@@woodplay13 The CXA 81 and Rega Elex-R went neck to neck in reviews. I had the MF M2si which was being discounted and cost around $600 a few years back and while it had power, the bass was sloppy and the upper mids and highs gritty/coarse IMO. Had it hooked up to Focal 807Ws too. Maybe fun for rock but I preferred a smoother, refined presentation but still airy highs. Never looked at MF again but the M3si may be a better performer and closer to the CXA 81 in specs but never listened to either. Alot of integrateds in the up to $2K price range, class AB and some tubes too. Another review site shows fairly low damping factor so could explain bass presentation. I found the M2si bass more bloated but I prefer fast, tight, and textured bass. I wouldn't call it muddy, but more on the bloated/loose than tight side. Sorry, but not what I would choose but maybe the M3si is better? The CXA 81 if under a grand still a good buy, wouldn't call it a heavy discount but one to consider. Myself, I use a Hegel h160 and a Keces E40. The hegel adds a bit more weight to notes for piano with a sharper edge versus smoother with the little Keces which is very close in other areas with a lot of respects. And it has a alot of bass with good speed, stated to have a df of well over 150 which is sufficient. Less power but a good small option, smooth, powerful within its limits and I think plays as good as amps at 2-3X its price and in a small form factor. The construction of the MF amps are good and they are good looking. ASR measured the M2si and thought the pre section was very good but the amp section held it back, for whatever that may be worth. There are a few integrateds I have eyed but myself would pass on alot of the usual contenders such as MF, CA, Audiolab and Arcam especially if not discounted. There are some other good options, some more boutique than mainstream. Final note, the CXA 81 is no looker like the MF models, but seems to be a good performer according to many users.
Thanks man, i don't have that much expiriance with m6si, but m5si is a wonder. A magnificent amp and certainly among best if not best in that price level.
Thank you, and thank you for watching my review. What ever you choose I hope it will bring you joy on the long run, will that be m3si or some other amp.
First time watching this TH-camr but I have respect for him because he knows what he’s talking about. I’ve gone through 8 different integrateds and Musical Fidelity is the best kept secret in HIFI. So many people are peddling junk on TH-cam it’s ridiculous. The MF product is next level for the money and you can find them at excellent used prices. I bought my M2SI slightly in beat up condition for 350 on eBay l. The sound was absolutely incredible. Bought the M5si and just wow much better then some amps that I had bought in the 3k range. Now I’m selling that and going either with a M6pre or even an M8pre with PRX amp combo. The SA20 isn’t bad but the MF is just better. It was clean but the details weren’t there like the MF what I remember was astonighing was string instruments like guitar and violin because it’s such a sweet sounding amp but it’s a one trick pony.
Hey man thanks for kind words! M5si is one of those super reference amps. Where the value reach its peak, before investing in gear provides significantly less in sonic features and quality. Just the right value, with right qualities. It is an amazing amp, that can last for years, and drive just about any speakers you throw at them.
After seeing your review, I purchased the MF M2si to replace my beloved CA CXA81. I was very hesitant because I love the CA, but it was a good decision. I improve the sound in all aspects, but what catches my attention the most is how tight the low frequencies sound, always controlled and the images are incredible. Thanks for your review.
Nice review! I completely agree $1500 USD is a sweet spot for integrated amps if you need 75-90 watts per channel. I’m a happy Arcam SA20 owner but Musical Fidelity is a great brand. If only it had a DAC! Thanks again and good luck growing your channel!
They both have DAC, the thing is ARCAM have much better ES Saber DAC inside. And I also love that price range, next amp I review is also in this price range. Thank you for supporting me on this journey.
@@tessie4204 the musical fidelity sound is muscular, and a neutrual. It has incredible dynamic range and firm sound.While rega have this lean sound that extracts lot of details. So it is devices catered to two different audiences.
what would be better for my wharfedale linton speakers? i love a great warm full bodied but detailed sound without sounding fatiguing,which sounds better the musical fidelity or denon?
Lintons are a bit warm by nature. So with denon and music fidelity you get much better bass presence, definition and size. But i think denon is better with creating bigger, weightier presence. So the part of warm sounding full bodied sound is checked. Also it is really hard to get fatiguing sound with warmth so also that is checked. Now details... honestly music fidelity is a bit more balanced, therfore treble is bit more cleaned up. So naturally you will have more details with music fidelity. It is up to you. If you want weight, definition and size go with denon if you want same that but bit lesser, but with better detail reproduction go with music fidelity.
