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What is the best amplifier pairing for Monitor Audio Bronze 500 speakers?

Hello,

I recently purchased Monitor Audio Bronze 500 speakers, and I have them paired with a Denon AVR-2700 receiver and a Project Debut Carbon EVO turntable. With my initial 50 hrs of listening so far, I don't feel that I'm reaching the full potential of these speakers. I've listened to CD's and vinyl with the speakers, and while they sound good for most music, they are often too shrill when listening to classic rock- Led Zeppelin- Physical Graffiti,The Who- Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy, Jefferson Airplane- Surrealistic Pillow, etc. I've listened to these same records on vinyl and Tidal-HD, and the shrillness is still present.  I've attempted to play with the treble control on my Denon receiver, but it doesn't seem to change the sound much. The Denon AVR 2700 is over 23 years old at this point, and I don't know if it has enough power to effectively push these speakers?  The Monitor Bronze 500 specs are below:

21/2-Way

Frequency Response (-6 dB)
41 – 25,000 Hz (Free field)
32 – 30,000 Hz (In room)

Sensitivity (2.83v @ 1m)
90 dB

Nominal Impedance
8 ohms

Minimum Impedance
4.1 ohms

Maximum SPL
116 dBA (pair)

Power Handling (RMS)
200 W

Recommended Amplifier Requirements
60 — 200 W

Bass Alignment
Bass reflex Dual HiVe II port system

Crossover Frequency
550 Hz
2,700 Hz

Drive Unit Complement
2 x 8" C-CAM midbass driver
1 x 25 mm C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter with UD Waveguide

External Dimensions (Including Grille and Terminals (H x W x D))
951 x 231 x 325 mm (377/16 x 91/8 x 1213/16")

External Dimensions (including Outrigger Feet and Spikes (H x W x D))
974 x 294 x 364 mm (383/8 x 119/16 x 145/16")

Weight (each)
18 kg (39 lb 11 oz)
I'm looking to spend no more than $1000 for an amplifier, and would like to still be able to run these speakers with my TV to watch movies. Please provide any recommendations that come to mind.
kevcor73
kevcor73 OP
4 posts
 
Yogi- Thanks for the recommendation! Not real familiar with Yamaha's recent batch of receivers, but I had one back in the 80's. Why do you think they would be a nice fit for my Monitor Audio speakers? I would be willing to give it a shot for $800 if it was a definite step up from my current AVR. 

Russ: Thanks for the recommendation! I noticed that the Musical Fidelity amp is a bit out of my price range, though I might be able to stretch if it would make a huge difference in the sound.

mtbiker: Thanks for your input! I wondered if it was the AVR that was keeping these from reaching their potential. What is the model for the Luxman Integrated amp that you paired with your MA Silvers?  I saw one for almost $9000, but that's way too rich for my blood.
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,703 posts
 
The Yamaha has all the features you need including phono section. 100 watts is fine with the 90 db sensitive MA speakers. Crutchfield has a money back return policy incase you don’t find it better the Denon AVR. It is within your budget of less than a grand!
http://www.hifi-review.net/410-yamaha-a-s701.html#:~:text=As%20an%20amplifier%2C%20the%20A%20S701%20....
kevcor73 OP
4 posts
 
Thanks for clarifying. I just checked and Crutchfield is currently out of stock, and it won't be available until 6/11. Since I would like to test a different amplifier within my trial period for returning the speakers, I don't think this option is going to work. I have been told that music should be kept separate from movies, and that AVR's use some of the power strictly for the home theater portion. What options are available for having one receiver strictly used for movies that connects to the main amp which is used primarily for music? Is something like this possible, so I could get a new amp strictly for music to use in tandem with my current AVR? FYI: This Denon AVR 2700 is about 23 years old.
mesch
3,510 posts
 
Two channel audio can work great for video. I concur with Yogi that the Yamaha A-S701 would pair well for you. I own one for a secondary system with speakers having specs close to yours. The A-S801 has the same pre/amp section paired with a different DAC which provides USB input in addition to the coax and optical.
donvito
400 posts
 
This place has the Yamaha in stock!  
https://www.musicdirect.com/integrated-amp/yamaha-a-s701-integrated-amp
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