, output, etc...I just thought being the specs so close with A5 CR that it would have worked well.

hi uncle, similar in specs maybe but a lot of differences in design. the a5 cr with 8 output devices per chanel the a1008 with only 4 correspondingly the a5 with 200A vs the a1008's 75 capability. Plus the tube vs the SS pre stages. I get the feeling reading your comments the a1008 has a more delicate soudn vs the more fullon a5 which would concur with the design differences.

either way great that you did the comparison. I too think best to bi-amp with the same amps for all the reasons you've pointed out and your findings re-enforce that. plus great you have the knowledge for people with your posting that depending what theyre after sound wise there is the choice of either amp.

[Yasvanth]

Hi all MF lovers,


If anyones interested, there is a full A5 system going on Ebay Uk. That is the A5 CD Player, A5 Integrated amp, A5cr Pwr amp and the big Kef IQ5's. Seller purchased the whole lot brand new for £8500. So this could be a good time to grab a bargain before it's too late. I would love to put a bid in myself but I already own a MF A5 Pre & Pwr amps.
Ha Ha!

All the best
Yasvan

[Yasvanth]

Hi

I need a bit of advice for upgrading the spk cables on my MF A5cr Pre& A5Pwr amps.
I am thinking of changing to Nordost Blue Heaven or maybe Red Dawns as I still find the midrange a bit boomy and slow. So I am after a spk cable with fantastic detail and speed especially in the midrange.

Also is there anybody else who owns the MF A5 Integrated or the MF A5 Pre & Pwr like myself who is already using Nordost spk cables and do they think it is a good match for MF amps?

Thanks

Yas

[DelRay]

Hey guys. I was wondering if anyone has any input concerning the MF A5 pre amp. I'm in the process of getting one.

[AlanB]

NuVista SACD/CD Inputs

I am told that the SACD input has a wider frequency range but to my ear it is harder - more clinical. Although there appears to be more detail into SACD input (with A5 CD Player) the music is more musical into the CD input.
Has anyone tried this?
Can anyone explain why this is so?

[collectslps]

Hi, all.

I really have appreciated this 16 page thread. I have been enjoying the following mid fi configuration for a number of years, the only addition being the line conditioner.

Rega P3 w/ Elys Cartridge
Rotel RC990BX Preamp
Rotel RB980BX Amplifier
Audioquest Emerald
Audioquest Midnight
Genesis Technologies Genre I Speakers (4 ohm, 87%)
Rotel RLC-1040

(Yes... only listen to vinyl and not HT.)

My local audio dealer is great. Been a satisfied customer for 12+ years. Recommends my next step should be a A5 integrated. Only problem is I'm hard pressed to make the move budgetwise.

Considered other Rotel but have the impression my rc990 and rb980 are real good in that line and extra dough in newer Rotel would be wasted.

Would a MF A300 make sense as a cost effective & sonic jump?

I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

[linuxtx]

Hi, all.

My local audio dealer is great. Been a satisfied customer for 12+ years. Recommends my next step should be a A5 integrated. Only problem is I'm hard pressed to make the move budgetwise.

Considered other Rotel but have the impression my rc990 and rb980 are real good in that line and extra dough in newer Rotel would be wasted.

Would a MF A300 make sense as a cost effective & sonic jump?

I'm open to suggestions. Thanks!

I have been a happy Rotel user for about 6 years now with an RB-991 (now RB-993) driving my N804/HTM-2 home theater. I recently purchased a Musical Fidelity A5 integrated to power a different 2 channel system. Curiosity got the best of me, and I replaced the Rotel with the A5 for a run. Long story short, the A5 made a noticeable difference in the system, and I think it is a pretty good step up. That said, if it is a hard move to make with the budget, it probably is not worth it. The difference is good, and I would rather have the A5 than the Rotel in my HT, but it was not good enough that I will replace the Rotel until I replace the speakers as well.

As for the A300, I have not heard it so cannot comment. I have heard people say it has a similar sound to the A5, and others say there is a very large difference.

[ob1]

CDP Which one?

