not a hint of brightness out of mine, but it is revealing no doubt. Using it to bi amp really works remarkably well for both the amp and the Reference 5s. Just a great synergy. Good luck with the sale. Shouldn't take long at all. |
Jep14,
Talk to me about the Mark Levinson 585.... I won’t be able to audition this one for about a couple of months, since the nearest dealer is approx. 150 miles away.
I have read positive reviews and listened to it thru ITunes (Pursuit Perfect System) but I bet it does no justice to it. Although in my opinion thru iTunes alone sounds pretty darn good and I love estetics. Is it warm or at least neutral?
|
I heard the latest Mark Levinson stuff at RMAF. The Levinson is part of the very smoothed over and liquidy type of sonic signature. It's really hard to describe to people unless they have heard this. There are many other amps that have this same type of sonic signature. Your Krell S1500 is going to sound clean and neutral in comparison (although the S-1500 can definitely slant toward the bright side at times). Actualy, the new Krell sliding bias amps have this smooth/liquidy character as well.
The other side of the fence is the FET type warmth, where you have amps such as Pass Labs, Parasound, Marantz. Etc. The Vincent amps with tube input stage are also very warm sounding. It's really hard to recommend equipment to people unless they have heard these sounds and have a good idea of what they want. lol. I mean, there are a lot of people who can say "Mark Levinson is great", but it really comes down to personal preference.
|
Alternatively, if you want to keep on the "neutral" type of sound, but get something better than your Krell S-1500, you could look at things like Gryphon, Soulution, Esoteric (though Esoteric can definitely come across as somewhat sterile in some systems). The previous generation Krell Evolution series was also very neutral, though getting old now.
|
Auxinput,
Did you look at my post from 5/5/19? I already mentioned the Intergrades I am considering. Also, don’t want to mix my Intergrade music amp conversation with my HT. I want to keep my music side warm, tube like, but my HT very detailed, clear, punchy, all needed for movie sound, reason why I am separating the two. I believe this is the best way to have the best of both worlds. By all my research, I don’t believe that one pre/amp combo can provide that 100%.
|
@maguiar102 - sorry, I have not examined every post in detail. I did go back and re-read your 5/5 post. It does become confusing because I don't know if you are intending the integrated to be part of a completely different system or if you want to wrap the integrated into your HT system using a "hybrid" approach (i.e. taking left/right output from processor and essentially using the integrated as a left/right channel amplifier). That being said, I do have the following comments:
Pass Labs Int250 - this is a FET based warm sounding amp, but with good resolution. It has a very pleasant and very controlled type of sound - the dynamics and slam are not as much as other amps. If you want a very pleasant listening experience with good resolution, this is potentially a good choice, but I would look elsewhere if you want a more exciting sound. I would put Pass Labs like a very neutral tube sound with excellent resolution and a definite FET based warmth signature.
Mark Levinson 585 - very smooth and liquidy, like I said. I would not say this is a "tube like" amp at all. It follows more of a high bias Class A bipolar amp sound. Smooth and liquidy. Again, it may be very hard to describe to someone unless they sit down with me and listen and then it's like "oh, that's what you mean by smooth and liquidy", lol.
Gryphon Diablo - The Gryphon room at RMAF was very nice. Based on what I remember, the Gryphon is not as clean/neutral sounding as your Krell S-1500, but it is still neutral (maybe just a very tiny bit of the Class A smoothness, but not bad at all). A very good contender. Definitely not liquidy sounding.
Hegel H590- I heard the H590 at RMAF. To be honest, it sounded very sterile and "solid state" with that harsh sterile edge (at least to my ears). I can't say that this is what Hegel normally sounds like, but that H590 could very well be a fresh-out-of-the-box amp and at that burn-in stage where it sounds harsh/bad. I don't have any experience with Hegel so I could not comment further.
