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Amps for Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage

I have a pair of Stradivaris that I love, but I´m having a little trouble finding the right amps for them. My system consists of: Emmlabs CDSA SE latest version, Clearaudio Champion Level two/ SME V/ Benz Ruby, ARC REF3, MSB 202 monos.
I have driven the speakers with a set of Pass XA 100.5 before, but they sounded compresed quite quickly. The MSB´s offer more power than the 100.5´s and sound more detailed and airy, but also leaner and brighter.
I love detail and air, but I also crawe bass slam and body in the midths and highs. I absolutly hate lean and bright sound, no matter how detailed it might bee.
I have owned quite a lot of Krell gear in the past. I liked the bass of the ols stuf like the KSA s series + the first FPB stuff. The rest of the frequency range however, sounded rough and "solid state" to me. I liked the detail of the MCX 450´s, but they sounded to lean in the low frequences to me. I have tried tube amps as well, but I have not yet found a pair that did´nt sound like tubes in the bass region
So I am dreaming of a set of amps that delivers a full bodied, warm but detailed sound with bass slam and bass detail as well.
Any recomendations ?
NB: English is not my native language, so I hope for your understanding if my spelling is off !
0461
hungphamquoc
3 posts
 
Hi All,

Im using Audio Note M3 Preamp and Audio Note P4 Monoblock 2x300B tube each, driving Tannoy Canterburry, now I'm thinking to replace the Tannoy speaker with Stradivari, does anyone have experience to drive Stradivari with 300B tube or other Audio Note gear ? Tks alot in advance.
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Sorry...i have not done it...only midpowered tube amp. CJ MV60 (55 watts/channel EL34 tubes). it was beautiful midrange and CJ does have a special 'fire' in the midrange when driven by midpowered tubes...but the bass response is superb when driven by very powerful, good quality solid state. I have never driven the Strads with high powered tubes...would love to try. I ended up with Class A Solid State. In your case, how good is the bass control of the 300B tubes? The Strad is not difficult to drive 'well' in the bass...but for it to sound world class i was only able to manage this with high powered Class A Solid State. I have heard good things about ARC Ref 210 tube amps.

hope that helps. good luck. Great speakers! And you've already got a great system!
hungphamquoc
3 posts
 
Hi Lloydelee21,
In my system now the bass is quite deep and solid, I think Audionote p4 produce quite enough power to drive high sensitive speaker like canterburry with 96db level but note sure for the Stradivari with 91db. I should audition these speaker with high power tube like 300b before decide to buy it. Will post the result after experienced it. Takes a lot for your comment. Have a nice weekend.
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Good luck. BTW, it is not just the 91db...you should be fine there. it is the ohm load of the STrad. it is a 4ohm load...but 2.7ohms in the lower registers...that might be something amps may struggle with. Because the speaker is well balanced...it will be fine...but it may not be 'rock solid/pitch perfect, tactile bass'.

Look forward to reading about your observations! Enjoy!
rminsf
53 posts
 
I have had a lot of Krell gear myself and am currently running a Krell KCT to MSB 202 amps and the sound is stunning. Much smoother than the Krell amps but faster too, very very fast! There is so much more music there with the MSB 202 ampsthey are just musical to the core but fast and powerful too. All of my interconnects are solid silver and the preamp line to the amps is a silver plated copper line and it does not sound lean on my Apogee Diva Ultimate's. I have been lucky enough to hear a lot for high end equipment and there is a higher level of gear like FM Acoustics and Vitus that just take you much further and deeper into my music and the MSB 202 amps do that too. I do not think they are the issue for you. The Reference 5 SE preamp is much smoother and has more punch too you may like that?

Rob
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