Hi,
it is tough for me to hear any hiss because i own electrostatics. i might try a pair of small dynaudio bookshelf speakers and report back to you. Yes the amp runs hot, but so does pass labs, plinius, etc and any other exceptional amp i have owned. i wouldnt worry about it. I still love the luxman combo and will report back once my speakers are 100%.
The hegel is no slouch though and sounds amazing with the audio research reference 6. Incredible sonics to say the least. |
i just tried the amp with the audio research preamp and a pair of dynaudio speakers and i don't hear any hissing out of my tweeters. i suspect your issue might be the preamp. Try using high quality power cords and connect both, the amp and the preamp to different outlets. |
I totally get it but i I've been down separates for a long time...kinda running out of options at the level where I was...I'm going to try what is arguably one of the best integrateds out there with my new speakers. |
No I won’t try those. The 900u is superior in every regard. |
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yes, i have owned anthem p5. Excellent workhorse and very heavy. It is up there in terms of quality, but nothing close to the plinius odeon.
Please note, i will be giving a shot to the simaudio mc8 in the near future. I just need to figure out how i am going to do it since this is a 220v unit. They never built it 110v. |
None. Dac direct and it was incredible. |
Ok guys,
my Clx are at the Martinlogan factory getting a full refresh. That said I can’t sit around and wait 3 weeks for them to come back so I bought a pair of Dynaudio c1s and a pair of c2s Platinums. What an amazing sound with the luxman. Wow. Insane sound.
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Very very different. I’d say they sound so big that they remind me a lot of electrostatics.
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Ok so food for thought guys:
PURE CLASS A AMPS PLUS CARDAS CLEAR BEYOND SPEAKER CABLES PLUS WILSON AUDIO SPEAKERS = does not work. Wilson audio has resistors that don’t get along with whatever cardas is doing with their cables when you use a class a amp which is notorious for having monster power draw with a huge transformer.
If you are going to use cardas clear beyond with Wilson, stay away from class a amps. |
Just got done listening to the Luxman combo with Dynaudio c1s and it’s outstanding . a level of clarity that is almost unreal. That said, this wasn’t the case when i had the clx panels. I felt the arc ref6 hegel h30 had the edge in terms of slam. However, I’m about 2 days away from just buying another 900u amp and run them in mono mode... this has never been done by any reviewer or anyone at all. i am just also looking at the massive amount of money involved and that I could be tapping into xa200.8 territory in terms of dollars spent and i highly doubt that the Luxman 900us in mono mode could best the xa200.8s.
For right now, the Luxman and Dynaudio c1 is one hell of a combination. We will see once my clx speakers return in about 2 weeks. These monsters seemed to
benefit from the massive power of the Hegel which is why i thought the 900u In mono mode would be ideal.
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So I did a bit of listening last night with the C1 Dynaudios and the Luxman pieces along with the Hegel H30 and audio research ref 6.
First up: Luxman combo, amazing detail and great midrange. Highs are world class along with a level of depth that I simply haven’t heard before. Layer of detail
upon layer of detail. I can honestly say I could live extremely happy with this combination for a very long time. No real weakness in my opinion and by the way I LOVE LOOOOOOOVE the loudness button on the Preamp. It just makes things come to life when listening at low volume levels. I’m really digging tone controls on preamps. Yes I’m clear that it’s not for those of you that are purists. That said, I think the awesome thing is that you can change speakers and other things and make the adjustments on the Preamp. HUGE SOUNDSTAGE. JUST BEYOND BELIEF. This is an excellent combo for those of you wanting to hear female vocals with a level of a reslism that’s hard to believe. Adele, Sam Smith, Diana krall etc all sound as if they are in your living room.
Second: hegel h30/ Luxman 900u: great slam and dynamics. I still enjoy the big soundstage although it’s less than the Luxman amp.
If you want bottom end, this will fix all your issues. End of story. This combo has just about everything that the Luxman combo
has but it loses on the last ounce of detail and soundstage but we are splitting hairs here. For the money the Hegel H30 will kill many other amps out There. I find this combo better with music that has lots of swings and slam. It’s edcellent at that.
Coming up next: Luxman 900u with audio research ref 6 preamp.
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Magico = "feminine speakers"?
Interesting...never heard this before.
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Hi,
Spoke to cardas today. They are aware that some amplifiers don't get along with cardas cables. He named NAIM, SPECTRAL. He acknowledged that this isn't the first time he's heard of this but that it has to do with the voltage regulation of the amplifier design. According to him, some amps aren't designed this way so they tend to react this way when there's a huge amount of copper connected to it like what cardas does. In conclusion, there's no compatibility with Wilson , gryphon and cardas. My amp works perfectly with Dynaudio and cardas though so the amp isn't the issue.
