Would like to upgrade my Musical Fidelity A220, what would you recommend?

[LongtimeListener]

Hi All,

 

I am intending to upgrade my Musical Fidelity A220 which is a fine amplifier, however...

 

The new amplifier should clearly punch above the A220 capabilities in both musicality and power-wise, perhaps above 150 watts per channel at 8 ohm.

I like warm sound in classical music, so anything that can make strings and female vocals sound not harsh would be fantastic.

 

Another thing when buying a new high-end amplifier is of course the possibility to try it at home. If anybody knows a dealer in the SE-Queensland region who is willing to let me hear the amplifier at home, that would be fantastic.

 

Thanks for your thoughts in advance

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by LongtimeListener

[buddyev]

We need to know what speakers you are using and your budget.

[rantan]

Just now, buddyev said:

We need to know what speakers you are using and your budget.

Definitely.

 

Otherwise it is like shooting in the dark.

[LongtimeListener]

The speakers are 3 way speakers, passive with very strong drivers which according to the engineer who designed and build them stated that they need a fast powerful amplifier. The speakers are not build anymore and seem to be outdated in their technology, however, I am not willing to replace them . They have been refurbished recently. Some principles which are incorporated in their design below might help to give an idea what amplifier they would need.

Apparently they can tolerate 90watts/4 ohms and 120W/8 ohms, the magnets in the drivers are extremely powerful to provide a very powerful signal response

• Frequency Response - all frequencies should be the same volume (range 2dB) when on same voltage
• Transmission Range - in the daily use only the linear part is interesting and should at least cover 50 to 20000 Hz
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) - THDs which occur as a side effect should be below 1%
• Intermodulation - New frequencies which develop through accumulation and subtraction should be kept below 1%
• Doppler Effect - Wailing sounds caused by the bass drivers membrane are reduced by lower takeover threshold for the bass drivers
• Phase Response - The mass of the mechanical parts, the electronics in the crossover, the position of the drivers in the chassis can lead to cause lagging of the accustic signal behind the electrical signal. The aim is to keep the delay constant to reduce the phase response
• Impulse Response - The drivers have to be extremely responsive to follow the electrical signal immediately
• Dispersion Range - The range has to be wide enough to ensure there are no blind spots in the listening room
• Crossover - All used parts have to be optimized as minimal deviations will lead to enormous distortions of the sound
• Impedance Response - Should be flat as peaks increases the electrical resistance to a point where no voltage is flowing to the drivers anymore
• Self Resonance - Should be as low as possible and best below 60Hz
• Efficiency - All drivers have to act with the same efficiency to voltage changes to produce a linear frequency response
• Operational Performance - Should be maximal 3 watts for 91 phon filtered pink noise signal in 1 metre microphone distance to ensure enough volume can be delivered
• Mechanical Distortions - With help of stroboscope light all loudspeaker parts are optimized so they do not distort or produce background noise
• Case Stability - With accelerometers the case is optimized to keep resonances under control

Thanks in advance

 

[rantan]

 

Wow.

 

I think I might sit this one out.

 

Hyper detail doesn't really help a lot in this case as people can only make suggestions based on their own experience.

 

No offence intended at all and good luck with your search

[frankn]

How far are you willing to travel to find/pick up an amplifier to audition? SE Qld is a big area.  
Budget is a big question?

 

is this the same set of speakers ?

 

[buddyev]

Afraid you’ve lost me. It looks like most of that info is generic.

 The question is not what they will tolerate but rather what they need. For example do your speakers need an amp that is able to deliver down to 4 ohms, 2 ohms etc. 

what in your opinion is your current amp lacking, where are the weaknesses?

[LongtimeListener]

17 hours ago, frankn said:

How far are you willing to travel to find/pick up an amplifier to audition? SE Qld is a big area.  
Budget is a big question?

 

is this the same set of speakers ?

 

Thanks for linking this post, I totally forgot this one.

 

Yes, I am a bit vague as I don't know really much about those speakers other than the engineer designing them mentioned once that they like lots of watts to perform well and to drive those massive magnets in the drivers. I also assume that they are quite efficient since 3 watt delivers 91 phone.

 

16 hours ago, buddyev said:

that is able to deliver down to 4 ohms, 2 ohms etc. 

what in your opinion is your current amp lacking, where are the weaknesses?

