A good and possibly High-End amplifier.

[Harry]

The good news is, that one of my friends is willing to sell his Cyrus two, for almost nothing. If I like it, I will send it to be serviced, to get a pristine amplifier back. But first listen to it.

[71 dB]

A few good points here.  However, I think that Harry clearly knows a lot about hi-fi and is only looking for a few ideas that may be useful in supplementing his own.  I can see that the Cyrus 8vs was probably already on his short list, as well it should be given the highly favourable reviews it's had.

There are minor differences between amplifier, differences I cannot fully understand but I have my theories (don't ask, I won't repeat my mistakes explaining my weird theories). In the end the price/desings/brand etc. are much more important than the differences in sound. Personally I'm fixated to NAD and I am not interested of other brands. I want Soft Clipping and EARS in my amp and other brands don't have them. I want cost-effective performance and NAD has that. However, I don't recommend NAD to anyone. If Harry wants Cyrus he better buy one. If a Naim makes Harry happy he should buy it. Harry must know 100 times more about this issue than I and I respect that. I stay quiet.

I too like Tangerine Dream.  I used to listen to electronica a lot more than I do now.  This site (with due respect to the management and other members) is not the best for non-classical.  I used to like DDD for that.  It also used to have a very good classical section at one time but it's fallen by the wayside over the past year or so.  I think that the problem may be that at DDD one has to register to find out what's going on in there. 

Nice to hear You like TD. I don't know DDD-forum.

[Topaz]

The good news is, that one of my friends is willing to sell his Cyrus two, for almost nothing. If I like it, I will send it to be serviced, to get a pristine amplifier back. But first listen to it.

Here's a cheaper alternative.  Remove the cover.  Get an air duster and give it a good blow out.  The mode selector contacts can oxidise, causing an apparent interference on some modes.  But all you do is place a drop or two of sewing machine oil on the contacts from inside the box as you twiddle the selector.  Then clean the outside rear sockets with a suitable proprietary contact cleaner.  Mine's as good as the day I bought it, and I'd never sell it.  See if you can acquire a matching PSX, concurrent with the Cyrus 1/2 range. The result will be like a good "classic car".

[Harry]

Here's a cheaper alternative.  Remove the cover.  Get an air duster and give it a good blow out.  The mode selector contacts can oxidise, causing an apparent interference on some modes.  But all you do is place a drop or two of sewing machine oil on the contacts from inside the box as you twiddle the selector.  Then clean the outside rear sockets with a suitable proprietary contact cleaner.  Mine's as good as the day I bought it, and I'd never sell it.  See if you can acquire a matching PSX, concurrent with the Cyrus 1/2 range. The result will be like a good "classic car".

That is enough? Just cleaning it inside and clean the contacts.
O, and it is with a matching PSX.

[Harry]

There are minor differences between amplifier, differences I cannot fully understand but I have my theories (don't ask, I won't repeat my mistakes explaining my weird theories). In the end the price/desings/brand etc. are much more important than the differences in sound. Personally I'm fixated to NAD and I am not interested of other brands. I want Soft Clipping and EARS in my amp and other brands don't have them. I want cost-effective performance and NAD has that. However, I don't recommend NAD to anyone. If Harry wants Cyrus he better buy one. If a Naim makes Harry happy he should buy it. Harry must know 100 times more about this issue than I and I respect that. I stay quiet.

Nice to hear You like TD. I don't know DDD-forum.

I had several amplifiers from NAD in the past, but they are not really my brand, not clean enough in the mid range, and too fussy.

[longears]

Hi, Harry.  I don't have a 5350, but if I were seeking a new integrated in that price range it would be among the first I'd audition.  I do have a much older Creek, a 4040 bought in the early '90s, that I still use.  The sound is what I think of as "good British"--clean, extended enough for my middle aged hearing, adequate (but not the tightest) bass control, a sweet midrange that lets vocals sound natural, and without any of that etched, hyper-detailed quality that affects a notable segment of the high-end.  In short, "musical."  One thing I like about Creek is their good phono modules for a reasonable price.  Yes, I'm a bit of a fan--one of my friends used to be a Creek dealer and he put me onto them.  I like the little guys who make the stuff as a passion--a hobby that grew into a business--and who care more about music reproduction than about gizmos...and who respect their customers enough to care about value rather than about bragging rights among the class with too much disposable income and not enough sense.

