@kw6 : Concur with audioman58. The reviews of the SST Son of Ampzilla Mk2 are on point. I've been very impressed with it.
My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
So I have been in a long journey looking to find the best amplifiers for my martin logan montis. As you know, the match between an amplifier and speakers has to be a good "marriage" and needs to be blend exquisitely. Right now, I think I might have found the best sounding amplifier for martin logan. I have gone through approximately 34-36 amplifiers in the past 12 months. Some of these are:
Bryston ST, SST, SST2 series
NAD M25
PARASOUND HALO
PARASOUND CLASSIC
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
KRELL CHORUS
ROTEL RMB 1095
CLASSE CT 5300
CLASSE CA 2200
CLASSE CA 5200
MCINTOSH MC 205
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
OUTLAW AUDIO 755
LEXICON RX7
PASS LABS XA 30.8
BUTLER AUDIO 5150
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005
With all that said, the amplifiers I mentioned above are the ones that in my opinion are worth mentioning. To make a long story short, there is NO 5 CHANNEL POWER AMP that sounds as good as a 3ch and 2ch amplifier combination. i have done both experiments and the truth is that YOU DO lose details and more channel separation,etc when you select a 5 channel power amplifier of any manufacturer.
My recollection of what each amp sounded like is as follows:
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 (great power and amazing soundstage. Very low noise floor, BUT this amplifiers NEEDS TO BE cranked up in order to fully enjoy it. If you like listening at low volume levels or somewhat moderate, you are wasting your time here. This amp won’t sound any different than many other brands out there at this volume. The bass is great, good highs although they are a bit bright for my taste)
NAD M25 (very smooth, powerful, but somewhat thin sounding as far as bass goes)
Bryston sst2(detailed, good soundstage, good power, but can be a little forward with certain speakers which could make them ear fatiguing at loud volumes)
Krell (fast sounding, nice bass attack, nice highs, but some detail does get lost with certain speakers)
rotel (good amp for the money, but too bright in my opinion)
cary audio (good sound overall, very musical, but it didn’t have enough oomph)
parasound halo (good detail, great bass, but it still holds back some background detail that i can hear in others)
lexicon (very laid back and smooth. huge power, but if you like more detail or crisper highs, this amp will disappoint you)
McIntosh mc205 (probably the worst multichannel amp given its price point. it was too thin sounding, had detail but lacked bass.
butler audio (good amplifier. very warm and smooth sweet sounding. i think for the money, this is a better amp than the parasound a51)
pass labs (very VERY musical with excellent bass control. You can listen to this for hours and hours without getting ear fatigue. however, it DOES NOT do well in home theater applications if all you have is a 2 channel set up for movies. The midrange gets somewhat "muddy" or very weak sounding that you find yourself trying to turn it up.
classe audio (best amplifier for multi channel applications. i simply COULDNT FIND a better multi channel amplifier PERIOD. IT has amazing smoothness, amazing power and good bass control although i would say krell has much better bass control)
Update: The reviews above were done in January 2015. Below is my newest update as of October 2016:
PS AUDIO BHK 300 MONOBLOCKS: Amazing amps. Tons of detail and really amazing midrange. the bass is amazing too, but the one thing i will say is that those of you with speakers efficiency of 87db and below you will not have all the "loudness" that you may want from time to time. These amps go into protection mode when using a speaker such as the Salon, but only at very loud levels. Maybe 97db and above. If you don’t listen to extreme crazy levels, these amps will please you in every way.
Plinius Odeon 7 channel amp: This is THE BEST multichannel amp i have ever owned. Far , but FAR SUPERIOR to any other multichannel amp i have owned. In my opinion it destroyed all of the multichannel amps i mentioned above and below. The Odeon is an amp that is in a different tier group and it is in a league of its own. Amazing bass, treble and it made my center channel sound more articulate than ever before. The voices where never scrambled with the action scenes. It just separated everything very nicely.
Theta Dreadnaught D: Good detailed amp. Looks very elegant, has a pleasant sound, but i found it a tad too bright for my taste. I thought it was also somewhat "thin" sounding lacking body to the music. could be that it is because it is class d?
