Hey brother, thank you so much for doing that. I really appreciate you took the time to inspect this amplifier which by the way I just had one delivered yesterday so I just wanted to say thank you for what you’re doing and I love you brother. 💪🙏👍🥰
Agreed completely. I hoping the new Elicit- Mk 5 sounds more like an improved Elex-R than the Elicit-R which, IMO, had a different sound than the Elex-R and even the Brio which I owned several years ago.
@@michaelmasztal7871 can you tell me in what way the elicit-r is deficient or not as good as other rega amps? I’m in Australia and am tempted to buy elicit-r. there are few reviews of elicit-r that go into detailed specifics. I watch cheshire audio reviews for rega, but he just says it is a bit too polite, though powerful and very resolving, and I think he said it made the elex-r sound rough and ready, and he doesnt like the volume control. I heard it is the most class A of the rega amps. it costs $4300 here!, mk5 is here too at same price, elex-r is $2400, aethos is out of my price range at $7000, and Atoll which I’m interested in isn’t available at all. the other one I’m tempted by is exposure2510 ($3000), or 3510 ($4300!, a bit too exy). sounds like I should buy an elex-r and a exposure2510!😂
@@peterdorrfuss2680 Hi. Sorry for my being late in responding. The Elicit is by no means deficient. It just doesn't have the Rega "sound" like the Elex and Brio. In fact, the Elicit has more punch and resolution than the Elex, but lacks the body- or soul- of the Elex which is what I prefer. You may actually prefer the Elicit if you're a fan of resolution. If the new Elicit V gets the Rega "sound" back, I'll opt for that. I hope this helps.
@@michaelmasztal7871 thanks, it does help! It helps me to realise I really have to go and audition these pieces in person, so I can actually know the Rega sound, and experience other much lauded entry level units as the cambridge axa35, audiolab6000A or 8300, and exposure2510. I have been researching hifi for months via the many great yt reviewers, looking to choose a one time only, ‘good’ system for my sisters new house. she has never had a ‘audiophile’ system, and for that matter neither have I. I think back to my $300 teac amp and tape deck of early eighties when I was a teenager. I have a second hand ‘basic entry level’ prima lune valve amp, prologue one, I bought in late 90’s, with some large vintage speakers!- B&W DM2’s,( I didn’t even know what they were till now- just got then out of storage in past week and just ripped off the bubble wrap, had forgotten what they were and back then I was clueless and didnt even care, the second hand record shop guy I knew well in our small town recommended them and sold them to me for $300 or so I think. and I bought new, from JB hifi😂, a onkyo AV receiver, TX-NR656, from about 2016, and 4 Dali sensor7 towers and a centre speaker and a subwoofer that I barely got going before it all went into storage for 4 years! I really have no idea😂. I started my yt review explorations with Andrew Robinson and thought the Rotel A11 Tribute was what I wanted, and ended up believing the Rotel 1592 mk2, integrated, at $3900AUD would be the best buy for my sister, since, though she loves tv, netflix, isnt interested in an AV surround system but just wants a simple 2 channel system, no streaming, just CD and vinyl, and at 200w it seemed the best buy to drive the polkR700’s, which I decided would be the best allrounders fora decent living room/ dining room, as we could stand them fairly close to a wall, they were ‘great’ at the price, about $2900AUD, and complemented the neutral and highly resolving description of the rotel, plus with A/B speaker options we could add a better pair of standmount bookshelfs if we wanted. I still have my eye on the wharfedale lintons for myself, they are $3400 here, or even magnat transpuls1500’s at $3000( for self). watching audioholics I have recently thought about the arendal 1723 towers, but they are buy direct from norway and would cost over $10,000, though there is a smaller s tower, and even the monitor version is not cheap, (£1900, though other options are SVS Ultra or cheaper Prime pinnacle towers, KLH kendall towers or Paradigm Premier or even wharfedale EVO4.4, and 10-12G is the max amount I think I got my sister considering spending, for the entire system including a cd player and TT, so I have to go and listen to the polks, here in Brisbane, and then order the rotel online ( coming from Melbourne 2000km’s away), or forget about it and start from scratch, maybe buy one or 2 of the cheaper integrated’s i’ve mentioned above, maybe also a rega elex-r($2400), and look into some decent pair of standmounts instead, I’m sure she would be happy. still want to try exposure2510 for myself ($3000 here), as 3510 is said to be less warm, more resolving, even lean, and a bit much for my budget on a whim at $4300, same price as the ellicit-r, and new ellicit
I don't know at the end of the day the question you have to ask yourself is with the elexr being as good as it is why would you want to get anything else.