Hi I love your reviews. I almost bought Cambridge cxa81 mk2 then I saw this video. 😅😅 What is best speakers to match with MF. I was planing to buy dynaudio emit 10 or evoke 10. And still dont know which sub will be good? Thanks in advance ❤
I don`t think you can go wrong with any paring regarding Musical Fidelity. Maybe I would avoid overly balanced speakers, but some warm or treble rich should do the trick. But I think every type of speakers can be accommodated by this amp. I never pair Dynaudio with MF, but they are very precise and neutral speakers. So the whole presentation in synergy with this amp are going to be neutral, precise and balanced. If you like clarity, and transparency from your sound it could work. But I would pair this with maybe some Sonus Fabers, some Polks or maybe Q Acoustics. But certainly Lumina 2, and Sonneto 2 are amazing synergy. And how could I forgot, a Wharfedale could also work well,
@@HIFIDaydreaming Thanks for your swift answer, Is cambridge 81 warm, soft amp if I pair with neutral speakers like dynaudio that I can get what I want. Lot of people saying that if it is too clear, sterile without warmth that you cannot listen music for hours. I have option cambridge cxa mk1 for 890€, cambridge cxa 81 mk2 for 1290€ and Musical F. M3si for 1390€. (Arcam A15 is around 1500€)I so much in doubt for my hi fi setup, because I want to pay less but I'm not shure can I get with cambridge what I want
@@woodplay13 It is not that simple. you can listen all kind of system synergys, depending from your tolerance, pairing, room properties etc. Usually in my opinion neutral system is mot easily to listen. As it does not lean in part of dynamic scale. Second is warm combination, but in some cases if it is too warm, bass knows to punish the room easily and sound becomes vailed and sometimes unpleasant. Bright systems, or treble rich systems, are the most common instigators of fatigue as large amount of details, can overwhelm your brain. Now properly combined they can be awesome rhtmyics and clean presentation, which to be honest are not for super long listening seasons. If you want warmer sound, which will work great with dynaudio, than CA is your choice. I have not listened to CA81Mk2, but I had a lot of experience with mk1. And it has this nice warm sound, and if you prefere that than you choice is easy. But try to listen this somewhere in some demo rooms.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Good morning. First thanks for your detailed answer. Problem is for listening in demo rooms I need to drive like 400 kilometers to listen in demo rooms with equipment what we talk.Or 150 km to shop where they have Arcam amps, martin logan speakers and lot of other which are more expensive. Now I have samsung flagship soundbar q950a, for movies is great and when I switch of theater dobly atmos mode for music is also good (because I never listen true hi fi system). Seller recomended me this CA 81 mk2 for dynaaudio emit 10 because is doubling power into 4 ohms 120w. First I was going with rotel a11 mk2 50w 8ohms and 62w 4ohms and he said that this is not enough power to open full potential of that speakers even listening on low volumes. I didn't like look of rotel a12 model or a14 because of that ugly screen so I didn't go for it. Finaly he told me if I'm rock guy mostly I will not mistake with cambridge. + sub out if I want and they have great streamer ca or cx 100 which i plan to pair in future. So many reviews that cambridge a is good. But I need to listen what you said...And I also saw your review for for musical fieldity m3si....😅 hard decision for 2000€
I don`t think the room dictates the amps strength, it is the speakers who affect your room. And depending about how sensitive and power hungry your speakers are will require stronger or weaker amp. If you have some smaller bookshelf's, than m2si and m3si are good choices.
I think it will work really good. As Dentons have this more traditional vintage sound, the neutral character of sound of Musical Fidelity could fit such a sound signature.
Thx for the review👍 I own the old speakers Wharfedale Dovedale 3 (early 70's) and i wonder if this MF MS3i would be a good match... no way to test it unfortunately. What do you think? Thank you
Hey thank you for watching! I can not answer with certainty, as I have never heard them. But I looked into the reviews for this speakers, where they speak about sound character of them. They say it has a strong bass and entertaining mids. So on paper they should work together, it should enhance the bass reproduction to create bigger more sound, and balanced approach of M3si, should hold those upped mids to not spiking. But this is all a theory, not from a field work. It is best to speak with some other people that have experience with Dovedale, maybe someone reviewed them on youtube and could give you a better response.