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Interesting comments on the video...looks like Mephisto is being favored by the masses. |
I’m using cardas with my luxman and Wilson and there’s zero issues. Sounds excellent. My Gryphon will continue to be here since I have other speaker cables and plan to buy Odin 2 speaker cables or maybe buy audiomica Consequence speaker cables? Not sure yet.
Odin 2 Speaker cables is the long term plan after this chaotic thing passes.
As far as cardas announcing on their website that their cables might have compatibility issues, they wouldn't do it because neither do other manufacturers. For instance, Wireworld Platinum 8 Speaker cables don't work with luxman 900u and magico. They make the luxman 900u go into protection mode so yep... These things exist people and I'm letting you all see them here :). |
Hi,
I expected the same but I had a local buyer for my focals and I needed to free up some money to move into the luxman stuff I have.
Speaking of luxman, I now have the luxman c900u plus an integrated that I'll disclose on my next video. :)
And I also bought another power conditioner which will go toe to toe vs the Denali. Gotta keep moving ! |
Here we go again guys... things might change drastically this Thursday night if all goes well. Just to add a hint, I will have another pair of 30,000 dollar speakers. The only hint I can give you is that they are imported, stand about 6.5 feet tall and handle 500 Watts.
Any guesses ? |
I heard of this issue at the Florida audio show. It's a known mismatch.
Yes , I'm kinda glad this journey has laid out these learning lessons for me when it comes to cables. I'm learning and that's all I can ask for. |
Ok guys,
more components will be at my door for me to give my opinion on them:
simaudio 650d CD player /
simaudio 740p preamp
simaudio 700i integrated
these will be part of the new set up that I’ll be test driving. |
luxman 900u/ ARC 6: Excellent combination. I love everything about it and i really can't stop listening. That said, this combination sounds good really good on just about anything type of music, BUT there are times when the 900u amp/preamp combo hits one out the park with certain songs that leaves the arc 6/900u combo in the dust. So far, i can’t stress enough how important system synergy is. I loved the hegel with the CLX panels and the luxman not so much, but now that i have dynaudio c1 platinums, things have just turned around and now i find the luxman combo much more cohesive and "tuned" for these speakers.
In short, the amp you have today MAY NOT be the best amp for your next set of speakers. No amp/preamp combo works for every speaker out there. This is why i let go of my 350.8. I felt it didnt have much synergy with my sonus faber cremonese.
It is actually almost a rule of thumb to simply own 2 different amplifers at all times if you are changing speakers every 2 years or so.
If the deal goes through tomorrow without any hiccups, i will be posting about my new speakers, but if it falls through then the CLX speakers will make their way back to me.
One last thing, i have been listening to the luxman combo with the c1s for the past 3 hours straight at approximately 90-92 dbs and i have zero fatigue. i can sit there until dawn and i have zero desire to lower the volume. Incredible. |
Speaker lines... Hmmm it's a hard one but I believe I didn't like my b&w 803d3 with luxman when I had them about 3 years ago. Too bright but maybe I did not have the best cables since I wasn't really this deep into cables. |
Update:
last night I took delivery of the Dynaudio evidence temptation. These are in better than new condition. Impeccable to say the least.
anyhow, my initial impressions are:
1. Huge speakers that immediately dwarf room. Extremely heavy and hard to position
2. I threw them in the room more or less
where the clx were just to hear them and get immediate impressions so they probably aren’t where they need to be. They sounded just ok. Not the same level of high frequency detail from the clx or Dynaudio c1 platinum. Could it be that these use Esotar 1 tweeters and not Esotar 2 as the platinum?
3. Huge soundstage. Speakers disappear from the room the moment they turn on.
4. Far larger width and depth in terms of musicality when compared to my former c4 platinums.
5. Speakers fall flat on their face when turning down the volume. They appear to need to be cranked up to come to life. Again this was supposedly the reason why the new tweeter was designed.
6. Crappy recordings will sound like trash. My clx panels sounded awesome with just about anything i played. Think of these Dynaudio speakers as what an OLED 4K tv would display if you were to play a movie from the 80s on vhs..no detail or crispness. Very blurry
7. Crappy amps need not apply here. These will make most amps sound as if they have no balls or juice. Those with emotiva, Parasound, Rotel, b&k, etc need to just forget about it. I believe this speaker needs amps like Mcintosh 1.2 kws, boulder 2060, Krell 900e, etc. Heavy hitters with massive twin turbos in them. This could be the reason why I feel they fall apart when turned down. Maybe my luxman 900u and Hegel H30 aren’t enough.