Great review. I don't think you could go wrong with any of these amps. I purchased a Arcam SA20 open box unit for $1,250 during a Music Direct sale. When it arrived, I couldn't tell that is had ever been opened; everything looked brand new. I was looking for an amp that would pair well with my B&W 606 s2 speakers. The Arcam smoothed out the slightly sibilant treble of the B&W's and i've been smiling ever since. Add to that the truly excellent ESS Sabre DAC and I feel I got an amazing deal. The only weak point is the on board phono pre amp is just ok. It can't compare to the dynamics of the Schiit Mani i'm using.
Ditto on the great review! As I posted on one of your Elex-R review, I had it, traded for the Elicit-R and it didn't care for the sonics on it. I'm hoping you get to review the New Elicit-Mk V and report on it's sound.
Great review as always. I've had it a year and I can't imagine ever wanting to change it. I don't miss an inbuilt dac, as I prefer the flexibility and upgradability of an external. As for phono, when I bought the Rega, I already had a Schiit Mani phono stage, which I thought was great, but the Rega's inbuilt one was a step up in quality and noise free, so I sold the Schiit. The Rega is pure analogue and so lacks modern functionality, but everything it does do (the important bits) it does flawlessly.
Great comparisons. I think NAD also uses class G amps, and Outlaw Audio uses class AB+G? Would be nice consider for future comparisons Outlaw audio 2160 and Marantz PM8006.
Just ordered the Elex MK4. I have the Brio-R. But it’s struggling with my Focal Chora 826s hopefully this will have that extra kick. I didn’t want to stray from the Rega sound and incredible musicality that I love.
@@agnelroshandsilva3929 when I said I just ordered it that’s what I mean. It’s shipped today ;) so I don’t know. Nothing about the Rega sound is thin to me however to I expect more of that same compared to Brio.
@@agnelroshandsilva3929 got Elex yesterday. No it’s not thin one bit. My room correction had me reduce bass it sounds massive. Love it. And not thin. I too read those comments but I find nothing thin about it. Good luck.
just subscribed to your channel. very interesting comparisons and simply great you are the only reviewer I've watched who LOVES jazz (hey! jamal, charlap, evans!!) and piano music in general. i am a musician and play piano jazz (not professionally) but piano music (also classical)is part of my daily diet. i also listen to a lot of classical music and love a natural, detailed, dynamic presentation. from your review, the Denon is not for me, but between the arcam and the rega, which one would your prefer for natural sound? my source is 70% CDs (Audiolab 6000A transport) and 30% Lps (Audiotechnica AT-LP120). I will be upgrading from an Audiolab 6000A I love, but I feel lacks a bit of power/grip when listening at lower volumes. I was thinking of the Arcam SA20 as a reasonable upgrade??
i own a Denon and love the sound silkiness in the upper yet still detailed...and the Rega does have better vocals and presentation yet still would pick the Denon cause love the body a lot.
Great review. I own a pair of neat iotas. Have a custom made class ab amp and other class Ds. They all sound great when u start lisnening but after 30mins i get a feel of saturation. I feel iam sort of analysing the music rather than enjoying it. The only thing which made me enjoy my music was a class A amp. Could you remommed a clas AB amp for me. Thinking of either SA20 or rega elex r . I want a more of mellow sound with great vocals and midrange. Thank you
You make good videos. I am trying to find a good receiver under $1500 primarily for heavy metal, electronic dance, electronic ambient, and some ethnic music from around the globe. I have the AXR100 from Cambridge Audio and find that it has saturation or distortion in the upper mids that's just too much. No idea what's my next amp to try if I like those mids and the Cambridge bass but want to avoid the washy, saturated high mids. Another A/B or a different flavor of class D?
