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Cheap(ish) amp with a remote control ?

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pbirkett

pfm Member
At the moment I have a Harman Kardon HK6550 which I think is a great little amp for what I paid for it.

However, it gets underused because of the lack of remote, yes very lazy I know but I want to use it all the time, even for TV.

I would like an amp that has a fun sound (something with decent "PRAT"), not too expensive, at least as good as the HK, and with a remote, does anyone have any suggestions?

Initial thoughts were a Cyrus 3 with the PSU but I've not found any for sale so far.

ETA: My speakers are Rega Elas so something that goes well with those.
 
I had a Mission Cyrus One when they first came out, and as good as it was then, they're all getting a bit long in the tooth by now.

Are you saying you want this type of thing?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=140871537577

and

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=271090707496

Some people build-up myths concerning these older products, but the truth is, most modern-day budget integrated amplifiers will put them to shame.

If I've understood your requirements, would one of these amplifiers suit your purposes?

L_PM5004_D.png
L_PM5004.png


Marantz PM5004 Integrated Amplifier @ £200 new.

http://www.marantz.co.uk/uk/Product...atId=HiFi&SubCatId=Amplifier&ProductId=PM5004


L_PM6004_N_SG_34.png
L_PM6004_N_B_34.png


Marantz PM6004 Integrated Amplifier @ £300 new.

http://www.marantz.co.uk/uk/Product...atId=HiFi&SubCatId=Amplifier&ProductId=PM6004
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Naim Nait and Elas are just a great match.

I think the 5s have remote but for less try and find a 3.
 
Gaius said:
Naim Nait and Elas are just a great match.
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Seconded. But expect the Naim to lock up periodically if other remotes are used in the same room. One for a Panasonic TV, for example. Pretty shoddy of Naim to allow equipment onto the market that falls over when it tries to eat an invalid code.
 
I'm not sure what your definition of 'not too expensive' is, but the Rega Brio-R is a great amp, has very decent PRaT, comes with remote and...
it will obviously have superb synergy with your Rega speakers. :)
 
Alco said:
I'm not sure what your definition of 'not too expensive' is, but the Rega Brio-R is a great amp, has very decent PRaT, comes with remote and...
it will obviously have superb synergy with your Rega speakers. :)
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BRIO-R-SILVER-CUT-OUT.gif


Yours is an excellent and logical choice (http://www.rega.co.uk/html/Brio-R.htm); but therein lies the problem.

Never mind the favourable TONEAudio (http://www.tonepublications.com/spotlight/rega-brio-r-worlds-first-review/) and What Hi-Fi (http://www.whathifi.com/review/rega-brio-r) reviews. Just how do we manage to serve our own self-interests, convincing pbirkett to ignore a modern-day purchase, and buy an ageing second-hand product instead?
 
I have Marantz 6004 Integrated with remote. 2012 model, Black finish and in MINT condition. 10 hours use & @ £150.00= half price + UK delivery @ cost. PM me if interested.
 
Took me a while but I just picked up a Rega Mira Mk1.

I absolutely LOVE it. It goes great with the Ela's a really, really fun to listen to setup and I do think I prefer it to the HK.

Thanks for the comments guys.
 
The nait 3 sounds horrible, pay the extra for a nait 5 or you can get secondhand Brio R at the moment, I paid £320 for mine and it sounds amazing. In my view it blows the nait 5i out of the water.

I picked up an Arcam A85 a while ago for £200 but found it a little too warm and cloudy for my tastes.
 
rega brio newie is nice, roksan caspian used, a heed obelisk if your feeling flush and want something better than the brio.
 
If looking at used gear, go with the Cyrus 3 for best bang for buck.
A PSXR makes it go a bit louder, especially into lower impedance loads.

Electronic switching and volume control means they aren't so prone to ageing in these areas as many rivals.



Whoops, just seen the thread date :)
Never mind.
 
Yeah sorry about that just thought you might be interested to see a conclusion.

Loving the Rega amp and speakers combo.
 
Depending on your budget you could go down the pre / power route. This helps with future upgrades. I started with a Naim NAC 92R / NAP 90 & gradually progressed from there.
 
Looks like this thread is over but - if anyone is interested in ever looking for a low cost remote controllable amp - I would highly recommend the NAD 325BEE - exceptional value for money and despite being low cost (not being manufactured any more so need to seek second hand) - the sound quality is incredible - up there with the very best no matter what price.
 
beammeup said:
Looks like this thread is over but - if anyone is interested in ever looking for a low cost remote controllable amp - I would highly recommend the NAD 325BEE - exceptional value for money and despite being low cost (not being manufactured any more so need to seek second hand) - the sound quality is incredible - up there with the very best no matter what price.
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Ah, I see. I'll just let darTZeel know not to bother as they can't compete with NAD. Tell you what though, I'll have a CTH-8550 and you keep the NAD, if it makes you happy.

There have been many daft comments on here of late, but the above quoted post is, by a considerable margin, the daftest I've seen.
 
Sorry should have been more specific - within the confines of a relatively easy loudspeaker load in perhaps the average British lounge sized room.. at which point the darTZeel (unless you like the bling) would be a complete waste of money... where in this situation the aforementioned NAD is likely to be indistinguishable.

Borrowing a quote from another thread....


GTM said:
Ahh the old "keep them within their limits" argument again.

Sure keep any well designed cheap amp within it's design parameters and it will be indistinguishable from vastly more expensive ones. But the whole point is that the more expensive ones have a wider performance envelope. What is not adequately proven is whether this extra envelope is ever required in a domestic environment.

Analogy. Drive a Mazda MX-5 down a mile of B road with all bends of a particular radius with perfect tarmac at a speed of 30mph. Time how long it takes to complete the course and measure the g forces around the corners. Now do the same with a Porsche Boxter. The result? almost certainly identical performance and I'm sure if you sat a blindfolded person in each they'd not be able to tell the difference (assuming they couldn't hear or touch anything either). This the exact methodology being used in the "all amps sound the same" tests that have been conducted to date.

Fact is though that everyone knows that if you threw in some less than perfect road surface, made some of the bends a little tighter and some less so and then drove both cars at whatever speed they were able there would be a significant difference between the performance of both cars.

Of course if you limit the parameters of performance to within the capability of the lower performance test subject you will get equality in the results of both subjects. Much like having a 100m race between Mo Farrah and Usain Bolt but saying they both must only run and accelerate at a rate that is well within Mo's capabilities. Result of test? Mo and Usain are equal, there is no determinable difference in performance between the two.

In both my analogies no one would ever realistically argue that an MX-5 is the equal of a Boxster or that Mo is equal to Usain over the 100m.
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