Going direct to amp from a DAC is not my preference. I had done that for a few years.
The following preamps improved the sound for me.
- BAT VK42 SE
- Benchmark HPA4
- Even my Peachtree NOVA 150 integrated was better than DAC direct
The sound at low volumes tend to be awful with DAC direct. I listen a lot very late at night and I hated it with a DAC direct. With a preamp the volume at low levels was so much better. The HPA4 is the best at this.
I use a great headphone system now late at night but with my new speakers and the HPA4 I sometimes just turn the volume down (no headphones) since it sounds very good. I would never do that with DAC direct.
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The csib is exactly the .8 plus a built in preamppr
oug builds them special for us so you can go amp direct or through the pre amp board
As per disparaging any other brand we have tested kef ref 1s with many different amps we we are kef experts we have almost every kef series on display
We were also one of the first dealers to premier the blades
Also as mentioneded we heard an aria on kefs as well well the older reference products
So we have a bit of experience with that line as well
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Rarely do I see such childishness and awful salesmanship in hi -end audio - just off putting.
This thread has been helpful and I'd like continue and invite opinions on using my exasound Dac as a pre amp.
Wouldn't the Coda TS be more like the CSIB than the .8? I think if I just had a great power amp that may be a better way to go. Also I've had a few people I respect tell me that going direct from the DAC to a power amp could be a sonic advantage.
Thoughts and suggestions? |
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There are many tactics that a salesperson can employ in attempting to persuade a potential customer to buy their product. Bad-mouthing the other contenders on the customer's short-list has got to be one of the most unpleasant and also, I hasten to say, counterproductive. |
Hi audio friends,
Thank you for the feedback and insight
Love the idea of taking the Ayre and doing the upgrade, however the Coda feels like is a safe bet.
Will definitely research the constellation as well
Regarding class D - feel like i'm opening a pandora's box here - I've listened to the devialet with the kef's and it felt like listening to math. The bass was amazing, however the midrange was clinical.
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Guys we are the only ones here with the ops speakers and the coda ref1 combo is magic The coda gear is better than the pass The csib is the same coda .8 amp plus a good preamp board for the same price as the amp itself! The .8 is a true high bias reference amp https://hometheaterreview.com/coda-technologies-continuum-no-8-stereo-amplifier/Tomić we dont sell pass doug from coda is way yonger then david belles and has a team of employees not to mention that coda does a robust oem business and are very healthy for a small company As per the aria version Johnny should know which one he sold the client as mentioned we played the combo together and with the kefs the sound wasnt good the aria may be wonderful with vandys but these are two totally diferent sounding lines if speakers Even if this was not a signature our last demo was not good nor was our previous outing with belles previous gear which we had evaluazed at our shop |
My experience is that the Kef Reference 1s drift to the forward/revealing side of the audio spectrum and need a little power. Most Ayre amps I have heard are also a bit forward/revealing. That integrated will do the job, well in terms of handling the speakers but you may find the sound profile a s bit more forward that you would like.
The Boulder would definitely be a better option and if you can get it for $4-$5K, I would buy it. It will have a much more natural sound.
A bit above your budget $6495, but will have the right tonal profile and provide oodles of power for those speakers is the AVM A5.2 which has a warmer sound profile closer to Pass or Naim. It is a class D with a tube based input stage and 185w of power. I have customers driving Martin Logan 13As and Magico A3s with this integrated.
If you can be patient and wait till February, the AVM MA30.3 mono-blocks will be coming which are 150w into 8ohms. They are half width components and will fit on one shelf. Like all AVM products, they have a smoother, sweeter sound that will go well with Kef Reference gear and are $4495 for the pair.
Alternatively, see if you can find a Pass integrated used. New gear will be pricey but used will put you in a sweet spot in terms of sound and obviously Pass quality is second to none.
You might also find a Constellation power amp used in that price range. That would be another amazing choice.
I am obviously an AVM dealer, I have no affiliation with any other brand mentioned here. |
cshadow
Pick up the AYRE AX-5, send it to Colorado and have Ryan (and crew) upgrade to the AX-5 Twenty Series. You will not become disappointed.
The sound is simply superb!
Happy Listening! |
to the OP , what a great position to be in. $4-$5k should get you a fine amplifier to power your KEF. How loud are you listening ?
On the subject of precision in language and opinion, was it indeed a Belles Signature ? Also, Nelson who i hold in highest reverence ain’t no spring chicken...
starting to think ..none of us are.... |
Coda is 6k we have a demo for5k
5k is prettyclose dont you think?And we sell this combo and it sounds amzing with kef ref 1s
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The main thing here is that the OP has a set of speakers he really likes and is looking for recommendations for an integrated in the $4-$5K range. The Belles meets that criteria, the others he mentioned, including the Coda are more than he wants to spend. Let's not sidetrack his thread. |
Guy brought it in i Will bet you a thousand bucks that if we demo a the coda vs the belles that anyone in the room would take the coda
We have tested the coda vs some of the Best integrated amplifiers on the planet only did a 10k norma beat it slightly coda bettered a luxman a hegel a unison research to name a few
Doug dale was the lead enginer along with nelson at threshold doug knows how to build great sounding gear even if the aria was fantastic sounding we would never sell i t because david belles is in his late 70s and belles is a one man company good luck servicing his products when he goes we had this conversation with him when we were looking a taking on the line
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Hundred bucks says you never heard the signature name that tune
call me poppi Ill prove it to you |
How could we customer bought one and demoed it and it sounded bad on the kef r series the customer had allready purchased
Also 4 years prior we demoed a belles amp snd pre and again nothing special so that makes two belles demos at our store
If bellles gear is so good how come they have barely any dealers? |
A Troy
Joey hears great
you were also incorrect on truly hearing the Signature that’s discussed either sloppy observation or convenient Slippery
which one is it? |
Too bad Joey i dont remember even who you are and we have hundreds of satisfied clients all cross the country |
No interest in dealing with you again. |
Joey we arealso sure you base your kef comments on hearing kefs at Best buy rather then a dealer with both the experience and matching gear to make the speakers come alive
We would invite you to come visit our new Jersey showrooms to see for yourself we have the largest selection of equipment in the tri state area with five soundrooms and.over60 lines on display |
Joey yes the client brought it in
Hate to Break it to you but we have some serious doubts about your hearing kef builds some of the worlds Best loudspeakers and they are tottally acurate and if you use the right gear they sound amazing |
Audiotroy, have you ever heard the Belles Aria SIGNATURE, Yes or no?
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@audiotroy:
You could be right as every Kef Speaker I ever heard sounds like drek to me. But that's only my opinion and everyone hears things differently and no one is right or wrong in their opinion, including me. I know there are many happy KEF owners out there so they must sound good to some people. |
Joey the belles integrated sounds awful on kefs we had a client bring his aria to demo on kef r11 the combo was not good what sounds good on a warm speaker such as a vandy is not going to work on a more neutral kef
The coda csib is probably the Best sounding sub 10k integrated and it is a phenominal deal the amp in the integrated is exactly the same as the award winning coda.8 which sells for the same price so the csib integrated is basically giving you a free preamp
the ref 1 coda csib combo
is fantastic we have a client with that exact pairing
Dave and troy
Audio intellect nj
Kef gold dealer and coda dealer |
All of the integrated amps you mention will be more than $5K. You might want to look at the new Belles Aria Signature integrated at $4495. It's a great sounding amp and seems to be able to drive many speakers. I have heard it with Vandersteen, Proac and Magnepan speakers.
JohnnyR at the Audio Connection can help you with your search. He is a Belles and Ayre dealer. |