8. These will also expose your room issues. I’m currently dealing with one speaker feeling as if it has a little more mids and highs. This could be because this speaker is the speaker that is not in the corner but rather in the open space of my room. I have a feeling the speaker in the corner is getting “cornered “ and not allowed to spread the sound as it should. Luckily my preamps have the “balance “ feature so I can even out the sound.
with all that said, I’m just starting and haven’t had more than 2 hours to play with these. I still need to position them better, move them, tilt, toe. Etc to see if I can make things better. I’m also looking into potentially buying either a boulder 2060 or the new Mcintosh 1.25 kws monos.
I won’t give up on these until I try different things and if all fails then I may have to just try to get my clx back.
I also wanted to know if anyone here has had to tilt their speakers forward more than their spikes allowed and if that was the case, what did they use ? I’m looking for ideas to tilt them more than what their spikes allow. Let me know guys !
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Update:
i repositioned the speakers closer to the wall, moved The left speaker away from the corner and spread the speaker about 7 feet apart. Wow, what an insane difference that made. It’s like everything sounds better, more detailed and tighter.
I also decided to try both of my stereo amps in mono mode just to hear the speakers with more juice and i couldn’t bel the |
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Mcintosh 1.2kw monoblocks in the house!!
I decided to pursue a pair of these puppies. What a massive amplifier that feels extremely solid upon picking it up off the floor. It actually makes the mc601s look like toys.
My initial impressions after about 2 hours of play time:
1. HUGE improvement in terms of soundstage. Music feels as if it covers the entire wall.
2. Midrange now feels more "focused" and just effortless as if it was injected with more clarity.
3. GOBBS of low end oomph. These amps can swing dynamics far better then my hegel h30 which is no surprise since it is 4 times the horsepower.
4. Runs cooler than any other amp i have ever owned.
With all that said, the speakers feel larger than ever before. These amps have so much power on tap that you feel as if the room gets pressurized as the volume goes up. Zero hint of any sort of compression as the volume goes up. I am still trying to switch back and forth between my audio research ref 6 and luxman 900u to see which preamp is a better match for these amps. Both preamps are magical with these monos and it is so close at times that you could live with either one. however, with certain songs you will hear that one will outshine the other or vice versa. No preamp is perfect and i believe it is a matter of what you listen to that determines which one best suits your needs.
I will continue to explore here and see what else i can discover.
Stay tuned! |
Get ready to hear Pass labs XP32 with XA60.8 monoblocks... coming at 12pm today. |
Just listed my Hegel H30 amplifier. Here is my opinion on it:
Amazing slam and attack. Zero harshness or edginess. it does not run hot at all so it can be placed in any shelf you want. I would say that this amp is a better bang for the buck than the 350.8. Having owned the 350.8, this hegel h30 has far more bass control than the 350.8. As good as the 350.8 is, this amp is just a better proposition in many ways. The 350.8 was always running hot and didn't have the same slam. Again, if you have speakers that seem anemic and you wish for more bottom end and transparent highs, this is your amplifier. This is the medicine that your doctor is prescribing. |
hi guys,
i have just listed my luxman 900u amplifier and 533h mark levinson 3 channel amps in order to make space for the 1.2kws and for the future amplifiers i will be ordering. The luxman 900u amplifier is HARD TO COME BY so grab it before it is gone. Quick review on both amps:
Luxman m900u: The best 150 watts i have ever owned PERIOD. insane layers of of sound with a HUGE soundstage. I don't think most people would ever need an amplifier with more power unless they own something like my crazy Dynaudio Temptations. The luxman m900u is in my opinion more refined than any simaudio amp, any Krell, any levinson, bhk300, theta digital, classe audio, and even some of the pass labs amplifiers i have owned. This amp is a true giant killer and built better than just about any other amp i have owned. The most lethal, intoxicating musicality i have heard.
Mark Levinson 533h: Incredible amplifier that has some of the best highs and mids i have heard. It is the most logical choice for a person that wants a musical amplifier for 2 channel and then also as an excellent multichannel amp. It runs cool and does not need a ton of clearance space like pass labs and krell do. I love the mids on this amplifier.
