2. amps-preamps
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newbie seeking stereo system advice

hello - i have recently began to purchase my first decent stereo system, actually to me this would be a great stereo system as i have been accustomed to junk hand me downs from best buy and the like.

so i purchased a roksan kandy integrated amp and a pair of axiom m60 speakers and i have been pleased with the result.

now i am looking to take a "next step", i am looking to get a little more power (in my terms, that means i would not have to make the amp work as hard to get the volume level where i want it) i do not know if this is an accurate assessment

finally to my question(s), would bi amping be a logical next step? if so, could anybody recommend an good used amp to look out for, unfortunately, i need to stay around the $400 range

thanks in advance for any suggestions and bearing with me through i am sure are rather too general or ridiculous questions

sean
seanl5b47
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
Sean, Elizabeth must have a crystal ball and witnessed all the audio upgrade mistakes I've made.

If you're happy with the overall sound you currently have, then an amplifier upgrade might be helpful. But Elizabeth's advice to avoid the tiny step upgrade bug is pretty damn valuable. I wish I'd known this four years ago.

Have fun and happy listening!
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Get an active sub, this will give you the volume you desire. You can keep the integrated and you will be bi-amped, you should be able to find a good sub in your price range here on audiogon. This is dependent on your integrated pre outs to feed the sub, it does have a way to split the pre from the amp I hope?

Dave
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,111 posts
 
I've been coming to this site for over two days now and Elizabeth's suggestion is by far the wisest advice I have ever seen posted here. I'm impressed.

You really sell yourself short when making those little upgrades. In the long run you will be much happier saving for a while and making a relatively big step. Save for an Adcom, Aragon, or Krell. On the used market you can get some real deals and you will be amazed how much better things can/will sound.
elevick
2,439 posts
 
Bi-amping is not so simple and should not be an option for a while/ever. A nice sub with a built in crossover will let your amp work a lot less and improve the bass. You need to either have pre-amp outs on the roksan or use a sub with a nice built in crossover that will take speaker level in, split the signal to the subs and speakers and have volume and phase controls to allow for good blending.
Look at Velodyne or REL to give you a good idea of what you need.
audiobomber
11 posts
 
You didn't mention what you're using for a source. IME it's the most important component, and upgrading should normally begin there.

With a better source you may (should) find that you get more clarity without extreme volume levels.
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