My own experience at a local dealer showed these speakers have the potential to be overly bright depending on what equipment they're matched to. Forget exactly what the amplification was. Otherwise beautiful sounding speakers.
What are you moving away from? |
Just bought the speakers first :) now on the amp hunting spree Jaybe. thanks for your reply. Anything that you can suggest might be warm to balance the output of these speakers?
|
btw I would want to put it out that I am a bit scared of tubes and would prefer SS amps though.
|
The Hegel H160, is a superb sounding unit, with a superb DAC and has plenty of warmth (opinion by reviewers is it has Tube warmth while being SS). I have used mine with Focal Sopra No.2's and the combination is really nice. The H160 has superb soundstaging, imaging and depth. Never analytical and very musical to me. I can't comment on the others, try and bring one home for a week to demo. Synergy is critical. Some feel the Hegel is a bit too warm, not with my experience matched with the Sopras. I would bet it will be a great match to your Focals.
Good luck. |
I have the same speakers and they sound great with Pass amplifiers. I personally drive mine with a pair of xa100.5's along with a Pass Xp-20 pre-amp. They are not bright when driven with the proper electronics but can be if not.
Chuck
|
@toneranger58: Thanks for your reply Sir. I will demo it at home as per your advise. may I ask what speaker cables are you using? I think it would also depend on the kind of cables we use. thanks much for responding this is really helpful to me. Appreciate all your help sir :)
@czbbcl : Thank you Sir. I have read alot about pass but just havent come to a state to demo it. I have read some negative reviews about after sales service (if any needed) and that sort of pulled me back from trying them. What cables do you use along with your pass pre if you dont mind me asking? Thanks much for responding this is really helpful to me :) Appreciate all your help Sir.
|
For speaker cabling I have Silnote Poseidon, great bang for the buck. |
Chuck-
what cabling are you using? Happy Listening! |
OP-
what cabling are you considering? Happy Listening! |
Home Grown audio DNA interconnects and X-32 Speaker cables. Bad service form Pass? They always respond very quickly to any of my questions although never needed them for service.
Chuck |
Reno Hi-Fi offers a trial period just pay shipping to and fro if you don't keep the item .... |
@czbbcl : Thanks Chuck...in that case will look into pass as well.
@jafant : was looking at Transparent music wave + .... any comments on them?
|
Yes Jack- Transparent cabling is outstanding!
The company offers a very generous upgrade program so you are never "stuck" w/ any certain model. |
@jafant: thanks :)
@all: Auditioned Hegel H160 and Plinius Hautonga today on a pair of technics floorstanders (new ones after its rebirth)
Hautonga by Plinius - Warm sound but relaxed with a decent sound stage
Hegel H160- just Gorgeous enough to make me smitten! slightly warm but open sound stage. Amazing highs (heard Adele's vocals for both and loved Hegel a bit more)
However the dealer did say YBA's are just fantastic (he just came back from the munich hifi meet) but again I dont have YBA's to audition :'( |
I heard the Focal 1008Be paired with a Rogue Chronus Magnum at Stereotypes AV here in Portland - I'd spent a wonderful afternoon auditioning ARC Ref75 SE and Devialet D200 with Sopra No2's and Utopia Scala's and happened to spot this setup in their downstairs room. I was more than impressed. After hours listening to a high end system this rig blew me away, managing to capture 90% of the big system. Tone, dynamics, PRAT, and sheer musicality. Suffice to say, it's on the shopping list for my second system. Analysis Plus Oval Nine cables. It's one of very few systems I'd recommend without an audition - it's that good. The source was SimAudio's loweest level DAC and MIND. |
The Focal speakers are going to be very fast and very bright/cold sounding. Not knowing all 3 of your options, I would tend to lean towards the warmth of the Marantz. I see you and one other love the Hegel. I would also consider a McIntosh integrated as you really need something to slow down the sound so that it plays well with the Focal (unless you really like that very fast/bright/crisp sound -- I have found over time that it is too much). The McIntosh will fill out the midrange body and midbass -- which is critical on your bookshelves where you will have no low end. It will also soften the high frequencies that can be so out of control with the Focals. My opinion on the Pass Labs is that it's going to be too strong and too "solid state" for the Focal speakers. |
@auxinput: I was thinking of going with Marantz PM11S3 but then couldnt find it for demo. but your suggestions are spot on and very logically reasoned for something as bright as Focals :) thank you so much sir for that. But sadly I am reading your response after the hunt just ended.
Took my speakers for Hegel demo today. Connected them with H160 using Audioquest Go Four speaker cables. Sound was gorgeous and just slightly warm to neutral. Was tired hunting and demoing just paid up after an hour worth of demo :) will get it next week. the next dilemma is the cables.
