If coins are an issue you might look into a Hegal 390 or 590. Pass definitely has a tubish midrange, especially the 60. Ive owned the 60 and now have the 250. I also own the Hegal 380, Mac 352 and Accuphase 380. The 380 is a very neural sounding amp. I think the Accuphase 600 is a different animal. My Macintosh is a hybrid with tubes in the preamp section. In my amp rotation the mac seems to stay the longest. Must be the tubes. It is surprisingly good. Coming from tubes your would be happy with pass if 60 watts is enough power, That amp puts of a good chunk of current, Check out the Hegal.
Luxman vs Accuphase for Harbeth 40.3 XD
I'm considering trying a SS integrated to power my 40.3 XDs. I'll buy used.
I've heard great things about T+A but they are really pricey, and Luxman and Accuphase look interesting, there are 2 examples for sale currently.
Luxman L-509X $6,300 and Accuphase E650 $12K
I hear a lot about high damping factor being necessary to get the best out the the Harbeth's (Luxman is 370 and the Accuphase is 1000).
Honestly cannot justify $12K at the moment but I wondered if anyone has any thoughts on these 2 amps for my speakers? Or any other suggestions?
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@avanti1960 thanks for the reminder about Pass - that should definitely be on the list. @lalitk Warm for sure. My guess is I should not be concerned about lower wpc specs of the Accuphase? @stuartbmw3 @akg_ca I had (still have) 30.2's with 2 REL subs. I appreciate the feedback but the 40's are a completely different animal compared to any of the smaller Harbeth's. System details are in my profile, but my current amp is Rogers High Fidelity EHF-200 MK2. This amp drives the big Harbeth's really well, and actually sounds much better with the 40's than the 30's, and inexplicably seems to drive the 40's with less effort. I have zero complaints with the current set up, I'm just interested in trying SS. (I have never owned a high-end SS amp). Thanks for all the feedback thus far.
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Well, I can't give you a direct answer, but I can tell you that my Luxman L-505uXii mates very well with my Harbeth 30.1 speakers. There is a warmish character to the amp (in my room, with my ears) and the sound is balanced. I get more bottom end out of my speakers with the Luxman, and ended up selling my JL Audio subwoofer because I preferred the sound with out the complexity of the sub. Is there any way that you can audition either or both of the amps with your system?
I purposely stayed away from class A amps although I knew there would be trade offs. I would not think that the Accuphase was 2X better than the Luxman. Of course this ignores the fact of diminishing returns in this hobby. Good luck on your hunt. I would not get in too much of a hurry. You did not say what you were replacing to drive the Harbeths. |
What is your personal preferences when it comes to sound..Luxman has a neutral tone whereas Accuphase has warmer sound. I auditioned both and preferred Accuphase. Another huge distinction for me was class A/B vs pure class A…E-650 is pure class A, it’s a sweet sounding integrated. If you gravitate towards, organic, slightly warm and SET sound then Accuphase is worth every penny. And 2nd the recommendation for Pass Int over Luxman if you can afford Accuphase. |
Pass Labs INT-60 Integrated Amplifier (moon-audio.com)
Better sounding than the Luxman IMHO with the Harbeths. Better match tonally- the Pass has such a clean and clear midrange and low end authority. Class A gives on-demand dynamics and woofer control which the 40s really need. Never heard the Accuphase. |