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Resolution Audio Opus 21 s80 Integrated Amp

I have the complete Opus 21 system including the s80 amp. The system is connected to a pair of Fritzspeaker Carbon 7's by way of Cardas Neutral Reference speaker cables. The system produces an open, detailed and realistic picture of the music it is playing. Acoustic guitar and deep defined bass really stand out to me. The overall balance of sound is there when playing softer and mid-tempo music (very musical) but when listening to rock & roll (not necessarily cranked) it becomes reserved and lacks the punch & dynamics. I'm considering buying a Solid State or Hybrid Class A/B amp to hear a difference, if any.

Does anyone own the entire Opus 21 system with the s80 amp? If so, your experience with and opinions of it. I cannot find one review of it online. I've read some nice things about the lower watts s30 amp.

It's a nice system and I really like it but am just wondering if anyone out there has the same or similar experience as me.
routeman21
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 
Thanks Cellorover! I have considered the speaker cable and it may be a synergy thing. I just ordered a Yamaha A-S2000 integrated amp which is class A/B. I'm very curious with the pairing of the Opus21 CD player and class A/B amp with more power than the s80. For the time being I'm steering away from the british class A/B integrateds as they (I have experience with Arcam/Cambridge Audio) are a little too relaxed for my liking.
brawny
51 posts
 
I owned an Opus 21 & S30 system for years and recently upgraded to the Cantata Music center and First watt M2. RA makes very musical gear that is an extremely good value. In my experience, RA amps tend to struggle a little bit driving harder loads (less efficient loudspeakers). The Fritzspeaker Carbon 7 loudspeaker is a somewhat small two-way loudspeaker that utilizes a 7-inch bass/midrange driver. The design is not the most efficient at 87 db. The RA s80 might not be the best match to dynamically wake them up. You should experiment with different amps to see what design would alleviate the issues you're having. Good luck!
cellorover
424 posts
 
I suggest that you call the Cable Company and try out different speaker wire combinations before you go crazy over the amp. There is no disagreement that you can keep the Opus 21 and move up the amp food chain. But to do that, you will need to spend more money than you may think. If the Opus is you only source, then you can look at power amps and use the Opus 21 direct. Also remember the capabilitry of a monitor when playing rock.
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 
I received the Yamaha A-S2000 integrated. I've been breaking it in the last 2 days. Sounds great out of the box. It is a Class A/B amp and it does provide more punch & dynamics which make it sound stronger than the Class D amp.

I will be comparing musicality to the Class D as break-in increases.
brawny
51 posts
 
Routeman21,

The Yamaha A-S2000 integrated puts out 90 watts of power into 8 ohms, while according to RA's website the RA s80 is conservatively rated at 80 watts into 8 ohms. Not much of a difference. I'm not disputing what you're hearing, but why is the Yamaha providing more punch and dynamics? Is there a significant gain difference between the two set-ups?
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