As the sticker on the back is not mentioning 2 ohms, only 4 and 8, I assume they are happy in that range. The weakness, I believe, is that the A220 is a bit too weak when higher volume=watts are requested. The speakers start to be a bit sharp in the high frequencies like female vocals and strings when playing loud. They are very nice with quieter music like chamber music, piano, jazz.

I like the speakers as they have a mind-blowing phantom image and are very analytic and detailed.

 

I also have to mention, that my listening room is a odd shape (which is perhaps good for reflections) but has tiles and windows/glass doors a lot...

 

I chose SE QLD as I think there are a lot of good HiFi dealer north and south of Brisbane along the coast.

 

Thanks in advance

 

[buddyev]

glass and tiles aren’t great for sure.
 

The 220 apparently is rated at 50 watts / 8 ohms and 100 watts / 4 ohms - it’s obviously a capable high current amp but probably not enough grunt to get the best out of your speakers. 
 Do you want an integrated or pre/power separates?
Budget?

[buddyev]

Maybe check out one of the new big Musical Fidelity amps if you like the brand.

 

https://klappav.com.au/collections/musical-fidelity/products/m6si-220-watt-dual-mono-integrated-amplifier

 

https://klappav.com.au/collections/musical-fidelity/products/m6500i-500w-dual-mono-integrated-amplifier-black

 

 

[mfforever]

A few suggestions based on the fact that you like the MF sound and also need high current :

 

- The MF A300 integrated ( 1999 ) and the MF A3 CR Pre / Power ( 1998 and 2002 update ) are outstanding amps -  they are getting harder to find but do turn up on the Classified here ...... for the price I think they are fantastic value for such quality ( check out the reviews )

- if you are off the vintage roundabout, as recommended by buddyev  above the newer MF M6 ( and later updates ) is another great amp that meets your requirements ..... they turn up here and also Len Wallis quite often

 

I agree that hearing your intended purchases is the best way to go, but with Covid and the difficulties of lugging speakers around the state to test them first is becoming more challenging ...... I have found once you like a brand sound and are confident with the seller you can make some amazing buys here with long term satisfaction.

 

PS....... the A220 was 1996 and still going strong .... good thumbs-up for MF!

 

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by mfforever
typo

[LongtimeListener]

Thanks again for all your thoughts and pointing me to some amplifiers of interest :-)

23 hours ago, buddyev said:

Do you want an integrated or pre/power separates?
Budget?

Space-wise (means where I can put it), a integrated would be fine, however, pre/power is nice of course and due to the separate layout and power supplies there is some advantage in the sound quality as I have read.

Budget, well, I would think in the $5000 range is probably realistic if I want something better than the A220.

 

The biggest challenge is to hear the amplifier with my set-up at home. It does not help if it is not making a positive difference at home. A good start, however, is to hear it at a dealers place first. If you know some trustworthy dealers in or around of Brisbane who gives me a bit time and patience for testing, this would be great.

 

23 hours ago, buddyev said:

Maybe check out one of the new big Musical Fidelity amps if you like the brand.

Thanks, they look very good.

[buddyev]

You could also consider a valve amp. A Primaluna integrated might work. Gold Coast Hi Fi - @GC HiFi - stock them and is a member here.

[LongtimeListener]

1 hour ago, buddyev said:

A Primaluna integrated might work. Gold Coast Hi Fi

Thanks, I will check that out :-)

[agisthos]

I remember when I first got into this hobby in 2001 MF was one of the biggest names. The Nu-Vista and Tri-Vista products. The A3 and A308 series. They also looked the part, I loved the minimalist brushed aluminium faceplates.

Then.... something happened, they seemed to release too many products too quickly and the company disappeared for a while.

 

It would be good to get a detailed opinion on their products leading up to 2005.

[LongtimeListener]

I took the plunge and ordered the Musical Fidelity M6si and will report back when it has arrived....

[buddyev]

Nice.

[LongtimeListener]

So finally the MC MS6si arrived after 6 weeks. Myy colour was not labelled as out of stock and after purchasing it I got the call from the dealer that it would take 8 weeks to get it, but I could have it with another colour... I decided to wait. Some mix-up with the address delayed it further a bit but finally it has arrived in good condition.

 

The sound: Much more neutral to my ears and with a wide sound stage. Bass is now very clear and pronounced but not overly imposing itself. The strings and female voices are beautiful balanced and embedded into the orchestra.

 

Overall, a clear step up.

 

Cheers

[surfnetb]

Hi Longtimelistener,

I think it is worth asking the question: have you sold you A220?

I'm interested if you still have it.

Cheers.