SkyHawke Posted July 13, 2021 Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) Hi Everyone, I attained a pair of KEF LS50 Meta by trading a motorbike but have no idea what amplifier I should pair these with on my budget. I probably got in over my head on this trade as I really love audio but not in a postion to spend big on equipment. I have saved enough to spend $1000. I know these need decent power so interested if anyone has any recommendations on used integrated amplifiers. I intend to use for vinyl and cd only but Bluetooth for playing music from phone would be nice. My bedroom is decently large - 4m x 4m x 3.5m ceilings an old weatherboard.. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you and best wishes to you all. Edited July 13, 2021 by SkyHawke 1
Mightygrey Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 The PS Audio Sprout 100 is ought to work fine for your circumstances.
Bengineer Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 Few great little amps that have built in streaming and bluetooth, under $1000. Yamaha make a nice little one. Or the Bluesound one (has two, one version just streamer, one version has amp. Or even a Sonos amp if you're into that ecosystem. Heaps of options! Enjoy! 1
anandpkumar Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 24 minutes ago, muriwai said: I want to know what motorcycle it was? yeah, me too keen to know! for the OP, $1000 is a decent budget for a good integrated amplifier. Look out for some used bargains that come up in the classified sections. You can save quite a bit compared to retail prices by buying used 1
POV Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 I reckon should look into the Cambridge Audio AXR100 stereo receiver which you can get for $1000. Very beefy power amp onboard and high current capacity which is what your LS50s need to sing. Has Bluetooth onboard and honesty it sounds pretty decent for $1000. If you so desire you can spend an extra $100 or so and get DAB+ onboard as well (AXR100D).
Cafad Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 Hmmm, maybe a Rotel RA-11 or RA-12 if you are thinking of a new (or new-ish second hand) full size component (albeit small-ish as components go) that will do everything you are after. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous you could try searching ebay. I just did and although I found 3 decent options (a rotel 931, Cambridge 651A and a Sansui X-711) but they were all local pick up only, and none of them had bluetooth. Ebay really is getting worse and worse as time goes on.
JBB2 Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 I was fortunate enough to buy a very good amplifier under $1000 through SNA....... but needs time and effort to find such an amplifier within the budget and to suit your needs. Have you considered AMC? They are aimed a "bang for buck" and I believe deliver an impressive sound for under the $1000 mark. No Bluetooth as far as I know - but can you live with a cable? For the size of your largish bedroom I think 50W would be OK - but of course you might want to go with more power. Sounds like you got a good deal - they are well respected speakers .... not especially efficient - but I am finding 80W with speakers 85dB very adequate, and I am guessing that in a bedroom you do not have to worry about a lot of people providing sound absorption! 1
RankStranger Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 Good trade. A pair of LS50 meta are much less likely to cause you to become chiseled spam 2 1
SkyHawke Posted July 14, 2021 Author Posted July 14, 2021 Hi, Thanks for the recomendations and insights, I will review all of them mentioned. I did read a thread regarding the musical fidelity a300, but seems like they are hard to come across. The AMC has no subwoofer input i believe, will this matter as an option over the years?? Might need to be patient for while longer. ...bike was a Honda CRF from 2003
mysterybear Posted July 14, 2021 Posted July 14, 2021 I'd look into the new Powernode - I only hear good things about this from reviewers and although it is $1,500, you will not need to purchase a separate DAC, streamer (plus it has HDMI eARC with Dolby) so that's a future saving of $1,000 plus on a complete system. As always, have a listen for yourself if possible before purchasing! 2
JBB2 Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 I was fortunate enough to buy a very good amplifier under $1000 through SNA....... but needs time and effort to find such an amplifier within the budget and to suit your needs. Have you considered AMC? They are aimed a "bang for buck" and I believe deliver an impressive sound for under the $1000 mark. No Bluetooth as far as I know - but can you live with a cable? For the size of your largish bedroom I think 50W would be OK - but of course you might want to go with more power. Sounds like you got a good deal - they are well respected speakers .... not especially efficient - but I am finding 80W with speakers 85dB very adequate, and I am guessing that in a bedroom you do not have to worry about a lot of people providing sound absorption!