@@quitegenius subjective. I liked the Cambridge AXR100 but could not listen to it for more than a song or two, thanks to the distortion. The class A/B mids and bass punch are unlikely to be matched by a class D. Subwoofer fixes only the bass aspect to a degree and lack of mids in class D might be noticeable at the highest price points out there. The Arcam class G has potential, so I sent them an email suggesting a new minimalist amp for streaming that would include an extensive EQ. The lack of EQ is where recent audiophile opinion has been dead wrong. No single amp is capable of fixing a recording’s inadequacies without an EQ and I shouldn’t need to crank an amp to find the mids I want.
@@quitegenius I got tired of trying amps and just kept the Blusound Powernode because the bass is OK and the distortion is very low. Adding more watts and more midrange to this amp could make it the best amp around $1000 on the market. Nothing is perfect in the budget category, but this is good enough for now and I would rather spend time on other efforts
Enjoyed this video and your presentation, I found this very useful thank you. These are the amps I am considering, but leaning towards the Arcam because of it's warm presentation, the reason being I am building a system from scratch, and have decided on a pair of Q Acoustics 3050i, so was wondering which amp do you think would be best suited to those speakers please ?
Glad you enjoyed it! The Arcam is a very good choice. I enjoyed having it in my system. Not familiar with the 3050i. The Elex sounded more muscular with a bit of a richer tonality in my system.
i assume review was with denon flat on treble and bass controls. could one adjust those dials to make it more rega-like? i have emotiva bookshelf with Marantz cd6006 and Onkyo 8020 receiver I tried the Marantz p.m. 8006 and it sounded terrible there was no treble on this thing maybe a defective item does the Marantz sound like the Denon amplifier
Yes, the direct button bypassed the tone controls and that's how I listened to the amp. And no, the tone controls will not make it sound like an Elex. Engaging the tone controls made a controlled difference that didnt change the overall tonality much. Soundstage did not collapse either.
@@analogholic_reviews thank you for your reply. very kind of you to respond! i listen to symphonic classical, jazz voice, etc. just amazing i get get great sound out of measly little onkyo 8020 better than more expensive onkyo receivers and dedicated amps made by marantz onkyo cambridge. go figure. this 8020 is magic giving lifelike sound quality (when with tone adjustments of course!).
@@seekstruth5968 I have a Onkyo tx8511 and it sounds good but even better with a graphic equalizer. Tens of thousands of trouble free hours on it driven hard, it gets a little warm!
@@Drivehead103 Yes. That onkyo 8020. A jewel. But did try some higher end onkyo and they didn't compare with 8020s natural and detailed characteristics
Wow, that a tough question. I'd say it depends on your speakers' efficiency and room size. Also you preference to some extent. The croft and it's built in phono are superb with the right speaker - room combination. Harder to drive speakers would benefit from the ElexR, Denon or Arcam's drive. For an integrated amp in a smaller space, Id still pick the croft for the music I enjoy.
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks for the feedback. My room is only 14’ x 12’ but that includes a boxed bay window on one side and a 45 degree chimney breast on one of the opposite corners. Not ideal. I’m also looking to upgrade my speakers and am considering, but demo with the Croft might be difficult, Wharfedale Linton (perhaps too big for my room, Polk R200, Sonus Faber Lumina 2; LS50 Meta, Dali Menuet SE (I’m a current Zensor 3 owner), Amphion Argon 1, basically anything I can try in the £750-£1500 region. If it’s better long term (for me end game) I’d consider something like the Rega Elicit Mk5 or the Exposure 3510 (or 2510) first (or perhaps later) and then get the other item within another 6 months or so. I’m unfortunately not going down the Vinyl route, despite the offer of an old 80’s Planar 3, as my Vinyl collection is effectively zero. I just used my parents collection and system in the 80’s.
I want tone controls for low level listening of movies and TV. I have a Rotel RB 960 (30 years old) 60 wpc dual mono amp and a Anthem TLP-1 Pre-amp (also 30 years old). Would I gain anything buying a modern integrated like the Denon? Do Amps and or pre amps lose sound quality?
The older preamps and amps drift due to aging electronics inside and their specs drift, which results in degradation of sound IMHO. The Denon could serve you well but note that it does not have a preamp out if you are using (or going to in the future) subwoofers.
Hello, which of these three has better support in low frequencies? I'm looking for an amplifier that sends bass level!!!!! Like a loudness! I have klipsch rp280f, THANKS
Hi, depends on what kind of bass you are looking for…if you are looking for big boom… go with the PMA1600. For more resolution in the bass with a hint of richness, go with the Elex. To me the Arcam SA20 wasn’t that rich or warm sounding in the bass but was very resolving and controlled.