Krell Duo 300: Good amp. Nice and detailed with enough power to handle most speakers out there. I found that it does have a very nice "3d" sound through my electrostatics. Nothing to fault here on this amp.
Mark Levinson 532H: Great 2 channel amp. Lots of detail, amazing midrange which is what Mark Levinson is known for. It sounds very holographic and will please those of you looking for more detail and a better midrange. As far as bass, it is there, but it is not going to give you the slam of a pass labs 350.5 or JC1s for example. It is great for those that appreciate classical music, instrumental, etc, but not those of you who love tons of deep bass.
It is articulate sounding too
Krell 7200: Plenty of detail and enough power for most people. i found that my rear speakers contained more information after installed this amp. One thing that i hated is that you must use xlr cables with this amp or else you lose most of its sound performance when using RCA’s.
Krell 402e: Great amp. Very powerful and will handle any speaker you wish. Power is incredible and with great detail. That said, i didn’t get all the bass that most reviewers mentioned. I thought it was "ok" in regards to bass. It was there, but it didn’t slam me to my listening chair.
Bryston 4B3: Good amp with a complete sound. I think this amp is more laid back than the SST2 version. I think those of you who found the SST2 version of this amp a little too forward with your speakers will definitely benefit from this amp’s warmth. Bryston has gone towards the "warm" side in my opinion with their new SST3 series. As always, they are built like tanks. I wouldn’t call this amp tube-like, but rather closer to what the classe audio delta 2 series sound like which is on the warm side of things.
Parasound JC1s: Good powerful amps. Amazing low end punch (far superior bass than the 402e). This amp is the amp that i consider complete from top to bottom in regards to sound. Nothing is lacking other than perhaps a nicer chassis. Parasound needs to rework their external appearance when they introduce new amps. This amp would sell much more if it had a revised external appearance because the sound is a great bang for the money. It made my 800 Nautilus scream and slam. Again, amazing low end punch.
Simaudio W7: Good detailed amp. This amp reminds me a lot of the Mark Levinson 532h. Great detail and very articulate. I think this amp will go well with bookshelves that are ported in order to compensate for what it lacks when it comes to the bass. That doesn’t mean it has no bass, but when it is no Parasound JC1 either.
Pass labs 350.5: Wow, where do i begin? maybe my first time around with the xa30.8 wasn’t as special as it was with this monster 350.5. It is just SPECTACULAR sounding with my electrostatics. The bass was THE BEST BASS i have ever heard from ANY amp period. The only amp that comes close would be the jC1s. It made me check my settings to make sure the bass was not boosted and kept making my jaw drop each time i heard it. It totally destroyed the krell 402e in every regard. The krell sounded too "flat" when compared to this amp. This amp had amazing mirange with great detail up top. In my opinion, this amp is the best bang for the money. i loved this amp so much that i ended up buying the amp that follows below.
Pass labs 250.8: What can i say here. This is THE BEST STEREO AMP i have ever heard. This amp destroys all the amps i have listed above today to include the pass labs 350.5. It is a refined 350.5 amp. It has more 3d sound which is something the 350.5 lacked. It has a level of detail that i really have never experienced before and the bass was amazing as well. I really thought it was the most complete power amplifier i have ever heard HANDS DOWN. To me, this is a benchmark of an amplifier. This is the amp that others should be judged by. NOTHING is lacking and right now it is the #1 amplifier that i have ever owned.
My current amps are Mcintosh MC601s: i decided to give these 601s a try and they don’t disappoint. They have great detail, HUGE soundstage, MASSIVE power and great midrange/highs. The bass is great, but it is no pass labs 250.8 or 350.5. As far as looks, these are the best looking amps i have ever owned. No contest there. i gotta be honest with you all, i never bought mcintosh monos before because i wasn’t really "wowed" by the mc452, but it could have been also because at that time i was using a processor as a preamp which i no longer do. Today, i own the Mcintosh C1100 2 chassis tube preamp which sounds unbelievable. All the amps i just described above have been amps that i auditioned with the C1100 as a preamp. The MC601s sound great without a doubt, but i will say that if you are looking for THE BEST sound for the money, these would not be it. However, Mcintosh remains UNMATCHED when it comes to looks and also resale value. Every other amp above depreciates much faster than Mcintosh.
