| Author |
Thread: MA RS6 |
    
New member Username: Chriswild87
Holden,
MA
Post Number: 4
Registered: Dec-08
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 05:00 pm: |
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I'm in the final stages of pulling the trigger on a pair of RS6. I've done the reading of reviews, threads here and other research and gone to listen to them. Just a few questions for you guys. I read here that they were fairly easy to drive, for now would an HK 445 drive them, and would it work sonically? One review said to match components carefully. I heard them on a NAD, and I like that sound. Any other suggestions for them,a stereo amp (less then $500, i like ebay and audiogon) is the next step. I'd be using the HK for a pre/ processor.
Mostly music listening. Read alot on them needing space to sing. What is alot? I would be putting them in a 13x13 bedroom and an 14x18 dorm room. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2346
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 05:59 pm: |
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Hey Chris, the MA/NAD combo is pretty darn good IMO. Obviously giving better amplification than NAD will highly benefit the Silver line by MA. I would go no lower than NAD quality for these speakers. So IMO, the H/K would not be a good match. You can get a NAD integrated amp for less that 500, I would buy one. That is my recommendation. In the future when funds permit, upgrade the NAD and these speakers will open right up. Cheers. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 8845
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 06:15 pm: |
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You can get the C325BEE for $299 almost everywhere now as it has been discontinued...it's a start. |
Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2347
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 06:15 pm: |
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Good call Art- A pretty good start at that. |
Gold Member Username: Dmitchell
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
Post Number: 2056
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 08:25 pm: |
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I've run my RS6's with NAD, Cambridge Audio, Rotel and Bryston. They sounded really good with all with the exception of the Rotel. |
Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2348
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 08:27 pm: |
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Giving the characteristics of Rotel and the MA's I would guess that combo would have been overly bright and fatiguing?lol |
Gold Member Username: Dmitchell
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
Post Number: 2057
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 08:30 pm: |
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That's a nice way of putting it Nick. Ummm, how about "brutal"? |
Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2349
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 12:04 am: |
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LOL!!!! Brutal works. |
Silver Member Username: Afj
Gaborone
Botswana
Post Number: 180
Registered: Jan-08
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 04:27 am: |
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chris
imo dont go for the hk. its not a very musical amp and considering the rs6 doesnt pair too well with bright sounding amps it wont pair well with the hk. if you liked the sound of nad, hk is totally opposite to it. nad being warm, musical, laidback and smooth, hk not so. if the nad is too laidback for you listen to it on cambridge / marantz and see how it works for you.
and if youre buying a stereo amp you wont need the hk pre. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 8849
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 07:21 am: |
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Francis it sounds like you've never heard either amp or you simply don't know what you're talking about. You said something similarly ridiculous on another thread...NAD is warm and Marantz is not. In both cases, this post and the other, you are dead wrong...period.
NAD is a bit clinical sounding but both HK and Marantz are far further into the warm zone than NAD is. |
Gold Member Username: Dmitchell
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
Post Number: 2058
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 07:24 am: |
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I always thought H/K was pretty laid back sounding too Art. |
Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2350
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 08:25 am: |
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I have a different take then all of you on it. Being an owner of H/K AVR's and now two NAD AVR's, and doing a straight A/B comparison in my own system with an H/K 645 vs the NAD T763, I would say the H/K was way more clinical sounding than NAD. NAD's musical ability was much more natural and warm sounding compared to the H/K's down right awful sound to my ears. No matter what material we threw at it both AVR's even my wife was floored at how much better the NAD sounded. Could had been a mismatch with equipment though, as the speakers were Paradigm. ( Can't see H/K and Paradigm really matching)
Overall I am right in the middle with ART and David. I feel that NAD is greatly warmer than H/K, but not as warm as Marantz. IMO NAD does sound better than both companies. Cheers.
To add, if you guys are comparing stuff to the old H/K sound (very good, warm, musical) DONT!!. lol. I have heard a bundle of the latest H/K products, and I have wanted to take a hammer to every single one of them. They are not what they use to be. |
Silver Member Username: Hawkbilly
Nova Scotia
Canada
Post Number: 496
Registered: Jul-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 10:45 am: |
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For what it's worth, I never found my NAD's clinical at all, but a touch grainy in the upper midrange and treble. I also found it a bit slow (after hearing something that wasn't), in that it blurs some things together that should be distinct. I can see that this would give the sense of "warmness".