@@analogholic_reviews Definitely. I’m picking one up very soon after debating between the 1700ne and A110. Apparently the 110 is basically a heavily modified version of their 2500ne using technology from the SX series (SX11, SX1 LE) in the Japan only market.
Sorry going a bit off track here, i need your advice please! i'm searching for an amp to go along with my polk R200 speakers. Thinking of buying a power amplifier (something like Marantz 7025 or Rotel RB-1552 MkII) along with a dac with built in volume control like Topping D50S. This seems to be quite cost effective while also allowing me to enjoy the benefit of a dedicated power amp and future upgradability. But i'm afraid that this kind of setup might degrade the sound quality by not going with a full fledged pre amp and dac combo!. Worried whether the topping might become the weakest point in my system. Or would you rather push me towards integrated system route?
Not off track at all, still talking hifi! I would advise going the preamp, DAC, power amp route instead of the integrated route if funds permit. The topping pre90 (review coming soon) is a fantastic preamp and I'm sure their DACs are high performing as well. I have also read sweet things about the Total RB1552 mk2. But going with analogue amps and outboard DAC isnt a bad idea either. Analog only integrated amps like Elex-R will stand the test of time for their asking price.
Thank you for this very insightful review it is very hard to choose a winner because all three of these integrated amplifiers are excellent it does come down to a matter of taste I think fro more modern music the denon would be the winner. for digital I would choose Arcam. and for vinyl I would definitely need to choose the Rega
I wish people would stop using vinyl to test gear. Sure, those who still use it will be interested in how good the phono stage is but that isn't necessarily a good test of the amp itself. Furthermore, from my experience of Rega amps, their phono stages are the feature and anything else is an add-on.
Had the sa20 and had to send 2 of them back due to noisy transformers (from the unit not the speakers) that I could hear from 12 feet away. Tried DC blockers and even tried it at a different address . Also the review units they send out have quality parts like Nichicon caps but the consumer units are full of cheap solder and cheap Chinese caps from Jamicon. Totally unacceptable in amps like the sa20 & 30 at the price point. Got a Rega elex R new old stock…. Totally silent.
Your channel is absolutely fantastic. You review A lot of comparisons and products that aren’t covered much and your presentation is great! I’ve just binged a lot of your videos. Is the Ifi zen phono a worth while upgrade to do Denon pma1600ne ? Do you think the synergy is there with that pairing? Good luck !
Thank you, George! I honestly believe the ifi zen is not going to be an upgrade to the built in phono of the Denon PMA1600. Infact Id recommend upgrading you phono cartridge. Something like the 2M black mated to the PMAs phono is just a superb pairing, unless of course you are using something better.
@@analogholic_reviews thank you ! I have VM95ml cart so it sounds like I can go a lot higher there before having to upgrade my phono. Good to know. Interestingly I also have the Rotel A14 mk1 which must be similar to your a12 and also doesn’t have many reviews. I agree with your assessment on both the Rotel and the Denon so I will be watching your channel for my future upgrades ! You should check out Neat Accoustic speakers if you ever get the chance. I think you will enjoy them a lot. I’d be interested to see your pairing preferences with them.
I've had my Rega Elex-R for a little over a year now and I absolutely love it. Makes my vinyl sound superb. I wouldn't change it for anything else.
Hey brother, thank you so much for doing that. I really appreciate you took the time to inspect this amplifier which by the way I just had one delivered yesterday so I just wanted to say thank you for what you’re doing and I love you brother. 💪🙏👍🥰
Hey , reviews become so much more interesting when you compare some fine amps ..Nailed it !
Very good presentation I haven't heard any better Thank you
Excellent review, thank you! Totally agree, the Rega Elex-R punches way above its price point and is a joy to listen to. (even at very low volume)
Agreed completely. I hoping the new Elicit- Mk 5 sounds more like an improved Elex-R than the Elicit-R which, IMO, had a different sound than the Elex-R and even the Brio which I owned several years ago.
