Gryphon Colosseum vs. Karan M2000 monoblocks

That won't be a problem as long as Mirage is just as good ;o)

@Casouza: Thanks, I believe you're quite right regarding in which camp Karan belongs. I'm in a quite confusing situation right now to be honest, trapped inbetween extremes. I've heard Spectral + Magico recently, which I believe to be something very different to Karan + Sonus Faber. Both combos are extraordinary in their own right. The BIG question is what I want to live with in the long run. Fresh lemon juice or Hot delicate chocolate, that's the question :o)

@Bombaywally: I don't believe that's what Lloydelee21 is implying at all...

@Casouza: Thanks. You're right ofcourse. I'm trying to do as much serious evaluation in my own system as practically possible. I've heard Magico V3 and Q3 with ARC(CD5) + Devialet as well as MBL(CD...) + Spectral(amps) btw.

My Sonus Faber Futuras arrived yesterday. They play beautifully from the first note. Extremely balanced and transparent while managing to obtain that critical flow and musicality. And yes, after fifteen years of using stand mount speakers, I've definately missed out on the lower frequencies, which not only gives the music foundation and solidity, but increased dimensionality as well.

Happy as a Clown right now. I'm also evaluating a new amplifier brand from Italy called "Absoluta" after a recommendation from my dealer (who believe these products to be the best match he's heard with Sonus Fabers, including rivals(high-end separates) from Krell, Vitus, McIntosh and Soulution among others. Hybrid preamp and transistor monoblocks. The short version is that I'm very, very impressed so far.

http://www.absoluta.it/

Hi Lloyd,

I'm using the Talia preamp + Janus monoblocks. which are their "top offerings"(list price is about 20.000€ I believe). The design is, well...almost over the top :o) I don't care much for the wooden look. The all black or white versions look great though. The preamp is a hybrid with a great phono built in. The monoblocks are wonderfully compact and powerful. So far, they manage to create a very effortless sound with the Futuras. Solid state authority partnered with a hint of tube warmth and great dimensionality. I can't say I miss anything really... Makes me wish for even more of the tube-like qualities to be honest... Very interesting products indeed. I've got cables from Goldenote on loan for evaluation as well.

Yes, Berning is indeed an interesting option. They're quite boutique though, even though there's a Swedish importer. I've never seen or heard them though.

I'm playing with the idea of bridging the Futuras... Maybe an "older" Krell for the bass units, partnered with a delicate modern tube amp for the midrange and tweeter... Hmm...:o)

The Futuras looks utterly amazing btw. The Memento, even though gorgeous in their own right are not on the same level standing side by side with the Futuras I have to say...

Sonically, I need more time for evaluation and break-in of the speakers. But, so far it's clear that the Futuras are more neutral, natural, balanced, extended and transparent than the earlier Amatis (or the Mementos). The bass is also much better (tight, articulated and controlled) I believe. It doesn't cause any problems what so ever in my medium sized room about 1m(3ft) from the back wall, which has been a slight worry.

Lloyd,

I believe(in my room partnered with Audio Aero Prestige, Absolutas and Goldenote cabling) I'm close to a level of performance I could live happy with for a long time. A majority of my earlier problems (a hard, edgy and lean performance) which I believed to be related to the room or bad cable matching are gone. I must say that I'm very surprised by this. The Futuras are brand new out of the box with 10 hours on them. I haven't even played around with the positioning. I just placed them exactly where the Mementos stood yesterday when they arrived. Plain and simple. The Futuras seems much more forgiving when it comes to placement and room integration compared to the Mementos. Everything snapped into place from the start more less. Even so, I'm sure there's improvement to be made.

Well, biamping with different poweramps might be a challenge. It's an interesting thought though, don't you think? :o)

@Artale

Congratulations, and welcome to the family :)

The 2000 monos will be the backbone of my system for many years to come, I'm sure.

Hi,

My thread is still alive :D

I'm using an Audio Aero La Fontaine CD/Pre directly to the Karan monos at the moment, but I'm planning to add an Aesthetix Callisto Eclipse preamp very soon. Speakers are Sonus Faber Futuras. Cabling is Kubala Sosna Elations + Nordost & Goldenote (power).

I believe I've reached a beautifully balanced combination of hifi & music. The Kubala Sosna Elations were added quite recently. These are amazingly natural "sounding" cables.

Thanx :)

Goldenote is an Italian brand, most famous for their electronics I believe. I'm using their power cables for my front end at the moment. I haven't evaluated these much, but I find the Goldenote interconnects to be extremely transparent, open and neutral - for good and bad. The Goldenote interconnects were a perfect match with the Absoluta electronics (which I've evaluated earlier), which are on the warm side of the spectrum, but didn't work with Karan in my room and system, which I believe are much more transparent and honest to the source compared to Absoluta.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to try the Callisto. My guess is that AA La Fontaine will be the most transparent option, with much less obstacles in the signal path. But, transparency isn't everything, where the Callisto could hopefully add to the natural/organic qualities of my system with greater soundstage, body, weight and dynamics. Time will tell!

I finally ordered an Aesthetix Callisto Eclipse (w. one power supply + remote control system) yesterday. Can't wait to get it, hopefully someday next week.

I hade the Karan KA S400 on loan before deciding in favour of the KA M2000 monoblocks. The KA S600 seems like a great choice!

I'll let you know how things progress :) Thanks for the interest.

@Artale

The Aesthetix + Karan works beautifully. They seem to bring out the best of each other :)