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Audio Equipment Pairing Guides


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I'm going to be purchasing a new setup and was looking for guides on how to pair equipment. I'm looking at the Rega P6 with the Ania Pro cartridge (but open to other suggestions!). I know it's a moving coil cartridge, so I know I need a preamp that can support it. But what preamp would be a good match for this turntable and cartridge? Then what amplifier would be a good match for the preamp? And finally speakers with the amp. If there are any articles that anyone can share with me that will help guide me through these things, I would greatly appreciate it.

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@Billich0986!!! i cannot recommend the Ania HIGHER!!!!  i got the standard ania and maaaan its beautiful (and i still havnt broken it in!) 

Im running a Hanss Preamp but really .. Rega's Fono MC or higher will match well ... im not that big into Brand Matching but hey atleast you will know Rega will match with Rega ;)

your system is amazing!!!  so amp wise it really depends on your speakers... i run Active Mackie HRM speakers and a Drawmer HQ Pre (monitor control and switch) so no need for an Amp .. if you want Passive Speakers then definitely get a Stereo Amp .. i wouldnt be messing around with 5.1 or 7.1 Amps... 
 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...

I don’t think there is a reason to worry about synergy between a preamp and amplifier. Any good integrated amp should do the trick. I had a Rotel for years that was excellent. I’m currently using a Denon 1510ae, which I like even more and also switches between MM / MC. If you’re buying new, the 1600ne has the same feature, then you can always add a preamp later if you feel it’s lacking in any way. I’ve found that if you invest in a higher-end integrated there’s much less of a reason to get a separate preamp, unless you really want to make finer adjustments to cartridge loading, etc.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks all. I went to a local HiFi shop and got to test out a bunch of equipment. Speaker wise, I landed on the Dali Opticon 6's, but will be comparing them to the 8's when they get them in. 

 

They also had a dealer bring in The Funk Firm's LSD turntable. It was upgraded with the FX3 arm as well. I was able to compare it with a Debut Carbon they had there. Honestly, I could barely tell the difference between a $5500 table and a $500 table, so I'm digging deeper on what I want to go with in this space. I don't want to short myself with a $500 table, but it's clear that the gains are very slim in this space for the money. So I'm leaning towards the Pro-ject Classic Evo with a Sumiko Blackbird. But welcome any suggestions in this area. 

 

Finally, I believe I will get an integrated amp, but it obviously needs to support a MC cartridge. I'm looking at the Parasound MINT 6 and the Musical Fidelity M6si. Also welcome any other suggestions in this space as well. 

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I think you would be very happy with those speakers and either amp. Trust your ears and go with the Evo. It's a solid TT, and a reputable company. That cart would sound amazing with it.  With the money you save, you could look for the perfect amp to power the Dali's and not worry about the MC phono stage, then go with an external if it's not included.

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5 hours ago, hoytis said:

I think you would be very happy with those speakers and either amp. Trust your ears and go with the Evo. It's a solid TT, and a reputable company. That cart would sound amazing with it.  With the money you save, you could look for the perfect amp to power the Dali's and not worry about the MC phono stage, then go with an external if it's not included.

Can you elaborate further on the perfect amp comment? For example, if I went with the Dali Opticon 8 MK2's, they have a 300 watt at 4 ohm max. The Parasound Hint 6 has 270 watts per channel at 4 ohms, which should power the speakers well. Plus, the Parasound had a phono stage that supports a MC cartridge. Is there more I should be looking at? I'm really only going to be using this for the turntable. Would it be better to get a separate phono stage, pre-amp, and amp? I was originally looking at a full Pro-ject setup (Phono Box RS, Pre Box RS, Power Box RS, and Amp Box RS Stereo), but it felt like over kill. 

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I think either of the amps you mention would be stellar, I just meant that if you were trying to work within a budget, then you wouldn't have to be tied to only looking at amps with internal MC stages - if that was your parameter. Meaning, if you were willing to spend $5K on a TT and an EVO sounds just as good, that's a lot of money to spend elsewhere. So you could be looking beyond Parasound and MoFi at ANY integrated (some might support MC, some not, and if not, get the external preamp stage).

 

I'm not sure what your listening style is, but if it's just moderate and you're not trying to blow away your neighbors, you could power those Dali's with virtually any amp. They're rated all the way down to 40 watts, but I would stick to close to 100 watts. There are so many options that are 4 ohm compatible... Yamaha A-S2200, McIntosh MA5300, Luxman L-505uXII....list goes on. 

 

I think I was initially responding to your comment that your integrated choice "obviously needs to support a MC cartridge..." It doesn't. You can get an external stage if you find an amp that you like and is a great match.  Again, not to say the Parasound and MoFi aren't good matches. They might very well be. But at this point I'd be digging into the kinds of amps that might suit my music tastes. For example, you might read that the Dali's are super bright and crisp. Perhaps you might want to find an amp with some warmer color to roll that back a bit. Or not. Just depends what you're into. 

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