Art Audio Carissa? PX-25? Druids?


I've been curious about Art Audio amps for some time now, and finally decided to try something of theirs with my Druids. The trouble, I guess, is that there are two models within my price range---the Carissa and the PX-25---and the reviews on both have been a curious read.

For example, 6moons says that Carissa is quite aggressive and has superb body (my cup of tea) with a 95dbW/m speaker, but is "humid, slow, and deliberate" with the efficient Duos (not what I'm looking for). positive-feedback goes the other way and calls Carissa "light, airy, and expansive" (not what I'm looking for either). Same kind of deal goes for PX-25---called forward by some, called laidback by others, etc.

Since there's not a chance to hear either amp in my system before buying, I'd like to see if anyone has heard either or both of these amps with Zu speakers. Which has a better chance of being a good match? Any comments'd be appreciated.
ddmitriev
I agree with Mike; you should give Joe a call. He is a super nice guy and would surely help you out.

FWIW, I have a PX-25 with AVG Duos that sounds really good to my ears.... I'm not sure I would call it forward or laid back. It's pretty much neutral, with great tone color, and resolution. The thing is rated at 6wpc (and I know my AVG's are very efficient) but this amp seems WAY more powerful than it's spec...... Highly recommended.

Chris
Give Joe a call at Art Audio, he has tried his amps with most speakers and is very knowledgable regarding which works best and is able to describe the differences in sound and presentation so you can make an intellegent decision.He helped me make the correct choice and is a great guy to deal with.Highly recommended.

Mike