That said, my future purchase (when i can find a steal of a deal) will be the Pass labs 350.8. I am tempted to make a preliminary statement which is that i feel this amp could be THE BEST stereo amp under 30k dollars. Again, i will be able to say more and confirm once i own it. I hope this update can help you all in your buying decisions!
Bryston ST, SST, SST2 series
NAD M25
PARASOUND HALO
PARASOUND CLASSIC
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
KRELL CHORUS
ROTEL RMB 1095
CLASSE CT 5300
CLASSE CA 2200
CLASSE CA 5200
MCINTOSH MC 205
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
OUTLAW AUDIO 755
LEXICON RX7
PASS LABS XA 30.8
BUTLER AUDIO 5150
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005
With all that said, the amplifiers I mentioned above are the ones that in my opinion are worth mentioning. To make a long story short, there is NO 5 CHANNEL POWER AMP that sounds as good as a 3ch and 2ch amplifier combination. i have done both experiments and the truth is that YOU DO lose details and more channel separation,etc when you select a 5 channel power amplifier of any manufacturer.
My recollection of what each amp sounded like is as follows:
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 (great power and amazing soundstage. Very low noise floor, BUT this amplifiers NEEDS TO BE cranked up in order to fully enjoy it. If you like listening at low volume levels or somewhat moderate, you are wasting your time here. This amp won’t sound any different than many other brands out there at this volume. The bass is great, good highs although they are a bit bright for my taste)
NAD M25 (very smooth, powerful, but somewhat thin sounding as far as bass goes)
Bryston sst2(detailed, good soundstage, good power, but can be a little forward with certain speakers which could make them ear fatiguing at loud volumes)
Krell (fast sounding, nice bass attack, nice highs, but some detail does get lost with certain speakers)
rotel (good amp for the money, but too bright in my opinion)
cary audio (good sound overall, very musical, but it didn’t have enough oomph)
parasound halo (good detail, great bass, but it still holds back some background detail that i can hear in others)
lexicon (very laid back and smooth. huge power, but if you like more detail or crisper highs, this amp will disappoint you)
McIntosh mc205 (probably the worst multichannel amp given its price point. it was too thin sounding, had detail but lacked bass.
butler audio (good amplifier. very warm and smooth sweet sounding. i think for the money, this is a better amp than the parasound a51)
pass labs (very VERY musical with excellent bass control. You can listen to this for hours and hours without getting ear fatigue. however, it DOES NOT do well in home theater applications if all you have is a 2 channel set up for movies. The midrange gets somewhat "muddy" or very weak sounding that you find yourself trying to turn it up.
classe audio (best amplifier for multi channel applications. i simply COULDNT FIND a better multi channel amplifier PERIOD. IT has amazing smoothness, amazing power and good bass control although i would say krell has much better bass control)
Update: The reviews above were done in January 2015. Below is my newest update as of October 2016:
PS AUDIO BHK 300 MONOBLOCKS: Amazing amps. Tons of detail and really amazing midrange. the bass is amazing too, but the one thing i will say is that those of you with speakers efficiency of 87db and below you will not have all the "loudness" that you may want from time to time. These amps go into protection mode when using a speaker such as the Salon, but only at very loud levels. Maybe 97db and above. If you don’t listen to extreme crazy levels, these amps will please you in every way.
Plinius Odeon 7 channel amp: This is THE BEST multichannel amp i have ever owned. Far , but FAR SUPERIOR to any other multichannel amp i have owned. In my opinion it destroyed all of the multichannel amps i mentioned above and below. The Odeon is an amp that is in a different tier group and it is in a league of its own. Amazing bass, treble and it made my center channel sound more articulate than ever before. The voices where never scrambled with the action scenes. It just separated everything very nicely.
Theta Dreadnaught D: Good detailed amp. Looks very elegant, has a pleasant sound, but i found it a tad too bright for my taste. I thought it was also somewhat "thin" sounding lacking body to the music. could be that it is because it is class d?
