A Bryston 3b or 4b or 3bst is in your price range. They should be at the top of your list. They don't get much credit on this forum. But google them. You will be very impressed. I speak from experience.
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@gregdude Measurements pretty much line up with listening tests under double-blind conditions. Once you know what you are listening to, measurments are almost meaningless. If a DAC is high priced, looks expensive, and you think the brand is prestigious, that automatically gives it a boost over a cheap, plastic, Chi-Fi DAC; even if the internals are exactly the same. |
@mrdecibel A Van Morrison quote comes to mind... No guru, no method, no teacher.... hopefull LL I am just a passionate student of kaizen i like your idea and thanks for the refresh on mental block I had on the amp i strongly agree with the biwire approach, if OP needs to borrow a set of cables, I have a shotgun set of AQ type six with about ten K frequent flier miles as loaners...easy to have an open mind when investment in listening is a flat rate USPS $13 to get them to the next intrepid listener love your idea on vertical biamp, especially w identical transfer function amp |
Mccormack DNA-1 deluxe or gold 225 immediately comes to Mind...give one or both an audition. Steve McCormack's idea of utilizing his Distributed Node concept placed the power capacitors near each discrete transistor. Instead of two massively large capacitors, the smaller caps were thought to give better pace and lighting quick response. Admittedly, this was circa 2000, but hard to argue against after hearing this transient response. I think you'd all agree amplifiers in general represent a mature technology and some of the best ideas are time tested. Give one of these a listen....and thank me later:) |
smrex13 mentioned the Nuforce STA 200 above, and it is the amp tomic referred to, as me being a fan. If memory serves me, your Vandy 2 Cs allow for biwiring, as I know Richard Vandersteen believes very much in the concept, as do I and others like tomic. Have you biwired them with your current amp ? If not, I would try that 1st, before anything else. If you notice a difference, and if you do, hopefully for the better, you might consider passively biamping your Vandys with a pair of STA 200s, $ 499. each, from AA. Or maybe you may like your amp again, at least until you upgrade the preamp. Depending on how you go, I would suggest passive biamping, vertically, meaning both channels of one amp is dedicated to one speaker. Just a preference I have always preferred, when using a pair of the same amp. Although I have owned, and am familiar with Vandy, tomic is definitely the Vandy guru guy for sure, based on all of my readings and followings here on the Gon. Just some thoughts. Enjoy ! MrD. |
@georgehifi How am I anti a company for simply stating that they have certain products that measure worse than the competition, while also praising some of their other products for good measured performance? Am I anti Mercedes for stating flagships from Genesis and Kia give you better bang for buck over the S-Class? |
Like I said before, and all your answers have led to it, and not proved otherwise. https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1723336 |
@georgehifi In terms of transparency, all their MultiBit DACs. Since Schiit even states their $100 DAC is their best measuring one, I wonder if they truly believe in the Yggy for instance, or if they just wanted something to appeal to those with large wallets that don’t understand how digital audio works, same with NOS vs OS, or the premise of DSD or MQA; trying to sell improvements to things that don’t need improving. Take note I am referring to them as poor based on their measured performance for the money, as I doubt it has audible colorations/distortion/jitter. |
@georgehifi Of course it’s Schiit’s blame. They don’t hide anything for the Modi 3: https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/Schiit%20DAC%20APx555%20Standard%20Test%20Suite_%20Modi%203... Schiit even states the Vidar specs are from measurements, yet Schiit doesn’t post them. Sighted listening tests hold little value, especially from SBAF, where users usually have a hard-on for Schiit and denounce measurements from ASR (even banned Amir). 2D vs 3D soundstage is only dealing with channel matching/separation and phase, which the Benchmark has no issues with. Microdetail is in the rise time, the 2V 10kHz squarewave into 8ohm test that Stereophile uses shows the AHB2 rises in <5 microseconds. The only reasons I can see not to pick the AHB2 is if you need more wattage, ultra low impedance handling, or your music is poorly mastered and you don’t want transparent gear. |
What do you think about this oneWow, now that is odd, they show a measurement graph for Noise+Distortion, but not for any others expect frequency response, simply specs. I would like to note that the Hypex amps I mentioned performs better; voltage is different (1W vs 5W), but here is the Audio-GD:
http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/A1/A1THD.JPG
