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AMP Upgrade for Martin Logan Aerius i setup

I remain pleased with my M-Ls (w/ small Hsu Sub), I have a smallish (12 x 14) dedicated 2 channel music room, split time evenly between Jazz/Classical/Ambient with a bit of R&R now and then. CDs/SACDs feed through a Sony SA9000ES, vinyl via VPI Aries/Dynavector setup. Current power is Jolida 1501RC modded to level II (Underwood). Overall I have been pleased with the Jolida, but with the recent Table and SACD upgrades, I am wondering what a $2K solution might bring to the party. I like the simplicity of Integrateds, and have been reading up on Bel Canto, Krell, etc. Any and all opinions welcome. Am I spending enough for a significant upgrade??
littleman
7 responses Add your response
riley804
1,224 posts
 
little more than your budget, but a Pass Labs 250 would be nice....
ecruz
402 posts
 
I spent some time with a Krell 400xi, I was very pleased with it. Not bright or harsh like what I've heard about other Krells. You could buy one, try it and if it doesn't work for you, sell it for pretty much what you paid for it.
gslone
274 posts
 
Look into a Primare i30. New they're around 2400,00, but usually go for around 1295.00 used. One just went off of here for 999.99 -the ad is still up. Like you I have pair of Aerius i's in a smallish 15X10 room. My amp setup is a little larger, but if I were to scale down, the i30 would be my first choice with these speakers.
littleman OP
37 posts
 
Thank you for the feedback! After much more reading and discussion with a few locals, I have narrowed down the options to consider as follows:
Anthem 225
Bel Canto S-300 iu
Cary Audio CAI 1
Krell KAV 400xi
Musical Fidelity A5.5
NAD M3
Primare I30
Wyred 4 Sound STI-500

Please help me reduce this list. I am going to purchase two or three and do some extensive testing. Thanks again for your input!
littleman OP
37 posts
 
I'd like to add one more....Arcam FMJ A38. Decisions decisions decisions..
lcouplin's avatar
lcouplin
36 posts
 
The Wyred for sound may be an excellent choice. This amp has a stranglehold on the electrostatic panel and dynamic drivers. It will make the sound much more of a single source rather than two separate drivers. I have experienced this first hand, and it is something awesome to hear. The coherency of the speaker makes the soundstage ever so much more wide, deep and tall. The sound you will get is so fast, so tactile, you will find yourself looking for the generator of that sound, be it guitar or violin, it is just so real sounding you will be surprised.

wish you well...let us know what you get.
mossm
3 posts
 
Have aerius (not i) and got an OdysseyAudio Stratos a few years ago (150wpc, red board with extra caps, total 180microF, to handle 1ohm loads). Great punch, instruments are texturally there in 3D, my wife and I are still constantly amazed every time we sit down in front of them. Paid about $1350 or so. (Klaus is great, too.) We regularly attend Library of Congress string quartet concerts and sit in the first few rows right in front, and decent recordings are almost as good as being there with this setup (also blackgated a used Superphon Revelation II preamp, pianos are amazing).
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