Soulution 330 Int - I heard the Soulution amps at RMAF and this was one of those amps that I thought was very excellent. Of course, it is so out of my price range that I would not consider it, but it had the very clean and neutral sound. Think of a Krell S-1500 with a much more refined sound and no bright edge. The 330 Int looks to be $20,100 retail. Not sure if this is in your ballgame or not.
|
@Maguair, what are you looking for in terms of sound signature for your 2ch?
I just got the Luxman 509X, so not broken in, but initial thoughts are that it is more on the neutral side, not that warm. It sounds fantastic, crisp yet sweet highs, mids are full, and tight bass. With my MLs it is fairly transparent, so source is really important. I am looking forward to seeing what happens when it settles a bit more. It only has a few hours on it now.
I have heard the Diablo 300 and it is a great integrated and it slightly more on the warmer side. Though for the price you are getting close to some great separates. You could get the Luxman m900u + preamp for close to Diablo 300's price. The m900u is the closest I have heard to combine the lushness of tube + power of ss. This is with the usual caveat that it's a personal preference and it's all about synergy with speakers.
|
@auxinput,
Thanks for your input.. Sorry if I sound naive, but what do you mean by liquidy?
My original intention when I started this thread was to intergrade HT with Music but I am not sure this is the best approach for reasons I mentioned. What I like in music I do not like for HT.
I did get to audition the Gryphon with the Verity’s and it was impressive to me.
Also, heard the Luxman 509x with Harbeth Super HL5 Plus and it had everything except the vocals were a bit off to me, sounded a bit grainy. Not sure what happened there.
Some also suggested the T+A PA 2500 R, which I will audition around the end of the month with the others. |
Eziggy,
As mentioned to auxinput just above is my concern with the vocals on the L509x.
I am wondering if the speakers played a role or the amp. I have such a keen ear that at times works against me..lol....
I am going to audition the Luxman, Gryphon, T+A, Hegel and Pass Labs with the Harbeth 40.2 by the end of the month hopefully. I am unable to audition the Mark Levinson at this time but planning to late June or July.
I will post my findings then... |
Hmm, that’s probably the complete opposite of how I would describe the vocals. They are smooth yet detailed. If anything I think the amp is fairly true to source, in that the source and quality or recording makes a difference. If the recording has a “digital” sounding recording, then that’s what you will hear with the amp. Definitely good idea to demo it again with your own source music, if you didn’t get a chance to do it before.
That’s a great list of integrateds to demo! If you are doing A/B testing are you bringing your source player, not just CDs? |
Eziggy,
It could be very well the recording, but I just did not get that grainy sound at home and I am using an old Yamaha receiver. I am not using my Krell, since I am selling it and I have it boxed ready to go.
|
I did hear it thru a Luxman CD player at the show but at home I used my Arcam CD player. Maybe my Arcam colored the recording enough to sound better, don’t know. |
liquidy - like I said, it's really hard to describe this. The best I can do is to say the sound is so smooth and smoothed over that it sounds like liquid. lol
|
Could be the characteristic of the integrated as well, if possible you should take your Arcam with you if that’s what you will be using at home.
Just out of curiosity, which CD or tracks did you hear that sounded grainy? Could try to give a whirl, but need to let mine settle and run for a while. |
Auxinput,
I like like smooth, so no problem here....
@eziggy,
I like this artist a lot and although she sings in portugués and I don’t understand most of it, it’s her voice, to me is mesmerizing. The cd is recorded live and it’s in Lizboa, her name is Mariza and the cd name is Concerto Em Lisboa. Look it up I think you will appreciate the strong emotion she has behind her voice. The song I am referring to is Chuva but has other songs that you might enjoy. Don’t listen the original version of this song, make sure you here this live recording version and you will understand why when you here it. |
Man my hairs stand up...lol..... |
maguiar - you might like Melody Gardot. She's one of my favorite jazz artists. Her "Live in Olympia" bluray is one of the best sounding live recordings I have heard.