@@HIFIDaydreaming thank for the feedback. And what about Eversolo DMP a6 master ed. together with MF M3Si? Have you had a chance to try it? thanks again
I have not tried it with M3si, but the guy I sold my M3si is using it with Eversolo. He is stunted and shocked by combination, and certainly that ES Saber ES9038 inside the Eversolo is going to work wonders with M3si. So I believe it is a hell of a combo, as clean, open sound will get more weight and presence, and richness especially around mid. @@pabli4996
I have not tried this pairing. But just thinking about sonic qualities, Arcam is balanced neutral, while Sons is warm. They should have synergy together, as balanced Arcam should help with clarity, and Lumina should bring that sweet fun sound. It is defiantly better than Cambridge Audio pairings, as I really disliked CA and Sonus pairing together. Hope this helped.
I have the SA20 paired with KLH Model 3’s, which can get a little forward/zippy with the wrong amp. The SA20 adds balance and sweetness to the 3’s and should do the same for the Lumina 2’s. And plenty of power to drive them
It is a good match, but the thing I never paired them to know for certain. I just know by people telling me about them. I know they are a bit tame speaker, with good soundstage, so this kind of neutral amps with a bit emphasis on bass could be a really good match. But also something like Rega should also work well.
Hi! Looking at this amp as a potential match for the Elac Unifi Reference UBR62 Bookshelf. They say it is hard to drive. My range of music is House, Electronica and Jazz. Wondering what your opinion is of this pairing. Thanks!
Hi Alan, and thank you for watching my video. I plan to review soon UBR62 (audiolab is next review, than elac), and one of the amps I tested it with is Music Fidelity M3si. It is a good pairing, because one of the great qualities of ELAC is that it fits so many diffrent amps really well. and this amp is especially good for electronica and house music, as it have this really muscular heavy sound. Which is bass heavy. I do really recommend.
It is an upgrade in almost every sense, maybe not monumental upgrade, but defiantly more refined device, with deep reach and weightier sound that also can extract bit more information and details.
I don't think you get that much more from 1593, except much more connectivity. So as an upgrade is a risky business of just spending a lot of money from small improvements if any (i have not tested them side by side, but on paper they are similar). Now something like michi could be an upgrade if you go with x5. The big problems if step up in hifi, is in those price ranges you are diminishing value is big. So to feel improvements you need to add minimum of 1000e to price of your device, unfortunately it is like that. It is more easier to try an amp with different sonic signiture. That way you can stay in the same price range, and expiriance different sound that might be more for you. And how about you stay in the music fidelity, and upgrade to m8si?
@@HIFIDaydreaming thank you so much for the reply . Brilliantly replied .., yeh it’s very tricky …the improvements are very minimal in every step up in hifi I believe. Being in same price range can give different presentation I believe.
Interesting, that in comparing the two directly, the M3si has a lot in common with the Sansui AU-555A (which was built from 1971 to 1973). On some songs, I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference between the two.
I don't know much about sansui, but it used to be all the rage back in the day in my country. People where smuggling them inside cross borders, and getting them to audiophiles wanting to hear something new and exciting. I think i have one really old amp/ casete system somewhere and it still works 50+ years old.
@@HIFIDaydreaming I am willing to build a 100% HD streaming system from zero with a total budget of 2000-2500 (amp + streamer + speakers). I still don't know what is better to have the DAC in the streamer or in the amp ? May be 850 for the streamer ? Thank you :)
@@remihuber it is always better to have better dac in streamer, than in amp because by default there are better dacs in sources compared to integrated amps. Not always true, but usually it is. I think great streamers in that price range are bluesound node x, cambridge audio cxn v2 or wiim pro + if you want it cheap.
I wish I could help you, but I myself am aiming to one day, when economic stars of my budgets aline to buy rotel a14 and review it. On paper they seem amazing, and i really love a11 mk2.
@@HIFIDaydreamingIt's such a close call on paper, same power, almost the same price, reputable manufacturers. I was gonna buy the Rotel for sure until I heard what M3si means to you, there was some poetry in your review and its not always the case. My logic is that something should be of higher quality sound/components wise with the M3si beacuse the Rotel team spent more on the internal DAC. I love the barebone/pure nature of M3si and the ability to choose my own DAC without it feeling redundant - even if I spend more in the long run.