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Well guys, i may be out of commission for a few days. After packing up the H30, Luxman 900u and putting them in their boxes, i proceeded to pick up the 1.2kws off the floor. Some of you may not know, but i am 6' 2 inches tall and weigh about 260 lbs. I've picked up a ton of amplifiers throughout the years and so as usual, i went to bend over and picked up the first 1.2kw off the floor to place it on a shelf and no problem. I went to pick up the second 1.2kw and as i was setting it down, a terrible pinch on my lower back locked me up and so i suspect i have herniated yet another disc. I am in severe pain and have stretched all afternoon and taken a few pain killers and anti-inflammatories so that it does not get worse tomorrow. These monsters managed to throw my back out ughhhhhh, but i guess this is part of this hobby that i love very much. I hope my Thanksgiving day isn't ruined after this.
i managed to have the wife help me off the floor so i can sit down and as the trooper that i am, i managed to sit up and just do another listening session. To give you a little feedback on that, i have chosen the Luxman 900u preamp over the reference 6 to be the preamp to use with these. I blasted one track at approximately 105-110 decibels according to my sound decibel meter and i had ZERO ear fatigue or discomfort (besides my back). I don't think i have ever blasted any of my speakers at such high levels and have zero desire to turn it down. I am completely astonished at how well the 1.2kw and dynaudio temptations sound. They just compliment each other and the cherry on top is the 900u. The luxman 900u has some sort of technology that basically smoothes out the highs at any volume level. Have you all ever had a set up that sounds detailed and crisp at low levels, but when you crank it up you notice that things get too bright to the point that you can't listen to it for very long? Well this is EXACTLY what this preamp fixes. As you crank up the volume it automatically compensates the highs and begins to smooth them out which allows you to sit and listen at any level. That said, the final reason why i feel it is the winner with my set up is because of the "loudness" feature which helps TREMENDOUSLY when i listen at low volume levels at night. It keeps the speakers thumping bass and with a nice sparkle. That is just priceless for me... |
Thank you guys. I wish everyone a happy thanksgiving. Let’s stay off audiogon for today or else we can make our significant others mad lol |
Mark Levinson 533h is SOLD!! |
Mono>stereo>3 channel>5 or 7 channel
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Elshout:
if you want bottom end, the jc1s are excellent in regards to bass and so is krell. The pass 350.8 is too much money if all you're doing is handling bass. i actually highly suggest you look into the belcanto class d ref600 monos. Outstanding bass control. |
My current list of components are:
Dynaudio evidence temptation
Mcintosh 1.2kw monos
Audio Research Reference 6 preamp
Luxman 900u preamp
Ps audio direct stream dac with bridge 2
simaudio 650d cd player/transport
Wireworld silver 7 cables throughout
backup components:
dynaudio contour 60 (will review soon)
dynaudio c1 platinums
emotiva xpa2 gen 3 power amp
mark levinson 585 integrated
audio research gs150 tube amplifier
gamut cd3 reference cd player
ps audio bhk300 monos (waiting to take delivery)
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Robd2: I think both add a lot but I’d say the preamp is what really steers your music more in the direction you want.
However, the speakers have a lot to say about this too because for example my evidence temptations don’t want 300 watts of power. They function fine with it but they shine with far more horsepower than that. |
Joe: the 1.2kws offer massive overhead and dynamics. I cranked them up to ear bleeding levels and they remained composed as if they were still only pushing 10 watts. In my opinion, there’s no better 1,000 watt mono. Surprisingly, the luxman 900u pre and McIntosh 1.2kw sound amazing and better to my ears than the ref 6 and McIntosh 1.2kw.
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Roxy: I’ll have read up on atc speakers. Not familiar with them |
Jafant: I actually haven’t done a ab comparison between these. It may be a good shootout since they both retail for the same dollar amount. |
Thanks @4425
Thanks @shannere
I’m not quite sure why some people keep beating the horse with the same stick. I will, however, take this opportunity to thank and applaud those of you who used to do that in the past and have now stopped doing so.
Lastly, remember that if I find the "perfect " or the "right " system, then this show is over. Don’t forget that. Take my curiosity for new gear as a PLUS rather than a CON. This is gear that most people won’t ever compare and yes my opinion isn’t Gospel because we all might have different outcomes in our space but look at my opinion as a point of reference, or an anecdote about something you might be interested in buying in the future. I never said I’m the final word on anything. I’m just another person who luckily tries more gear than 90% of the people out there. Nobody wants to hear about the dude playing the same rowland Amplifiers with monitor audio speakers (both of which I've owned) 24/7 for the last 10 years. Let’s keep it real.
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Monitor audio platinum 500s are in da house !!!!
Intiial impressions:
the biggest, baddest bass I have ever heard in my room HANDS DOWN. my eyeballs rattled in my skull from the massive punch and oomph these speakers provided with my McIntosh 1.2kws.
