Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[DJSJ]

I have a Denon x3000 AVR that you can have for nothing, the only issue being you are on the other side of the continent in another country. I'm trying to find the cheapest shipping rates but honestly you might be able to buy the amp locally for the same cost as the shipping I'm seeing.

That's very generous of you, but yea shipping internationally is a disaster right now, and considering the ordeal this amp has put me through, I think I'd find some much needed peace of mind buying something new with warranty from a reputable dealer.

But that is really generous to even consider though, thank you.

 

[Russ I]

My NAD C375BEE went kaputt back in June, local shop couldn't fix it, got it sent to NAD 6 weeks ago, and today I finally got the call that almost every capacitor is blown and cost $800+ to fix. FML

@AnthonyI I know I got this seconhand from you about 2 years ago...how long did you have it? It doesn't make sense to me that it would need such extensive repairs already. Had I known I wouldn't have bought it. honestly.

Now secondly....I don't have all that money to blow, and I really miss playing records. I could easily spend ~$350, maybe even make ~$500 work. Still have to pay for the shop to ship the broken NAD back to me and then have to decide what to do with it, so theres more money there... Almost definitely gonna have to downgrade, recommendations available (You can see my other components in my signature.

The lesson here is dont spend money on expensive audio equipment (especially used) if you dont have the income to pay for repairs.

I feel for your situation and I hope you get it sorted in a way that will help you feel better about listening to your records. But the statement in your initial post that I've added emphasis to really doesn't make sense to me. Had you known what? That the unit you were buying secondhand from @AnthonyI would crap out on you two years after you bought it? How could anyone have known that? In the future, you probably should buy new so you'll have a warranty to fall back on, but even then, you may not have any recourse after two years.

 

[DJSJ]

I feel for your situation and I hope you get it sorted in a way that will help you feel better about listening to your records. But the statement in your initial post that I've added emphasis to really doesn't make sense to me. Had you known what? That the unit you were buying secondhand from @AnthonyI would crap out on you two years after you bought it?

Yes, had I known that I'd be looking at full capacitor failure in a little less than 2 years I would not have gone that route. Is that something that could be guaranteed? No, but it is quite unusual for a (well maintained) unit of this age to have this problem, so something must've happened. If I had known there was such a potential for failure I wouldn't have put that money down, which I now have to put down again. I'm not made of money, this is a big deal.

 

[Russ I]

Yes, had I known that I'd be looking at full capacitor failure in a little less than 2 years I would not have gone that route. Is that something that could be guaranteed? No, but it is quite unusual for a (well maintained) unit of this age to have this problem, so something must've happened. If I had known there was such a potential for failure I wouldn't have put that money down, which I now have to put down again. I'm not made of money, this is a big deal.

Yes, something definitely happened. And I suppose I was reacting to your (continued) insinuation that that something was before you purchased the unit. Assuming it worked until it didn't, that seems unlikely.

 

[Angsty]

My NAD C375BEE went kaputt back in June, local shop couldn't fix it, got it sent to NAD 6 weeks ago, and today I finally got the call that almost every capacitor is blown and cost $800+ to fix. FML

@AnthonyI I know I got this seconhand from you about 2 years ago...how long did you have it? It doesn't make sense to me that it would need such extensive repairs already. Had I known I wouldn't have bought it. honestly.

Now secondly....I don't have all that money to blow, and I really miss playing records. I could easily spend ~$350, maybe even make ~$500 work. Still have to pay for the shop to ship the broken NAD back to me and then have to decide what to do with it, so theres more money there... Almost definitely gonna have to downgrade, recommendations available (You can see my other components in my signature.

The lesson here is dont spend money on expensive audio equipment (especially used) if you dont have the income to pay for repairs.

That’s very, very unusual, even for NAD. If nothing else, the power fuse should have prevented that kind of damage.

 

[Angsty]

If you are looking for a power amplifier instead of an integrated, here are some lower cost amps reviewed on another site I frequent:

Outlaw 2220 Review (Monoblock Amplifier)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Outlaw 2220 single channel amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $399. The look is simple but elegant in its slim form factor. I like that it is just heavy enough to give you confidence but not so much that you can't lift...

www.audiosciencereview.com

TP RA3 Rackmount Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the TP (Topping) RA3 stereo balanced rackmount amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $229. Yes, this is a new sub-brand from Topping. I quite like it. The large and highly visible volume level is as gorgeous to look at as it is...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Buckeye NC252MP Stereo Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Buckeye NC252MP balanced stereo class D amplifier. It was kindly drop shipped to me by a member and costs US $575. The amp is almost the size of a loaf of bread and literally weighs nearly as much! Amazing how far amplification technology has...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Audiophonics DA-S250NC DAC & Power Amp Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Audiophonics DA-S250NC class D amplifier (hypex NC252MP) and stereo DAC/Bluetooth. It was requested by a member and supplied by the company. It costs 582,50 € (tax excluded) (US$641). I really like the front panel display. It has large font and...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Schiit Vidar Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Schiit Vidar stereo amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. The Vidar costs US $699 and nicely comes with a five (5) year warranty. With amplifiers being one of the most susceptible audio products to failure, long warranty is a real...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Edit: The Outlaw is a monoblock - two are required for stereo.

