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Electronics for Harbeths -- $5-10K

I've been looking for an amp/preamp or integrated to pair with my mid-sized Harbeth speakers (86dB sensitivity, minimum 6ohm impedance, ~50Hz crossover to a powered sub).

I've dug deep into Pass Labs, ARC, Levinson, HiFi Rose, PrimaLuna, Ayre, MF's Nu-Vista line, Hegel, etc. -- the usual suspects. But I haven't found a perfect fit, b/c I have a few constraining requirements:

- weight not much over 40 pounds

- an HT Bypass input and at least 2 line-level outputs (for powered sub & headphone amp); no digital inputs required

- I love well-designed tube gear, but in this case, I'm restricted to SS

In terms of sound -- the most important factor, of course -- I rarely't exceed moderate listening levels in a smallish room (10 ft to seating position).  I do, however, enjoy a large, three-dimensional presentation & uncompressed dynamics, and sonics more like the sweet, tubelike house sound of ARC & Pass than the "analytic" superdetailed sound of Luxman or Levinson (both outstanding companies, but just not the right fit in this case).  One motivator is that after recently switching to more revealing Analysis Plus Silver Apex cables, I find I can no longer stand the sound of my last-gen Class D amps.

A Pass Labs XA25 amp + SP-12 pre combo comes pretty close, but doesn't have quite enough power. MF's new NuVista 800.2 would be perfect if it didn't weigh nearly 90 pounds. 

Then there's Ayre's new VX-8 amp, or EX-8 integrated, sound great on paper, but which I know almost nothing about, aside from specs & a Stereophile review.  Anybody own one of these?

I have no opportunity to demo any of this gear live -- disabled & don't get out much -- but if anybody would like to recount their first-hand experience finding a soulmate for Harbeth speakers, I'll be listening. 

 

cundare2

Showing 3 responses by ryder

ryder
1,687 posts
 

By the way, I wouldn’t say Luxman amps are analytical sounding amps. They are generally considered to be warm but detailed particularly the L-590AXII that I currently own. I know warm and detail appear to be contradictory but that is what I experienced in my system. To me, the L-590AXII is fairly neutral but leans slightly to warm but the detail are all there. In other words, although the Luxman leans slightly to warmth, the clarity is good as the fine detail in music is still reproduced by the amp. An example of a warm amp which masks detail (poor clarity) is the Plinius SA-100Mk3.

FWIW the Luxman is sensitive to equipment support and cabling. It keeps giving when I upgraded the equipment rack and interconnects. I recently added a new balanced XLR interconnect and it sounds different in comparison to the previous XLR cable I was using for the past 3 years.

ryder
1,687 posts
 

One motivator is that after recently switching to more revealing Analysis Plus Silver Apex cables, I find I can no longer stand the sound of my last-gen Class D amps.

May I ask if the Silver Apex are speaker cables or interconnects? If it's the latter, you may want to try a used Acrolink 8N-A2080III instead of changing amps. This interconnect has a warm and liquid midrange with a tube-like glow in the highs, and it is said to match Class D or bright sounding amps well. Other alternatives include warmer sounding interconnects. 

ryder
1,687 posts
 

@cundare2

I was referring to the Acrolink 8N-A2080III having a warm and liquid midrange with a tube-like glow in the highs, not the Silver Apex which you currently own.  I don't have experience with the Silver Apex.

I consider the difference between our experiences evidence that the only way to know what a particular cable will sound like in your system is to put it in your system. Cables are extraordinarily complex beasts and can interact with other components in the craziest ways. That’s why I NEVER recommend specific cables to friends.

I agree with this. The only difference is I will recommend specific cables which I have experience with to people whereas you don’t do that. To me, cables are the same as other components such as amps or DACs. You will only know if it will work out for you once you have it in your system. The point I’m trying to convey is you may achieve your goal with a different cable rather than looking at changing amps.

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