@@sineastI also almost bought Rotel a11 mk2, but seller told me that don't have enough power to open dynaudio speakers properly. ( emit 10 is my plan). Then I came to cambridge audio cxa 81. Now to music fidelity. Now I'm shure that I'm not shure 😅. I have same taste for music like you. Rock, jazz, electronic ambiental...
The M3si has enough connections in my book, who wan't Bluetooth, sounds rubbish. It has phono input, pre out, line out, 3 std inputs and a switched input that can be STD or used in HT mode to connect to an AV Amp so the AV Amp can control the volume of your front speakers, it also has USB type B input, thing is most people have a DAC so USB is not needed and the Phono input can be bettered by any £300 plus Phono amp, and that's how I run mine. As for the performance, I listened to other top rated amps and as you say, this is the most rounded sound of them all with good detail retrieval and very good bass control.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 85 | คู่เอก "ยอดเหล็กเพชร vs ผึ้งหลวง"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qq_19bnnxEo/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for the recommendation. M2si+Acoustic Energy Ae500 an impressive pairing. I love it!
I was looking for an amp in that "sweet" spot, and was considering CXA81. But this review helped me sway me in direction of Music Fidelity.
Well, hopefully you are now enjoying your new amp. Thanks for watching my reviews!
And then there was the CXA81 MKII :)
Which one you chose and with which speakers you paired it?
@@tessie4204is mk2 better then previous version of cx81?
@@woodplay13 The CXA 81 and Rega Elex-R went neck to neck in reviews. I had the MF M2si which was being discounted and cost around $600 a few years back and while it had power, the bass was sloppy and the upper mids and highs gritty/coarse IMO. Had it hooked up to Focal 807Ws too. Maybe fun for rock but I preferred a smoother, refined presentation but still airy highs. Never looked at MF again but the M3si may be a better performer and closer to the CXA 81 in specs but never listened to either.
Alot of integrateds in the up to $2K price range, class AB and some tubes too. Another review site shows fairly low damping factor so could explain bass presentation. I found the M2si bass more bloated but I prefer fast, tight, and textured bass. I wouldn't call it muddy, but more on the bloated/loose than tight side. Sorry, but not what I would choose but maybe the M3si is better?
The CXA 81 if under a grand still a good buy, wouldn't call it a heavy discount but one to consider. Myself, I use a Hegel h160 and a Keces E40. The hegel adds a bit more weight to notes for piano with a sharper edge versus smoother with the little Keces which is very close in other areas with a lot of respects. And it has a alot of bass with good speed, stated to have a df of well over 150 which is sufficient. Less power but a good small option, smooth, powerful within its limits and I think plays as good as amps at 2-3X its price and in a small form factor.
The construction of the MF amps are good and they are good looking. ASR measured the M2si and thought the pre section was very good but the amp section held it back, for whatever that may be worth.
There are a few integrateds I have eyed but myself would pass on alot of the usual contenders such as MF, CA, Audiolab and Arcam especially if not discounted. There are some other good options, some more boutique than mainstream. Final note, the CXA 81 is no looker like the MF models, but seems to be a good performer according to many users.
Very detailed and informative review! Proud owner of Music Fidelity M3si who is considering m5si or m6si.
Thanks man, i don't have that much expiriance with m6si, but m5si is a wonder. A magnificent amp and certainly among best if not best in that price level.
Excellent review, I appreciate your perspective and description. I am shopping in this range to replace a Naim 5i italic I passed on to my son.
Thank you, and thank you for watching my review. What ever you choose I hope it will bring you joy on the long run, will that be m3si or some other amp.
First time watching this TH-camr but I have respect for him because he knows what he’s talking about. I’ve gone through 8 different integrateds and Musical Fidelity is the best kept secret in HIFI. So many people are peddling junk on TH-cam it’s ridiculous. The MF product is next level for the money and you can find them at excellent used prices. I bought my M2SI slightly in beat up condition for 350 on eBay l. The sound was absolutely incredible. Bought the M5si and just wow much better then some amps that I had bought in the 3k range. Now I’m selling that and going either with a M6pre or even an M8pre with PRX amp combo. The SA20 isn’t bad but the MF is just better. It was clean but the details weren’t there like the MF what I remember was astonighing was string instruments like guitar and violin because it’s such a sweet sounding amp but it’s a one trick pony.
Hey man thanks for kind words! M5si is one of those super reference amps. Where the value reach its peak, before investing in gear provides significantly less in sonic features and quality. Just the right value, with right qualities. It is an amazing amp, that can last for years, and drive just about any speakers you throw at them.
i love your reviews, great job!