@@michaelmasztal7871 can you tell me in what way the elicit-r is deficient or not as good as other rega amps? I’m in Australia and am tempted to buy elicit-r. there are few reviews of elicit-r that go into detailed specifics. I watch cheshire audio reviews for rega, but he just says it is a bit too polite, though powerful and very resolving, and I think he said it made the elex-r sound rough and ready, and he doesnt like the volume control. I heard it is the most class A of the rega amps. it costs $4300 here!, mk5 is here too at same price, elex-r is $2400, aethos is out of my price range at $7000, and Atoll which I’m interested in isn’t available at all. the other one I’m tempted by is exposure2510 ($3000), or 3510 ($4300!, a bit too exy). sounds like I should buy an elex-r and a exposure2510!😂
@@peterdorrfuss2680 Hi. Sorry for my being late in responding. The Elicit is by no means deficient. It just doesn't have the Rega "sound" like the Elex and Brio. In fact, the Elicit has more punch and resolution than the Elex, but lacks the body- or soul- of the Elex which is what I prefer. You may actually prefer the Elicit if you're a fan of resolution. If the new Elicit V gets the Rega "sound" back, I'll opt for that. I hope this helps.
@@michaelmasztal7871 thanks, it does help! It helps me to realise I really have to go and audition these pieces in person, so I can actually know the Rega sound, and experience other much lauded entry level units as the cambridge axa35, audiolab6000A or 8300, and exposure2510. I have been researching hifi for months via the many great yt reviewers, looking to choose a one time only, ‘good’ system for my sisters new house. she has never had a ‘audiophile’ system, and for that matter neither have I. I think back to my $300 teac amp and tape deck of early eighties when I was a teenager. I have a second hand ‘basic entry level’ prima lune valve amp, prologue one, I bought in late 90’s, with some large vintage speakers!- B&W DM2’s,( I didn’t even know what they were till now- just got then out of storage in past week and just ripped off the bubble wrap, had forgotten what they were and back then I was clueless and didnt even care, the second hand record shop guy I knew well in our small town recommended them and sold them to me for $300 or so I think. and I bought new, from JB hifi😂, a onkyo AV receiver, TX-NR656, from about 2016, and 4 Dali sensor7 towers and a centre speaker and a subwoofer that I barely got going before it all went into storage for 4 years! I really have no idea😂. I started my yt review explorations with Andrew Robinson and thought the Rotel A11 Tribute was what I wanted, and ended up believing the Rotel 1592 mk2, integrated, at $3900AUD would be the best buy for my sister, since, though she loves tv, netflix, isnt interested in an AV surround system but just wants a simple 2 channel system, no streaming, just CD and vinyl, and at 200w it seemed the best buy to drive the polkR700’s, which I decided would be the best allrounders fora decent living room/ dining room, as we could stand them fairly close to a wall, they were ‘great’ at the price, about $2900AUD, and complemented the neutral and highly resolving description of the rotel, plus with A/B speaker options we could add a better pair of standmount bookshelfs if we wanted. I still have my eye on the wharfedale lintons for myself, they are $3400 here, or even magnat transpuls1500’s at $3000( for self). watching audioholics I have recently thought about the arendal 1723 towers, but they are buy direct from norway and would cost over $10,000, though there is a smaller s tower, and even the monitor version is not cheap, (£1900, though other options are SVS Ultra or cheaper Prime pinnacle towers, KLH kendall towers or Paradigm Premier or even wharfedale EVO4.4, and 10-12G is the max amount I think I got my sister considering spending, for the entire system including a cd player and TT, so I have to go and listen to the polks, here in Brisbane, and then order the rotel online ( coming from Melbourne 2000km’s away), or forget about it and start from scratch, maybe buy one or 2 of the cheaper integrated’s i’ve mentioned above, maybe also a rega elex-r($2400), and look into some decent pair of standmounts instead, I’m sure she would be happy. still want to try exposure2510 for myself ($3000 here), as 3510 is said to be less warm, more resolving, even lean, and a bit much for my budget on a whim at $4300, same price as the ellicit-r, and new ellicit
I don't know at the end of the day the question you have to ask yourself is with the elexr being as good as it is why would you want to get anything else.
