It is your fault Organ.

STUFFMD

It was your post that got me going on the C270 anyway..had been wanting to upgrade and when I found one only a year old for $350 delivered I was all over it.
It's like Mantis was saying guys..speaker wire and cables are like chemistry some mix better than others with equipment, no 2 amps/speakers will sound the same with different cables. Just because a particular cable sounds harsh or flat, doesn't mean it's a bad cable, just means it doesn't match well with your system.
Unfortunately it is very hard to test all your equipment with several cables..just have to do homework...know what kind of sound/tweek you are looking for. In my case the Kimber 4tc's were fatiguing with my Oink..which is bright anyway ..I am sure that won't be the same with the C270, am looking for clearer highs, more open and transparent sound.
Stuff

mantis

Your right on the money here.

pjdami

Stuff,

Great deal on the C270.

You seem to be going through what I went through a couple of months ago. I bought my C270 and was using my Yamaha RX-V1300 as a preamp. The sound definitely improved here when I used the external NAD amp. More dynamic range and it just seemed that the external amp just had better control of the speaker. However, if you are going to be using the Onkyo as a preamp (like I did with the yamaha), the preamp section will still have a significant sonic signature which it puts on the overall sound. I had to purchase a seperate 2 channel preamp just to prove to myself how much impact the preamp stage really makes (hence I found a great deal on a B&K PT5 preamp).

I think you will enjoy the upgrade in performance. Now as far as the brightness problem, it will be interesting to read about what you hear as a difference.

Paul

mantis

Onkyo/Integra and Yamaha for years have been extremely bright.I don't know why they are that way but man,ear bleeding.You should try the combo of Klipsch Reference and Yamaha driving.....man.

organ

STUFF,
Which post are you referring to? I told you about it in your previous thread about the hero cable and before I replied you had already ordered yourself the amp.

I had my Onkyo 575 powering the 800i's for about 2 yeras and didn't find it bright unless I really pump up the volume(really loud). I actually liked the combination especially for HT. The NAD is a laid back sound and this is what's puzzling me about the combo being too bright. PJ is right about the seperate pre-amp but I've never heard an amp used together with a receiver that had a decrease in sound quality. It always sounded better than the receiver's amp section.

There is one thing to do which could change the sound. Are you using the fixed or variable input? Because my pre has the same impedance as the amp's input, I am using the fixed input/output for the two.

The variable input was designed for maximum signal transfer from the pre(in your case the Onkyo) to the amps input. In order to achieve this, both the pre-out and input on the amp must have the same impedance. Because you are using a mixed brand combination, it's a good idea to play around with the variable input knob to try to match the impedance of the Onkyo's pre-outs. The easiest is to usee a multimeter and measure the input and output jacks but doing it by ear will also make an audible differece as the input resistance is incresed or decreased. It's possible that your current setting may have a big difference in impedance that the signals received may not have a flat frequency band.

This is the only thing I could think of at the moment. I hope we find a cure for your problem real soon.

Maurice

STUFFMD

Hey Maurice,
I don't have the NAD yet, it should be here this week. I had stated before that the combination of the Oink reciever, kimber 4tc's and the 800's had a lot more open and clear sound, but also harsh and fatiguing in a short time...I love my current setup for HT..that's what the setup was made for and does very well, for the money I am very pleased and would stack it up against anything even costing more.....I have not been happy with the 800's/current setup in CD listening though...Organ I think it was your post where you took your 800's and hooked them up to your 2 channel rig and the results you got, got me looking into and eventually deciding on the 270....I was considering Outlaw for a while, but with the NAD reviews and the price of he NAD at only 1 year old...I couldn't pass it up. I think the combo C270, Rt800's and Kimber 4 tc's , will be outstanding and am looking forward to playing with my new toys...LOL.
Paul thanks for the words, yeah, for now I will be using the Oink for a PRE, I will buy a couple more amps and then decide how to go with the pre...I was thinking just get the NAD c370 integrated soon just for musical listening.
Thanks, for the input guys. Stuff

organ

STUFF,
Sorry man, I was too heavily under the influence while reading and replying to your original post. That's why I had to edit my previous reply. It didn't make any sense when I was reading it a while after.

Have you considered using the C160 for your pre? It's the same pre amp section as the C370. The C160/270 combo is basically the C370 in seperate boxes. The Gramaphone thought the seperates souned better.

Let us know what you think when you get the amp.


Maurice