Going to take the plunge on JM Lab Micro Utopia Be

thanks once again for all the replies. I'm going to keep the Sim Audio in mind, try to audition the YBA. Goose, there might be a reason why the guy is steering me away from the Macs, but he was selling some. My first preference for amplification, without an adequate test, was the 6900. I like the convenience of having the phono stage built in and a headphone jack. I loved the sound with some Tannoy speakers. But if I can get the YBAs, I may well buy them unheard after all the reports I've read here. The Gryphons are also still in the equation though I won't be able to buy them for about eight months at least and cost is an issue there.

thanks again for all the very useful and helpful replies.

Oh and which tubes would you recommend should I go that direction? Thanks.

Thanks gentlemen. My dealer recommended the Gryphon as well. I'm going to seriously consider it. Matt_Zak, I'll be in touch via email. Thanks again.

Just got an email from YBA. It turns out that they have distribution over here in Korea as of Sept. 1, so I might be in luck in getting the Passion Integre integrated. Can anyone tell me the price in the US for this amp? I'd like it for comparison purposes. Thanks.

I'm surprised to hear some people have had success in pairing the Micros with McIntosh. My dealer here cautioned against it. What about the 6900 or the 2275 with the Micros? Any comments? Another amp I was considering was the Krell 400 integrated. Any remarks on that combination? It's going to be difficult for me in this locale to set up direct pairings because the individual stores sell different things. We have a good supply of old power amps over here like the Levinson 23, 23.5, 29, and 333. And pre's like the ML-6A, 26 SL, 26 and 28. Any comments on these in terms of comparison?

I've already mentioned the diminutive AVI integrated. Has anyone heard that one? It's a tiny beast blowing out 200 watts of very clear definition into 8 ohm loads and 375 in 4 ohms. It's consistently revued very highly in What Hi-Fi and other locales. I heard it with the Elecra 907 Bes and was almost ready to make a purchase but decided to hold out for the Micros, which were just a tad bit more firm.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Caravelles i can't get locally, so that's out of the question. And like I said, I've heard presumably "better" speakers that didn't do as well with my musical preferences. I live in Korea. Some of the brands that are mentioned on this page are unavailable here and way too expensive to import without an audition. I should be able to find the SimAudio's though. I'm not worried about bass inadequacy on the Micros My room space is quite small with hard concrete walls and a linoleum floor. Bass carries far too much in this space. If I need a sub, I'll gladly buy one. What I really need is good matching suggestions. I've heard that McIntosh gear doesn't work well with the Micros, BTW. Any other comments there will be appreciated and thanks for the others.

Hifimaniac, thanks for the reply, but I'm not interested in paying several hundred dollars each way shipping plus 20% customs on speakers I don't know if I'm going to like. You're talking about a potential investment of at least 40% of the actual speaker cost just to test them. I'm happy with my choice of the JM Labs. What I'm really asking here is what kinds of electronics are compatible with them. I have access to a fair bit here--Chord, Levinson, McIntosh, BAT, Plinius, Antique Sound Labs, Gryphon, Musical Fidelity (somewhat), and a lot more, many of it used. I thank the others though for providing some useful tips on some of this equipment.

Dweller, the Plinius is available here on sale, so I'm going to check it out. Thom_y, thanks for the recs on SimAudio and Rowland. I can find both here. Plato, the VMPS monitors aren't available here.

Do you folks ever listen to the work of Fennesz or the Erstwhile music label out of NYC or to the Tokyo onkyo scene, or noise? I need equipment that can handle that kind of stuff. I've tried all kinds of speakers--Dynaudio Confidence, Thiels, Harbeth, Martin Logan, Sonus Faber, you name it. The JM Labs beat them all on this music. I actually heard streams of sound slicing up through the room. The most generous imaging I heard from any speaker. Now maybe the Caravelles are better, but at this point, I'm not really interested in finding out. Too much hassle, too much time.

Panderso, you bought the 927 Bes? How do you like them? I auditioned them with the 907 Be's last week and found the latter better. The 927's lacked a synergy between the cones that I found in spades with the Diva Utopias. I was quite disappointed in them. Heard the 907's with an AVI integrated and the Meridiem G08 and they really sang. Beautiful speakers, too. But the Micros are even better.