I am after a MF CDP to go with my A5 amp. The short list are 308cr, Nu-vista 3d and A5. The first two are the same price (2nd hand) but the A5 is more expensive.....Which one is the best for me? (my music taste is 70's rock to 80's metal)
cheers guys.
ob1

[wkhanna]

My local audio dealer ..... Recommends my next step should be a A5 integrated......... my rc990 and rb980 are real good in that line and extra dough in newer Rotel would be wasted.

My RB-980-BX is about 12 years old, too. And it still will stand up against many amps made today.
My limited experience and humble opinion say you may find the sonic improvement you seek by looking at an upgrade in your pre or possibly a dedicated phono-pre.
Just a thought.

[alebonau]

I am after a MF CDP to go with my A5 amp. The short list are 308cr, Nu-vista 3d and A5. The first two are the same price (2nd hand) but the A5 is more expensive.....Which one is the best for me? (my music taste is 70's rock to 80's metal)
cheers guys.
ob1

hi ob1 can heartedly encourage you to check otu the a5 cd with the a5 amp theres some really nice synergies there and I think they really go well together !

[ob1]

thank you for that, any more comment well come

[alebonau]

a bit more info on the 550k superchargers. appear to be conventional mono blocs that can be used with both speaker or line level inputs

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/manuals/supercharger/supercharger_550K_english.pdf

litle unclear as to the max power consumption on these. the back of the units say 250w yet spec say 1000W.

[Yasvanth]

Hi everbody,

I need to upgrade the interconnects that connect my MF A5cr Pre & pwr amplifiers together. At the moment I am using Nordost Red Dawn interconnects. What interconnects will be suitable for MF amps for someone who likes R'n'B and Dance music?


Also what do other members think of the MF A5 Integrated or even the A5 Pre & A5 Pwr amplifiers?

Thanks

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Yas.

I look from time to time for MF amps on ebay. I saw an entry of somebody selling an X-150 amp and a potential buyer named Yas was asking if the X-150 is good for R & B music. It may be a coincidence, but are you looking for an X-150 amp to compare with what you have (or just info on the amp)?

MF X-150 has "lighter" character bass wise, when compared to the A5 pre/pow. So on the X-150 the bass does not extend very low but it goes for a wallop effect instead. Although the X-150 has plenty of Amps, people reported that on loud volumes the bass is not that well controlled. Personally, with the Monitor Audio S6 speakers I found that X-RAY V3 + X-150 the bass does not overhung (good bass), but with X-Ray V3 + TriVista 21 DAC on 96KHz (the DAC provides more info including the low frequencies) the bass losses control on loud volumes. When switching the TriVista to 192KHz (makes tha bass tighter but stronger) the base is always under control and rock hard no matter what!

With standmount speakers (I have the MA S1s) I prefer listening with the sampling rate on 96Khz (more natural sound than the 192 KHz upsampling processing). So the overhung bass appears only on loud music with the S6 floorstanders.

[Yasvanth]

Hi Nektarius,


That is a strange coincedence, but it's not me. As you know I already have the MF A5 Pre & Pwr amps, so I am not thinking of purchasing the MF X-150 in the near future.

What I would llike your advice on is, of how to tighen up that midrange bass boom. I unable to bring the speakers away from the back wall. But as my Kef Reference 1:2 floorstanding spks are front ported I have slightly improved the bass by sticking 2 pairs of socks into each port hole.

Can I improve the bass so it is tigher and faster by changing the spk cable to something like Nordost Blue Heaven?

My CD player is a budget Arcam CD72T. What sort of interconnects and spk cables would you recommend for the A5 amps?

Thanks

Yas

[AlanB]

ob1 I use the Nu Vista M3 with my A5 Cd Player. Can't fault it. A friend had the A5 CDP and Integrated with different speakers to mine and when he tried the Nu Vista it was 'No Contest'. Nu Vista all the way. More musical and enveloping. After 40 years of so called upgrading (sometimes felt like downgrading!!) I feel the Nu Vista/A5 CDP is my Holy Grail.

[Yasvanth]

Hello Alan,

What sort of speakers are you using with your Nuvista and A5 Cd player?

Have you got a particular style of music that you enjoy listening to through your sound system?

