FWIW the MA-2s can handle a load like this easily. Customers have reported excellent results. Being a much larger amplifier than the M-60s they are not nearly so sensitive to load and there is a much longer list of speakers that they will play with ease.
Atma-Sphere MA2 Mk2.3 / Krell KSA 250 / Passlabs?
Good Evening Fellow Audio Heads!
I'm upgrading my amps (will be a big step up from my NAD S200) which I still love dearly.
The amps that I have the choice to purchase second hand are:
Atma-Sphere MA2 Mk2.3 - AUD $9000
Pass Labs X250.5 = AUD $6995
Krell KSA 250 = AUD $3000
Now the Krell and Atma-Sphere are class A. The Pass labs A/B. Front End will be a Atma-Sphere MP1 Mk3. Speakers are the unfriendly Dynaudio Confidence 5 (no intention of changing these lovely speakers)
Can you please advise your thoughts on what amp would sound best in this situation. Music Reggae / soul / female vocals. What amp listed is the best value? I would say either the Atma-Sphere or the Krell. I have only heard the Pass-Labs in person and that sounded nice and smooth. I like detail in my music.
Many thanks for all your help as it's impossible to do A/B comparisons.
Cheers
Che
I'm upgrading my amps (will be a big step up from my NAD S200) which I still love dearly.
The amps that I have the choice to purchase second hand are:
Atma-Sphere MA2 Mk2.3 - AUD $9000
Pass Labs X250.5 = AUD $6995
Krell KSA 250 = AUD $3000
Now the Krell and Atma-Sphere are class A. The Pass labs A/B. Front End will be a Atma-Sphere MP1 Mk3. Speakers are the unfriendly Dynaudio Confidence 5 (no intention of changing these lovely speakers)
Can you please advise your thoughts on what amp would sound best in this situation. Music Reggae / soul / female vocals. What amp listed is the best value? I would say either the Atma-Sphere or the Krell. I have only heard the Pass-Labs in person and that sounded nice and smooth. I like detail in my music.
Many thanks for all your help as it's impossible to do A/B comparisons.
Cheers
Che
Showing 3 responses by atmasphere
FWIW there is a general rule of thumb that you can follow regarding MA-2s and MA-1s. That is: if the speaker is known to work with tubes, it will be OK. IMO there is a myth that a speaker has to be 'OTL friendly' (for example in the case of the MA-2, Manaplanars are 'OTL friendly') before any OTL can drive that speaker. IME what is needed is more like a 'tube friendly' speaker. see http://www.atma-sphere.com/papers/paradigm_paper2.html for more information. What you get from this is that a zero-feedback transformer-coupled tube amplifier, or a zero feedback **transistor** amplifier will have similar load requirements. |
Jtimothya, you might want to try that experiment again while using a 600-ohm termination at the input of the amplifier. The MA-2 is equipped with a switch that allows you to set that termination if the preamp supports it (the MP-1 does). If there is no termination you may still hear differences in the cables. They go away with the termination- that is what it is for. This is how the recording studios have done it in past decades and is why you run into so many recording engineers that tell you that 'cables don't make a difference'. Its not because they don't have the resolution to hear it, its because they use low impedance terminations with their equipment. |