Help! Best amp for Rockport Aviors?


I recently purchased a pair of Rockport Aviors to replace my Dynaudio C2s. My system comprises of a Berkeley Reference DAC, Spectral DMC-30SS preamp, and Spectral DMA-260 stereo amp. My intial impression was disappointing - "hot" treble and a lack of low end slam. I assumed that my amp didn't have enough current to drive the Aviors properly so I auditioned the Spectral DMA-400 RS monos with the Aviors and that combo still didn't resonate in the way I first heard the Aviors (kicking myself for not noting the system). My current theory is that the Spectral gear (as much as I love it) isn't a good match for the Rockports; therefore, I have a bit of a quandary - ditch my Spectral system or the Aviors.

I know that Andrew uses a Gryphon stack to voice his speakers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't kmow of a USA Gryphon dealer and wouldn't purchase a Gryphon component without hearing it in person first.

So cut to the chase: Avior owners out there - what do you drive them with that results in the "softer" treble and bass slam that I know these speakers are capable of. My current guess is to audition Pass Labs.
Ag insider logo xs@2xjason_john_howes

Showing 3 responses by cycles2

Jason,

I have a pair of Rockport Altairs and I went through the same amp-searching exercise when I purchased them. I realize the Altairs are different than the Aviors, but perhaps my experience will be of some assistance to you.

First, I've never found the BE tweeter to be 'hot' or too bright with any of the amps I auditioned. They may expose 'hot' or thin recordings more than your prior Dynaudio C2s. I know that 

I had the same 'lack of slam' experience.  reveal poor record .I had a VAC Phi 300.1A tube amp when I first got the Altairs and it lacked deep bass,  slam, etc.  I then tried Pass Lab XA100.5 monoblocks and no improvement. One might say the Pass Lab amps were even more polite with the bass and certainly lacked the mids & highs of the VAC amp.

I contacted Jeff Fritz of SoundStage who has experience and praise for Rockport speakers. Jeff mentioned I needed an amp with lots of current to manage the 15 inch woofers. He also mentioned that I'd likely be better off with a solid state amp. 2 suggestions he had were a Burmester 911 Mk III and believe it or not a Devialet. I arranged to audition both at my home.

Both amps immediately took care of the bass (slam) issue. Both sounded equal or better than the other amps I tried in the mids and highs. However, I noticed that as I turned up the volume on the Burmester, the treble became a bit harsh. Not so with the Devialet as it had the same sound characteristics from low to high listening levels. The Devialet was also 25% of the cost of the Burmester and did away with the need for a pre-amp, DAC, phono stage and all the associated power and interconnect cables. 

I ended up purchasing 2 Devialets to have 400 watts per side but to be honest a single Devialet has ample power.  I found in my case adding a 2nd Devialet is a subtle improvement. I've had the Devialets for almost a year and don't have the urge to change, which says a lot.

Hope this helps.
  
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Synergistic Research's latest high-end cables, the Atmosphere Level 4.  I can't imagine that your cables are the main reason.  
Jason,

I've been reading reviews on your Spectral DMA-260 and the reviews say it has plenty of bass. That just means it had plenty of bass when the owner or reviewer used his speakers, not your Aviors. 

If you can remove your pre-amp from the system and go direct from your DAC as 'rvnye' suggests, this would start to isolate where the problem may be. That adds credence to auditioning the Devialet as it will remove both of your Spectral components from the audition.

Make sure your dealer configures the Devialet properly for you or shows you how to use the online configurator. They may have a specific configuration for their demo environment.