Also what sort of spks was your did your friend have?

Happy Listening

Yas

[Yasvanth]

Hi

I have just gone over the A5 Pre & Pwr amp instruction manuals, all because I wondering whether i have plugged the interconnect cables the wrong way round. I have connected my interconnects as follows into

A5 PRE AMP A5 PWR AMP
INPUT A
Left Output - Right Input

Right Output - Left Input


Or should it be Left output to Left Input

Right output to Right input

I hope somebody who also has the A5 Pre & Pwr amps can enlighten me on this simple matter as the MF instructions are a bit confusing.

Thanks

Yas

[uncle_dito]

Hi

I have just gone over the A5 Pre & Pwr amp instruction manuals, all because I wondering whether i have plugged the interconnect cables the wrong way round. I have connected my interconnects as follows into

A5 PRE AMP A5 PWR AMP
INPUT A
Left Output - Right Input

Right Output - Left Input


Or should it be Left output to Left Input

Right output to Right input

I hope somebody who also has the A5 Pre & Pwr amps can enlighten me on this simple matter as the MF instructions are a bit confusing.

Thanks

Yas

Hi Yas, it is the second option. Left output from PRE goes to "L" in A5 Power (upper connector in A5 power), and Right channel output from PRe goes to "R" in A5 (lower connector in A5 Power).

[Yasvanth]

MF A5cr Pre & Pwr Amplifiers

Thanks Uncle Dito,

You have been a great help. By the way do you also have the MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps as well?

If you do, what do you think of there sound quality?

Also what cdp, spks, interconnects and spk cables are you using?

I would like to know your opinion on these fantastic monster amps.

Cheers

Yas :T

[uncle_dito]

Thanks Uncle Dito,

You have been a great help. By the way do you also have the MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps as well?

If you do, what do you think of there sound quality?

Also what cdp, spks, interconnects and spk cables are you using?

I would like to know your opinion on these fantastic monster amps.

Cheers

Yas :T

Hi Yas,
These are my systems:
Hi Fi:
MF A1008
MF A5 CR Power/Pre
MF A5 CD
B&W 804S (also used with HT setup)
IXOS cables XHS553 (644 SPC4mm2 high purity silver speaker cable)
VDH C5 The Bay interconnects

Additional:
Sony SCDXA3000ES
MF XCANS V3

HT:
Sony STR-DA1200ES (Front Pre Out into MF A1008 HT input)
Sony SAVE-835D speakers
Sony DVD RDR-HX1000

For my impressions, which are very positive, except maybe wishing some more weight on the bass (but this is probably due to B&Ws) please search on my name this MF forum, as you may not recall but I gave given my impressions on a few occasions on MF A5s and also compared to A1008.

Kind regards, uncle_dito

[JayBob]

Hi

I've been reading with interest about Bi-amping above. I have a musical fidelity X-150 and Xray V3+X10V3. More recently a second hand XP200 was added. I was braced for not much change, but the lower frequencies (powered by the power amp) deepened and tightened, with the actual character of the sound not changing much (excellent as far as I'm concerned). Headroom shot up, and the whole system sounds a lot more capable with dynamics and transients. They seemed to work well, but are designed to go together accordfing to the companies blurbs

Has anyone else tried this combo, or adding (as I'm considering) a second XP200 as a pair of monoblocks. That would leave an integrated acting as a pre-amp. Not ideal, but I have no desire to ever sell it...

[collectslps]

Do you think a unison research unico amp is a good solution?

[Yasvanth]

Hi,

Do you keep your MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amplifiers powered up 24/7 or only switch them on whenever you are going to listen to music?

Also what sort of music do you normally like listening to?

I am using a VDH Mainsstream power cable which is connected to the A5 Pwr amp and I can tell you, I can actually feel the full pwr of the music which is unbelieveable

Do you also use an expensive pwr cable or just the freebie cable that came with the amp?

Thanks

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Nektarius,


That is a strange coincedence, but it's not me. As you know I already have the MF A5 Pre & Pwr amps, so I am not thinking of purchasing the MF X-150 in the near future.

