Quote:
Originally Posted by hdvidguy
I would believe having dedicated pre and amp would give you the best sound with 800 D3. It’s a great investment.
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I agree that a Pre and power combo would sound better but he was on a tight budget and I have heard how well the Arcam works with the 805D3 and 702S2
Normally the 804 and up get partnered with pricier amps so I haven’t actually heard the Arcam SA30 with the 804
I’ve recently been playing with an Accuphase E380 which I really like - really complements the Diamond tweeter. They have the E480 which has more power too and they have monos that are stable down to 1 or 2 ohm loads.
While it is true Rotel is used in Bowers designs, I reckon it was only true for some of the lower ranges. The higher end models used to be designed with Classe. So it definitely pays to try a better amp to go with the 800s. The old adage about fitting cheap tires to Ferraris still applies. I feel if you are already splurging for an 800 series, it’s worth stepping up the amp quality too.
And as much as Rotel is a good brand, I always feel their best days are behind them. The new models very often feel like reskinned versions of their older models. Some would say the older ones were even better built.