Krell Duo 300: Good amp. Nice and detailed with enough power to handle most speakers out there. I found that it does have a very nice "3d" sound through my electrostatics. Nothing to fault here on this amp.
Mark Levinson 532H: Great 2 channel amp. Lots of detail, amazing midrange which is what Mark Levinson is known for. It sounds very holographic and will please those of you looking for more detail and a better midrange. As far as bass, it is there, but it is not going to give you the slam of a pass labs 350.5 or JC1s for example. It is great for those that appreciate classical music, instrumental, etc, but not those of you who love tons of deep bass.
It is articulate sounding too
Krell 7200: Plenty of detail and enough power for most people. i found that my rear speakers contained more information after installed this amp. One thing that i hated is that you must use xlr cables with this amp or else you lose most of its sound performance when using RCA’s.
Krell 402e: Great amp. Very powerful and will handle any speaker you wish. Power is incredible and with great detail. That said, i didn’t get all the bass that most reviewers mentioned. I thought it was "ok" in regards to bass. It was there, but it didn’t slam me to my listening chair.
Bryston 4B3: Good amp with a complete sound. I think this amp is more laid back than the SST2 version. I think those of you who found the SST2 version of this amp a little too forward with your speakers will definitely benefit from this amp’s warmth. Bryston has gone towards the "warm" side in my opinion with their new SST3 series. As always, they are built like tanks. I wouldn’t call this amp tube-like, but rather closer to what the classe audio delta 2 series sound like which is on the warm side of things.
Parasound JC1s: Good powerful amps. Amazing low end punch (far superior bass than the 402e). This amp is the amp that i consider complete from top to bottom in regards to sound. Nothing is lacking other than perhaps a nicer chassis. Parasound needs to rework their external appearance when they introduce new amps. This amp would sell much more if it had a revised external appearance because the sound is a great bang for the money. It made my 800 Nautilus scream and slam. Again, amazing low end punch.
Simaudio W7: Good detailed amp. This amp reminds me a lot of the Mark Levinson 532h. Great detail and very articulate. I think this amp will go well with bookshelves that are ported in order to compensate for what it lacks when it comes to the bass. That doesn’t mean it has no bass, but when it is no Parasound JC1 either.
Pass labs 350.5: Wow, where do i begin? maybe my first time around with the xa30.8 wasn’t as special as it was with this monster 350.5. It is just SPECTACULAR sounding with my electrostatics. The bass was THE BEST BASS i have ever heard from ANY amp period. The only amp that comes close would be the jC1s. It made me check my settings to make sure the bass was not boosted and kept making my jaw drop each time i heard it. It totally destroyed the krell 402e in every regard. The krell sounded too "flat" when compared to this amp. This amp had amazing mirange with great detail up top. In my opinion, this amp is the best bang for the money. i loved this amp so much that i ended up buying the amp that follows below.
Pass labs 250.8: What can i say here. This is THE BEST STEREO AMP i have ever heard. This amp destroys all the amps i have listed above today to include the pass labs 350.5. It is a refined 350.5 amp. It has more 3d sound which is something the 350.5 lacked. It has a level of detail that i really have never experienced before and the bass was amazing as well. I really thought it was the most complete power amplifier i have ever heard HANDS DOWN. To me, this is a benchmark of an amplifier. This is the amp that others should be judged by. NOTHING is lacking and right now it is the #1 amplifier that i have ever owned.
My current amps are Mcintosh MC601s: i decided to give these 601s a try and they don’t disappoint. They have great detail, HUGE soundstage, MASSIVE power and great midrange/highs. The bass is great, but it is no pass labs 250.8 or 350.5. As far as looks, these are the best looking amps i have ever owned. No contest there. i gotta be honest with you all, i never bought mcintosh monos before because i wasn’t really "wowed" by the mc452, but it could have been also because at that time i was using a processor as a preamp which i no longer do. Today, i own the Mcintosh C1100 2 chassis tube preamp which sounds unbelievable. All the amps i just described above have been amps that i auditioned with the C1100 as a preamp. The MC601s sound great without a doubt, but i will say that if you are looking for THE BEST sound for the money, these would not be it. However, Mcintosh remains UNMATCHED when it comes to looks and also resale value. Every other amp above depreciates much faster than Mcintosh.
