Stereo set for music / movies (HDMI and room correction would be nice)

Oz1um

Some history
As a student I bought my first 'serious' hifi stereo. Obviously I was a bit budget constrained but the stereo set has served me well and I've been happy with it.

My student setup:
Marantz PM7200 amplifier (2 x 95 Watts into 8 ohm)
Marantz CD7300 CD player
2x Dali Suite 1.7 (a local special edition in which they upgraded the internal wiring and speaker terminals)
Added a  bit later: Pro-ject Debut Carbon record player

In time the lack of digital inputs became a real bother and I made a side-step by replacing the Marantz amplifier by a Marantz AVR.

Marantz PM7200 -> Marantz SR6008 (specced at 2x 110W @ 8 Ohm)

I play most of my music nowadays through my mediaplayer (Nvidia Shield TV) and the occasional LP. After upgrading my TV to a 4k OLED (LG 7C) I had some issues with the HDMI switching when playing 4k content (flickering). Now I use the amplifier through HDMI ARC and connect my HDMI devices to the TV (game console   Shield TV).

The system is getting a bit long in the tooth - my speakers are dented and chipped after moving some times, and I kind of hate what the switch to the AVR did to the quality of my music. On the other hand I'm a pragmatic person that just wants his audio to work. Time for an upgrade indeed..

Current Setup   
Amp:      Marantz SR6008
Sources: LG OLED C7V 55 inch TV (HDMI)
              NVIDIA Shield TV @ Spotify (HDMI to TV, then HDMI ARC to amp)
              A game console - currently a Nintendo Switch (HDMI to TV, then HDMI ARC to amp)
              Pro-ject Debut Carbon record player
Speaker: 2x Dali Suite 1.7 Special edition

Upgrade wishlist
I want to get a good stereo setup that will mostly be used for music, but should also work for watching movies/series/playing video games.

Me and my partner have a bit of a broad taste in music - classical, jazz, doom, post-punk, drone, ambient..  So preferably something that can cover a broad range but emphasis on instruments and soundstage.

The electronics will  be stowed away in my TV furniture so even though It has some space to breathe I don't want a high heat generating device. I also look for seamless TV integration - meaning that it should turn on when I turn on my TV and my TV remote controls the volume.

Last but not least I have a 1930's style home with a wooden floor, bay windows and a semi-opened glass shutter door. Even though I have a large rug and curtains there are some challenging living room conditions. The room is about 20m2 (215 sq foot).

Budget and initial thoughts on equipment
Budget is about as follows (with some slight flex)
- Amplifier              2000 euro
- Streamer / Dac    1000 euro (or 3000 integrated amp / streamer / dac)
- Speakers              2000 euro each

I want to be able to control the amplifier with the TV remote and don't want to manually turn on the amplifier every time I turn on the TV. I came to the conclusion that I need an HDMI (e)ARC connection. Am I right to assume this? Are there other options to achieve this?

If not, it narrows down the options for amplifiers quite a bit. Also, looking at the room I feel that DIRAC or other room correction will be benefitial.

Last but not least it would be great if the amplifier has a phono-amp. It saves buying a seperate one.

When I add all of this up I feel that I will end up with these amplifier options:
- Arcam SA30 (seems to do it all, including streaming and will fit in the budget - 2400 euro)
- NAD M10 (lacks the phono amp. I've auditioned the C388 and I've found them a bit devoid of liveliness so I'm a bit cautious)
- NAD C658 pre-amp   HDMI module  power amp  
- NAIM integrateds look nice but lack room correction
- Lyngdorf TDAI 2170   modules (this stretches the budget a bit but it's an option)

Am I missing something? Anything on the horizon that fits my requirements?

The Arcam SA30 seems like it ticks all the boxes. Does it make sense to reverse the order of choosing the amplifier first and match the speakers later? Are the any speakers that are known to work well with the Arcam?

