A lot of it depends on how hard you want to drive the 121's. At high SPL's, the 121's sound shrieky and congested, the soundstage collapses especially with orchestral music and opera, if driven with inadequate power. With the Plinius and X250.5, it is quite likely you are not driving the speakers too hard. If your listening levels are moderate, then these amps should be good enough for the 121's. But the 121's need to be cranked up to reach their full potential, for optimal soundstaging and airiness, midrange richness and instrumental bloom. Otherwise, they sound a bit dark.
Driving MBL 121: Accuphase or Gryphon
I am looking out for an integrated amp (this is for my second system and compactness and small number of cables and wires are a must) to drive power hungry MBL 121.
These speakers have a very low efficiency (82db or so) and the amp needs to deliver a lot of juice to move and shake them.
I am pretty sure that the Gryphon Callisto 2200 would be a good mate both in terms of power (2*200 into 8ohms, 2*400 into 4 ohms) and sound (its rather razor-sharp personality will blend well with the sweetness of MBL speakers).
But I hesitate with a more recent Accuphase model, the E-450 which is a little bit less powerful (2*180 into 8ohms; 2*260 into 4 ohms) and has probably a more lush and reserved (?) personality. As I am currently based in Japan, I can have this piece of gear for a price which cannot compare with those at overseas dealers.
Could anyone enlighten me with their views on this dilemma?
Txs in advance
These speakers have a very low efficiency (82db or so) and the amp needs to deliver a lot of juice to move and shake them.
I am pretty sure that the Gryphon Callisto 2200 would be a good mate both in terms of power (2*200 into 8ohms, 2*400 into 4 ohms) and sound (its rather razor-sharp personality will blend well with the sweetness of MBL speakers).
But I hesitate with a more recent Accuphase model, the E-450 which is a little bit less powerful (2*180 into 8ohms; 2*260 into 4 ohms) and has probably a more lush and reserved (?) personality. As I am currently based in Japan, I can have this piece of gear for a price which cannot compare with those at overseas dealers.
Could anyone enlighten me with their views on this dilemma?
Txs in advance