|
following the latest line of discussion regarding HT for music. The center speaker itself makes significantly more of a difference than any other component in getting voices absolutely correct. One of the primary reasons I selected KEF Reference 5 speakers was the matching 4C center. It's the only center I've heard, and I've auditioned a bunch, that lets voices sound as perfectly normal as the recorded source does. I find that using a preamp that retains memory for music settings, as opposed to only HT setting, gets me where I want to be whether it is music in stereo or multichannel. Yes Melody Gardot and Patty Barber are both excellent choices for verifying both imaging ( sometimes they are next to the piano not centered lol) and perfect voicing. I also find that sax and trumpet are very useful (both mono recordings and stereo) since they seem to encompass both mids and highs, a test of both the drivers and the crossovers.I've not found that the amplifiers play as much of a roll as do the speaker(s) followed by the sources once you're at the level of equipment you are at. |
the finger snaps on Patty Barbers version of Ode to Billy Joe is a real differentiator between amps. Those seem incredibly difficult to get just right. I also listen to cymbal strikes and decay as well as the same on piano. Ahmad Jamal's Blue Moon is excellent for this. Bob Wasserman Duets is another go to for voicing and differentiating between amps and sources. |
Jimpitt.
This is good stuff... Love Patricia Barber.. |
I built a Frankenstein system that sounds pretty good, but nothing like the dollars you have. I purchased an NADT777 V3 with paradigm 15b speakers and Dynaudio x18. I mixed 8 ohm and 4 ohm. The home theater is pretty good. Set room with Dirac, but it does lack on 2 channel Zone set up. This was an interesting read as I wondered the same thing.
I was still using an NAD 2200 I bought new in the 80s. Its working in the garage now. |
Stttt,
You see what I am saying, it’s just logical to me. All electronics have there own sound and the only true way of having the best of both worlds is separating the two. The more research I did on this topic it all lead to the same conclusion which lead to a priority change. I learned your two channel is where all is truly taken in and where all the detail is important to be present. Don’t get me wrong a good sounding HT is important to a lot of people but you really don’t have to spend a whole lot to accomplish something that to me will always be lacking. A movie is mostly sound effects and not all sounds or scene of the movie will be brought forward. There is the back ground music but when your involved in everything else, this tends to disappear in the back ground. Anyway this is just a personal observation and conclusion, please don’t chew me out.....
|
Maguiar,
I agree with you on the two channel. I listen to a lot of music and I like two channel. My HT is nice too, but HT is a bunch of noise with some music between explosions.
|
Macquiar, bummer I couldn't find Mariza's live Concerto Em Lisboa on Tidal. I know it's on iTunes just didn't have time to get Apple Music connected to the Luxman before leaving for vacation. I will check it out when I get back, from my quick listen it sounds like a great song, as well as album.
From early listening the 509X is definitely a great integrated, at least with my setup. I would classify as neutral and smooth, with high resolution so it's revealing. If you hear gritty or bright it is will most likely comes from a component in the system. Even with bright sources the vocals coming in smooth. I have noticed cables, especially interconnects, make a noticeable impact with this amp, at least with my system. I can say for the first time I was able to really hear the difference between my copper AudioQuest Earth cables and silver Fire cables. In terms of power, I have not been able to move the volume knob passed the 10 o'clock position since it's way too loud with my ML 11As, which are somewhat demanding speakers which drop below 1 ohm in the high frequencies.
Also, using the Luxman + 8805 I really got to see the how great of a pre/pro the Marantz 8805 is. The analog output stages and discrete DACs are great. |
Eziggy,
Have a great vaca., definitely keep in touch when you get back, have questions on the 8805.
|
Thanks Maguiar! I am back, ask away... |
To All,
I auditioned 5 amps just yesterday and fell in love with the Pass Labs. I wanted to audition the Int-250 but the dealer only had the 60, but even this 60watt amp was everything I was looking for. Speakers were the Harbeth Anniversary 40.2 which are excellent by the way.
The amps in question were the following:
Pass Labs Int-60.