JBB2 Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 yep - Good point SkyHawke. You could use the pre-out for the subwoofer. i see a Marantz PM5005 on SNA at the moment. Good luck
anandpkumar Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 How about this listed in the classifieds section? Add a basic streamer (bluesound node/Yamaha WXC-50 or raspberry pi) for streaming duties 3
The Rock Puppy Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 "You traded the caddy for a microphone? " Sorry, but it sprung straight into my mind! 1 2
LogicprObe Posted July 15, 2021 Posted July 15, 2021 7 hours ago, anandpkumar said: How about this listed in the classifieds section? Add a basic streamer (bluesound node/Yamaha WXC-50 or raspberry pi) for streaming duties Tempted myself for my LS 50s!
notsobitperfect Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 2nd hand is a great way to go. But if you do want new...there was a recommendation I'd seen on Youtube - the IOTAVX SA3 - from Zerofidelity I think it was. IOTAVX offers a direct to consumer model similar to Emotiva and might just be able to get it to you within your budget.
dwj Posted July 16, 2021 Posted July 16, 2021 Given you mentioned wanting to play vinyl with bluetooth an optional extra you would want to ensure the amp has a built in phonostage or you will need an additional phono preamp. -unless of course the turntable has one built in-
Al.M Posted July 17, 2021 Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) I own Kef Ls50 non meta older versions and was surprised to find older NAD 3020 and the later BEE series like model 320 works well with them. They are only about $300 used and below what you might perceive as being suitable or high quality for the $1000 spend. Others to look out for though I have not tried are Musical Fidelity A3 and Roksan Kandy a d Caspian for around $700 and others. Yamaha AS 1100 and others may do also. A lower cost used preamp and power amp combo could be achieved with much better clarity also like Stereo Coffee preamp for around $500 kit or used and gutsy power amp like a Rotel or similar. Also, look out for any of these new on sales or used in this list https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/topic/325588-sna-amplifiers-and-preamps-audition-shortlist/ Edited July 17, 2021 by Al.M 2
mark rega Posted July 17, 2021 Posted July 17, 2021 Look out for a used Rega Brio R in the classifieds small footprint built like a tank and plenty of power to run the Kefs … also has a reasonably good mm phono built in if you need it ..should have some cash left over
David Walker Posted July 17, 2021 Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, mark rega said: Look out for a used Rega Brio R in the classifieds small footprint built like a tank and plenty of power to run the Kefs … also has a reasonably good mm phono built in if you need it ..should have some cash left over Congrats on getting the LS50 Metas. You may think you're in over your head, but those speakers are the very best kind of over-your-head to be in. The Rega Brio R's 50W output is smaller than is normally deemed ideal for the LS50s. But while I have not heard this combination, quite a few people online say they own it and really like it. There is also a suggestion that the Metas are easier to drive than the original LS50s. So long as you don't have a huge listening room or don't need to crank your system up to the absolute limit, this sounds like an ideal match. The Brio has a phono stage, so you can plug in a turntable if vinyl is your thing. But it has no bluetooth and not even any digital inputs, so you might want a Google Chromecast Audio Media Streamer. That will set you back around $150 used (sadly, they're been discontinued), and will hook the Brio up to your wi-fi (better than bluetooth). A used Brio is very much within your budget. To give you an idea, the most recent one offered used on StereoNet sold in April for $550. There's one on eBay at the moment at $380 (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/284368994351). It's in Melbourne and for local pickup only, but keep your eyes open and you should see one here or on eBay soon. Used amps from reputable sources like StereoNet are generally great buys. I picked up a Cambridge Audio CXA60 here on StereoNet for $600 a few months back, and it's mint (though not right for you – it has no phono stage for vinyl). I am considering buying some LS50s for it, even though its 60W output is near the bottom end of the LS50s' power requirements. Edited July 17, 2021 by David Walker 1
TonyW Posted July 17, 2021 Posted July 17, 2021 I sold my motorbike for a camera so I feel we are in a similar boat! The trouble or the great challenge of Hi-Fi is to know where you want to be with it in say a year or two. I’d recommend listening to the suggestions with that in mind, investing a few more cents now might save a costly upgrade later. That said by all accounts you have a nice set of speakers so you can look to take advantage of their fidelity. I always think that after speakers I hear my limited dollars at work best in the area of “source” improvements… others mileage may vary but big improvements have been made at the front end of the chain over the last few years I think. good hunting! Tony 1
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