Don Pearce wrote:
On Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:49:54 +0530, Sharad wrote:

Hi,

I listen to acoustic and vocal music. I love intimate close miked vocals and a lot of detail in my
music.
After listing to a few speakers, I have narrowed down to KEF iQ9 floor standers.
Now I need to select a matching amplifier. Any suggestions?

I have read some good reviews for the new Rotel RA-05 in W-HiFi. Going by the specs, a combination
of RA-06 + RB-06 sound exiting, if I use them to bi-amp the KEF iQ9. I have read that Rotel matches
well with B&W, but I haven't auditioned the B&W yet.

The choice of speakers is not cast in stone yet, so suggestions are welcome on that front too.

Thanks,
Sharad

Choose the amplifier on the basis of features - does it have the
inputs you need? Does it have enough power for your speakers? Does it
look right in the room? The amplifier has advanced in design so far
today that you will be unable to tell them apart by sound.

As for the speakers, they need to match your room rather than the
music. Your room may be bright or dull - reverberant or absorptive,
and that is what will eventually determine which speakers work best.
Nobody here will be able to tell you which (they are fooling
themselves if they try). You need to get friendly with a good dealer
who will let you "try before you buy" a few different models so you
can make up your mind.

Finally one piece of advice I always give. If one particular speaker
makes you go "WOW, that's great", send it back to the dealer. You
won't be able to live with it in the long term, because good speakers
don't do that - they are invisible in the acoustic sense.

d


Sharad,

This is the best advice I've yet read on this NG. I should have written
it myself, but Don got there first. I would only add that the acoustics
of the room make a *huge* difference, and it will pay you to treat an
excessively lively room before making a final choice on 'speakers. I
have never found a normal domestic room to be excessively dead,- there's
normally enough diffusing materials around- so it's normally excess
brightness that needs treating.

S.