My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
Nice to see the Lyngdorf Room Perfect finally make an appearance in this thread. I myself will be doing a DSP shootout with the Lyngdorf | Linn | Antherm STR in a glass walled room small conference room with Paradigm Persona 5F. The DSP engines I will use are ROOM PERFECT | SPACE Optimization | Arc2. |
Yes thanks I will. whitecaraross - your amp info and this thread is second to nothing I have read or seen before. Thank you How close does the PS Audio BKH300 mono blocks come to the Luxman. I ask because I had an incredible offer on a pair 2/10 cost of Luxman and you have owned my speakers and told me that a single Luxman M-900u will be great but not get all they have. I won't have the money for a 2nd Luxman anytime soon so wanted your thoughts on the BKH300's. I assume obviously not as good but if will work better with my speakers wanted to ask you. |
Bhk 300 sounded good with my magico s5mk2. Plenty of detail and good bass control. I have nothing against the bhk300s as far as what they provide per dollar. Great bang for the buck. Will they beat a single luxman 900u? It is not that they would beat it because the luxman will still be a more refined and engaging presentation but if you know you won’t get a second luxman then I’d probably get the bhk300 because those speakers really need all the power you can afford but two 900u would stump on the bhk300s. Your situation is the speakers. If you had focal sopra 3s then I’d get the single luxman 900u because one 900u can easily drive the focals. hope this helps |
WC, of all the preamp/amp combinations you have used, do you mind providing your opinion which do you think would be best for fsmithjack within his preferred price range? Of course you can't know his room and sonic preferences, but it would be interesting to know, this is assuming you have a general familiarity with his new speakers. |
fsmithjack, Thanks for your comparison of the Bricasti DAC to the Rega/Sutherland phono system. Did you use the same recording on LP vs CD for the comparison? Reviews say the Bricasti is very detailed with great transients and also some warmth. The Rega is supposed to be very detailed but perhaps sterile to some. Is this what you found, or were there other sonic qualities that you preferred in the Bricasti? The Rega RP10 is similar to the RP8, so the dominant factor is the Apheta 2 cartridge. Perhaps you didn’t like the cartridge. If you still have the RP8, trying another compatible cartridge might be the easiest thing to do, such as the ones you mentioned. Can you compare the Bricasti to other DAC’s you have heard, maybe the Ayre QX-5 Twenty? Thanks so much. |
@WC Back to the MX160. Yes, it has RoomPerfect, but not a great preamp section, when compared to something like a ref10. Too bad you can't get a McIntosh MEN220 to insert between your ref10 and the amps (or between the Lampizator and the amps). That way, you continue with great preamp/amp combos and add just the RoomPerfect. I think that would give RoomPerfect the best opportunity to shine in your setup and to fairly evaluate it as a possible upgrade to a very high end setup. Dave |
Thanks for the patience guys. Don’t want to mess up your thread but there are a lot smart, experienced and helpful eyes 👀 on this thread. Pretty impressive. Im going to take whart up and start a Verdier - any recommendations on what to call it? Also, viber6 - I sold my entire analog front end. Was going to apply the funds into getting a Luxman combo but now they seem to be having supply troubles with the amps. I guess they just sold a bunch of them last week and are waiting for more from Japan. I’m in no hurry. I’ll buy today or in a month. No big deal - love my rig either way. The Bricasti M1SE w/built in Roon Ready ethernet media player vs Rega P8/Apheta 2 /Sutherland Duo - honestly it was never close. Im not a Rega basher by any means as I really wanted to like It badly and committed to it and paid my money and I really like the company and what it stands for but it was a legit shock and awe campaign as the Rega was pounded, it’s line breached and quickly overwhelmed and overrun, surrounded and forced to copitulate in short order and the result was never in question. The Bricasti just smashed the Rega. I honestly would be glad to talk about sound stage, upper mids, top end, transparency, dynamics, leading edge but there is not one thing I can point to. It was such a mismatch I was actually bummed out. My wife a total non Audiophile that loves music says “why does it sound like that”. Sure I tried brother in arms, some Marvin Gay, Vanessa Fernandez and mached the tracks and that made it even worse? I mean my digital delivery system in front of the DAC is quite refined so even a $500 DAC would sound quite good and in many ways it was an unfair fight. Thats why I’m thinking - Verdier, Schick 12” Arm, Ortofon Winfeld Cart might do the trick. Need a phonostage also as I dumped my Duo and was thinking maybe a Allnic 1201 or Manley Chinook SE but a few guys say those aren’t good enough? Almost out of audio funds so may need skimp a bit on phonostage but all the vinyl guys say that’s a no no no don’t do that but never can find a used Herron so not sure what to do there... sorry guys.... killer thread.... |
