celestial_sound wrote, "The MA252 is [the] more muscular amp having better attack, dynamics, decay, grunt and slightly better timbral accuracy....The Pathos may sound more compressed when you directly compare to the MA, but in my opinion it's more neutral and you will appreciate more in long term listening sessions."
I'm a bit confused, because those two statements seem to be contradictory in terms of neutrality. Isn't "timbral accuracy" the same as neutral? The way the latter sentence is worded, it refers to the Pathos as being more neutral. I'd love celestial_sound to be able to clarify here, if possible.
I'm chiming in personally because I, too, am trying to figure out which of these might be a better purchase. My situation is that there is a MA252 for me to listen to locally, whereas I would need to order a Pathos Classic One from someplace like Upscale Audio with a return provision in order to try them with my speakers. I can bring my speakers to the local emporium to try the MA252 with them.
Interestingly, I initially listened to the MA252 with a larger Harbeth model and it did not sound good. Bass was really weak. The soundstage was both deep and small, and I heard more transient attack than instrumental or vocal body. The whole presentation was fairly top-tilted and somewhat sterile (It's almost like the speaker cables were reversed with the Harbeth, but this was a notable audio emporium, so I'm doubting that.).
Then we swapped in a pair of small Sonus Faber Minima monitor speakers and the presentation couldn't have been different. The midrange was rich and lovely. Deeper bass was still almost non-existent, and even upper bass didn't have a whole lot of power, but what WAS there was very nice. I do plan to bring my own speakers, Castle Edens (moderate sized monitor-sized speakers, 87dB).
I'm replacing my modded original Unison Research Unico hybrid integrated, so I'm hoping for something that will be close in tonality of the Unico, as well as having the relative power it had once modified (by Chris Johnson at the Parts ConneXion). There's not much within my price range that is a tube hybrid integrated. Going full tube would have me worried about maintenance costs down the line, not to mention the added heat which tubes might bring to my small living room from the power amp stage.
One of the reps at Upscale Audio suggested that with my smallish room (about 12'x12'x11'), I should get enough oomph from the bass output of the Classic One MK III, but I do get concerned reading about the lack of taut and musical bass output, and that it's not consistent with the midrange and treble. And a couple of pro reviewers have suggested careful speaker matching is important with the Classic One (and that seems also important with the MA252, given the above listening experience). Yet many seem to like it here, and like it more when bridged mono (Not an option for me, at least for a long time given my budget).
Any thoughts on the above, and comparing these two hybrid integrated amps, and in my situation?
Jeff