Gryphon Diablo 300
T+A Pa 3100 HV
Hegel H590
and
Luxman M900u (He had the L509x out on loan).
My opinion on the above and I blame my ears for it...lol...
Hegel - Did not even here enough to really judge, since I did not like the sound.
Just found it lacked in many areas, specially for the price.
T+A - A very good amp, neutral boarder warm but it was not a match for the variety of music I listen to. I listen to a lot of music with a lot of highs and it might be a bit bright with some recordings. I personally think it’s too overly priced compared to other amps that are comparable in sound.
Luxman M900u - Very neutral.. I found this amp does not color the sound in any way, its very accurate. I found it to be a bit bright with some recordings, not warm enough for me, but good amp for certain recordings.
Gryphon Diablo 300 - This amp is my second favorite of the 5. It’s neutral warm an excellent amp but still not warm like the Pass Labs and I can see myself getting a bit of sound fatigue after a while of
Pass Labs - Warm but clear and precise, best base of the five, punchy, tight base, with 3 dimensional sound. I could listen to this amp for hours without fatigue. I actually dedicated most of the audition time to this amp and the more I listened the more I wanted to listen. I can refer to this amp as the Chameleon of amps, it adapted itself sonically to every recording. I was not expecting this and was pleasently surprised.
eziggy,
Hope you had a nice vaca..
|
wow, that's pretty amazing. This really proves that the best amp comes down to personal preference on sound! Because, while I have heard the Pass and it's an excellent and very refined sounding warm amp, it would not be my preference because it's not dynamic enough.
---
I wanted to ask your opinion of the Hegel. When you heard it, did you find it sounding sterile / bright / harsh? Or what was the verdict of it's signature?
|
Auxinput,
I really like a lot of balance in my music or listening and I found that balance in the Pass Labs. My selection of music is eclectic but some have a lot of brass making the recordings a bit bright. The Pass was able to tame that and provide a well overall balanced sound. As you mentioned it all comes down to personal preference on sound. These amps were all good but I was looking for a sound that best suited my preference of music. I feel it has enough dynamics without affecting the overall sound, keep in mind we will never find a perfect amp but this comes pretty close for me personally. If you are looking for a more dynamic sound than what the Pass provides and still something on the warm side, I would recommend the Gryphon Diablo 300.
Reference the Hegel, as I mentioned did not hear it much because it did not captivate my interest. I found it sterile and poor soundstage, but again it’s just my opinion.
|
Thanks Maguair, vacation was great.
Great summary on your take on the different amps. Speaker and amp synergy is really important as well. If you thought the m900u was a bit bright then the 509X will probably sound even brighter to you. Never harsh, very smooth highs, but very resolving. When I demoed the 509X and m900u with Martin Logan 11A speakers, I felt the 900u added tad more warmth. The Martin Logan speakers tend to be on the warm side as well, thus a good match.
I liked the Gryphon as well, although warmer than the Luxman, felt highs could be a tad harsher on some tracks. |
@maguiar102
I happened to stumble upon this thread today and I’ve been absent from Audiogon forum for a while.
All the equipments you are looking at or are intending to purchase are great and it all comes down to system synergy and personal tastes or preferences. But I still think that the most important piece of equipment(s) will be the quality of your front end source components whether it’s analog front end source components eg turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phonostage pre or digital front end source component(s) eg CD/SACD player, streamer/DAC or streamer + DAC, etc. This is where the low level signal source starts. If you start or begin with some mediocre source (low level signal) and this mediocre low level signal source will be further amplified downstream and the overal end result will not be optimal.
You mentioned that currently you are using a cheap 10 year old Acam CD player and the Oppo 203 as your digital front end source components for your stereo music listening. While your 10 year old Arcam CD player or the Oppo 203 will be fine for budget setups and systems but since you will be purchasing some serious setup/system IMO your 10 year old Arcam CD player and your Oppo 203 will be the weakest link in the chain and will not be good enough for the kind of setup/system that you are considering to purchase. And as a result the entire setup/system will not be able to perform and sound optimally by using your 10 year old Arcam CD player or your Oppo 203 as your 2ch source of music.