WC, have you listened to the C2600 driving the Block Audio yet ? In my setup, the only thing my 8k dac was better at than the inboard dac inside the pre was...bass. More bass and goes lower with the dedicated dac. Aside from bass, I believe the midrange and highs of the included dac in the C47 can compete with pricer products, |
fsmithjack, Thanks for your feedback. Whatever TT/arm you get, the cartridge is the most important item, although obviously the rest of the TT system supports the cartridge and is important. I had this discussion with someone on this thread many months ago. He felt the table was the most important, and I agreed that in some cases he was correct. For example, I had the highly touted SOTA Sapphire. Transferring my arm and cartridge from the Linn Sondek to the SOTA produced a heavy, leaden sound. I went back to the Linn to get fresh air again. Linn got famous in the 1970's by showing that the table is most important. I suspect that the skeletal Rega table/arm, combined with the clinical sound of the Apheta turned you off. The Apheta may not have been broken in enough, or aligned properly or loaded into the phono stage properly. The Rega is attractively priced, and I bet that a more mellow cartridge would please you with it. If you still don't like it, you still have the cartridge which could be used for another TT/arm. Hopefully you can find dealers who can do good demos for you with the same cartridge on different TT/arms. Don't buy anything because it looks good or you like the design. Your own listening is critically important. There is much more difference between different phono systems than between different digital systems. Also, the Sutherland from reviews is clinical, so maybe the whole setup was an overdose of clinical sound. Perhaps you like mellow? |
@ viber6 You criticized me for using the term 'almost tube like' when describing the midrange and top end of a solid state amp and then 2 days later you use the term 'mellow'. Hmmm..... mellow could be construed as a recessed (as apposed to a forward) presentation, lacking in bass information, rolled off top end, rolled off midrange, warm as opposed to cool. I think this common definition of "mellow" should be scrapped in favor of more informative descriptions of sound. |
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9b64a-mcintosh-men220-tube This is the Mac DSP unit that someone above mentioned above as being the one to get (from MAC lineup). |
ron17, We are splitting hairs. I didn't really criticize you for saying "almost tube-like" because in the end I accept the customary meaning of "tube-like." It is almost a language convention where we know that a green light means go and a red light means stop. It still is informative to know that from WC descriptions, the ref 10 is more "tube-like" than the ref 6, even though they are both tube products from the same company. Then I used the word "mellow" to try to learn what fsmithjack likes and to figure out why he hated the Rega/Sutherland phono system. "Mellow" is a description of sound flavor, rather than referring to a type of equipment, whether tube or SS. I think everyone would agree about what "mellow" means, but owners of the Lampi Pacific with KR300B tubes might say their Pacific is very precise and not "tube-like" as far as the conventional meaning of that expression goes. I still want to know whether that Lampi is still "tube-like" compared to top SS DAC's, so the way "tube-like" is commonly understood, it is still a useful term after all. |
Ok guys, so i have held back for the past few months from saying anything because I thought this thread would sort itself out and everyone would just continue to follow the main objective of this thread which is to follow my journey whether it is a new dac, preamp, cables, speakers, etc. I’m trying more than just amps now because the pool is shallow and quite frankly I don’t see anything unseating the block audio monoblocks anytime soon. With that in mind, I want to put it out there: if you are consistently derailing the main purpose of this thread and are essentially creating your own thread within my thread then I want to politely ask you to begin your own journey by creating your thread and do as I have done for the past few years. When I started this thread I didn’t know if anyone would even read what I had to say and look how far it has come. I’ve put a ton of time and effort and yes money too into this thread from all the purchases I’ve made so out of respect to those loyal followers and myself please take your interests outside of my thread if it does not fit in. Begin your own journey and share it with others that want to read what you have to say. Thanks |
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spinaker01, It appears you don't accept how relevant my comments are to WC's quest. He has found them useful, especially my advice to move the Neolith speakers further away from the wall. Many other examples. He also elaborates his own descriptions in response to my questions and observations, so many people get more value from his own further thoughts. |
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I came across something when WCSS was deciding on what new DAC to get a couple of weeks ago. It was a review of the Lampizator Pacific, and it told a lot as well about the previous flagship Lampizator Golden Gate. It is quite long, but it points out the differences between the 2 Lampizators.
