cary v12 / gershman avande garde

i can't speak for the reference 3a speakers and i've never heard the sim audio w5. the gershman's are a very detailed and dynamic speaker. my cary's are 130 watts in triode as opposed to the 50 watts triode (switchable to 100 watts ultralinear) of the v12. have you tried contacting gershman directly? ofra is very informative and she would be able to tell you which was the better amp if you went with the avant gardes. i would definitely buy the v12 if i were in your shoes (but i'd also buy another v12 to run them as 100 watt triode monoblocks). the gershman's love power and they're not afraid to show it. good luck in your hunt. let us know how it turns out.

thanks for all your advice. the rx-20 i listened to was paired with a simaudio w5 (i believe the w5 was voiced with rx-20 when in development)and source was sony scd-1, wich i do own (un-modified). with the v12's i can not recall the speaker pairing, but i do remember that it had a top preamp (again my memory fails) and that the music was just that- music. the highs were detailed, but not harsh. ill describe it like a gentle rain, if i am making sense- fully aware of its being there but not pelting on you. perhaps due to a great combination of gear? i also am wanting to seek reference 3a royal virtuoso. i know they are more sensitive than rx-20, they have great extension and are convincing for all music and they like tubes.(my musical tastes vary from pink floyd to coltrane, from black sabbath to eva cassidy, from mozart to gypsy music- i LOVE all music, with the ONLY exception, country. sorry all offended.) so, i am really tossed between reference 3a or gershmans, and w5 or v12. pricing will play a role, i know on our beloved audiogon excellent opportunites are available for all the above, with exception to reference 3a. (royal virtuoso too new?)again, thanks to all, your advice is golden. fotis_k

i own a pair of cary slm-200 monos and gershman avant gardes. the pairing is magic to my ears. i don't find the speakers to be mellow. they're very detailed in my opinion. i've used the treble boost before but i find myself always going back to the off position. i listen to everything from kmfdm and nin to srv and pj harvey. i could use a little extra low end extension for the hardcore metal (lamb of god, slipknot...), but the bass is still very deep and tight. i think you'll enjoy the pairing. i'm currently using a 47 labs shigaraki transport / dac and am awaiting a supratek chardonnay.

I agree with the opinion that the RX-20's are a bit mellow even with the switch positioned to "boost" the treble. When I had them, they seemed to mate very well with a Bryston 3B-ST and then later, a 4B-ST (only because I found a great deal locally on the 4B-ST).

The V12's will have enough power to drive the Gershman and however I've never heard this particular combination, I think they should sound good together as both are top notch performers. One word of caution: both the RX-20's and the Cary's are a touch mellow in the treble, so unless your front end is very neutral you may find the balance a little too polite.