That said, my future purchase (when i can find a steal of a deal) will be the Pass labs 350.8. I am tempted to make a preliminary statement which is that i feel this amp could be THE BEST stereo amp under 30k dollars. Again, i will be able to say more and confirm once i own it. I hope this update can help you all in your buying decisions!
Showing 50 responses by david_ten
@whitecamaross and others: What amp would you recommend for 5K or less, new or used? Not looking for a long list. Just your top recommendation at this price level. Speaker is efficient, so I don't need mega power. I prefer Class A or Class A/B. Solid State is also preferable. My current amp is the Spread Spectrum Technologies Son of Ampzilla Mk 2. Top contender is the Pass XA30.8 Thanks. |
I'd be fatigued with all of the ongoing critical listening. Add to the mix: Too much of a good thing, and too many good things. Put this on repeat. Yes, I'd be fatigued. And likely unsatisfied. Thoughts? whitecamaross: I enjoy your thread...so the above is not meant negatively, just postulating where I'd likely be if I did what you do. |
@whitecamaross 1. I would not. But this question is about you, and you most certainly will. Whether it's to the Bel Cantos, I cannot predict absolutely...however, given your penchant for moving forward with amps, the probability is high. As for my reasons why I would not...I like the ARC sound and performance. Perfectly satisfying for me. I don't know the Bel Canto Black line, so I have no reference regarding it. 2. If by 'enhance your listening experience' you mean learn about the comparative sound between your current gear and the Bel Cantos, the answer is Yes. As for 'how so:' it's your Raison d'etre, so to speak. 3. Probably not. At this level there are just very specific preferences. All the best with your choices. |
You must do a true a/b comparison on the spot. @whitecamaross I'm having difficulty understanding why the comparison needs to happen "on the spot" as you have said. What makes you say this? What makes it not possible to hear the Salons for what they are and also hear the Monitors for what they are, separately and within different systems? |
- The monitor audio pl500s would bring tears to those salon 2 owners. @whitecamaross Posted above are your recent statements/findings on the Revel Salon 2s versus the Monitor Audio PL500s. To me the differences you point out are more than obvious. These two speakers are clearly quite different, to you, based on your impressions. I am still having difficulty understanding why one has to conduct an in home head to head comparison of speakers that are so clearly different, again based on your findings. -it takes for you to have BOTH systems or set ups and play with BOTH at the same time in order to realize how good one is over the other. Timbre, Tonality, Speed, Transients, Leading edge and decay, Soundstaging, Imaging, Resolution, Micro-detail, Dynamics, Accuracy, Liveness, Breath of Life, etc. etc. etc.... All of these should be easy enough to evaluate (especially with such different speakers) in any system and to remember. Had you found these two speakers to be very close in performance, I could and would understand needing an in-home A/B to sort out the nuanced differences and personal preferences before choosing one. I have not heard either speaker, but given the very strong differentials you note, I can't understand why one would need to do a head-to-head and within one's own system and room. Can you help me out and explain further? Thank you. I look forward to your ongoing gear evaluations. |
Since the WA Sasha 2 is mentioned above....Here is Mike Wright @mykeryte of Stereotimes, a Wilson Sasha owner who loves his Sashas, from the Stereotimes review of the Tekton Double Impacts (linked below). Posting this since many reading may not have the deep pockets to reach for the gear discussed on this popular thread. One doesn’t necessarily need to spend ’big bucks’ to get favorable performance. And those that do, may of course want to spend it elsewhere. "Being a Wilson Sasha owner I was quite happy with my speakers and never gave listening to another speaker any serious thought..... I also had three Sasha vs. DI speaker shootouts because that is what friends wanted to come by the house and hear. Initially, the Sashas sounded better because they were setup optimally to perform in my room. The Sashas were more musically involving and articulate. As I mentioned above, when I began to put in the time and effort to get the best I could out of the DIs, my labor yielded some impressive results. The next two shootouts came after I leveled the playing field to make sure both the Sashas and DIs