Dawid Grzyb, the writer had the Golden Gate with Volume Control and fully balanced XLRs. The interesting thing in the review is the way each DAC takes the music and produces a wonderful result. The Golden Gate is much more forgiving with the music (according to David), and many songs that are not the best recordings come out as listenable. The Pacific model comes out as being much more transparent, and faster. The Pacific is going to give you the whole banana of the recording quality, and therefore give you the music without any of the "very tube like" smoothness of the Golden Gate. The article makes for a great read, and points out some of the things that we look for in what we want from our DAC. It is definetly a great read of the 2 DACs from a company that has a designer with vision, and also has mated tubes to the DAC with terrific results. Here is the link to the Lampizator Pacific from Hifi Knights website...http://hifiknights.com/reviews/sources/lampizator-pacific/ I just found this to be so relevant with the SOTA in the DAC world. |
ok guys, i wanted to follow up my previous statement in regards to this thread. My entire wish here is for me to continue sharing my journey with you all. I have spoken with a few of you on the phone and understand the frustration that is caused when this thread is derailed. I have said time and time again: I want for everyone to contribute here as long as it is relevant and useful. For the most part, my posts are quick and straight to the point because I know that nobody likes to read lengthy posts. Most of you come to this thread for 5-10 minutes and quickly understand what’s the topic of the day and what’s being said which makes this far more appealing. I’m pretty aware of what my followers/readers wish to have and the content that attracts them to keep following me. That said, I also want to be sure that I address those that use profanity in order to get their point across. Please remember that’s the type of behavior that can get this thread removed and I know that EVERYONE comes here a few times a week (if not everyday) in order to see what’s new INCLUDING those that use profanity. If you feel strongly about a certain issue then try to word things correctly without profanity. There’s no need for that. As you can see, I’m starting to get more involved and beginning to ask of you (for the first time ever) to help keep this alive. I know that some of you have differences and disagreements and that’s part of life, but remember one thing which is if they remove this thread then it’s gone and is it really worth it? I know MANY OF YOU have learned through my journey and some others are just using it for entertainment which is fine. If you are bored and don’t care for it then don’t follow the thread but don’t ruin it for those that are really benefiting from it. I hope this is clear going forward. |
bigddesign3, Yes, I also enjoyed that review of the Lampi Pacific that was posted by grey9hound last week. It got me interested in the idea that some tube equipment can be very precise and not "tube-like" (common understanding of most tube equipment). If you have heard the Lampi Pacific with the KR300B tubes, do you find it as precise as top SS dac's, or is it still a little "tube-like"? |
WC, You are an honorable gentleman. I try to keep my posts as short as possible, but often you and others raise thought-provoking issues that stoke my enthusiasm. All the productive comments on so many levels of experience make your thread the leading commentary that it is. You set an enthusiastic tone that keeps us going--thanks for everything. |
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I am most interested in the C2600 report from WCSS. Given the nature of McIntosh used equipment holding its price, I am considering moving up from my C220 to the C2600. One other thing to also be mindful of, is understanding that the C2600 is substantially less than some of the other preamps that have been used in the journey. Thanks for including a piece of gear that is a bit more affordable! |
Room Perfect Tips: 1) Do not measure the front third of the room 2) Except for Focus Position measurements (which are pointed horizontally toward the front soundstage at each listening position), do NOT point the mic at any speaker during room measurements 3) Try to keep the mic at least three or four feet away from any speaker when measuring 4) Keep the mic at least two feet away from any surface. 5) Vary your measurements - walls (upper/lower), ceiling, floor, large furniture I know this link is for the MX151, but lots of good stuff here .MX160 is Very similar Page 1 reading is more than enough to get the gist of RoomPerfect and MX options and choices for settings. https://www.avsforum.com/forum/86-ultra-hi-end-ht-gear-20-000/1479699-official-mcintosh-labs-mx-151-mx150-owner-s-thread.html |
@lhasaguy No surprise that the C2600 will need a bit of tube rolling to sound its very best. That said, out of the box it is very pleasant sounding. I have no qualms recommending it. The phono stages are absolutely first class and the line stage with the right tube to taste can be sublime. I use NOS telefunken in the phono stages and a single NOS RCA long black plate in the line stage - the output line stage output is stock. I too thought that I would need the C1100 to get the kind of quality I desire but so far I am happy with the modest c26000 |
