A Week with a BasX-A300

[mrloren]

Hello,

Well last Tuesday I received my A300, got it all hooked in. Used Audioquest RCA to go from my AVR to the amp.  Took a bit to get Audyssey dialed in. Some reason I get massive valleys in the 80hz zone so I have to play with the speakers by covering the power port. Took about 5 tries till I was able to get a flat setting in the 80hz zone. Leaving just the plain Audyssey setting has a rather hollow sound to it.

System;
Marantz SR5010
Oppo BDP-93, Sony DVP-NS3100ES and a Panasonic BDT460
Speakers are Polk Signature S60 main TSX250C center RC80 surrounds and TC80i for fron high
Sub, HSU VTF3-MK5

Music;
Listened all last week to some great CD's, I'm from old school 70's and 80's rock.

These were on the Sony DVP-NS3100ES hooked to AVR with Audioquest Pearl HDMI AVR in "pure direct"
UFO no place to run remastered; This CD played great, Phil Mogg vocals came out so nice and clear it was a total night and day for me
Scorpions Moment of Glory; OMG is all I can say Just the total added detail to this entire CD had me listen to it 3 days straight 
Gun & Roses 1st CD; I like this CD but adding an amp adds so much more detail then it was easy to see this is a bad recording of a great CD. 
Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; I had this on Sunday morning. I was once again amazed at the detail and sir Elton's vocals being almost life like. I didn't have it too loud around -20db and the wife went for the remote. Normal for her to turn it down. Nope not this time she turned it up saying "it sounds so great"
Rush 2112; Nothing I can say but as soon as it finished I played it again. 

Oppo BDP-93 hooked to AVR with Audioquest Cinnamon HDMI in "pure direct". The Oppo plays SACD via HDMI while the Sony does not
Started with some Audiophile greatest Vocal Recordings. This was another OMG how sweet it is. Vocals came through so crisp and clear. I went and turned off the sub put the speakers in full range. Bass was nice and snappy while the vocals came through soo nice.
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms. Once again the SACD mastering made a great CD even better. So clean full and detailed

Panasonic BDT460 hooked to AVR with Audioquest pearl HDMI
War of the Worlds new one
I was watching thinking something is missing on the audio, when the alien came out of the ground and my house wasn't shaking oops forgot to turn the sub back on.  Hit pause flipped the switch and changed the AVR back to small and 80HZ.. Once again the audio track came out much nicer. The AVR has more power to drive the center and surrounds.

We watched a few other movies over the weekend, Overall a much better movie experience. 

Overall it's hard but simple to explain at the same time. My Marantz AVR I thought I was in audio bliss. Adding this nice little amp to the system has added more detail, fuller and cleaner sound.  So far I say I made a wise choice powering my towers with this amp. I consider this $400 very well spent. 

So for this being more of an entry level amp I could just wonder what one of the bigger amps would be like. Time to start saving for a 3 channel XPA, that's easier said than done.

Cheers

[klinemj]

Glad you are enjoying the amp. Emotiva does a great job with amps...I had a similar experience when I added my XPA-2 to my system, then again as I added an XPA-5.

Mark

[creimes]

First separates were adding two UPA-1's to my Yamaha AVR and I was like wowwwwww The first time I actually heard into the music, I've been hooked since.

FYI, if you really want to hear those albums for the good or the bad lol add a XSP-1 between the AVR and amp, used they come around at $600 or so and for music the 2ch XSP-1 is really really good, would be a huge upgrade from that Marantz, IMO anyhow.

Chad

Oh and also don't get caught up in expensive or overpriced cables, I purchased a Audioquest USB cable at one time and noticed zero difference from my free printer cable, put the money into the gear and buy decently built cables from the likes of Emotiva, Blue Jeans Cable or even Monoprice, just my .02 of course

[mrloren]

Aug 31, 2017 22:59:22 GMT -5 creimes said:

First separates were adding two UPA-1's to my Yamaha AVR and I was like wowwwwww The first time I actually heard into the music, I've been hooked since.

FYI, if you really want to hear those albums for the good or the bad lol add a XSP-1 between the AVR and amp, used they come around at $600 or so and for music the 2ch XSP-1 is really really good, would be a huge upgrade from that Marantz, IMO anyhow.

Chad

Oh and also don't get caught up in expensive or overpriced cables, I purchased a Audioquest USB cable at one time and noticed zero difference from my free printer cable, put the money into the gear and buy decently built cables from the likes of Emotiva, Blue Jeans Cable or even Monoprice, just my .02 of course

I hear you on the cables, If it wasn't for a BestBuy gift card I would have never bought the Cinn. The pearl are about the same price or a little cheaper than BJC. I like cables that when I put them in they work and will works for years. I do like Monoprice speaker wire but will never buy their HDMI again. I also get a discount @ BB, friend son works there I just tell him what I want and he gets 10% or more off. 

But this thread is about a great little amp not our opinions on cables

[creimes]

Sept 1, 2017 0:53:54 GMT -5 mrloren said:

Aug 31, 2017 22:59:22 GMT -5 creimes said:

First separates were adding two UPA-1's to my Yamaha AVR and I was like wowwwwww The first time I actually heard into the music, I've been hooked since.

FYI, if you really want to hear those albums for the good or the bad lol add a XSP-1 between the AVR and amp, used they come around at $600 or so and for music the 2ch XSP-1 is really really good, would be a huge upgrade from that Marantz, IMO anyhow.

Chad

Oh and also don't get caught up in expensive or overpriced cables, I purchased a Audioquest USB cable at one time and noticed zero difference from my free printer cable, put the money into the gear and buy decently built cables from the likes of Emotiva, Blue Jeans Cable or even Monoprice, just my .02 of course

I hear you on the cables, If it wasn't for a BestBuy gift card I would have never bought the Cinn. The pearl are about the same price or a little cheaper than BJC. I like cables that when I put them in they work and will works for years. I do like Monoprice speaker wire but will never buy their HDMI again. I also get a discount @ BB, friend son works there I just tell him what I want and he gets 10% or more off. 

But this thread is about a great little amp not our opinions on cables

Totally understand, I just don't like seeing people get caught up in spending more than they need to on cables haha, been there and done that.

Chad

[vneal]

I too have a BasX A300 and think it is one of the current top 5 audio bargains

[stiehl11]

My daughter has the A-300... I wanted to trade her my UPA-2 for it!

[mrloren]

Sept 1, 2017 15:10:49 GMT -5 stiehl11 said:

My daughter has the A-300... I wanted to trade her my UPA-2 for it!

Don't blame you there it is one sweet amp,

Had to do a vacation burn today (too many hours on the books) I was going to do yard work but 103f outside in SoCal so it was a day of house cleaning and rocking. house got up to 88f before I decided to pay San Diego Greed and  Extortion and turn on the AC. AVR was warm to hot, amp was nice and cool still after hours of cranking.

Watched the newest Fast and Furious tonight such a great improvement.