were setup optimally. I had no other choice but to admit that the DIs were the better “sounding” speaker. Not the better built, or the finished, but sonically, it did sound better. The DIs were the more musically involving speaker; more captivating and did a better job immersing me in music. Personally, I was in disbelief. It hurt and angered me to admit it but I had to be honest about what I was hearing, especially when others were present and were hearing the same thing I was. All of my friends would ask me if I would get rid of my Wilson Sashas for a pair of DIs and I would tell them “no.” Why should I, or anyone else who has a pair of speakers you like or are proud to own and enjoy listening to. At the same time, if the question was if I were shopping for speakers, which would I choose between the Sashas and DIs, I can wholeheartedly recommend getting the DIs and buying a car, or whatever your pleasure, with the money you’d save." The review in full is here: http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/tekton-designs-double-impact-loudspeakers/ Should you want to read Clement Perry’s as well as Mike Wright’s full take on these speakers. |
The same guys that keep asking you to review low end amps/pre-amps. WHY would you ever do that given your "taste"? One reason (many more come to mind) is that it would be helpful for the OP to have a reference and a control. Having a well regarded lower priced (relative) component as well as something he truly loves to serve as base line control and reference points, respectively, would add value to his evaluations and be even more informative. |
@whitecamaross I don't dispute your finding that the Black System is the best you have heard 90 dB and below. It's your finding and yours alone. I also don't dispute that some amps (vs your stated "Most amps") "fall apart or lose their magic at low listening volumes." [emphasis added regarding SOME]. I, however, have a different definition of 'low volume' level...it certainly is not 90 dB. To say that 'MOST' of the world class amps you are evaluating fall apart below 90 dB is highly problematic. If you had said 70 dB or below I would be more willing to accept this. Can others reading this thread help me understand better? Thank you. |
@mrdecibel Appropriate username for this material! : ) "Hearing damage (over long term exposure, need not be continuous) measured at the ear is listed as 85 dB" in the link below [go down to the Table Titled: Examples of Sound Pressure]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_pressure 90 dB at the listening position is LOUD! Somewhere between a Jackhammer at 1M and busy road traffic at 10M per the same chart (above). This chart, linked below, offers a window into examples and with some very useful info: http://www.industrialnoisecontrol.com/comparative-noise-examples.htm "Boeing 737 or DC-9 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (97 dB); power mower (96 dB); motorcycle at 25 ft (90 dB). Newspaper press (97 dB). Decibel Level 90 = 4 times as loud as 70 dB. Likely damage in 8 hour exposure. ---- Garbage disposal, dishwasher, average factory, freight train (at 15 meters). Car wash at 20 ft (89 dB); propeller plane flyover at 1000 ft (88 dB); diesel truck 40 mph at 50 ft (84 dB); diesel train at 45 mph at 100 ft (83 dB). Food blender (88 dB); milling machine (85 dB); garbage disposal (80 dB). Decibel Level: 80 = 2 times as loud as 70 dB. Possible damage in 8 hour exposure. ---- Passenger car at 65 mph at 25 ft (77 dB); freeway at 50 ft from pavement edge 10 a.m. (76 dB). Living room music (76 dB); radio or TV-audio, vacuum cleaner (70 dB). Decibel Level: 70 = Arbitrary base of comparison. Upper 70s are annoyingly loud to some people" ----Here is another chart, for those that may be interested: http://www.philophony.com/sensprop/archacoustics/pics/decibel_scale.pdf |
@fabbe @dguitarnut Since both of you own the Gryphon can you comment on the following statement the OP made? (esp. re. source): It can get a tad bright when cranked up. Source needs to be carefully selected with this piece. Since the question wasn’t answered I have to assume that OP’s statement was based on a single source (maybe two). OP then describes the Gryphon as: Now the gryphon is sounding darker and less detailed I haven’t read nor heard the Gryphon described this way. The Gryphon Diablo 300 is a component I am interested in comparing my T+A PA 3100 HV to and your feedback will help. Thank you! |