Anthony Michaelson seems similar to Mike Creek in that respect.  I know you're aware of Musical Fidelity's fine qualities and the second-hand 308 certainly bears considering.  I almost bought one years ago and I've no complaints with the MF integrated I'm currently using, an A5.  Basically, I want equipment that just works, that passes the music through without calling attention to itself, and that's not all dolled-up with frivolous bells and whistles. 

[Harry]

Hi, Harry.  I don't have a 5350, but if I were seeking a new integrated in that price range it would be among the first I'd audition.  I do have a much older Creek, a 4040 bought in the early '90s, that I still use.  The sound is what I think of as "good British"--clean, extended enough for my middle aged hearing, adequate (but not the tightest) bass control, a sweet midrange that lets vocals sound natural, and without any of that etched, hyper-detailed quality that affects a notable segment of the high-end.  In short, "musical."  One thing I like about Creek is their good phono modules for a reasonable price.  Yes, I'm a bit of a fan--one of my friends used to be a Creek dealer and he put me onto them.  I like the little guys who make the stuff as a passion--a hobby that grew into a business--and who care more about music reproduction than about gizmos...and who respect their customers enough to care about value rather than about bragging rights among the class with too much disposable income and not enough sense.

Anthony Michaelson seems similar to Mike Creek in that respect.  I know you're aware of Musical Fidelity's fine qualities and the second-hand 308 certainly bears considering.  I almost bought one years ago and I've no complaints with the MF integrated I'm currently using, an A5.  Basically, I want equipment that just works, that passes the music through without calling attention to itself, and that's not all dolled-up with frivolous bells and whistles. 

I 100% agree with your assessment about a guy making this stuff his passion, and so I buy most of my stuff with a small shop that has dedicated owners.
The 308 is still a option, but I will audition the Creek in a week, and see what I make of it.

[Szykneij]

This is what I currently use:



I'll give it another 30 years and maybe start looking for something else. 

[71 dB]

I had several amplifiers from NAD in the past, but they are not really my brand, not clean enough in the mid range, and too fussy.

There you go, what is good for me is not good for you.

[drogulus]

     If you want your system to sound better, get better speakers and feed them with sufficient power, which means if you think you need 100wpc you really need 200wpc to get the full dynamic range.

     I would get something like this:

     
     The NAD 325, lineal descendent of the legendary 3020. An excellent basic integrated amp to feed a 2.1 system, with 2 small speakers like this:

     

     This is PSB's current small speaker, the Alpha B1 monitor. Accurate and efficient (91dB), you can run it on a low power integrated like the above.

     
     When you have the cash, add a sub like this one:

     

      Outlaws LFM-2 goes down to 28 Hz in a small (8" driver) package.

      Now for the last step in a 2.1 channel system, you would get a power amp and run it from the pre-outs on the integrated, and this one is the kind you want:

     
     The Crown XLS 202D pro amp will blow away most "audiophile" amps costing 5 times as much.
   
     What would this cost?

     ~$700 for integrated amp and speakers

     Then later ~$300 for the sub.

     The last step, the power amp that takes it into audiophile territory, is an additional ~$300.

     The best part is that at every stage you have a great sounding fully functional system, which you can improve without discarding anything. Also, the brands are not that important, and you can find substitutes for all of these that will do just as well. It's the concept of building a system on a solid workable foundation that counts.

      So, for a final investment of ~$1300 you will have a 2 channel system that does what you want, and you won't have to pay a fortune to get it. 

[Harry]

Well in the end I bought a second hand Bryston amplifier and a pre from Audiolab, class A, 8000c.
And well satisfied I am, still 10 years warranty on it.

[Coopmv]

Yes Daverz, there is a dealer, and I am going to check it out.
Do you have it yourself, and if, could you describe the sound, and other things you think are strong points of these Amplifiers?

All Bryston amps have a 20-year warranty.  This may be true for an integrated as well.