Recommended receiver for HT

I installed the NAD M22 amp today, sourced via balanced analog from an Oppo 205 and driving a pair of KEF LS50s.  I've yet to connect the subs or NAD C 268 surround amps.  I started with the Time Out SACD; the stereo sound is excellent.  Kal Rubinson's rave review of the M22 in Stereophile seems justified.

I'm awaiting a pair of 15' Mogami cables from LA Pro Audio to connect the surrounds, and I'm looking for my RCA splitter cable to connect the sub out of the 205 to the Velodyne SMS-1 bass manager.

db 

Hello dbphd,

     Happy Independence Day!
    
       I'm very glad you like the performance of the class D NAD M22 driving your KEF LS50s.  
     I appreciate good class D amps for their very low noise floor, good bass and dynamics along with the very accurate, detailed and neutral midrange/treble response that still manages to be smooth and natural without ever being bright or harsh.  I've found them to be very close to the audio ideal of 'a straight wire with gain'; with nothing added, subtracted or altered from the inputted signals.  
    This accuracy and neutrality sounds great on good recordings and matched with high quality upstream components but it also will clearly amplify any faults in the sound caused by poor recordings and poor quality upstream components.  Personally, I prefer this accuracy and neutrality but I thought you should be aware of this quality of good class D amps if you weren't already.  Fortunately, you have high quality components so you'll only need to be concerned with the quality of your music recordings and other audio sources.
     Well, so far so good, right?  I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions once everything's completed, especially the four subs and how  the bass sounds and integrates.  

Later,
 Tim

Tim,

I've got to do a lot of comparative listening, but what I've heard so far from the 205/M22/LS50 chain has led me to question the need for the Ayre 5/20/Ref 1 chain.  It's that good.  I've played CDs and SACDs ranging from jazz (Take Five) to baroque (Corelli), Blu-rays from Legends of Jazz to Aida; the sound is superb for all. 

db

Hello dbphd,

     Awesome!  The audio section of the Oppo 205 is also very neutral and of high quality.  I believe your whole chain, 205/M22/LS50s would be accurately described as exceptionally neutral.  I think you'll continue to notice there's a more direct relationship between the quality of the recording and the quality of the overall sound than most systems due to the high degree of neutrality.  


Enjoy,
 Tim
 

After a lot more listening I’ve decided to use the Oppo 205, NAD M22 & C 268 Class D amps with 6 LS50s and a pair of Velodyne HGS-15s for HT, and the Ayre 5/Twenty series with KEF Ref 1s and a pair of HGS-10s for music. But I don’t really sense the need for any subs with Ref 1s as my preference for classical, baroque, and jazz grows stronger, so I may use the 4 subs for HT.

db