Connected Audioquest Go4- open sound not muffled and just plainly beautiful
Connected Transparent Audio Super Music- slightly muffled sound. Not as open and transparent as Audioquest.
Any suggestions on cables friend?
Also for the CD player I was thinking to go Oppo BDP105. Any comments or suggestions on that ?
Again I would like to thank all of you for helping me through this journey of Amp-hunting :) I wouldnt have minded going for YBA but I guess they are just not present around in this area. But one of the reviewers I had read did mention Hegel is quite creamy and warmer like the YBAs.
Next stop - Speaker Cable hunting and CD player ;) thanks in advance for pitching in with the suggestions friends.
Note: Hegel did produce gorgeous punchy and tight bass. not too much not too less..just about right...
|
Congrats on the Hegel, I have enjoyed mine for many months and it sounds great with my Focal Sopra No.2's. It will take some time to break in and open up. You will notice the difference when you hit about 30 hours and it will keep getting better for a while. Also the Hegels (I have 2) really sing when they are warm and have been running at a decent volume for 30 minutes.
I have a few CD players, my most cost effective one, Marantz CD 5004, $350.00 new, gives my Reference CD player a real run for the money. The Marantz was my original CD player, when I got into this crazy fun hobby. I am glad I never sold it. It's not as good as my reference CD player but it is about 85% as good and really inexpensive. May not be what you are looking for, but at its low cost, you could spend more on nice cables. Also you can use the Marantz as a transport with the Hegel DAC. The Hegel is exactly as you described, and very musical (engaging). My Silnote cables are good band for the buck, sound very open, transparent, plenty of bottom and highs are very smooth. Also speed is strong no smearing, great soundstage, wide and deep. The brand is not common like Nordost, but it sounds every bit as good to me. I have met the owner/product engineer and he is very passionate about his products. The speaker cables showed very well at the recent AXPONA In Chicago. |
Congrats on Hegel.
Actually, I was advised by the gentleman who is into HI FI already
40 years that the H160 have great synergy with the Focal speakers.
I went for the separates (tube Preamp. and SS Amp) and now I am
looking for the quality interconnects. Maybe I should listen his advice.
My speakers are 836W.
|
@toneranger58: Thanks for all your help :) will look into your suggestions. what interconnects are you using ? Ended up getting the AudioQuest Rocket88 for speaker cables
@topten: I really liked the audioquest. you might want to give them a try.
|
@toneranger58: having my eyes on the Marantz SA8005 for now.
Also I see that I somehow lack some low end bass on the electras. U think I should look at subs? If so how many and which ones? I was looking at JL E110. Anything else you think might be better than that? also 10" vs 12" |
Replace any tweeter caps (probably 2) with Mundorf MKP's or Clarity ESA equivalents. A lot of that brightness comes from the bargain film caps they use. The Mundorf's in particular will help and bring out a lot of detail. ESA's have same detail, but less dark. This advice does not apply to the pricier Mundorfs, they go the other way.
Best,
Erik
|
McIntosh will fill out the bass, which is critical on your bookshelves where you will have no low end. It will also undermine the high frequencies that can be so out of control with the focus.
|
@polarfocus: thanks for the suggestion mate. But I already bought the Hegel H 160 :) and really happy so far though its still breaking in...looking to get a sub now to fill up the low end. |
So has your Hegel lived up to the challenge the past couple years? I have been wanting to pull the trigger on either the new H90 or the older 160. The 90 is getting heavy reviews across the spectrum. I saw about 4 showcases in about 10 are running Hegel with various Focals even though they are partnered with Naim now:). (I have the Focal anniversary 807w's on custom stands) My real issue though is I have a 12 year old Arcam AVR300 and I really love this amp. I have replaced 3 remotes now and the volume pot went out about a year ago and I still can't rationalize replacing it as the unit sounds so amazing and the quality is serious even for its age. That it runs 120 watt RMS in stereo mode and has a 1-1 volume ratio is great for late night listening adjustment. I really want to get a Hegel in house though as I have yet to read a mediocre review. But will it surpasses my sweet old Arcam and my expectations? Thats the hesitance on the trigger. |
hi hawaiian guy sorry i just saw the post again after years and dont have access to the old account. yes i am still on my h160 :) only issue i have had in all these years was left channel seeing distortion a month ago. sent it to the dealer and got it after two weeks fixed. apart from that have been happy with h160 on my bookshelfs
|
Pass has one of if not the best customer support in the industry. Nothing to worry about there at all. That being said, of your room is not too big, add Pass Int25 to your list.
|