Arcam makes very good AVR and AV processor but not CD player. Their CD players and DAC are mediocre quality.
I would highly consider upgrading your front end source component(s) first and foremost before upgrading your pre/amp or integrated and speakers. You can use the Oppo 203 as a bluray/4K UHD transport connected via HDMI to your new prospective AVR or AV processor for movie playbacks. Oppo makes great bluray/4K bluray players. Their video processings are very good.
There are countless options and choices to consider when upgrading from your 10 year old Arcam CD player, depending on your budget. The front end source component(s) are the most important equipment in hifi chain. IMO it isn’t worth getting high end expensive speakers, amp, etc if you’re only using some entry level or mediocre quality front end source component(s). The overall end result will not be optimal and you won’t be satisfied with the overall performance of your entire system setup.
When you visited a high end hifi audio show they are using very good front end source components in all high end setups and systems. Dealers also usually use very competent high end front end source components for their serious high end setups/systems.
They won’t be using the Oppo 203 or an Arcam CD player for some serious setups/systems costing $50k and up or $100k and up.
They will be out of place and the overall end sonic result will suffer tremendously.
|
Caphill,
I know you are well versed on Classe equipment so I thought I would ask you this question. I currently stream tidal from my computer via a high grade Audioquest USB to my Classe Sigma SSP. Although the Sigma has a very good DAC, would using a streamer such as a Lumin T2, give noticeable improvement using the Lumin internal DAC connected to the Sigma via an XLR connection?
|
@bwguy
Highly possible and very likely since the Lumin T2 is a dedicated stereo DAC/music streamer. Although I’ve never tried it but the Lumin T2 seemed highly regarded and received very positive reviews and feedbacks. Give it a try.
I highly recommend using the WireWorld Platinum USB cable to connect to your USB DAC input on your Sigma SSP. It's way better than Audioquest Diamond USB.
Other option besides the Lumin T2 would be a highly regarded PS Audio DirectStream DAC but it retails for more money than the Lumin T2. |
Maguair, I haven't heard the Harbeth's myself but I have heard they are fairly neutral speakers. Your impressions on the different amps make sense. A warmer amp I would bring out a fuller sound. BTW, one integrated amp that I have recently been curious about is Accuphase. It is comparable with the Luxman but most say it's warmer. Their E-650 is one of the most versatile Class A integrateds I have seen (rated down to 2 ohms).
I definitely agree with Caphill, source is as important as amp.
Auxinput, just out of curiosity which speakers did you hear the Pass Labs with? I have always been curious on Pass Labs but have been steered away since my speakers tend to be on the warmer side.
|
Caphill
I am actually using the Audioquest Coffee USB. Now I’m wondering if I should just upgrade the cable again instead of investing in the T2. I guess I just need to try both options. It never ends......
|
Auxinput, just out of curiosity which speakers did you hear the Pass
Labs with? I have always been curious on Pass Labs but have been
steered away since my speakers tend to be on the warmer side.
Oh jeez, I don't remember. It was at RMAF. There was the main big Pass Labs room. I think they were playing the XA30.8 (but I could be wrong here). There was another room up on like the 10th floor that had the INT-250 integrated (I think). I've also listened to several youtube videos with Pass Labs and they are are very similar to real life experiences. |
@bwguy
You should try out the Lumin T2 or if you can find a used PS Audio DirectStream DAC I highly recommend that.
Good luck and let us know what you end up getting and how they would compare.
|
Hi Caphill,
I am one step ahead of you, already spoke to the dealer reference the Lumin T2.
The dealer I am currently working with highlt recommends it. I did asked him if I decided to go a step up from the T2 and he said it would jump into the 10k range. Anything between would not be noticeable enough to justify the price.