What I would llike your advice on is, of how to tighen up that midrange bass boom. I unable to bring the speakers away from the back wall. But as my Kef Reference 1:2 floorstanding spks are front ported I have slightly improved the bass by sticking 2 pairs of socks into each port hole.

Can I improve the bass so it is tigher and faster by changing the spk cable to something like Nordost Blue Heaven?

My CD player is a budget Arcam CD72T. What sort of interconnects and spk cables would you recommend for the A5 amps?

Thanks

Yas

Hi Yas! Sorry for not answering earlier; I found a cheap flight (9 hours before departure) and I went abroad - hardly had any time to pack!

I remember I was trying to find out about your speakers - they look as if they have a single woofer, but the tweeter is concentric on top of that woofer (Uni-Q?) and there is actually a second woofer inside the cabinet but not visible. Is that the case?

Unfortunately I don't know much about speaker cables. However if a speaker cable is to have such a profound effect then is it "chopping off" part of the frequency spectrum? It may work for some type of music but not for others - I think cables should pass the sound as is. Speaker positioning affects an amazing amount on the reproduced sound.

I have only demoed with CD73T and upwards. CD73T had a very "energetic" clean and exciting sound. CD9xx series produced more bass and although this is extra musical information with my system it was coming slightly bloated.

For midrange bass boom try the following: I am not sure if you have done that already, but when you have the time and energy, eat well (!) and try to move the speakers in various locations in the room (even different room if you feel like it that day!) and observe the differences in the sound. Increasing the speaker distance between each other lowers the bass, increases the sound stage, and there is usually more ambient info that was before swamped. Toe in: if the speakers are firing straight the treble usually becomes edgier, if turned towards your ears then bass becomes stronger. Experiment also with your own distance from the speakers.

Try even to position the speakers diagonally in the room or in the middle of the room far away form walls. Remember, this is not the final speaker position, but some sort of investigation of your room's acoustics. You could try the subwoofer trick where you play music and you walk around the room - try to locate the area the bass sounds to your liking and then as an experiment move the speakers there and you take a seat at the speakers previous location.

I personally liked a lot the even frequency response produced using the Cardas technique:

http://www.cardas.com/content.php?area=insights&content_id=26&pagestring=Room+Setup

Measure the width of your room, and plug it into these formulas:

RoomWidth x .276 = Distance from the center of the woofer face to the side walls

RoomWidth x .447 = Distance from the center of the woofer face to the wall behind the speaker


Also a person here tried some more (including the Cardas one) and tells about his findings:

http://www.soundstage.com/audiohell/audiohell200111.htm

I am not sure if it makes any difference, but the foam bangs from Monitor Audio are like round sponges (the ones washing the dishes but without the hard part). Try putting soft sponges instead of cloth?

I think with the Cardas technique your midrange boom could be eliminated - give it a try and tell us!

[Yasvanth]

Hi

Do You Keep Your A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr Amplifiers Powered Up 24/7 Or Only Switch Them On When You Are About To Listen To Music?

Also What Sort Of Power Cable Do You Normally Use With The Amps?

Also in the near future I am thinking of changing my Arcam CD72T to maybe an Arcam CD33 or 36, do you think this is a good idea to achieve greater detail and transparency and would this be a good match with my MF A5 Pre & Pwr amps?

P.S Unable to change position of my Kef Reference 1:2's speakers any more due to the size of my dining room, dining table and chairs.

Not all hifi enthusiasts have the room to enjoy real hifi

Thanks

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Yas!

The reason I wrote about the speaker placement experiment was to differentiate whether the midrange bass boom is present:

a) A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr + Kef Reference 1:2 in general, or
b) A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr + Kef Reference 1:2 close to back wall

So this is not about positioning, but about investigating. You may have already done this experiment, not sure. Generally speaking, floorstanders need a certain amount of space to perform. When I heard the A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr with some quality standmounts (I was testing the new MA golds) the sound came out so clear I could not believe it.

Where you put the speakers at the end is up to you, but at least it would be good to know how things sound on various locations. However, it requires quite some energy moving temporarily furniture and speakers around the room and having to put everything back again at the end!

