My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
Without evaluating technically, and listening at work on cheap $20 headphones connected to my laptop, the first one had my foot tapping the most. So, for musical enjoyment, I would dare to be different and pick #1. Could be a completely different verdict if I was listening on my system at home... Dave |
kren0006, viber6 was speaking of his own experiences - "I have also found...", "I believe...", "For me...", "in my direct connection system". It sounded worse to WC - yes! However, for viber6, he likes that thinness of sound. His analogy is trying to explain why he likes it the way he does. He's not trying to tell WC he's wrong, in fact, he mentions earlier in the post what he suspects was not sufficient for WC. Dave |
Thanks kren0006 and jetter for your last two posts. I don't have a problem with disagreement or pointing things out and having some back/forth on that - I just have issue with the manner in which it is done. Making friendly intelligent counter arguments is one thing, but kren0006's approach has been another. Dave |
There's no substitute for hearing it in person. Having said that, listening on my system last night, #3 sounded much better to me than it did on my headphones. I would still put #2 last - it was just too flat sounding and not as incisive. However, if someone loves bass or a smooth or non-invasive type of sound, then I can see how #2 would be their top choice. Live music, at least for me, is not smooth or non-invasive. It's full of dynamics, not just for the lows, but also for the mids and highs. I'd rather listen for a shorter time to something like live music, than to be able to listen for a much longer time with music that is smoother. YMMV of course :-) Dave |
WC, Our conclusions were pretty much the same, and I also think the Dragon was a good middle ground between the Nordost and the Audiomica. I like that you will be comparing the Hurricane vs the Dragon. It would be also interesting some day to hear you compare Odin 1 vs Odin 2. Of course, we're talking $'s. Dave |
justmetoo, There's been folks on this thread who have harped on WC for his changes in equipment - they can't seem to understand that he's not trying to get the best sound and then be done - at least, not right now. That German saying you shared is perfectly applicable for this thread - the journey is the goal. Thanks for sharing that. Dave |
@whitecamaross, Exciting news about the Luxman gear! I'm still curious though what you would think of the higher powered Pass Labs XA gear in your system, especially with a Pass Labs preamp. Loving the journey! By the way, I have my Plinius Odeon new, and I can tell it is something special. It's like a new amp though, since they did an upgrade to it, so I'm giving it some more time. More to come... Dave |
viber6, I'm going to disagree with you on this one: "If he found the Plinius bass rounded, then it is likely that the midrange and HF are rounded also, making the Essence just another euphonic amp. " The reviewer made a point of calling the Plinius bass rounded -true. However, the reviewer also pointed out that the Essence does not have rounded bass.. Already, the Essence would be less euphonic, according to the reviewer's description and your definition. The reviewer did not mention that midrance and HF were rounded - you are now jumping to a conclusion that comes out of nowhere. Typically, you at least have some sort of logic to associate with your conclusions, but none here. The only thing I can think of is that the reviewer does say that the Essence does not have screechy highs. So, if your logic is that an amp without screechy highs is considered euphonic, then we now know how you decide what is and is not euphonic. Dave |
@riaa_award_collectors_on_facebook You will like your new Odeon - I received one too with the Ultimate Upgrade about a month or two ago. Dynamics like you would not believe and great transparency. It will make you rethink your cables and other equipment, because it is more revealing of differences. Dave |
WC/kren0006 - agreed that each class D amp needs to be treated individually and not lumped into one category - I think I mentioned this already. Also, the amps need to be heard to make a definitive opinion. Speculation is only speculation. Yes, class D amps are improving, as are other classes of amps. kren0006 - I might have missed it, but not sure why you are reminding that Gryphon is one of the top 3 amps for the money? Dave |
Well said! It's unfortunate that you have to explain yourself. I don't understand why lalitk felt like the comment was necessary. I think most other folks here appreciate your comparisons and experiences that you've shared. Plus, you've even given advice to some (me included!) Thanks for the fun and the information - I'm truly enjoying it! Dave |
I'm curious as well about the ATI AT5X... class d amps as well. I'm hearing great things about them. The ATI AT54X... amps are rated for 500 watts/channel, while the AT52X... amps are 200 watts/channel. I'm thinking about trying an ATA AT543... to see how it does for the front three channels of my HT. Dave |
@whitecamaross - have you had a Theta Casablanca IV or IVa? @corvette01 - the Theta CB IV is my favorite processor (have not tried the IVa), and the McIntosh is my second favorite. I've also had Krell, Arcam, Marantz, Onkyo for HT. Back when I did 2 channel, I loved my Pass Labs X1 (SS) and the Cary SLP-05 (Tube). Dave |