Any other suggestions here in the 5k range? How does the PS Audio DirectStream Dac compare to the Lumin?
My Arcam CD 192 retailed for around $2300.00 when I purchased it back then and paired well with my Krell S1000 & S1500, plus has good reviews. I may keep it for a while and see how it works with the Pass Labs and the Verity Otello’s. If I am not happy with it I will consider replacing it, but it’s been good to me plus it’s in mint and barely used condition. The Oppo will be used in my HT only.. |
Eziggy,
The Pass Lab may not pair well with you ML since it’s a warm amp and warm speakers. Curious in paring the ML and the Gryphon, got a feeling a beautiful baby will be born...lol...
The Accuphase has good reviews but I don’t think I have where to audition it in Florida. I am also considering auditioning the Mark Levinson 585, any thoughts here? |
Eziggy,
I saw you mentioned on a previous post you did hear the Gryphon and found it a bit harsh on some recordings. Did you listen to the Martin Logan’s and Gryphon or some other speakers? Years ago I listened to the Martin Logan’s and they are definitely warm and holographic speakers. I figure it would pair well with the Gryphon since your speakers can benefit a bit more in dynamics. |
@maguiar102
The Lumin T2 is highly regarded by many and received good reviews but I personally haven’t heard it yet. But I have heard the PS Audio DirectStream DAC and I highly recommend it to you. You will be able to find a used one for $5k and less probably around $4kish. Its original MSRP is around $7kish or perhaps $7500. The PS Audio DirectStream DAC was also very highly praised and regarded and received outstanding reviews especially for the money It’s probably one of the best sounding DAC for under $10k.
I suspect the PS Audio DirectStream DAC would be superior to the Lumin T2.
If you decide to keep using your Arcam CD player for spinning CD, I suggest you can use your Arcam as a CD transport and connect connect your Arcam using coax digital cable to the PS Audio DirectStream DAC or the Lumin T2, whichever you will end up with.
Does your Arcam CD player have a coax digital audio output? |
Caphill,
Yes it does...
Keep in mind I am not technical in anyway, so how will I benefit by doing this connection?
|
@maguiar102
Did you already buy the Lumin T2? Cause I just realized that the Lumin T2 is actually a digital streamer that has internal DAC and it does not have coax digital or optical digital audio inputs. It only has Ethernet & USB inputs. So if you end up with the Lumin T2 then you won't be able to connect your Arcam CD player using coax digital cable to the T2.
However, the PS Audio DirectStream DAC does have coax digital input so if you end up with the PS Audio DirectStream DAC you would be able to use your Arcam as a cd transport and connect the Arcam to the PS Audio DirectStream DAC using coax digital cable.
I highly recommend the PS Audio DSD DAC as it would most likely sound better than the DAC in the T2 Lumin. Or you can purchase the Lumin T2 and use it as a digital streamer and connect the T2 to the PS Audio DSD DAC using digital cable cause I just saw the back of the Lumin T2 and it does have a digital audio out to pair the T2 with an external better DAC such as that of the PS Audio DSD DAC.
To answer your question regarding the benefit of using a coax digital cable out of your Arcam CD player is to utilize a better external DAC such as that of the PS Audio DSD DAC. So you will be using your Arcam as a CD transport only and sending digital signal to the PS Audio DSD DAC so the PS Audio DSD DAC does the digital-to-analog conversion process.
But this is only possible if you end up buying the PS Audio DSD DAC since the Lumin T2 does not have a digital coax input. If you're using analog out of your Arcam CD player to connect to your integrated amp or preamp it means that you're using the Arcam's internal DAC thus the Arcam does the digital-to-analog conversion process.
Hope this helps. |
Maguiar,
I did demo the Gryphon Diablo 300 with the 11As. Thought it was great, though certain songs came across a bit bright, and at times slightly harsh. Generally it had a great balance of warmth and clarity, but was surprised at the brightness that snuck in every now and then. It was enough where I could see potential fatigue setting in. I think it was paired to a higher end DCS DAC, didn't check to see which model. If I was to consider the Diablo again, I would want to try to do a more thorough demo.