[Yasvanth]

Hi Nek,

My Kef Ref 1:2's are roughly about 2" away from the back wall.
Do you think by changing my speaker cable to something like Nordost Blue Heaven which has always been a cure for boomy bass systems will help when I am listening to R'n'B music especially?


Also I am thinking of changing my CD player from the Arcam CD72T to the Arcam FMJ CD33 or 36, what do you think of this option, and have you ever listened to one of these cd players?
Thanks

Yas

[alebonau]

Hi Nek,

My Kef Ref 1:2's are roughly about 2" away from the back wall.
Do you think by changing my speaker cable to something like Nordost Blue Heaven which has always been a cure for boomy bass systems will help when I am listening to R'n'B music especially?


Also I am thinking of changing my CD player from the Arcam CD72T to the Arcam FMJ CD33 or 36, what do you think of this option, and have you ever listened to one of these cd players?
Thanks

Yas

hi yas is that 2" as in 2 inches away from the back wall ?

I hope you mean 2 foot ? or 600mm.

other wise easily explain the booy bass. you get bass boost if movign speakers closer to walls. on some speakers they are designed to work of a back wall eg my old mission 753s I had but even with those mission suggested 200mm or 8".

With many speakers you can easily run them a meter or so from the back wall so well worth exploring will possiblity yield in a smoother bass respone plus also increased image depth behind the speakers.

please do follow up on this if possible. its absolutely crucial in regards speaker placemtn and likely to yield even better improvements than any other equipment change or other might bring.

[Yasvanth]

Not Every Hifi Enthusiast Has The Room To Enjoy Real Hifi !

Hi Al,

Yes my spks are 2" ( 2 inches) away from the back wall. As they are front ported I have improved the midrange bass very slightly by sticking 2 pairs of socks into each port hole. Unfortunately due to the size of my dining room I'm unable to bring them out any further. So the only option is to buy a spk cable which has a tremendous tight bass and fantastic detail, like the Nordost.

Like you Al, I have never regretted buying the MF A5cr Pre & Pwr amps, as they are just fantastic, and they are definitely almost as good as a £10K amp. So much power, refinement and musicality far, far better then my previous Arcam A85 and P85 which I found weak and artificial with some particular styles of music.

The A5 Pre and pwr amps are very superior amps indeed, but they have to be used with a top class CD player and spks, and I also feel that my midrange Arcam CD72T is probably just not up to the job, well it is only a £400 one!

I also recently purchased a second hand RA Reference PowerKord and that made a fantastic difference in the way I listen to CD's eg deeper tighter bass,far wider soundstage and also more detail.

By the way Al, do you keep your A5 amps powered up 24/7 or only switch them on whenever you are just about to listen to music?

Also I maybe in the near future thinking of changing my CD player to the Arcam FMJ CD33 or 36 second hand of course!. Have you ever listened to these CD players, and do you think it will be a good match?

Happy Listening!

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Yas.

I haven't experiment with speaker cables, so not sure (actually I tested against a friend's Silver Anniversary but the sound difference was between harshier or sweeter, not bass boom). The only Arcam CDs I tested were the Diva series from CD73T upwards. In my system and room, only the CD73T had a clean energetic sound that didn't create mid bass boom.

Below I am giving you my impressions and findings; just in case, I do not try to imply or indirectly tell you to get some new speakers. You go ahead and try your own ideas and you get your own unique experience - everyone goes through this as it is quite unlikely to "hit" the perfect system in one shot!

Well, when I tested the new version of my Monitor Audio S6 (i.e the RS6s) they would not boom even when I was doing things that my own speakers would boom like mad. In other words the new speakers tended to control the sound tightly and different placement positions or music didn't have the profound effect of bass boom becoming super strong and evident or less obvious and tolerable.

So I came to the conclusion that all the tweaks with cones, rubber, etc, under the CD, hi-fi support, or careful placement to control the boom was due to an inbalance in my current system and room caused by my speakers. When a system is "balanced" then you enjoy the sound even with different CD players or with more than a particular kind of music.

As for leaving systems on all the time - it all depends how often you listen to music. I observed that my tube-based TriVista 21 DAC needs around 3 hours for its nice musical sound. I only home demoed the A5 pre pow for 2 days, but I think I noticed a better sound to my liking after 2 hours of operation.

