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My local audio dealer is offering me a b/n, demo unit Creek 5350SE (original pre-classic model) for $700. The unit has been in the shop for a few years so he just wanted to unload at cost.I have a Spendor S3/5 setup in my office driven by a NAD C352 - decent sound but nothing really outstanding. Vocals which the S3/5 is supposed to be magical does not show up in this setup.
To those of you who have heard the 5350SE-S3/5 combo what did you think of the synergy? Thanks.
Follow Ups:
Sorry if I'm late on this, but:
Before upgrading the NAD, I strongly recommend replacing the pre/amp jumpers with a revealing interconnect or after market jumpers. I found pure silver to work best with my NAD/Spendor combo.
I also replaced my speaker cables with something more revealing.
I used the Spendors in a 2nd system in my home office where I tend to like to listen at low volume levels. While I often considered getting rid of the NAD for a higher priced amp (and the Creek was one of the amps I considered), I think you would need a high current amp to improve the low level resolution of the Spendors. I ended up getting a different speaker that sounds better at low volumes and works well with my NAD.
I've done the pre-power jumper thing with the NAD using a pair of high quality pure silver I/Cs. I've also got pure silver I/Cs running from the CDP to the amp and compared these with OFC I/C. All with differences but none made the S3/5 sing. Sounded good, but IMO nothing special.I've mentioned elsewhere that I tested the 200wpc Plinius 9200 with the Spendor and that was magic so you're probably right about the extra power. But i'm not ready to shell out $3T for an amp in an office system I seldom use.
I like the S3/5 especially when I heard it sing with the Plinius so i'm not about to give up on the speaker yet.
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it seems trying the 5350SE with the S3/5 may be a worthwhile thing to do. At the $700 price if it ends up not synergizing i'll just resell and probably still recover my money.
I'm interested in hearing you compare the 5350SE to the NAD 352 using your Spendor speakers. If you don't think the 5350SE/Spendor combo is "magic" see if you can give the Epos M5 or the Naim integrated a try.I know it's hard to resist a $1500 integrated for $700 but you might want to check the UK reviews of the NAD v. the Creek (I think they compete price wise in that market) before you spend the money.
Either way let us know what you hear. Thanks!
Give me rhythm or give me death!
I'm not aware there are reviews that compared the 5350SE with the C352 - i'll check these before I buy. It may give me some clue on what kind of improvement I can expect moving from the NAD to the Creek.
I am afraid they are not in the same market. The NAD C342 is UKP300 and Creek 5350SE is UKP850. The NAD normally is in the same market of the Creek 4330.
Argh! Can't imagine they sell many of them if it's got to compete with the NAD. This was was using Spendor and Epos loudspeakers too!I thought we had to pay somekind of import premium for the Creek and the 5350SE would be more competitive in the UK market.
I am afraid they are not in the same market.
Yea too bad. But $700 US for a new 5350SE isn't bad at all.
Don't underestimate the 4330. A couple years ago, one of my friend brought his 3K highly raved US amp (no name mentioned here) to my place asking me to evaluate it. His own speakers is later generation Vandy 2C(forgot sufix). The speakers that I used for demo was the EPOS M15s. After a series listening with his, then I plug in the 4330. I did not say anything. After finished playing the 4330SE, he took a deep breath and said 'I like the Creek better'.
I believe it. The 4330 used during my demo's with the M5s and the S3/5 was the least desireable of all the amps involved. Later I brought other speakers in including a Totem and a the Vandy 1Cs. I was replacing an NAD BEE integrated that in the US costs about 1/2 of what the Creek sells for. Of all the integrateds used the 352 and the 4330 were the least expensive.This was kind of a tough test for the 4330 as I think all of the amps involved were stellar some cost more the twice the price of the 4330 - Stingray, Mambo and Naim included. I ended up chosing Vandersteen 1Cs with the NAD 352.
That all being said your experiences don't surprise me one bit - every situation is going to be different. I'm sure the 4330 shines in many systems - just didn't work out for me.
Looking for magic?I'd buy the Creek and consider replacing the Spendors with a pair of Epos M5's or better Epos 2 way standmount.
Wanna keep the Spendors try the little Naim integrated.
The Creek with the Spendors or the Naim with the Epos will be ok, actually real good, but you claim to be looking for magic. From what I've heard (not rumour but actually listened to) Naim/Spendor or Creek/Epos is the way to go. If you were doing the Spendor Classics (not the S series) I'd probably go for the Naim/Spendor combination but otherwise I'd take the Creek/Epos. Don't get me wrong - the Nait with the S3/5 is really damn good too and I'm betting others would consider this the best combination of the lot.
The 352 is a great amp. If you were doing the Vandersteen 1C I'd say keep it and save your money until you can step beyond the little Naim or the 5350SE. But for your office or a small home sytem the synergy between some of this UK gear really should be considered.
Sorry about the "rant". It's just my experiences - hope it helps.
I think the Creek 5350 is an outstanding component. It does a beautiful job with my Quad ESL 63's. It's transparent and free of grain IF...and this is an important IF...
You must replace the standard u-bars with low capacitance interconnects.
It took me almost two years before I discovered this. I tried a wide range of interconnects and could never get the Creek to produce anything but highly congested, bass-anemic, very disappointing sound. Finally I read an Asylum post regarding capacitance in cables. I happened to have a set of Audioquest cables with are marketed as "low capacitance." Plugged 'em in and.. voila. I finally got the sound I'd been searching for.
I must say, during the two years I owned the unit before I discovered this, I had it back to the importer for service twice. Neither the service person or Roy Hall ever suggested the importance of the right type of cables. In fact Roy, the importer, urged me to go back to the u-bars.
I was very disappointed with Creek in this regard.
Apparently the capacitance is an isssue because or the passive nature of the Creek pre-amp. Anyway, things are fine now, but I will always be disappointed that Creek made no effort to inform its customers of this critically important issue.
"I must say, during the two years I owned the unit before I discovered this, I had it back to the importer for service twice. Neither the service person or Roy Hall ever suggested the importance of the right type of cables."
I drove S3/5 for a while with a Nait5i and I really liked the combination. The 5350SE I suspect will sound even better with the S3/5 since it's slightly fuller sounding and more powerful (the S3/5, being insensitive and slightly underdamped in the midbass seems to prefer a stout amp).I don't know why the S3/5 has gotten the reputation for preferring tubes -- it isn't an LS3/5, after all.
The 5350SE seem to be seen as a slight step up from the Nait5i so maybe there's something there. I've tried the S3/5 with a Plinius 9200 and it is a heavenly match - nothing more to ask. But that amp is many times more expensive than the $700 5350SE.
Maybe it gets you a bit more where you'd like to be, but I wouldn't expect any magic from that combo. I own a pair of 3/5 SE in my second system, they shine with tubes. I tried the 5350 in the main rig. It's just an OK affordable SS amp, nothing more nothing less.Ask the dealer to let it for a home audition, it's the only way to really know how it will do.
Did you actually try the 5350SE with your S3/5SE? You mentioned you tried the amp in your main rig while the S3/5SE was in your second system.
It's a pity you cannot listen to it. When a friend of mine, who reviews gear for a magazine, lent me the Creek I didn't have the S3/5SE at home, so I couldn't try both together.It's a nice amp, and at that price you cannot go very wrong. If it's not what you expect you might resell it without a big loss. IMHO it's more juicy and bodyful than the NAD.
the 5350 is a pretty refined little integrated for the money, but it can't make a spendor 3/5 sound like an ls3/5.....that would indeed be magic.
You're right. A really good amp would make them sound better hahahaha.
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