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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
yyzsantabarbara
4,925 posts
 
@austinbob I saw you had previously commented favorably on the Luxman integrated sound. I was going to get the Mark Levinson 585 for the Magico A3 (great fatigue free sound). However, that system will have to wait due to space issues. The office room I ended up with is only 10Wx12Lx9H and I do not want to put an A3 in there, instead I will get the KEF Reference 1.

I am now considering the following integrateds: Micromega (with MARS), Lyngdorf, and the Luxman 509x (with tone controls). Would you say the Lyngdorf is comparable to the Luxman sound (with tone controls for room adjustment)? If you were given a gift between the two units which would you choose?

This question is slightly divergent from this thread, If annoying I will create a new thread.
twoch
429 posts
 
I think Magico's need tubes bad.
  just my two cents 
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,883 posts
 
skyscraper

No- I have only spent time with the Anthem STR. Both Accuphase and Luxman are on my must demo list as well.  This is another excellent thread. Staying tuned.   Happy Listening!
inna
7,297 posts
 
Putting cost aside for the moment, it is interesting how to best match speaker cables. Though to both, of course, I think one should match them more to the speakers than to the amp. I would not go with either excessively warm cables or too cold, let alone zippy with articulated high frequencies ones. Cables should be linear, balanced, clear, harmonically correct. It might also depend on the kind of music you mostly listen to. Mike is going to listen to a lot of classical jazz, this requires both detailed and sophisticated sound with great imaging and soundstage. I would probably though not necessarily go with the same brand for the amp power cord. Model can be the same or different but the cord must be capable of passing a lot of amperage and be very well shielded. 
skyscraper OP
831 posts
 
Inna, Certainly interesting, but not easy to figure out for sure. I’ll try to find some described as "linear, balanced, clear, harmonically correct" to audition at home once the components are all here.

Twoch. I heard them demoed with ss and they sounded great, not to mention the Hegel H360’s Alon Wolf recommended were ss. I thought maybe tubes might not be as synergistic with a speaker designed to be more detailed and analytic, prompting his recommend. I have no idea anyway, just guessing.

I did think about that aspect about the Magico’s needing a bit more warmth, and the Luxmans were described that way in one review. more in the midrange if I recall. I thought I was making a wild enough decision straying from his Hegel 360 recommendation, much less going over to a tube amp. A Magico VP I spoke with also recommended another solid state integrated as an alternative to the Hegel. I didn’t want Magico to be thinking of me as a warm, cuddly sissy either for considering a nice warm tube amp, so I toed the line with ss.

Yysantabara, that’s a good question, please keep it here. I’d be interested in the answer. I would have loved to have that Mark Levinson 585, only the fear of potential poverty quenched my desire for it. Same with the Luxman 509x.

Jafant, thanks for replying.

Mike
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