Thanks, a lot Giuseppe!
After seeing your review, I purchased the MF M2si to replace my beloved CA CXA81. I was very hesitant because I love the CA, but it was a good decision. I improve the sound in all aspects, but what catches my attention the most is how tight the low frequencies sound, always controlled and the images are incredible. Thanks for your review.
I am also really happy that you enjoy your device!
Nice review! I completely agree $1500 USD is a sweet spot for integrated amps if you need 75-90 watts per channel. I’m a happy Arcam SA20 owner but Musical Fidelity is a great brand. If only it had a DAC! Thanks again and good luck growing your channel!
They both have DAC, the thing is ARCAM have much better ES Saber DAC inside. And I also love that price range, next amp I review is also in this price range. Thank you for supporting me on this journey.
Musical Fidelity M3si vs Atoll IN100 Signature vs Rega Elex mk4 ! Let the battle begin :)
I don`t have a lot of experience with Atoll, but Rega and Musical Fidelity are a fierce competitors with complete different sound signature.
@@HIFIDaydreaming How different is the sound signature?
@@tessie4204 the musical fidelity sound is muscular, and a neutrual. It has incredible dynamic range and firm sound.While rega have this lean sound that extracts lot of details. So it is devices catered to two different audiences.
what would be better for my wharfedale linton speakers? i love a great warm full bodied but detailed sound without sounding fatiguing,which sounds better the musical fidelity or denon?
Lintons are a bit warm by nature. So with denon and music fidelity you get much better bass presence, definition and size. But i think denon is better with creating bigger, weightier presence. So the part of warm sounding full bodied sound is checked. Also it is really hard to get fatiguing sound with warmth so also that is checked. Now details... honestly music fidelity is a bit more balanced, therfore treble is bit more cleaned up. So naturally you will have more details with music fidelity. It is up to you. If you want weight, definition and size go with denon if you want same that but bit lesser, but with better detail reproduction go with music fidelity.
Hi I love your reviews. I almost bought Cambridge cxa81 mk2 then I saw this video. 😅😅 What is best speakers to match with MF. I was planing to buy dynaudio emit 10 or evoke 10. And still dont know which sub will be good? Thanks in advance ❤
I don`t think you can go wrong with any paring regarding Musical Fidelity. Maybe I would avoid overly balanced speakers, but some warm or treble rich should do the trick. But I think every type of speakers can be accommodated by this amp. I never pair Dynaudio with MF, but they are very precise and neutral speakers. So the whole presentation in synergy with this amp are going to be neutral, precise and balanced. If you like clarity, and transparency from your sound it could work. But I would pair this with maybe some Sonus Fabers, some Polks or maybe Q Acoustics. But certainly Lumina 2, and Sonneto 2 are amazing synergy. And how could I forgot, a Wharfedale could also work well,
@@HIFIDaydreaming Thanks for your swift answer, Is cambridge 81 warm, soft amp if I pair with neutral speakers like dynaudio that I can get what I want. Lot of people saying that if it is too clear, sterile without warmth that you cannot listen music for hours. I have option cambridge cxa mk1 for 890€, cambridge cxa 81 mk2 for 1290€ and Musical F. M3si for 1390€. (Arcam A15 is around 1500€)I so much in doubt for my hi fi setup, because I want to pay less but I'm not shure can I get with cambridge what I want
@@woodplay13 It is not that simple. you can listen all kind of system synergys, depending from your tolerance, pairing, room properties etc. Usually in my opinion neutral system is mot easily to listen. As it does not lean in part of dynamic scale. Second is warm combination, but in some cases if it is too warm, bass knows to punish the room easily and sound becomes vailed and sometimes unpleasant. Bright systems, or treble rich systems, are the most common instigators of fatigue as large amount of details, can overwhelm your brain. Now properly combined they can be awesome rhtmyics and clean presentation, which to be honest are not for super long listening seasons. If you want warmer sound, which will work great with dynaudio, than CA is your choice. I have not listened to CA81Mk2, but I had a lot of experience with mk1. And it has this nice warm sound, and if you prefere that than you choice is easy. But try to listen this somewhere in some demo rooms.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Good morning. First thanks for your detailed answer. Problem is for listening in demo rooms I need to drive like 400 kilometers to listen in demo rooms with equipment what we talk.Or 150 km to shop where they have Arcam amps, martin logan speakers and lot of other which are more expensive. Now I have samsung flagship soundbar q950a, for movies is great and when I switch of theater dobly atmos mode for music is also good (because I never listen true hi fi system). Seller recomended me this CA 81 mk2 for dynaaudio emit 10 because is doubling power into 4 ohms 120w. First I was going with rotel a11 mk2 50w 8ohms and 62w 4ohms and he said that this is not enough power to open full potential of that speakers even listening on low volumes. I didn't like look of rotel a12 model or a14 because of that ugly screen so I didn't go for it. Finaly he told me if I'm rock guy mostly I will not mistake with cambridge. + sub out if I want and they have great streamer ca or cx 100 which i plan to pair in future. So many reviews that cambridge a is good. But I need to listen what you said...And I also saw your review for for musical fieldity m3si....😅 hard decision for 2000€
@@HIFIDaydreaming also I forgot to tell you my room is around 16 square meters
I have this amp and matching cd player and I love both pieces.