@auxinput: I'll keep this short, since this is whitecamaross' amp thread. I had the Krell S1200U 3D, and it was my second favorite processor for both movies and 2ch, when no EQ is applied. First would still have to be the Theta CBIV. With RoomPerfect, the McIntosh jumps slightly ahead of the Krell (in my room). With Xtreme D-2 dacs, the CBIV is actually a touch smoother than the Krell - kind of the opposite of what you found. I now have the Xtreme D-3 DAC, which does make it more dynamic. I did not find the Krell or the Theta shouty or bright or thin or harsh solid state in my room/setup. If anything, I found the XMC1 (which I also owned for a period of time) a little bit thinner and not as smooth sounding. The SP3 is liked by a lot of folks, and I have not seen it described as you have described it. Perhaps there's something different with the rest of your system and/or room that is contibuting - so, getting back to the subject of this thread - what amps are you running with your setup? Dave |
Honestly, I'd try the JR 925's instead of the Black. Or, try both - one at a time :-) I'm sure the belcanto black would have tremendous bass. What I would worry about - is the bass dry, how are the highs - are they too tight - not providing enough air, decay, extension, etc?? Trying it out would be the way to find out for sure, but those would be my concerns going into it. Dave |
I'm not sure that Oppo touted itself to be a reference redbook player, as much as reviewers and/or users were touting it. Nevertheless, the main point, as pointed out by whitecamaross, is that it cannot compare to many dedicated cd players. Yes, there is a price difference, but that was the point - the Oppo was touted to be reference for a lower price. Dave |
Yeah, that was a totally random post?? I believe on this website (audiogon), once a seller accepts an offer, the ad is removed and offers can no longer be made (via audiogon). I suppose it's possible that someone could PM the seller and make an offer. If it happened to you, then you might want to contact the Audiogon folks to see what they have to say. Dave |
viber6, For me, terming components as muscular sounding does indeed mean something for me, with regards to music coming out of a system. I think it's a very good adjective to use, and not because I'm a guy and would relate it to cars, etc. Perhaps you may not find that word appropriate for describing music, but I find it absolutely applicable to describing sonics. Dave |
I'm with Guido on this one. If it's the cables, then both left and right should have issues. Try switching left/right speaker cables to see if the problem remains on the left side or if it travels to the right side. If it travels to the right side, then it's one bad speaker cable. If it stays on the left side, then you can start looking at other things. Dave |
I find it interesting that some choose to respond to other members speculations and opinions by ridiculing them (something that could be considered Prohibited content in the Audiogon Guidelines). I also find interesting the arrogance of some who choose to put down the equipment level/cost and choices of some members. These are things I try to deter my 10 year old from doing - that is, making fun of others, and demeaning and/or excluding others based upon what they have or don't have. Or, maybe I'm just in the minority on this thinking nowadays. Dave |
@whitecamaross For the Boulder electronics, you might want to have cabling with a little bit of a warmer signature - Kubala Sosna or some of the Cardas, for example. I've heard that WW cabling can be on the bright side of neutral (slightly cooler), so you might be continuing to go the wrong direction, if you wish to use it with the Boulder stuff. Dave |
psnyder149,
So, Kren mentions butt-kicking because he thought it was better for his listening taste and because WC thought it was better as well. You mention Vegas, etc. I understand those perspectives.
I love basketball, so if the final score is 60-40 or 120-80, yes, that's a butt-kicking. We can introduce all sorts of perspectives, and I agree with them.
What I'm getting at is that 40% of folks who watched the YT videos actually preferred the less expensive amp - 40%! To "me", that's a big number. I believe it shows that there's a variety of listening preferences out there.
Dave
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viber6 - I completely agree that 40% is not at all a butt-kicking! In fact, it's amazing to me that such an inexpensive amp convinced 40% of folks that it's better than the much more expensive amp. Yes, it was just YT, but that's all we have at our disposal, unless we want to make the trip to visit WC :-)
yysantabarbara - which Krell XD model did you get? Are you using it to drive your Thiels?
Dave |
@whitecamaross - I didn't see you mention the Pass Labs XA160.8 for your amp shootout - what happened? @techno_dude - I also agree with dasign that less equipment in the chain can provide better audio quality. However, when comparing the insertion/deletion of a preamp, a big consideration is the volume control. Everything that goes into the volume control of a preamp is probably much more involved that that of a DAC with a volume control. Comparisons will reveal if the insertion of a high performance preamp and extra cabling is better/worse than a DAC with a volume control. And, I'm sure the performance cost/ratio will determine that for some as well. Another consideration is inputs of a DAC vs a preamp - especially if doing analog. Dave |