Since my system needs around 3 hours to sound good, if I listen to music e.g. every 8 hours, then I would leave them always on. Now that I listen once per week, I switch everything on 3 hours before and let them play in the background while I do things. When I finish my listening session, I switch them off. So it depends, how long it takes for your system to sound to your liking from cold, how often you listen to music, how much it bothers you to wait or plan it (it is an inconvenience), how green you feel, etc!

Unfortunately that's all I can think for now. Since the speakers have to be so close to the back wall, then you should probably try out some standmounts and hear the differences; these ones should be easier to carry!

[Yasvanth]

Hi Nektarios,

You mentioned that you tested the Arcam CD73T and upwards, does that also include the Arcam CD192 which was very highly rated by What Hifi, but did say that the CD player is quite bassy and has to be partnered very carefully. If it is what do you think of the Arcam CD192's sound quality ?

Also what sort of power cables are you using with your MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amplifiers?

Do you listen to much R'n'B, Dance and Hip Hop?

Thanks again.

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Yas.

Yes, I tested the CD192 too and it produced the worst sound: boomy and lack of drive. I am not sure if it was my system not being able to resolve the extra bass info, or just incompatibility with my speakers.

The CD player I liked that time a lot was the Cyrus CD8; buckets of detail and no booming.

I don't have an A5 Pre/Pow; I home demoed them for two days and they sounded really nice. I am looking to get a KW500, but before hand I am planning to demo if possible a KW550 and the A1008... The A5 int in my system sounded really bad...

I used stock power cables when testing them.

I listen to some dance music but not a lot. The reason is our systems have quite a resolution and it is amazing listening quitar strings, the fingers on the strings, piano and its harmonics, cellos, violins, wind instruments, real drums, voice, etc. I have encountered many dance songs where because parts of music the instruments are electronically generated, it sounds so flat and sterile that is not enjoyable to me. When real instruments are used the sound is musically rich and exciting. It is so easy to distingush cheap CD productions too.

However, I am sure my CD collection is too small and the dance music I have is from 90s! A friend gave a year ago a Beyonce CD I think and I quite liked it plus it sounded terrific!

Yas, if the issue you have is to do with the floorstanders close to the wall, then I don't think any CD player will correct the booming. One of the most important sound aspects is the interaction of the speakers with the room they are into. I would advise you, if possible, to home demo some quality standmount speakers. Have you ever tried that with the A5 Pre/Pow?

[linuxtx]

For those wanting more information on the 550K Supercharger, it is reviewed in the latest Stereophile. They didn't even test it as a stand alone monoblock amp, but did use the high level inputs with a couple of tube setups and gave a glowing review.

[Yasvanth]

Hi Nektarios,

I have considered that option. But I prefer the sound of floorstanders as they produce that big powerful open soundstage that bookshelf spks cannot produce.

Also if I was going for bookshelf spks they must have metal or aluminium drivers as they produce a much tighter with no coloration sought of sound that paper drivers cannot. Maybe something like the MA GS 10's. The other spk makes that I can off hand think of are Acoustic Energy and Mordaunt Short. Do you know any other spk manufacturer that uses aluminium drivers in there spks that would be great for R'n'B music ?

Another thing I must point out is, after changing my Arcam A85 & Arcam P85 Pwr amps to the MF A5 Pre & Pow amps the sound is definitetly more bassy in the midrange. So are MF amps on the whole more bassy sounding than the Arcam Diva amps which tend to concentrate more on the treble detail?

Just one more thing, have you ever listened to an Arcam Diva amp, and what was your own opinion on the sound quality, to me I found out that they had fantastic detail and speed but are just underpowered when producing that big powerful enveloping sound?

Thanks

Yas

[nektarios]

Hi Yas.

Just in case to avoid confusion, I am not talking about bookshelf speakers, but stand mount ones; these are bigger and the quality ones can get down to frequencies that average floorstanders for example cannot produce properly.

In the same note the driver material plays it's role, but at the end it's the speaker implementation that will determine the quality. It doesn't matter if the driver is from metal, kevlar, paper etc if it performs poor.

