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Difficult Choice

HI,
choosing a HI-FI from scrathc is a difficult exercise.
I'm asking for help.

I might get Lamm2.1 amps or Tenor 75i
i tried the hybrid amp from tenor and was very disappointed
I found it not as full and "real" than the 75i (kind of normal) but it was on the top "messy", lacking precision.
I was using a EMM Labs transport + Dac directly plugged in the amp + Kharma Grand Midi Ceramique
Very disappointing
I have to say that those EMM Labs did not impress me that much and I wonder if it is not better to use a preamp with them.

Kharma exquisite Midi seem to be a good choice even if it lacks some guts with the Tenor
A sub could be a solution but i did not try
I'm wondering if those VR9 Von S. are that much better than the Kharma
I'm interested to know as well what people think of
Sonus Faber Stradivari (do they work with SET)
Dynaudio Temptation (do they work with SET)
Pipedeams model 18
Audio Physics Caldera ?

More over, what preamp to use ?
There is a Audio Note on the offer but does it go well with
Lamm ?
What about the new ARC reference3 ?

Concerning the source, is the DCS suite that good ? I was not that impressed by the EMM Labs.

Thank you
dck

Showing 6 responses by dck

dck OP
13 posts
 
Dear all,
I'm not in the US but in France.
So it is quite difficult to find a dealer with these gear. I would love to be able like you guys to check all the possibilities going around the shops.
There is one dealer that does Kharma and used to do Tenor (going to do Lamm soon as Tenor closed down). But dealers always try to promote what they sell and not is best for you.
So I heard Tenor and I repeat that I prefer the 75i that the hybrid. The speakers were Grand midi ceramique and the source the EMM Lab set plugged straight into the amp.
For the amount of money the whole thing represent, I was not impressed.
I would like to know more about brand that are not imported in France (De la Joule, VAC, Wavac, Audio Tekne, even Audio Note, CAT, and Lamm for now)
Actually, I'm ready to spend some cash on an audiophile system but if i can spare some bucks by buying demo or almost new I will (and there are some opportunities here)
I just hoped that people with a bigger know-how than me would be passionate enough to share their knowledge

Thanks to everyone who is answering trying to help me in setting up a brand new system from scratch.
dck OP
13 posts
 
Guys, what do you think of the DCS total suite and the Accuphase DP100 and DC101... don't you think they deserve to be contenders ... moreover the Reimyo does not play SACDs
dck OP
13 posts
 
Dear all,

what is your opinion on Martin Design speaker, which looks like a Kharma Midi Ceramique ?
And does anyone knows about Tidla speaker ? (those ones look like Eidolon Avalon Diamond)
When I say that they look like other speaker I'm not talking only about the outside buth the nside as well... and I'm not critisizing
Regards
dck OP
13 posts
 
Amperidian, Gregm
thank you for those answers.
I've just bought a pair of Lamm ML2.1 so ti reduces the choices of speakers
Now looking for a preamp, probably a L2 Ref by Lamm or a ARC Ref3
Digital : come down to Emm Labs, DCS total package, Zanden Signature2000/5000, Reymio 777 or even Goldmund Eidos 36 Universal
Now the speakers :
Here is what I saw on stereophile :
"The MAXX2s had sounded anemic and blah in the Lamm room at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, and they'd overwhelmed the VTL room, where they sounded congested. But in the Audio Research space—wow! If I could get that sound at home, I'd have something. However, I'd been down that road before, with the Aerial 20T—a great speaker with plenty of bottom-end heft that packed an impressive wallop in a large Mirage Hotel suite, but that sounded neutered in my room when driven by the same Musical Fidelity electronics".
What do you people think ?
If I go for horns ? Acapella or avant garde ?
X2, Excalibur are too expensive...
Regards
David
dck OP
13 posts
 
Thank you all for your answers.
As I don't want to pay the full price here is the choice I have :
- Acapella High Campanile ion tweeter
- Avantgarde Trios, 225 Subs
- Kharma Exquisite Reference midi 1a
- Wilson Audio X-2 ALEXANDRIA (price is too high for me)

I'm not sure about the horn+sub..

What do you think?
dck OP
13 posts
 
Dear all,
my biggest problem for me is quite simple : there is no show room with the right speakers, excpet the Karma Midi Exquisite
I have to admit that the accapela are a bit .. big and not easy to ship and to set up as I will not get help from any dealer.
VR9 are not available in France.. would love to hear them..
The CD/SACD player from DCS has a new mechanism I believe but I would love to hear the big Zanden
thank you all for your feedback
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