As to H/K, I think Nick is on the money with his comment above. Old H/K I found quite musical. New stuff, not so much. |
Gold Member Username: Dmitchell
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
Post Number: 2059
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 10:54 am: |
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That's exactly how I found my NAD C272's, Chris. Very grainy in the high end. It drove me crazy. I had an older NAD from the 80's and it didn't have that graininess at all. |
New member Username: Chriswild87
Holden,
MA
Post Number: 5
Registered: Dec-08
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 11:01 am: |
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thanks guys, what i'm hearing is dump the HK, the only reason I wanted to keep it was because on the rare occasion, i do like a 5.1 for movies, otherwise everything from cds to vinyl is in mode on the HK stereo. I like the new marantz sr5003, but with my budget, this would eliminate the seperate amp. Comments? |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 8852
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 05:44 pm: |
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Nick I've listened to the late model HK's and will stick with what I said that they are far warmer sounding than NAD which I have and do own. I think we my be having an issue around semantics.
The HK is warmer sounding however it isn't nearly as good sounding...in fact they sound muddy and undefined...but bright or forward they are not. Marantz is similarly warm but with far better definition...the late model Marantz AVR's and 2 channel gear is much better than HK. |
Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10
Post Number: 2352
Registered: Jun-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 05:53 pm: |
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Warmer or not warmer I agree with the fact that H/K is definitely worse. The Marantz stuff I have not spent enough time with to give an opinion. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 8853
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 09:08 pm: |
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The latest generation of Marantz AVR's in particular are pretty darn well made and are very good for home theater. |
Gold Member Username: Dmitchell
Ottawa,
Ontario
Canada
Post Number: 2064
Registered: Feb-07
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 09:48 pm: |
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So did you pull the trigger on the RS6 yet Chris? |
Gold Member Username: Stu_pitt
Irvington,
New York
USA
Post Number: 3156
Registered: May-05
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| Posted on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 11:58 pm: |
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IMO, Marantz does very well in the mid range for the money. Not much more for me to say than that. Its very soft on top, loose in the bass, no sense of PRaT, and the soundstage is pushed pretty far back. I've noticed this with all their gear - from the entry level stuff through their highest end stuff. The upper end stuff is better, but more of the same.
Some people like the warm, fuzzy, laid back sound. Its not my preference, but I understand why some people like it.
This is all with music. HT isn't my forte nor interest. |
Gold Member Username: Stu_pitt
Irvington,
New York
USA
Post Number: 3157
Registered: May-05
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| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 12:01 am: |
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I do however like my father's vintage 2220B receiver. Admittedly, a good part of it is looks and nostalgia, but it sounds pretty good to my ears. Maybe not an everyday receiver and it certainly wouldn't threaten my B60 in any way, but if I had room and time for a second system, I'd have no problems living with it. |
Gold Member Username: Artk
Albany,
Oregon
USA
Post Number: 8857
Registered: Feb-05
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| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 07:43 am: |
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It's a sound I know very well having owned a 2220B. If I found one in excellent condition I'd pick it up as well.
Current Marantz 2 channel gear does not work for me as well...too little music gets through, but for HT applications it's pretty good. |
Silver Member Username: Afj
Gaborone
Botswana
Post Number: 182
Registered: Jan-08
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| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 10:04 am: |
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the nad to me is very warm. perhaps like nick said the older hk's were warm. i own the nad c272 and owned the hk3490. the 3490 wasnt even close to warm. i perhaps could stand corrected on the marantz (i did state in the post that i heard it a very long time ago) |
New member Username: Chriswild87
Holden,
MA
Post Number: 6
Registered: Dec-08
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| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 12:32 pm: |
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I was reading on another thread that MA with a Cambridge amp would sound good? I've not been able to hear one, any descriptions in comparison to others here. I found a CA Azur 640 v2 on audiogon for 325. I have no idea how much it goes for new. Stu that laid back fuzzy warm is kinda what i am looking for, however there are times that I like a little bit of a bite so to say. |
Silver Member Username: James_the_god
Lancaster,
Lancashire
England
Post Number: 723
Registered: Jan-05
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| Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 04:51 pm: |
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Chris.
I used to have the ca 540a v1 with some MAs br2s. It sounded fast but a little too lean for me. Cambridge amps are fast and I found mine a little bright.
Since then I've moved between a fair bit of equipment and demo'd a fair few.
Go with Marantz but you'll need a decent model. The new 5003 isnt rated well. The 6002 is but I didnt like the bass (I had one).
The 7001 is brilliant and the new 7003 is just as brilliant.. I own one partnered with the MA br2s (which I once had and have come back to because of room size limitations) |