Hey thanks for watching my reviews! I hope I will listen to Music Fidelity M3CD player one day I heard few recommendations for it.
@@HIFIDaydreaming for speakers i have Klipsch Heresy IV's.
@@jerrypowers7671 Really great, speakers that are part of the HIFI legacy.
I wonder if the M2si has the same qualities. My listening room is not so big.
I don`t think the room dictates the amps strength, it is the speakers who affect your room. And depending about how sensitive and power hungry your speakers are will require stronger or weaker amp. If you have some smaller bookshelf's, than m2si and m3si are good choices.
Hi, I would like to know how the Wharfedale Denton 85 speakers work with the M3si, thanks.
I think it will work really good. As Dentons have this more traditional vintage sound, the neutral character of sound of Musical Fidelity could fit such a sound signature.
@@HIFIDaydreaming thanks my friend from spain
Thx for the review👍
I own the old speakers Wharfedale Dovedale 3 (early 70's) and i wonder if this MF MS3i would be a good match... no way to test it unfortunately. What do you think? Thank you
Hey thank you for watching! I can not answer with certainty, as I have never heard them. But I looked into the reviews for this speakers, where they speak about sound character of them. They say it has a strong bass and entertaining mids. So on paper they should work together, it should enhance the bass reproduction to create bigger more sound, and balanced approach of M3si, should hold those upped mids to not spiking. But this is all a theory, not from a field work. It is best to speak with some other people that have experience with Dovedale, maybe someone reviewed them on youtube and could give you a better response.
@@HIFIDaydreaming thank for the feedback. And what about Eversolo DMP a6 master ed. together with MF M3Si? Have you had a chance to try it? thanks again
I have not tried it with M3si, but the guy I sold my M3si is using it with Eversolo. He is stunted and shocked by combination, and certainly that ES Saber ES9038 inside the Eversolo is going to work wonders with M3si. So I believe it is a hell of a combo, as clean, open sound will get more weight and presence, and richness especially around mid. @@pabli4996
🙏
When you sold your musical fidelity ms3i ,what amp did you buy to replace it ?
Great review as always! Would you recommend the Arcam SA20 with Sonus Faber Lumina II? Where I live there's no Music Fidelity retailers. Thanks
I have not tried this pairing. But just thinking about sonic qualities, Arcam is balanced neutral, while Sons is warm. They should have synergy together, as balanced Arcam should help with clarity, and Lumina should bring that sweet fun sound. It is defiantly better than Cambridge Audio pairings, as I really disliked CA and Sonus pairing together. Hope this helped.
I have the SA20 paired with KLH Model 3’s, which can get a little forward/zippy with the wrong amp. The SA20 adds balance and sweetness to the 3’s and should do the same for the Lumina 2’s. And plenty of power to drive them
I think Lumina 2 and Arcam SA20 are a great combination. You will have clear and sweet warm sound. @@andrewgorenc9160
Hey! Thanks to both of you for the input
God match with Dynaudio evoke 10?
It is a good match, but the thing I never paired them to know for certain. I just know by people telling me about them. I know they are a bit tame speaker, with good soundstage, so this kind of neutral amps with a bit emphasis on bass could be a really good match. But also something like Rega should also work well.
Hi! Looking at this amp as a potential match for the Elac Unifi Reference UBR62 Bookshelf. They say it is hard to drive. My range of music is House, Electronica and Jazz. Wondering what your opinion is of this pairing. Thanks!