Thank you @fabbe Your take is really helpful. I was planning on auditioning the Gryphon when I conducted the recent evaluations, but my trip to NYC to do so fell through. riaa, I realize that these descriptors are personally defined / expressed and are also comparative to whatever gear and systems folks have.... what I was confused by was ’bright’ followed by ’dark and less detailed’...which usually don’t go hand in hand. |
I suspect WCSS is more likely to eat a can of cat food than to buy a McIntosh product. Here's a link for Mac cat food, just in case...turducken...might even be tasty. 😊 https://www.petsexpert.co.uk/products/20219-mac-s-cat-adult-duck-turkey-chicken |
@bilaltata Those recordings are fatiguing / bright. If your system is neutral and resolving, Adele etc. will remain bright and fatiguing on some (if not many) tracks. I'd consider (and be thoughtful about this) that what you are finding is accurate and not the fault of your system. Can it be fixed? Yes, but at what cost to properly recorded quality music? |
Charles, I will have to disagree on this one. The Magico is the specific variable in question. It isn’t. It is responsible for the ’representation’ of a result of what’s in a very specific chain and a unique room. None of us knows what actually, and to what degree, is resulting and influencing what’s being ’represented.’ To ascribe the differences and lay them at the feet of any of these speakers is a mistake, including the Sopras. The variable is the system, operating as a whole within the confines of the room, with a final interpretation by one listener. If the OP keeps his system and room as is, without change, I can understand him choosing a speaker that fits his needs and preferences based on what he is hearing, the differences between his components, speakers included, and what he ultimately prefers. This thread and many others are far too focused on deconstruction to an individual component or tweak or cable, etc. and ascribing ’characteristics’ to that specific ’element.’ I find this highly problematic. Based on the majority of happy posts addressing the former, most others do not. : ) |
So the sonore signature se did not make any difference from my laptop. I only streamed tidal so I was warned that maybe for tidal it won’t be as effective. Long story short, if you’re streaming tidal and you are using an outstanding dac like the esoteric k1 that I’m using, it doesn’t make sense to use the sonore signature se. It didn’t make any real difference that I could pick up through the magico. My laptop sounded just as good. That is a testament to the esoteric dac more than anything. Camaro, how were you using the Rendu? Thanks. |
So the sonore signature se did not make any difference from my laptop. Rendu was connected via USB to my esoteric k1. I was streaming using roon from my iPad. @whitecamaross Asking again, how was the Rendu connected and setup? You were clear about the USB out from the Rendu to the Esoteric in the first post. I wasn't asking about that. Thanks. |
@whitecamaross To clarify and understand: Your Laptop is performing server duties and running Roon Core via WiFI? It's WiFi for the Laptop from and back to the Router? It's WiFi control via iPad, which is serving as Roon Remote? It's Router Direct to the Rendu via the Wireworld E7 LAN? Yes? I'm going to assume you updated the Rendu / SonicOrbiter to the current Roon version? Your Router is running off a wall wart or equivalent ps and hasn't been optimized in any way? Yes? Is USB the best way to deliver digital to your Esoteric DAC? Does Esoteric advise re. other digital inputs being superior? Thanks. - David. |
Hi guys, @viber6 FYI. In response to your post above re. "75dB" WC stated what's copied directly above (4/13/18) when I questioned his evaluation of amps at high volumes, which he also stated was generally above 90dB. Here is more from the same post: That said, loudness is subjective. What maybe be loud for you maybe not be loud for me or anyone else. When I said <90db, that is low to low-moderate to me. If what is considered low volume is <=80db then I’d buy headphones if I listened at that level all the time. For me it makes no sense to have a system and listen to it at <80db. That’s crazy and a waste of money. You’re better off with high quality headphones. He also said the following: Most amps fall apart or lose their magic at low listening volumes [except the Bel Canto Black System, at that point in time] |
Off the rails, on the rails... not sure what to make of Ms. U.S.A., female Jewish names, NJ/NY attitudes etc. Certainly an unpredictable journey. Word of advice to @doitwithlife Hold on to your Ten Gallon Hat and ready a pair of shoulder length poly sleeves. : ) Congratulations on your amp/preamp choice. |
Pass XA200.8 review up at ToneAudio. http://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-pass-labs-xa200-8-monoblocks/ |