 

[Joe Mac]

If you are looking for a power amplifier instead of an integrated, here are some lower cost amps reviewed on another site I frequent:

Outlaw 2220 Review (Monoblock Amplifier)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Outlaw 2220 single channel amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $399. The look is simple but elegant in its slim form factor. I like that it is just heavy enough to give you confidence but not so much that you can't lift...

www.audiosciencereview.com

TP RA3 Rackmount Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the TP (Topping) RA3 stereo balanced rackmount amplifier. It was sent to me by the company and costs US $229. Yes, this is a new sub-brand from Topping. I quite like it. The large and highly visible volume level is as gorgeous to look at as it is...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Buckeye NC252MP Stereo Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Buckeye NC252MP balanced stereo class D amplifier. It was kindly drop shipped to me by a member and costs US $575. The amp is almost the size of a loaf of bread and literally weighs nearly as much! Amazing how far amplification technology has...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Audiophonics DA-S250NC DAC & Power Amp Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Audiophonics DA-S250NC class D amplifier (hypex NC252MP) and stereo DAC/Bluetooth. It was requested by a member and supplied by the company. It costs 582,50 € (tax excluded) (US$641). I really like the front panel display. It has large font and...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Schiit Vidar Amplifier Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Schiit Vidar stereo amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member. The Vidar costs US $699 and nicely comes with a five (5) year warranty. With amplifiers being one of the most susceptible audio products to failure, long warranty is a real...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Edit: The Outlaw is a monoblock - two are required for stereo.

That would also require buying a preamp, the MM-6 is a phono preamp, and so preamps on top of these would completely blow the budget?

 

[Joe Mac]

So spoke to my insurance there.

Cleaning is usually an exclusion but they’ve told me to proceed with the claim to see whether the fact I wasn’t cleaning the cartridge, but was cleaning the table may mean it goes through. Not hugely convinced it will work, but it’s worth a try.

Ill use the Hana until the end of the this year but it’s looking like I’ll likely be using the gold 2 with the 8mz for next year, I should thank my lucky stars that at least I have that spare as an option!

 

[Joe Mac]

Just so angry with myself. Really damn frustrated.

 

[Angsty]

That would also require buying a preamp, the MM-6 is a phono preamp, and so preamps on top of these would completely blow the budget?

Thanks, Joe. When I was reading the post, I was questioning that the MM-6 was a phono preamp, not a control preamp.

For economy, an integrated would be recommended. Hard to think of a better low-cost option than the NAD C316BEE from a reputable dealer like Crutchfield.

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-HtpNOSA0A6k/p_745C316V2/NAD-C316BEE-V2.html

Alternatively, Upscale Audio is running a close-out sale on Cary integrated amps, but may still blow the budget.

Upscale Audio

High-fidelity music systems. Precision selected rare tubes. We treat your system like it's our own. This is Music Illuminated.

upscaleaudio.com

 

[MikeH]

Yes, had I known that I'd be looking at full capacitor failure in a little less than 2 years I would not have gone that route. Is that something that could be guaranteed? No, but it is quite unusual for a (well maintained) unit of this age to have this problem, so something must've happened. If I had known there was such a potential for failure I wouldn't have put that money down, which I now have to put down again. I'm not made of money, this is a big deal.

I’ve gotten quite a lot of gear from @AnthonyI over the years and none of it has had any issues…sometimes gear randomly fails. The price they are quoting you to repair it seems like highway robbery and I can’t imagine what would have caused most of the capacitors to burn out at once other than a surge.

 

[kvetcha]

I agree that it seems incredibly unlikely all the caps would blow absent some sort of catastrophic surge, which the Panamax should have prevented. Did you have anything else plugged into the Panamax? Has it all been working as expected?

 

[Slimwhit33]

Something else being more expensive doesn’t make it any less nuts though lol.

From a personal perspective the design leaves me cold like most mofi, their stuff is just too monochromatic and monolithic for my tastes.

One clear exception…

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

Black Ice is (kinda) Jolida. They make good gear. I ran a JD801ARC for a year or so before I did my Decware/KingKo head-to-head. I sold it to @Jango, though he hasn’t been active here for a while.

Sorry to resurrect a month old post! Been traveling for work, and typically don't have time to get my N&G on during those periods. Assuming you ultimately preferred the KingKo to the Decware based on your signature?

 

[kvetcha]

Sorry to resurrect a month old post! Been traveling for work, and typically don't have time to get my N&G on during those periods. Assuming you ultimately preferred the KingKo to the Decware based on your signature?

I liked both the Dec and the KingKo, but the KingKo had several benefits for my particular situation:

1) Smaller
2) More user-friendly
3) Much less expensive tube replacement cost
4) More reasonable input sensitivity - the Torii Jr wanted a 2V input for full output
5) More input flexibility
6) It cost half as much

Of course, it's not going to have nearly the long-term value of the DecWare, or the brand cachet, but it's truly an awesome little thing.

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

There's a sizable contingent of audiophiles who say horn speakers 'honk' or 'squawk' and consider them fundamentally unrefined. I think they capture the sound of live instruments in a remarkable way. Everyone's got their own ears, I guess.

That's called audible midrange!

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

.......man, the long and winding road, lol
View attachment 183319

Hell of a lineup, Ant! All winners, really

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

So the holes are because the cover is actually folded lexan instead of glued. Same as mine... Folding avoids the yellowing and fogging that can happen over time with glued covers.
View attachment 183790

That Classic Sig with the gimbal is just....

 

[Slimwhit33]

So the holes are because the cover is actually folded lexan instead of glued. Same as mine... Folding avoids the yellowing and fogging that can happen over time with glued covers.
View attachment 183790

What a beautiful table! Awesome!

 

[Mather]

What a beautiful table! Awesome!

Yeah couldn't be happier with it really, can't stop looking at it. Only tiny issue is it's running about 0.5% fast, which while being well above their claim of like .001% accuracy or whatever it is, is still probably not noticeable to me, so meh...