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Please tutor me on some integrated amp basics.

I’ve recently purchased Magico A3 speakers and a VPI Classic 2 SE turntable with an Ortofon Black 2M moving magnet cartridge. I have a Marantz SA 8005 CD/SACD player to play the few (maybe a hundred or so) CD’s in my possession.
I’ve mostly vinyl albums and no streaming sources. I’m next going to upgrade my old amp/preamp purchased back in the late 70’s with a new, probably integrated, one and am starting to do some research.

Here’s where I need some tutoring. A lot has changed since the seventies with the advent of digital technology. As well as I need to learn more about amplification components in the high end of audio technology. I keep running across terms I don’t understand. I’ll give you a list and if someone would be kind enough to explain these basics I’d be obliged.

For instance I was reading about the Hegel H360 integrated amp that Magico’s Alon Wolf recommended for their A3’s. The review mentioned they were a Class A/B amp, another person commented Class A’s were better, and a third person said he didn’t care for Class D amps. What do these classes signify? 

A second question is about DACs. I generally understand their purpose of the DAC, converting a digital to an analog signal. However my only digital device, the Marantz SA 8005 already has a DAC, ostensibly of good quality. The turntable ’s Ortofon cartridge would not need to play through a DAC, I presume. Would I bypass the CD’s players DAC if I purchase the higher quality Hegel H360 integrated amp?. Or could I find an equivalent integrated amp without an integral DAC?

On the other side of the equation I understand the turntable’s cartridge cannot play through the Hegel without first going through a phono stage. My old Phase Linear 4000 preamp you just plugged the turntables RCA cables into the back of the preamp and you were done. What’s that about? Do they make equivalent integrated amps to the Hegel H360 with integrated phono stages already in place, so I can just plug my turntable in as I’ve been able to do before. The amps don’t seem to be well integrated at all if you have to add a pricey phono stage to make them work, and end up having an extra DAC. That’s just me whining.

Third question is what are monoblocks, how are they used, and what are their advantages to a system? They were used at one of my speaker auditions.

I figured out the answer to what amplifier damping was myself, so I’m sparing you that one, but what does the term impedance mean? I keep coming across that.

Thank goodness I don’t have to figure out the cabling nightmare yet. Thanks for any help.

Mike
skyscraper
builder3
758 posts
 
Here's another option in that same price range for a tonearm cable. I don't have one, but my speaker cables & interconnects are from DH Labs, and I like them a lot.
https://silversonic.com/products/phono-cables/dimension-phono-cable/
inna
7,296 posts
 
Mike, sure it would make little sense to buy cables without already having the equipment.
Best cables are often those that you cannot find used, especially for a reasonable price !

buellrider97
393 posts
 
  I’d look real hard at the Modwright KWI-200. Absolute beast in its price range . 200 wpc doubles to 400 wpc at 4 ohms. Great amp for demanding loads . I had one without the DAC , I use a Schiit Yiggy. It was paired with Acoustic Zen Speakers . In your price range , good power,  nice sound  and excellent support . The unit with a DAC would allow you to purchase one really nice power cord, some 9 gauge speaker cables and drive your speakers. Mark O Brian is one sharp designer and they are good with repairs and mods . I was introduced to Modwright by a friend that went into law , but was a former music shop owner . He had Rogue, Modwright, Parasound and Bryson. He has examples of them still at his home. At a lower price point the Parasound is nice , but the Modwright is sweeter and something you could live with for a long time . I haven’t played with the Hegel, but would definitely audition one before making a purchase . Cheers , Mike B. 
duckworp's avatar
duckworp
257 posts
 
Hey Mike, with regard to cables I would really urge you to test first. Most retailers in the UK will allow you to test the Cable first (or offer you a guaranteed refund if not happy) and in the US I believe there is a cable lending company. And importantly: how a cable sounds in your system is not correlated to its price. You’ll probably find some cheaper or mid price cables sounding better than expensive ones.

My recommendation would be to get everything up and running with the basic cables (including your 1970s speaker cable). Then take one bit at a time and experiment with different cables.

Personally I’d start with speaker cables, as you only need one set of cables it is the easiest to work with. So, order up 3 or 4 types and compare. It’s actually really interesting and I find it great fun to do this.

Then power cables. I’d experiment with the component they attach to: keep the standard power cables on everything except one component and test each component in turn. Don’t listen to reviews or other forum views as mains cables are so dependent on your system and your electrical supply. I find some cables make zero difference, others a massive difference. If I take my cables to a friends hifi he gets different results. Then when you find the components that appear to benefit from better mains cabling order up a few types and repeat the experiment.

Finally interconnects. As you have an integrated amp it is a bit simpler, but once again order a few types to compare and don’t believe the hype that you have to use the same interconnect between each pair of components. That is nonsense. You may find your record deck very sensitive to the type of interconnect whereas your CD player may be fine with 10$ cable. Doing the research on my system (integrated Vitus amp and CD player) I found cables by Transparent, costing $1400, sounded no different to $20 cable from an electrical store, yet a $800 Townshend interconnect sounded sublime.


By the way I think your Luxor is a great match to Magico. I have a Vitus amp but before buying it I demoed a bunch of amps: the Luxor sounded fantastic. There is a real organic warmth to that Japanese Luxor sound, almost Tube-like. They sound more musical, less hifi. Just a note: the Luxor I tried sounded a lot better when it was warmed up so you might want to leave it switched on.  I also demoed a bunch of speakers, Magico included. I didn’t actually like the Vitus/Magico combo as for my ears it was a bit too detailed and clinical, but I reckon attached to the mellower Luxor the Magicos will be a dream. It’s all personal taste but for my ears on some modern American amps Magicos can sound dry and clinical, but with the Luxor to tame them I think they will be outstanding.  
austinbob
235 posts
 
This year I sold a Mark Levinson amp and preamp and replaced it with a Lyngdorf 3400 with Room Correction. Couldn’t be happier. That a $7000 integrated equals and in many cases surpasses nearly $20,000 of electronics is amazing. The Lyngdorf is 200W into 8 ohms and 400W into 4, so plenty of power for the Magicos. Worth a demo. The Room Correction obviates the need for external devices like tube traps and panels, etc. It makes a decent room noticeably better and takes 15 minutes to do so. You would still need an external phono stage but $500 will buy a decent external like the IFi. 
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