Great review. I don't think you could go wrong with any of these amps. I purchased a Arcam SA20 open box unit for $1,250 during a Music Direct sale. When it arrived, I couldn't tell that is had ever been opened; everything looked brand new. I was looking for an amp that would pair well with my B&W 606 s2 speakers. The Arcam smoothed out the slightly sibilant treble of the B&W's and i've been smiling ever since. Add to that the truly excellent ESS Sabre DAC and I feel I got an amazing deal. The only weak point is the on board phono pre amp is just ok. It can't compare to the dynamics of the Schiit Mani i'm using.
Thank you for your excellent and interesting videos. All the best.
Thank you for the feedback!
Ditto on the great review! As I posted on one of your Elex-R review, I had it, traded for the Elicit-R and it didn't care for the sonics on it. I'm hoping you get to review the New Elicit-Mk V and report on it's sound.
Great review as always. I've had it a year and I can't imagine ever wanting to change it. I don't miss an inbuilt dac, as I prefer the flexibility and upgradability of an external. As for phono, when I bought the Rega, I already had a Schiit Mani phono stage, which I thought was great, but the Rega's inbuilt one was a step up in quality and noise free, so I sold the Schiit. The Rega is pure analogue and so lacks modern functionality, but everything it does do (the important bits) it does flawlessly.
Great comparisons. I think NAD also uses class G amps, and Outlaw Audio uses class AB+G? Would be nice consider for future comparisons Outlaw audio 2160 and Marantz PM8006.
Great review - thank you
Great video and analysis. Thanks a lot
Just ordered the Elex MK4. I have the Brio-R. But it’s struggling with my Focal Chora 826s hopefully this will have that extra kick. I didn’t want to stray from the Rega sound and incredible musicality that I love.
How does the Elex MK4 perform. Does it have a thin tonality?
@@agnelroshandsilva3929 when I said I just ordered it that’s what I mean. It’s shipped today ;) so I don’t know. Nothing about the Rega sound is thin to me however to I expect more of that same compared to Brio.
@@bruunm1975opps Sorry. thought You already received it. Please do Update on Your Experience. I am planning for the elex mk4 as well.
@@agnelroshandsilva3929 got Elex yesterday. No it’s not thin one bit. My room correction had me reduce bass it sounds massive. Love it. And not thin. I too read those comments but I find nothing thin about it. Good luck.
Excellent review.
just subscribed to your channel. very interesting comparisons and simply great you are the only reviewer I've watched who LOVES jazz (hey! jamal, charlap, evans!!) and piano music in general. i am a musician and play piano jazz (not professionally) but piano music (also classical)is part of my daily diet. i also listen to a lot of classical music and love a natural, detailed, dynamic presentation. from your review, the Denon is not for me, but between the arcam and the rega, which one would your prefer for natural sound? my source is 70% CDs (Audiolab 6000A transport) and 30% Lps (Audiotechnica AT-LP120). I will be upgrading from an Audiolab 6000A I love, but I feel lacks a bit of power/grip when listening at lower volumes. I was thinking of the Arcam SA20 as a reasonable upgrade??
Desperado is a great album. By far the best Eagles album.
i own a Denon and love the sound silkiness in the upper yet still detailed...and the Rega does have better vocals and presentation yet still would pick the Denon cause love the body a lot.
Hello, thank you for your videos, which one has good bass, deep bases?
Great review. I own a pair of neat iotas. Have a custom made class ab amp and other class Ds. They all sound great when u start lisnening but after 30mins i get a feel of saturation. I feel iam sort of analysing the music rather than enjoying it. The only thing which made me enjoy my music was a class A amp. Could you remommed a clas AB amp for me. Thinking of either SA20 or rega elex r . I want a more of mellow sound with great vocals and midrange. Thank you
You make good videos. I am trying to find a good receiver under $1500 primarily for heavy metal, electronic dance, electronic ambient, and some ethnic music from around the globe. I have the AXR100 from Cambridge Audio and find that it has saturation or distortion in the upper mids that's just too much. No idea what's my next amp to try if I like those mids and the Cambridge bass but want to avoid the washy, saturated high mids. Another A/B or a different flavor of class D?
A/B for metal. D sounds too thin in my opinion if you’re not using a sub even though it is most articulate.
