Finding a Power Amplifier for Luxman C-900U


Hello our community, I think I might need your help to choose a Power amplifier for my system (Stereo or Mono Pow is Ok). Here is my system:

- Speaker: Magico A3 (Also in love with Sonus Faber Serafino or higher is Focal Scala)

- DAC: Mola Mola Tambaqui

- LP/Phono: Technics SP10 MkII / Audia Flight Phono

- Pre: Luxman C-900U

- Pow: At the moment, Pass Aleph 0s 

- Cable: All from Acrolink series 7N

For my taste of music: 

- Vocal (Opera, Capella, Acoustic,...); Blue; Jazz;

- Sometime instrument: String (Violin, Cello, Guitar, sometime Harp), than drum and piano;

- Sometime Orchestra

- Sometime (rare) with EDM or Rock (Just pop or slow rock, super rare heavy metal)

I really want to upgrade my Aleph 0s with some of the more modern and powerful Pow within $6000 (2nd hand is also a good option), I come up with some in my mind:
- Pass Labs XA60.5 (Roughly $5k in my country for used)

- Luxman M-800a or M-900u (I can find it $6k used imported from Japan, but I love some other combination other than M-900u)

- Parasound JC 1 (Old ver, not Plus)

- Electrocompaniet AW180, or better AW400

- Audionet Amp  

- Gato PWR 222

- Moon 860A V1 (or W8?), Trigon Monolog, Mark Levinson 431-532H, Bryston 4B3,...

Hope to receive your suggestion, I really love the Class-A design and don't mind the super hot chassis.

128x128darkknight8586

My understanding is Magico has use Luxman in several of their high-end audio show set ups, as the two are reputed to make magic together (pun intended).  So I would also suggest trying the m900u.  I currently use the c900u with a pair of m900u (in monoblock) driving Tannoy Legacy Argen, to very nice results.  

Hi @grk I have a great deal of used SPL M1000, but my concern with them is that they are relative new in hi-fi world (famous in studio) and the FAN 😂

Hi @audiotroy well I’m very considering the AW180 right now, I can purchase it under $5000 in my place. For the spec, they are super with the capable of driving any hard speaker down to 1 ohm. But in real life, the monoblock is pretty small with that power, so could you share with me some inside about it? Is it worth to bring to EC AW180 to my component. 

Hi @darkknight8586 

I'm not sure why you are concerned about fan noise? I only hear it for the first few seconds (to blow dust off the electronics) when the amp is turned on. After that no fan noise!  Why would that be a problem? I suppose it could turn on during  loud listening sessions powering inefficient speakers, but the db level of the music would be so high as to drown any fan noise. My S1200 never even gets warm when played for hours. Of course, I don't music at head banging levels. :  )

Also, the S1200 is supposed to sound better than the monos.