Hi Alan, and thank you for watching my video. I plan to review soon UBR62 (audiolab is next review, than elac), and one of the amps I tested it with is Music Fidelity M3si. It is a good pairing, because one of the great qualities of ELAC is that it fits so many diffrent amps really well. and this amp is especially good for electronica and house music, as it have this really muscular heavy sound. Which is bass heavy. I do really recommend.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Thanks so much for your reply! Great channel :)
I have an old Roksan amp(Kandy K2). Does this MF better than Kandy, so i can upgrade mine?
It is an upgrade in almost every sense, maybe not monumental upgrade, but defiantly more refined device, with deep reach and weightier sound that also can extract bit more information and details.
I have an M6Si , is rotel michi or 1593 mkii would be a step up ? Else what would be a step up ?
I don't think you get that much more from 1593, except much more connectivity. So as an upgrade is a risky business of just spending a lot of money from small improvements if any (i have not tested them side by side, but on paper they are similar). Now something like michi could be an upgrade if you go with x5. The big problems if step up in hifi, is in those price ranges you are diminishing value is big. So to feel improvements you need to add minimum of 1000e to price of your device, unfortunately it is like that. It is more easier to try an amp with different sonic signiture. That way you can stay in the same price range, and expiriance different sound that might be more for you. And how about you stay in the music fidelity, and upgrade to m8si?
@@HIFIDaydreaming thank you so much for the reply . Brilliantly replied .., yeh it’s very tricky …the improvements are very minimal in every step up in hifi I believe. Being in same price range can give different presentation I believe.
Interesting, that in comparing the two directly, the M3si has a lot in common with the Sansui AU-555A (which was built from 1971 to 1973). On some songs, I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference between the two.
I don't know much about sansui, but it used to be all the rage back in the day in my country. People where smuggling them inside cross borders, and getting them to audiophiles wanting to hear something new and exciting. I think i have one really old amp/ casete system somewhere and it still works 50+ years old.
What streamer to pair with ? How to connect it ? (I didn't see USB). Noob ? Yes I am :p
There is USB B, a common usb connection in higher end. How much money are you willing to spend?
@@HIFIDaydreaming I am willing to build a 100% HD streaming system from zero with a total budget of 2000-2500 (amp + streamer + speakers). I still don't know what is better to have the DAC in the streamer or in the amp ? May be 850 for the streamer ? Thank you :)
@@remihuber it is always better to have better dac in streamer, than in amp because by default there are better dacs in sources compared to integrated amps. Not always true, but usually it is. I think great streamers in that price range are bluesound node x, cambridge audio cxn v2 or wiim pro + if you want it cheap.
@@HIFIDaydreaming Your advice is precious. Thank you for your time.
I looked everywhere to find a comparison between M3si and Rotel A14 mkii. Can anyone help and share some thoughts? Thank you
I wish I could help you, but I myself am aiming to one day, when economic stars of my budgets aline to buy rotel a14 and review it. On paper they seem amazing, and i really love a11 mk2.
@@HIFIDaydreamingIt's such a close call on paper, same power, almost the same price, reputable manufacturers. I was gonna buy the Rotel for sure until I heard what M3si means to you, there was some poetry in your review and its not always the case. My logic is that something should be of higher quality sound/components wise with the M3si beacuse the Rotel team spent more on the internal DAC. I love the barebone/pure nature of M3si and the ability to choose my own DAC without it feeling redundant - even if I spend more in the long run.
@@sineastI also almost bought Rotel a11 mk2, but seller told me that don't have enough power to open dynaudio speakers properly. ( emit 10 is my plan). Then I came to cambridge audio cxa 81. Now to music fidelity. Now I'm shure that I'm not shure 😅. I have same taste for music like you. Rock, jazz, electronic ambiental...
The M3si has enough connections in my book, who wan't Bluetooth, sounds rubbish. It has phono input, pre out, line out, 3 std inputs and a switched input that can be STD or used in HT mode to connect to an AV Amp so the AV Amp can control the volume of your front speakers, it also has USB type B input, thing is most people have a DAC so USB is not needed and the Phono input can be bettered by any £300 plus Phono amp, and that's how I run mine. As for the performance, I listened to other top rated amps and as you say, this is the most rounded sound of them all with good detail retrieval and very good bass control.
I completely agree with everything you wrote.