@@quitegenius subjective. I liked the Cambridge AXR100 but could not listen to it for more than a song or two, thanks to the distortion. The class A/B mids and bass punch are unlikely to be matched by a class D. Subwoofer fixes only the bass aspect to a degree and lack of mids in class D might be noticeable at the highest price points out there. The Arcam class G has potential, so I sent them an email suggesting a new minimalist amp for streaming that would include an extensive EQ. The lack of EQ is where recent audiophile opinion has been dead wrong. No single amp is capable of fixing a recording’s inadequacies without an EQ and I shouldn’t need to crank an amp to find the mids I want.
@@quitegenius I got tired of trying amps and just kept the Blusound Powernode because the bass is OK and the distortion is very low. Adding more watts and more midrange to this amp could make it the best amp around $1000 on the market. Nothing is perfect in the budget category, but this is good enough for now and I would rather spend time on other efforts
Just FYI, Glenn Frey(pronounced FRY like frying something in a pan), NOT FRAY.
Great comparison video.
Why thank you for that 🙏
Enjoyed this video and your presentation, I found this very useful thank you. These are the amps I am considering, but leaning towards the Arcam because of it's warm presentation, the reason being I am building a system from scratch, and have decided on a pair of Q Acoustics 3050i, so was wondering which amp do you think would be best suited to those speakers please ?
Glad you enjoyed it! The Arcam is a very good choice. I enjoyed having it in my system. Not familiar with the 3050i. The Elex sounded more muscular with a bit of a richer tonality in my system.
Great content,tks
i assume review was with denon flat on treble and bass controls. could one adjust those dials to make it more rega-like? i have emotiva bookshelf with Marantz cd6006 and Onkyo 8020 receiver I tried the Marantz p.m. 8006 and it sounded terrible there was no treble on this thing maybe a defective item does the Marantz sound like the Denon amplifier
Yes, the direct button bypassed the tone controls and that's how I listened to the amp. And no, the tone controls will not make it sound like an Elex. Engaging the tone controls made a controlled difference that didnt change the overall tonality much. Soundstage did not collapse either.
@@analogholic_reviews thank you for your reply. very kind of you to respond! i listen to symphonic classical, jazz voice, etc. just amazing i get get great sound out of measly little onkyo 8020 better than more expensive onkyo receivers and dedicated amps made by marantz onkyo cambridge. go figure. this 8020 is magic giving lifelike sound quality (when with tone adjustments of course!).
@@seekstruth5968 I have a Onkyo tx8511 and it sounds good but even better with a graphic equalizer. Tens of thousands of trouble free hours on it driven hard, it gets a little warm!
@@Drivehead103
Yes. That onkyo 8020. A jewel. But did try some higher end onkyo and they didn't compare with 8020s natural and detailed characteristics
Good comparison as always. How would the Croft compare to these purely for sound quality? Thanks.
Wow, that a tough question. I'd say it depends on your speakers' efficiency and room size. Also you preference to some extent. The croft and it's built in phono are superb with the right speaker - room combination. Harder to drive speakers would benefit from the ElexR, Denon or Arcam's drive. For an integrated amp in a smaller space, Id still pick the croft for the music I enjoy.
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks for the feedback. My room is only 14’ x 12’ but that includes a boxed bay window on one side and a 45 degree chimney breast on one of the opposite corners. Not ideal. I’m also looking to upgrade my speakers and am considering, but demo with the Croft might be difficult, Wharfedale Linton (perhaps too big for my room, Polk R200, Sonus Faber Lumina 2; LS50 Meta, Dali Menuet SE (I’m a current Zensor 3 owner), Amphion Argon 1, basically anything I can try in the £750-£1500 region. If it’s better long term (for me end game) I’d consider something like the Rega Elicit Mk5 or the Exposure 3510 (or 2510) first (or perhaps later) and then get the other item within another 6 months or so. I’m unfortunately not going down the Vinyl route, despite the offer of an old 80’s Planar 3, as my Vinyl collection is effectively zero. I just used my parents collection and system in the 80’s.
I want tone controls for low level listening of movies and TV. I have a Rotel RB 960 (30 years old) 60 wpc dual mono amp and a Anthem TLP-1 Pre-amp (also 30 years old). Would I gain anything buying a modern integrated like the Denon? Do Amps and or pre amps lose sound quality?
The older preamps and amps drift due to aging electronics inside and their specs drift, which results in degradation of sound IMHO. The Denon could serve you well but note that it does not have a preamp out if you are using (or going to in the future) subwoofers.