I have never heard any other speaker have the massive bottom end that these have in my room.
Midrange: very nice and centered. Not really missing anything as far as mids
highs: lots of detail but I do find them a tad less smooth than the dynaudios. They tend to get a little hot when cranked up but I’m not sure if this is just the reference 6 preamp that creates too much detail on the tweeter. I get some ear fatigue if I listen at moderate volumes.
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Anyhow, the issue is i am having a buzzing sound coming from my left speaker (left binding post only on the gryphon colosseum amp) anytime i connect cardas clear audio speaker cables and into my wilson audio sasha DAW speakers.
Here is what i have tried and i am still unsuccessful (still getting buzzing on the left channel of the amp which is manifested through the left speaker or the right if I connect the right speaker on the left binding post):
- powering the amp on with nothing else connected to it but the speakers (no xlr connected)
- tried a different outlet outside my room
- tried turning off the ac in my room
- tried turning off the led lights in my room
- tried different power cords
- Tried 3 different dedicated outlets in my room.
- Tried getting the amp off the floor and place on a stand.
Nothing on the bullets above makes the buzzing sound leave the left channel of the amp. That said, here are things that have worked without issues related to buzzing or anything:
- removing wilson speakers and using dynaudio platinum c4 speakers (no issues with buzzing using the same amp and cardas speaker cables)
- removing gryphon colosseum power amplifier and using luxman 900u power amplifier with wilson sasha daw and cardas speaker cables)
- Using any other type of speaker cable except cardas clear audio
Not sure what else I can try. My amp seems to be perfect (this thing has a ton of protection circuits). Gryphon said that if I send the amp then they can’t guarantee they can find an issue because this means they need to have a Wilson and cardas clear audio speaker cable to duplicate the issue which they don’t. They also said if the amp had an issue then it would have it with any speaker and any speaker cable all the time which isn’t the case. Wilson said they haven’t had an issue with cardas ever but that they haven’t used gryphon and cardas together. I received a technical explanation from an engineer who said if one board of the amp is sitting closer to the left binding post than the one on the right , this could create an imbalance that the cable doesn’t like. So he said it might be just the design of the amp not being what cardas was designing their cables for .I was also told that I need a big powerful amp with a huge transformer to try this again because my Gryphon has far more capacitance and a much bigger transformer than luxman . The gryphon is providing far more voltage and current on those cables so my luxman isn't the best plan B. I'd need a big krell, big pass labs xs, plinius etc. Something along those lines. |
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Well I believe you use Jeff Rowland and I’m using a tube preamp. I don’t believe a tube preamp goes well unless you are listening at low volumes. Once you crank it up, the tweeter gets a bit excited and begins to sound a hair too forward but I agree with you. It’s probably system synergy. |
denon1: i may have to agree with you, but unfortunately with cables it is tough because i feel that they need to be inserted in your system before you make any buying decision simply because they are harder to sell if you don't like them. |
steve: thank you for your kind words. These are the kind of words that inspire me to keep this thread alive. I have actually been thinking of starting my own website next year and bring this entire thread over and have my own thing going on. That said, that is just a thought at this time.
With all that said, yes i consider the mc207 a subpar amplifier given the cost and i am 200% sure the belcanto ref600s are far superior in ever regards. Having owned many mcintosh amps, i consider the 1.2kw and 2.0kws the only respectable amplifiers that they currently make and everything else just an amplifier for those die hard mcintosh fans.
I keep a spreadsheet of every amplifier i have owned and i can say its upwards of 200 amplifiers. I don't want to praise any particular brand although i have my personal favorites.
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Well guys, a shocking event happened last night. I tried hours of listening and let me just say, i really wanted the outcome to be different, but my ears could not deny it. The monitor audio platinum pl500 ii has simply bested my Dynaudio Evidence Temptations. I did not want to accept it, but sometimes things are too clear and obvious to deny them. My partnership with the Dynaudio Evidence Temptations has ended and i will be finding a new home for them.
The monitor audio pl500ii have really elevated my system to new heights. I will write a full review once i settle down with a few things i need to handle first. One thing you need to know is that these are 300% better than the platinum 300ii. I can’t even draw a comparison between both because they truly don’t sound alike.
This was all a shock to me because i thought these platinum 300s were good and i thought the platinum 500s were going to be just a hair better with more bottom end and that was far from the truth.
HUGE SHOCK, but hey i am glad i ran into these speakers.
I have a huge smile on my face :) |
Stick to Belcanto ref600s. They really impressed me.
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