Take a look at the internals. The 3 has 2 output devices per channel and small transformer. The 5 has 4 output devices per channel and a much larger transformer. Which one do you think will offer better performance?
I wouldn’t settle for the 3, I’d go straight to the 5. I did and love every moment of listening to music with it.
If you’re cool with it, check out the used market. I got mine second hand, probably had about 10 hours on it, in original box with all contents included. Probably saved about a grand going that route.
Yes that's a good point. And at over 32 pounds it's a chunk. I want one, I want one. Anybody wanna buy about 3 cool integrated amps? Suddenly I have some for sale LOL.
This thread got quiet, just wondering if anyone managed to buy one? I was listening to music last night and was just thinking how much I love this amp. For the first time in forever I’m enjoying the music without obsessing over what I need to improve in my setup. Does this amp run hot though!
I know this thread is stale now but I wanted to add a comment about the MF m5si. I have been an audiophile for decades and I have owned many high end amps from all the usual players. About a year ago I changed careers and decided to downsize everything. I now own a Musical Fidelity M5si and have been listening to it regularly for months. This amp is superb. It’s a steal at $2k new (I bought mine for $1000 used). When I first started listening to the amplifier, I thought it was less revealing than some of the competitors such as Hegel or Bryston, but that turned out to be a mistaken impression. It is less forward then some of the competitor amplifiers but it is still immensely detailed with fabulous clarity. But because it is less forward it has a richness to the sound that those other amps cannot compete with. I also feel that the sound is much more layered and textured and three-dimensional then the competing amplifiers. And finally I’ll say the bass is suoerb. Deep tight textured three-dimensional and lush. The amp is shockingly good for the money. Highly recommended.
Awesome! Nice to see another Musical Fidelity owner. I’ve had mine for a year now, and it still impresses everyday. I really started appreciating how musical it is after about 4-5 months, I guess breaking in really helped this amp. Actually the amp disappears into the background and the music is front and center.
I auditioned a M5si for about 2 weeks, it was a great listen for sure. Nice build quality and big sound, ultimately I picked the Parasound Halo integrated, it just offered me more of what I was looking for.
I'm not sure what you mean by poor recordings, but in my case whether I'm playing bootlegs or something like Robert Johnson on vinyl, the sound is great. One thing I noticed is that the poor recordings seem to open up a tad more compared to the other amps I owned, such as the Marantz 6005. This amp really does everything really well.
So i've bought the m5si to power KEF R300 speakers. Previously i had Cambridge Audio CXA60 (accompanied by Arcam irDac). I have to say that i'm quite underwhelmed right now. I was expecting to get better bass response with m5si, but so far it seems like Cambridge Audio was better in that regard. To be honest, i'm unable to point one thing that i could call an upgrade. Can someone tell me that this thing gets better in months? By the way, what DAC does this amp have? I was quite surprised that the internal one sounds better than my Arcam irDac (when connected to this amp). When i bought CXA60, i did decide veeery quickly that irDac is the way to go. And now it seems like i'll have to go for Chord Qutest?
Both the CXA60 and the m5si provide technically good solid state amplification. I will be the first to admit that overall sound quality will always vary somewhat between amps, but why did you expect one to have significantly better bass response than the other? And by better do you mean more precise bass? Or just 'more'? Have you tried moving your speakers around to find the optimal positioning for bass response? That is where I expect you can find a solution.
The amp needs to break in, and as I've stated previously, it needs to be warmed up for at least 2 hours before listening time. I've followed this with excellent results. I'm not familiar with the Cambridge Audio, but perhaps you thought this would be some sort of an upgrade, and it's actually a lateral move.
@G B Kuipers , more precise is what i meant (i think?). I really like when the midbass is kicking in your chest. How do you name that kind of bass? Regarding expectations, well... I was under impression that MF will be a step up from that 60w amp. Because of all the reviews and the price tag... I swear i've read number of times about how more powerful quality amps gives something extra even at low levels. I'll admit that i've bought it without having a good technical understanding (and obviously experience). And yes, i've moved the speakers to every possible inch of this god damn room. The room caused me to change the whole system of mine actually. This is a temporary residence so i didn't consider room-treating it. But i've found some "not great, not terrible" spots after all. And move from Elac UB5 to KEF R300 did wonders! Ok, back to the amp. I still, i feel like M5si is a future proof solution for me. I'm pretty sure it will grow on me. I just need a pair of paychecks... Guys, have any of you auditioned M[5|6]si with Chord Qutest? Any impressions and comparisons against the MF internal DAC?
What's the purpose of a two hour warm-up before listening? My amp sounded awesome straight out of the box, but, I still initiated a break-in period, leaving the amp on for 100 hours. At that point, I turned on my amp/source and listened immediately, and have continued to do so now over a year later. Are we talking about the same amp? I honestly can't claim my M5si runs hot... runs cooler than my vintage Marantz.
Really? Oh my M5si runs hot, which is normal. The manual actually states that a warm up of 2 hours prior to listening is preferred, and the difference is noticeable.
Your speakers are rated frequency response: 50-28,000 Hz (±3 dB) To get better bass you need to add a sub.
You're making false statements... nowhere in the manual does it state a two hour warm up is preferred prior to listening !! So, please enlighten us with your claim 'the difference is noticeable' ??? I'm not about to quibble over ones definition of hot, and what is normal.
Anyone knows if there’s a significant gap between the m6si and the older m6i (other than the absence of an internal DAC on the m6si)? Thanks