Excellent review sir. Can you review two other amps as well in the same range. Cambridge audio cxa81 and marantz pm8006.
Thank you! I have heard the PM8006 and wasnt impressed. But I do hope to bring in the cambridge in for a review sometime.
Hello, which of these three has better support in low frequencies? I'm looking for an amplifier that sends bass level!!!!! Like a loudness! I have klipsch rp280f,
THANKS
Hi, depends on what kind of bass you are looking for…if you are looking for big boom… go with the PMA1600. For more resolution in the bass with a hint of richness, go with the Elex. To me the Arcam SA20 wasn’t that rich or warm sounding in the bass but was very resolving and controlled.
Denon pma 1600ne 👍
Wonder how this 1600NE would compare to their anniversary flagship integrated PMA-A110 🤔
The A110 sure looks like a beautiful beast of an amp!
@@analogholic_reviews Definitely. I’m picking one up very soon after debating between the 1700ne and A110. Apparently the 110 is basically a heavily modified version of their 2500ne using technology from the SX series (SX11, SX1 LE) in the Japan only market.
Sorry going a bit off track here, i need your advice please! i'm searching for an amp to go along with my polk R200 speakers. Thinking of buying a power amplifier (something like Marantz 7025 or Rotel RB-1552 MkII) along with a dac with built in volume control like Topping D50S. This seems to be quite cost effective while also allowing me to enjoy the benefit of a dedicated power amp and future upgradability. But i'm afraid that this kind of setup might degrade the sound quality by not going with a full fledged pre amp and dac combo!. Worried whether the topping might become the weakest point in my system. Or would you rather push me towards integrated system route?
Not off track at all, still talking hifi! I would advise going the preamp, DAC, power amp route instead of the integrated route if funds permit. The topping pre90 (review coming soon) is a fantastic preamp and I'm sure their DACs are high performing as well. I have also read sweet things about the Total RB1552 mk2. But going with analogue amps and outboard DAC isnt a bad idea either. Analog only integrated amps like Elex-R will stand the test of time for their asking price.
Thank you for this very insightful review it is very hard to choose a winner because all three of these integrated amplifiers are excellent it does come down to a matter of taste I think fro more modern music the denon would be the winner.
for digital I would choose Arcam. and for vinyl I would definitely need to choose the Rega
I wish people would stop using vinyl to test gear. Sure, those who still use it will be interested in how good the phono stage is but that isn't necessarily a good test of the amp itself. Furthermore, from my experience of Rega amps, their phono stages are the feature and anything else is an add-on.
Had the sa20 and had to send 2 of them back due to noisy transformers (from the unit not the speakers) that I could hear from 12 feet away. Tried DC blockers and even tried it at a different address . Also the review units they send out have quality parts like Nichicon caps but the consumer units are full of cheap solder and cheap Chinese caps from Jamicon. Totally unacceptable in amps like the sa20 & 30 at the price point. Got a Rega elex R new old stock…. Totally silent.
The build quality of most British amplifiers is bad.
@@82ivaylo А ЧТО НА СЧЕТ Arcam Radia A25?
Your channel is absolutely fantastic. You review A lot of comparisons and products that aren’t covered much and your presentation is great! I’ve just binged a lot of your videos.
Is the Ifi zen phono a worth while upgrade to do Denon pma1600ne ? Do you think the synergy is there with that pairing?
Good luck !
Thank you, George! I honestly believe the ifi zen is not going to be an upgrade to the built in phono of the Denon PMA1600. Infact Id recommend upgrading you phono cartridge. Something like the 2M black mated to the PMAs phono is just a superb pairing, unless of course you are using something better.
@@analogholic_reviews thank you ! I have VM95ml cart so it sounds like I can go a lot higher there before having to upgrade my phono. Good to know.
Interestingly I also have the Rotel A14 mk1 which must be similar to your a12 and also doesn’t have many reviews. I agree with your assessment on both the Rotel and the Denon so I will be watching your channel for my future upgrades !
You should check out Neat Accoustic speakers if you ever get the chance. I think you will enjoy them a lot. I’d be interested to see your pairing preferences with them.
I wouldn't buy any amp without tone controls, so the Denon would be my choice
🤣
I am opposite. I like the original sound without artificial tone changes.