To Hans Wetzel,
Great job with your detailed review of the Technics SU-G700 integrated amplifier-DAC. I am looking for a new integrated amplifier with or without a DAC, or an all-in-one. I have the Naim Audio Uniti Atom now and it’s an excellent sounding all-in-one. However, I need a bit more power at higher volume.
I have Monitor Audio Gold 100 (5th generation) speakers, which are 4 ohms and 86dB sensitivity, and I’m thinking they would benefit from a more powerful integrated amplifier. There are lots of choices: Naim’s Uniti Nova, which is very expensive; the PS Audio Stellar Strata, which is fairly new at $2999 (US dollars) and is an all-in-one; the Technics you reviewed, to which I could add a Bluesound Node 2i; and gear from Hegel Music Systems, Simaudio Moon, and more.
I did have the Hegel Röst before the Atom but could never get the streaming function to work properly. It kept freezing in the middle of tracks while using Mconnect Player. I tried everything, then sold it and bought the Atom. Looking back now I probably should have kept it and added a streamer. Oh, well. You know what happens with this hobby.
So, to get to the point again, which integrated amp powerful enough to make my Monitor Golds sing at all volume levels would you recommend? The Golds were reviewed on [this site by Diego Estan].
Thanks,
Gerald Greene
Canada
I note that that your Naim makes roughly 70Wpc into 4 ohms, which isn’t a lot. The Technics doubles that -- at 140Wpc into 4 ohms you’ll get an additional three decibels of headroom, which should definitely help your cause. I really liked the Technics, so it might be a good solution for you.
Hegel, Simaudio Moon, and PS Audio are all reputable brands making good gear, but I don’t want to push you in one direction over another without knowing more about what you’re looking for in terms of sound or functionality. Given the difficulties you had streaming from Mconnect to the Röst, I would advise considering a separate streamer if you decide on a Hegel amplifier.
The only other integrated amp that I’d throw into the mix is Parasound’s HINT 6. It makes 240Wpc into 4 ohms and should ensure that your Monitor Gold 100s never run out of juice. Happy hunting! . . . Hans Wetzel
