Amp for Uni-Fi Reference

Equipment / Electronics / Gear / Accessories Speaker Amps
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Using a Soekris 2451 through a Vioelectric V281 as a pre-amp, to drive a pair of Elac Uni-Fi Reference bookshelf speakers (UBR62), what would be your top picks for amplification.

I am in a small to midsized room, at a relatively large desk. Speakers are 6+ feet from side walls, but right up against back wall. At the outside of nearfield, to the inner edge of mid-field, as I sit roughly 6’-7’ from each speaker, which are about 6’ from one another.

Even though the specified speakers aren’t very sensitive, I don’t think I need a lot of power - currently sufficing off a 1990’s era stereo receiver that puts out 45 wpc, and can readily overpower my whole house with sound if I ask it to. No, I don’t think I need a lot of power, though I wouldn’t mind getting up into the 60+ watt range (or even more) if that turns out to be very reasonable.

Instead, I am just looking for the cleanest, most resolving and detailed sound I can get without painful sibilance or harsh fatiguing treble. Mostly looking for that sweet spot where technical performance meets pleasing sound.

Current candidates include Rotel RB-1552 MkII, parasound A23+, and Emotiva XPA-2, Gen 3. Am I barking completely up the wrong tree? Should I be looking much higher or lower for these speakers? I had originally been thinking monoblocks, but it seems every dedicated monoblock I find is just so much power, I can’t help but believe they’re designed for a very different use-case.

Budget goal is to be appropriate to the speakers in question - I’m not even entirely sure how much amp is an appropriate match to a $1000 pair of speakers, but I would bet that going beyond the $2000 or so space rapidly gets into waste-of-money territory pretty rapidly?

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I have never heard your Uni-Fis before, but I can vouch for the Parasound A23+ as being a great amp that definitely matches your clean, very detailed/resolving, and not overly bright description. Every one of their Halo series amps that I have tried have been fantastic. I don’t think you’d go wrong grabbing the A23+.

As far as how much to spend on an amp for $1000 speakers, I don’t think there’s a specific rule of thumb you need to follow. Sure, you probably don’t need to spend a few times the amount you did on the speakers, but if you have a pair of $1k speakers you really dig, there’s nothing wrong with buying the best amp you can reasonably afford for them. Especially because buying a solid amp can also just be looked at as a great investment in a future upgrade to the speakers when that time comes. That said, I think you’re looking in the right neighborhood.

P.S. Sounds like you have one BIG desk! :flushed:

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Thanks for the input! Great to hear the Parasound option is so well endorsed.

I am kind of cheating on the desk - I built a shelf behind / above the desk for the speakers to sit on, and I still need a pull-out drawer for my mouse and keyboard.

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LOL! I was gonna say that is a big friggin desk! :laughing: Hey, more power to ya (Pun intended!) I like the choices. If it were me I would be leaning towards the Parasound as well.

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How do you like the UBR62?
I have been thinking on them or the Carina for my office and I sit in a similar distance,

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I wish I could tell you. It’s been a pretty rough year, and I had to go other directions. Still wishing I had bought these when this thread was fresh though.

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