And here is the Hypex: EDIT: Can’t link Dont pay any mind to the noise floor (~-120dB for Audio-GD, ~-140dB for Hypex), that is just the resolution of the measurement, just pay attention to the spikes, we see the Audio-GD has spikes up to ~ -105dB (1kHz test tone not at 0dB), whereas the Hypex has spikes up to ~ -130dB. Now, while neither takes into account noise, the distortion alone is better on the Hypex, but both are so low that it’s not really a difference (unless the noise on the Audio-GD is terrible). As stated, I find it odd they don’t give a wattage vs THD graph. |
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Measurement graphs to be more clear That’s not the fault of Schiit then as you made out! They have put up as much on the Vidar as any other product they make. It hasn’t been reviewed by Stereophile or HiFi News AVTech (Miller Audio Research) yet, who are the only ones that do published un-biased measurement graphs. This is what you should have alluded to, instead of making Schiit seem like they are trying hide something with the Vidar. BTW: Subjective shootout, Schiit Vidar $700 v Benchmark AHB2 $3000 Quick read looks like they prefer the sound of the Vidar more than the 4 x!!!!! more expensive AHB2 https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/benchmark-ahb2-impressions-vs-vidar.5131/ Cheers George |
bstat.... as you are aware, I have some experience with setting up and helping to get the most from Model 2 in a large variety of rooms w varied systems and SPL requirements.. Vandersteen design for relatively easy load but you do need an amp that can control the acoustic coupler, which as some @#$& think is NOT a passive radiator. The best SS amp new in your price range I have heard do that is the Odyssey... Klaus builds serious gear that punches FAR above weight and price and can be upgraded later more than two levels. JOB is a serious contender as well, Swiss quality and punch IF you were serious about lightspeed fast, consider a Spectral..the LiL 80 W is diminutive BUT can really kick and sound sweet w correct preamp, and correct cables, need be RF tight Every now and then those can be found for $1k a used Electrocompiet is a mule kicker w finesse and very finely detailed sound.. there is a screaming deal on a Mk RM-200 right now, freaking awesome amp w 2’s I really like the LiL A/B amp that Mr Decibel loves...the name and model escapes me but they are like $600, less on blowout. |
What do you think about this one? http://www.audio-gd.com/Master/A1/A1EN.htm Looks like to get the benefit you might need to buy their ACSS preamp (based on Krell connectors I think) I have one of their DACs which is fantastic, so would think about taking a chance on their 2-channel amps. Their monoblocks out of my range at $3500 or so for the pair, but wow those look like powerful class A beauties... |
@georgehifi Measurement graphs to be more clear, not chosen specs to publish. What’s the THD at 25W into 8ohm? I know the Benchmark AHB2 at 25W into 8ohm is less than 0.0002%, because Benchmark publishes the AP measurement graphs, and Stereophile’s own measurements confirm. @bstatmeister Emotiva also have the PA-1 monoblocks for I believe $600/pair, uses the same ICE module as in the PS Audio S300; of course the module used isn’t a 1:1 relation to performance, but I thought I’d mention it. |
mzkmxcv Really!!!! https://www.schiit.com/products/vidar press specs tab
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bstatmeister OP+1 on that. Cheers George |
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$800 gets you a monoblock pair of Outlaw Model 2200 amps. " I will have to check those out...Monoblocks would be fantastic - but was thinking that might be out of my reach budget wise. Rest of my system is Vandersteen 2C mains, Pre is an Onkyo TH 805 SR (HT receiver with preout over to the Behringer.) Source I have a Technics SL-1200 MK2 with Nagaoka MP-150 which I love. I do use digital quite a bit with an Oppo BDP-93 with coax out to an Audio-GD Ladder DAC (R2R-11) which is also fantastic. I also have a Chromecast audio for streaming Pandora and amazon prime going into the DAC via toslink. I already know what I am going to get for the Pre - since I think that is my weakest link. I already made up my mind that I will buy a Schiit Saga tube pre-amp (which I will buy in April) so looking at an amp after that. I love to listen loud, but I don't get the chance to do that very often do to my family always being around, so there will be mostly moderate volume levels, but I do want it to kick my ass when I finally get the house to myself. My musical tastes are all over the map, but I love Mike Oldfield most (prog rock, I guess) and I am into some of the 80's stuff (Phil Collins Midnight Oil, INXS) I also love Rage against the Machine, Weezer, Cat Stevens, Alan Parsons and the Grateful Dead, just to name a few. I've heard that tube amps while sounding extremely warm and musical, might not quote have the omph chest thumping dynamics that a good solid state has. I've heard if you want to get some tube sound into the system best to do it at the pre-amp level, so you can get all the benefits of good solid-state along with some of the tube goodness (Paul Mcgowen reference here). |
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