ok so my one year or so old cambridge azur 540A just starting "crapping out" on me....seems to cut off after a certain point and/or if volume is raised too high.(and i dont think i have a short circuit connections have been checked and re checked).
what to do???? since i use vinyl as well as CD i need an intergrated amp with phono stage for my two channel stereo. considered the NAD325bee but would need to add a phone stage decided on the rega brio 3(with phono stage) bought it for $600(usd)and change to go along with pro-ject debut III turntable denon dcm290 cd player and psb image b25 bookshelf speakers any thoughts? good choice? and/or have i entered the world of the "upgrader"???
The Brio is a fabulous budget amp and does justice to vinyl. I'm not sure what piece you are asking about. All gear choices are subject to other variables than just the quality of the piece. There is the application..what do you need from the piece. There is synergy...what gear will you be using the piece with. There is musical preference as well as bias around what you believe a system should do or be about..are you looking to reproduce the live experience as closely as possible, do you even listen to live music? Lots of variables......
thanks for the feedback art. i was talking about the cambridge amp and replacing it with the brio. no i dont want to replace the live experience as much as portray the recording quality of whatever i am listening to at any given time. my first post seems pretty clear in what components i am looking for,i like to hear clarity in the music good separation of the instruments and vocals. i listen to all kinds of music.some times cranked and sometimes not. was wondering if the brio would "outpace" the other components listed,i currently have a cambridge AZUR 540A which was "crapping" out but now seems to be on the rebound. thanks again art
I've found that Rega gear really matches well with it's own and similar pieces. The Project table would work alright with the Brio. The PSB's don't on the surface seem like a good match, as they are not quite as lean and quick as the speakers I believe the Rega amps (like their own) really work well. You're probably looking to upgrade the Denon soon, and if you are the Rega Apollo with the Brio is a match made in heaven.
what if any cd player is the best 5cd changer? i actually just got the denon as it seemed to be the best 5cd changer around. i just like the way you can load a changer up and let it rip! i will research the speaker issue a bit more,although i like the bass on the PSB. what amp fits the PSB image B25 better? something in a 50watt per variety. art i have enjoyed reading your posts over the years. i am a musician so my listening is maybe more subjective and not as analytical as yours. and truth be told i did set up my system based on budget. when i bought the speakers i tried out three bookshelf a KEF and a focal JMlab(?) and thought the PSB's sounded fuller.
MWF -There seems to be a couple of contradictions with your posts.
You declare "i like to hear clarity in the music good separation of the instruments and vocals.", but follow that up with "i just like the way you can load a changer up and let it rip!".
Then as a musician you articulate "my listening is maybe more subjective and not as analytical as yours." The more I play my guitar, the more objective I am becoming with my music. I find that to be true of musicians I have met.
Art is giving you a very good lead on the Rega Apollo. It would be worth your while to audition it and then determine if a changer may be a better component for your system.
once again thanks for the information.i am going to audition the rega brio 3 with the rega apollo. regarding the subjective/ojective stuff well let's just say that i am not able to articulate the what how and why i listen to music.
The Debut III is a good basic deck, but that's about it. The standard cartridge it comes with is the OM5 which is a bit of a nail, too. If vinyl replay is important to you I suggest a better deck such as Project's own eXpression or one of Rega's, but failing that consider a better cartridge to help get some resolution and clarity.
5CD changers are all very well and they are quite convenient, but if you really want convenience in a bag you should be looking at something like an iPod. You can store your CDs in a lossy compression mode which lowers sound quality but raises capacity or you store them as lossless and store only a few hundred CDs on one iPod at full CD-like quality. The iPod would probably outperform your 5CD changer quite handsomely if you do this.
The Apollo will beat the iPod in whichever format.