I think Dynaudio uses metalic drivers too plus other speakers but I don't remember now.

A lot of ambient information and rhythm exists in the low frequencies too. If you have a big soundstage, then by getting this low frequency info right your soundstage gets huge and even more realistic. It is very hard for an amp generating those and to be in balance with the rest of the frequency no matter where the volume dial is!

This is one of the reasons the A5 Pre/Pow is so amazing. There is so much musical detail in the whole frequency spectrum at all times! Dianna Krall felt as if she was alive and breathing in front of me, and the Buena Vista Social Club came out with so much cohesion and musical integrity; the only times I approached somewhere near this performance with my X-150 + S6 was by carefully calibrating my subwoofer (MJ Acoustics Reference 1) via the high level input. By sub here I am not referring to boom boom, but actual music and rhythm and buckets of ambient info. As these guys are quite old, even their voices sounded so much more real, with texture indicating softness or passion, it's unbelievable. The Buena Vista CD without the low level information lacks musical integrity, it sounds boring and uninspiring: you just can't get sucked into the rhythm.

Now imagine though if I raise the subwoofer output - the low level detail gets replaced by "sludge" and booming destroying not only the lows but swamping the rest of the freqs, and hence the magic of music. Well this is exactly what is happening by placing floorstanders close to the back wall - the low frequencies get emphasized so instead of hearing musical information the whole thing gets distorted. I am not critisizing here, but I try to emphasize the net effect: from musical paradise bliss to Hell!

The A5 Pre/Pow gives out amazing musical detail on all frequency spectrum not just the highs by ommiting the lows. If the balance is not right though, then the low info instead of pleasing musical detail and soundstage expansion will sound boomy inarticulate and swamp the rest of the music too.

Imagine that most reviews say that A5 Pre/Pow does not produce a strong enough bass but goes for texture and detail! HOwever, they also state that the combo is also slightly forgiving if the CD quality is not great (KW500 is the opposite).

I agree with you about the floorstanders, but because of the space limitation you need to check whether you still get the performance of floorstanders if they were setup properly, but with less fussy stand mounts. I am looking into that too, as the GR20s need a lot of room to get this low info right - otherwise they become boomy and not enjoyable. You'll be surprised how articulate sound the quality stand mounts produce. The old GR10s startled me quite a few times in SevenOaks. I even took them at home but with the MF X-150 it was as if the tweeter was only playing. Big amps really open their sound up.

I only listened to Arcams in SevenOaks, but I was not impressed personally. Maybe it was the wrong combination with speakers, not sure. I don't remember if I have home-demoed them...

[alebonau]

as per nektarious I really believe yas that is whats happening. keep in mind too the mf a5 has a lot of oomph and your floorstandings would be quite capable to produce a decent bass output, but being too close to the war can lead to the bass being over emphasised and perhaps mudying the rest of the freq range.

it really would be worth movign them forward yas, try 12 inches (300mm) from the back wall ten try 1m out. now I know you probably may not be able to have them that way in normal listenign but will soon give you an idea of the effect of moving your speakers. rather than replacing components, or buyign anythign else thats what I would try first, you never know you might find that there is a compromised spot that aids their response.

as per nektarious it might perhaps be worth considerign a quality book shelf if have no other choice.

[Yasvanth]

Hi

Another thing I must point out, I recently purchased a Isotek Elite Pwr cable on Ebay to use on my MF A5 Pre amp hoping for an improvement. For the first few hours there was definitely an improvement less harshness with bright recordings and more detail. But with time, for some apparent reason the sound began to lack bite and excitement. So I have now changed back to the freebie cable that came with the A5 Pre and the excitement is back again, funny isn't it!

I don't think Isotek pwr cables are suitable for the A5 Pre or even the A5 Pwr amp.
I am also using a VDH Mainsstream Pwr cable for my A5cr Pwr amp and, boy I can sure feel the power of the music with this cable. Far more detail, dynamics and bigger soundstage. I only have to turn the volume knob up to 7'o clock and wammo the music just hits you in the face. That's how good I think the VDH Mainsstream Pwr cable.
Go on give it a try!