I got a great deal on the Luxman 509X so figured I might as well give it a chance given it was pretty much half the cost the Diablo. So far I like it, but working on trying balance the system a bit more since it is a very transparent amp. Just picked up a new interconnect to try out. The 509X is the first amp I have owned which let me really hear the obvious differences between my copper vs. silver interconnects.
On the PS Audio DAC Caphill mentioned, one cool factoid is that their DACs are firmware upgradeable. You get a new and improved DAC with each free software update. It's on my list of DACS to demo with my system down the road, though I am really fascinated with LampizatOr DACs out of Poland. |
Eziggy,
I experienced the same with the Gryphon when I auditioned it, this is why I leaned towards the Pass Labs. I spent most of the audition with the Pass listening to music with a lot of highs and vocals and it did very well. I think you might really like this amp. As I mentioned it tamed all harsh sounding music you throw at it. I even threw a terrible recording on cd and it made it sound decent.
In my personal opinion it’s a solid state amp that comes closest to a tube.
The Luxman is a great amp, as I mentioned it’s very accurate but not warm enough for me. I still think the Luxman pairs well with your ML due to the type of speaker, they benefit from that accuracy and detail. You can always get a loaner and try the Labs but with your speakers you might be sacrificing in other areas with the Labs. Hey, but you never know till you listen......
I am considering the PS because of what Caphill mentioned reference the CD player connection and all other benefits it has. |
@maguiar102
Yes, the PS Audio DirectStream DAC is a way to go and will elevate the performance of your system to the next level. Your Arcam CD player is old and digital audio eg CD player, DAC DSP, etc, etc improves over time and have gone significant improvement since your Arcam CD player was first released in early 2000's. Even for back then your Arcam CD player was never considered a high end or excellent CD player it was fairly good even for back then.
Or you should just sell your Arcam CD player and just use your Oppo 203 as a CD transport and connect your Oppo 203 using coax digital audio cable to the PS Audio DirectStream DAC for CD playbacks and connect the Oppo 203 using HDMI to your AV preamp processor or AVR for movies. Oppo is a good transport for the money.
That way you will have some more fund available to use by selling your Arcam CD player. I bet you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between using your Arcam and the Oppo 203 as CD transport only. Both are probably comparable when used as a CD transport. Make sure you make AB comparison between using your Oppo 203 as a CD transport vs using your Arcam as a CD transport into the PS Audio DirectStream DAC. If using the Arcam as a transport gives you better sonic result then keep the Arcam as CD transport only, and just use the Oppo 203 for movie playbacks via HDMI to your AVR or AV preamp processor.
|
Caphill,
Thanks for the info., will do.....
Secondly, I would like your opinion on the Pass Labs INT 250 with the Verity Otello’s, since they are my first choice.
|
@maguiar102
I’ve heard the Pass INT250 on different speakers, not on the Verity, so can’t comment. I’ve heard a different model Verity speakers a while back on different set of amps and electronics. Haven’t heard the Otello. The Pass INT250 was good when I heard it on different speakers.
All the integrated amps that you are considering above are very good : Accuphase, Pass, Luxman, T&A, Levinson. It all depends on the synergy with the associated gears such as the speakers, front end source component(s), cablings. Do not skimp on cablings, all kinds of cables including power cables and digital cables, not only speaker cables and analog interconnects (XLR or RCA).
|
Caphill,
I have a couple of Transparent Audio Laboratory MusicWave, E124991, Type CL2, 10AWG and was wondering if you have any experience with them. I had them with the Sonus Faber Grand Piano Homes and the Krell, but I felt my system sounded a bit bright, not sure if it was the cables or the components.
Any suggestions on cables? I always like a few options.
|
Caphill,
Also, was considering bringing the speakers home first and asking the dealer for an in home demo.
|