Any input is highly appreciated so I can narrow down my options before auditioning and choosing which dealer sells the top candidates.

mushii

You may also want to have a look at the Denon DRA800H  as it ticks most of your boxes also

4K Ultra HD HDMI (5 inputs, 1 output)
latest wireless music streaming technologies (Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and HEOS Built-in),
network streaming
USB front-panel audio playback of MP3, WAV, FLAC, ALAC and DSD (2.8/5.6MHz) files.
A/B speaker terminals,
dual subwoofer pre-outs,
three digital and two analog inputs,
one phono (MM) input
ARC for TV audio
AK4458 DAC
Output power 8 Ohm (20 Hz - 20 kHz, T.H.D. 0.07%) 100 W (0.08%)

Oz1um

On a feature level this would work a treat. On a sound quality level I'm a bit afraid it will not bring me any better sound than my current setup.

Do you have experience with the SQ of this unit?

mushii

I do not unfortunately.
Sound wise it probably wont be much better - agreed
I know that it received excellent reviews but it wont be an Arcam at the end of the day.
I think you probably need to be shooting for that Lyngdorf if you want a step up in SQ.

gibbsy

For convenience sake you'll want a stereo amp that has HT by-pass. Audio for surround sound will be controlled by the receiver when watching TV or films. Connecting the speakers directly to the stereo amp will virtually make it separate system with your music sources being connected to the stereo amp. It can and does work very well but you will need to search for those amps that meet all your requirements.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Amplifiers with HT-bypass - update 03. September 2017                                                                                                        Audiophile.no has made a list of stereo preamps and integrated amps that have one sort of HT-bypass. This list is updated 3.september 2017 with ampli...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                audiophile.no

Paul7777x

Go for the Lyngdorf.

Room correction remedies a lot of room nasties. RP seems to be the best of the current bunch.

As for speakers, as you obviously like the Dalis, then these must be ok for consideration.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        DALI EPICON 2 – The powerful younger brother of the EPICON family                                                                                                        The EPICON 2 is the younger brother of the EPICON family, but don’t be fooled by its size. EPICON 2 brings an amazing sound and volume into your home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.dali-speakers.com                                                                               
Or, if you want whoppers,

                                                                                                                                                                                                        DALI RUBICON 8 - the top range model of the RUBICON series                                                                                                        The RUBICON 8 is the floor standing flagship of the RUBICON series with its three drivers and impressive deep physical bass, the RUBICON 8 is for those seeking the extraordinary sound.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.dali-speakers.com                                                                               
No problem with overblown bass as the Lyngdorf deals with that.

Or something form the mighty Dynaudio line,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Evoke 50 - Large floorstanding speaker for home audio - Dynaudio                                                                                                        Use them in stereo. Use them as part of an Evoke multi-channel home cinema system. However you listen to them, the word 'epic' won't be far from your lips.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                www.dynaudio.com                                                                               
As for streamers, there are so many... where to start...

Hixs

Arcam SR250  - SR250 - Stereo AV Receiver - Arcam

larkone

1 for the Lyngdorf - incredibly easy to setup room correction and worth every penny.

DT79

2 for the Lyngdorf. Deals can be had on the price of the modules. The HQ analogue module is worth it for your TT.

Oz1um

Thanks for the input - very much appreciated. The Lyngdorf looks nice indeed but it's really straining the budget if I want to get all the extras

2799 for the amplifier   2x 400 euro for the HDMI   Analogue modules

This will not get me streaming options - so let's say I go for a decent affordable option (Bluesound Node 2i) for 550 euro..

The grand total is 4150 euro - 1150 over budget.. Which stings a bit (I guess this is always how it goes with audio shopping haha). I have seen that some offer second hand or demo models and it might get closer to my original budget.

I will audition it next to the Arcam SA30 (unreleased but it ticks all the boxes within budget) somewhere later this month. Should I even consider adding more amplifiers to my shortlist?