Happy Listening!

Yas

[uncle_dito]

Oct07 Hifi News review

Hey chaps,
You might want to read this:

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/reviews/a1008int.html

It features the system I dream of, with B&W803Ds.

Regards,

[Yasvanth]

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking of changing my VDH Cleartrack Spk cable (4-4) to Nordost Blue Heaven to use with my MF A5cr Pre & A5cr Pwr amps, do you guys think this will be a good match for tightening up the bass as I do think my VDH's are a bit smooth in the treble department?

Also do you guys use Nordost interconnects and speaker cables with your MF amps?

Cheers

Yas

[willie]

X-T100 good for pop music?

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new in Hi Fi system. And definitely new to MF. Recently, got the X-Can v3 and get hock to tube music (compare with my old iPod).

I'm thinking to change my living room setup. Just wonder is X-T100 a good choice? Will it match my speak KEF Q55.2? Anyone have try this setup? Is it good for listen to popular pop music?

I currently using only a cheap CD player, but will change it once save up ops:

Thanks,
Willie

[JerryB]

A3.5 Integrated Amp

Can anyone with a MF A3.5 integrated tell me if the heat releasing slots on the case are only on the top, only on the bottom or both top and bottom of the case? My unit has heat releasing slots only on the bottom of the case. This seems like a poor design. Heat rises, and slots on the top of the case would seem to be a better design to let the heat out of the unit. I ask this question only because I have seen photos on the internet with the A3.5 heat releasing slots on top of the case.

Thanks

[linuxtx]

Hi everyone,

I'm pretty new in Hi Fi system. And definitely new to MF. Recently, got the X-Can v3 and get hock to tube music (compare with my old iPod).

I'm thinking to change my living room setup. Just wonder is X-T100 a good choice? Will it match my speak KEF Q55.2? Anyone have try this setup? Is it good for listen to popular pop music?

If you can live with 50W, the X-T100 is not a bad choice, it has plenty of current for a 50W amp, and pop music just doesn't require much dynamic range anyway as a general rule. The Q5 is fairly efficient and shouldn't be too bad if the room is small and you don't plan to listen too loud. Don't expect reference levels out of it though. You might also consider looking for a used A3.5 on Audiogon if you need more power.

[unkhman]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here, as I have some Musical Fidelity products in my possesion just for three weeks now. I bought this A5cr Pre/Pow & A5 CD secondhand for about half of it's orinigal price, the whole set is about 2 years old and in mint condition. Better yet, the previous owner turned down the set with his handkerchief, and I think that was the second time he EVER touched the power switches of those units!
After I bought some new speakers (ScanSpeak Reference Plus) to replace my beloved Rogers Monitor transmissionlines monoliths last year, I caught the fever of replacing my old set. This consisted of a Tjoeb-99 cdplayer, a Denon pra-2000 pre and two vMedevoort EF-100's poweramps (bi-amped). After buying a Primaluna Progogue One earlier this year, I discovered my speakers weren't that fond of tube amplification, even when there was enough power on tap (35 watts). But my speakers have an impedance dip into 3 ohms, so what I really needed was a powerhouse amp which still could be neutral and transparant soundind.
I never auditioned those amps before, the only time I DID hear a Musical Fidelity product was years ago when a friend of mine bought the musical fidelity xa-2 (ofcourse thats in another league). But I was immediately drawn to it's very clean sound. So when I bought the A5 set it was like a gamble, I was really very anxious how the result should be at my place soundwise. But it was a ONEHUNDREDANDEIGHTY!
Suddenly there was the quick and dry bass I was looking for, and for the treble departement I could not wish for more (this is particularly an important thing for me as I am a drummer myself and as such I always listen very carefully to cymbals, as these are very difficult to reproduce. But it's perfect now!
I am using two sets of Van den Hul: D - 102 III HYBRID between cd - pre and pre - power. My speakers are connected with biwire Spirit of High SILVER 4 mm2 cables. I'm a big fan of seventies symfonic rock (Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Magma, Gentle Giant), but also more contempory rockbands like Coldplay, Radiohead, Soulwax etc.

Cheers!