2. amps-preamps
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need amp recommendations for more separation of instruments

I've noticed that if I play music that only has a few instruments playing at the same time it generally sounds great, but, if it's got a lot of instruments playing different parts at the same time it all mushes together and you can't hear the individual instruments clearly. My current rig is a NAD M10 and Focal Aria 948s. At a store, I heard 948s paired with a front end costing about $100,000 and that system did not have this problem, at least it not to my ears. That tells me that with really good electronics this problem can be greatly reduced and that the problem is more with my electronics than it is with my speakers. But $100k is out of my budget. My questions are:

  1. Are there some classes or types of amplification that are notably better at getting separation between instruments in complex music?

2.  Are there some brands that are notably better at getting separation between instruments in complex music?

3.   How much would I need to spend to get something that solves this specific problem notably better than my NAD M10?

4. How much would I need to spend to get something that's a really good solution, where I probably wouldn't notice the problem unless I went out of my way to listen for it? (I know, this differs between people, but I'm still interested in your opinion).

Thanks,

ahuvia
mlsstl
1,440 posts
 

Besides trying different speaker positions, consider having your room acoustically treated by a professional. Chances are, if the Focal dealer was using $100K of electronics to demo the speakers, I'd suspect they had also put a lot of effort in the the room's acoustic design.  That has a major impact on stereo imaging. As others have noted, early room reflections can smear the image of even the best speakers.

The only problem for many audiophiles is they do not have a dedicated listening room, but have their setup in a living room or other spot in the house that has to share duties with other family activities. While that typically limits what can be acoustically done to the room, that doesn't mean there can't be improvements.  That's where someone with experience in this area can be very useful.

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,303 posts
 

My concern is that when, say, I'm listening to a symphony and the main theme is being played by the strings, but there is a flute in the background doing something a little bit different, the flute gets lost. I can hear that it is there, but I can't hear it clearly, it gets washed out by the louder string section. 
 

placement will definitely help but may not get you 100% of the way there. You will need electronics and cables that will bring it all to that level. DAC and integrated or separates. I’d say start with the integrated or separates. I’d say you’re looking at a $5k and up worth of upgrades to get you there. Might want to look at Hegel H390 integrated amp and something like a Chord Qutest DAC. At a minimum. 

erik_squires
16,262 posts
 

I've noticed that if I play music that only has a few instruments playing at the same time it generally sounds great, but, if it's got a lot of instruments playing different parts at the same time it all mushes together and you can't hear the individual instruments clearly.

 

This is a common problem in a room that is too lively.  They sound worse loud. 

curtdr
348 posts
 

Technics SU-R1000 amp.  

curtdr
348 posts
 

and/or if your floors are bare, or your windows have no drapes, consider drapes and an area rug.

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