Equipment does not match


II have a pair of Burmester B25 speakers paired with a Audio Research SP17 tube amp and Rotel RB 1080 power amp. I play music thru my Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6
I don't seem to be getting the sound I envisioned can anyone suggest if any of the devices are not a good match thanks
dereck
Dereck, Did you mean the Rotel is 125W? The SP17 is a preamp and doesn't power the speakers per se. However, my research indicates that the RB 1080 produces 200W @ 8 ohms. In one review, the measurements indicated that the Burmester could be a tough speaker to drive. The AMT tweeter in the B25 is very revealing and many amplifiers can become hard sounding when driving difficult loads - the AMT will convey this in a heartbeat. There's also the possibility that what's bothering you is jitter from the source component.

There are many possibilities here. As mentioned above, we still need some info about your listening environment and what is is that you're unsatisfied with in your system (I know it can be hard to put into words sometimes).

I'm not disparaging the Rotel amp - it's a nice, solid component but I don't think it's in the same league as the SP17 and certainly not the B25s. More refined downstream components will reveal flaws in upstream components in most systems. Dick
I've heard modern AMT type tweeters recently in Goldenear Aon3 speakers off Rotel class gear compared to other speakers/tweeters a/b. The GOldenears were the most "polite" in teh high frequencies actually. Some will find that nice but some used to more oonventional tweeters like soft domes for example might miss some of the "bite" that other tweeters may be more prone to. Dynaudio Esotar tweeters are a good example I think.
Mapman, I wasn't referring to exaggerated high frequencies but the ability to transparently reproduce what is passed to them. Ive never heard them but, from everything I've read, the B25s are pretty transparent. Dick
Thank you all for the comments
the input impedance of the Rotel is 8 ohms while the B25s Nominal impedance is 4 ohms. Could this be an issue??
The room dimensions are 15.5 feet by 12 feet however i have a open passage at the entrance, my speaker facing the 15.5 feet length of the room next to the open passage. I have a marble floor and no rugs. Speakers are placed abt 5-7 inches away from the wall but the left speaker is just next to the open passage at the entrance.
Dick mentioned jitter i do have my home theater set-up in the same cabinet one side houses my B&W MT 30s with the base unit behind the right speaker in the corner, and the other side of the cabinet houses my AR/Rotel/Camb Audio
i am still learning about this stuff, so the specs of the equipment might help;
B25s Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 30mmx40mm Air Motion Transformer tweeter, 5.25" (130mm) Kevlar-cone midrange unit, 9.1" by 6.5" (232mm by 165mm) air-dried paper-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 180Hz (third-order Butterworth), 2.7kHz (second-order). Frequency response: 35Hz–45kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/m. Recommended amplification: 200W. Maximum SPL output per pair: not given.

Pre amp SP17 / 17L Specifications:
FREQUENCY RESPONSE:
Line: +0-1dB, 0.6Hz to 80kHz at rated output. -3dB points below 0.3Hz and above 120KHz.
Phono: +/-0.3dB of RIAA, 10 Hz to 20KHz
DISTORTION: Less than .005% at 2V RMS output.
GAIN: Main output line: 11.1dB Processor: 0dB.
Phono: 58dB at 1 KHz.
Record output, line: 0dB. Phono: 47dB.
INPUT IMPEDANCE: 60K ohms line, 47K ohms Phono, (0.7 to 7mV High output cartridge recommended). Inputs (6): phono, CD, tuner, video, aux, processor. Model SP17L has no phono input.
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 210 ohms Single Ended main; 20K ohms minimum load and 1000 pF maximum capacitance. Outputs (3): 2 main, 1 record (Single Ended RCA connectors). Record output 60K ohms minimum load and 100pf maximum capacitance.
OUTPUT POLARITY: Non inverting.
MAXIMUM INPUT
Line: 9V RMS.
Phono: 40mV RMS 1KHz, 100mV RMS 10KHz.
RATED OUTPUTS: 2V RMS into 100K load. (Maximum output 15V RMS at 1% THD at 1kHz.)
POWER SUPPLIES: Electronically regulated low and high voltage supplies. Automatic 25 sec. warm-up/brown-out mute. Line regulation better than .01%.
NOISE:
Line: 12uV RMS IHF weighted at main output with volume low (104dB below 2V RMS output).
Phono: 0.3uV RMS IHF weighted equivalent input noise, shorted input (76dB below 2mVRMS 1KHz input).
TUBE COMPLEMENT: (2)-6H30 dual triodes.
POWER REQUIREMENTS:100-135VAC 60Hz (200-270VAC 50/60Hz) 39 watts.
Power amp
The RB-1080 rests close to the pinnacle of Rotel's two channel power amplifier designs. Power output of 200 watts per channel (20 Hz to 20 kHz @ 0.03% THD into 8 ohms) is extraordinary. The Rotel-made toroidal transformer feeds separate power supplies for each channel, each with its own rectifiers, voltage regulators, and capacitor banks. Damping factor, at 1,000, shows this amplifier's unparalleled ability to lock onto the most difficult speakers to precisely control diaphragm motion and give you the best sound quality. Switchable balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) inputs provide flexible system interface. Front panel heat sinks add a strikingly dramatic look and serve a functional purpose by enhancing heat dissipation even in cramped environments. And a separate input and output for 12 volt "trigger" signals makes this amplifier well suited for fully integrated systems with total remote control capability.