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!
Elshout: my journey assesss Amps as of that point of time. For example, when I had the 250.8, I hadn’t tried the Luxman so I didn’t know that the luxman is far superior. My journey keeps going and going and now im really liking these platinums 500ii ALOT. As far as what’s creating the bass, well the 1.2kw are certainly part of the formula but they didn’t exactly do the same with the dynaudios in terms of bottom end because the dynaudios don’t drop to 22hz. Right now, the 1.2s are doing excellent things with my speakers and to be honest I don’t even want to change our amps right now. The synergy and dynamics is outstanding with these. Maybe down the road I’ll try the 585 integrated and see what this does to the sound I’m getting out of the platinums. That said, I don’t have any desire to change out the 1.2s because of the huge power they feed these platinums. I feel these big speakers love all this juice. We shall see what happens. Maybe I end up trying my gs150 with the reference 6 preamp and see what comes out of that? im feeling the synergy right now with these speakers and amps. I’m almost afraid to begin to touch things but I know that’s just the nature of my journey so it will be a matter of time before I do it again.
Ok Whitecamaross - here are some of your quotes from this thread:
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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 am not picking on you, I know you have had a heck of a journey. I just wonder if you could sum of the previous amps for me and everyone else.
Try to rate them in your opinion. Maybe give a grade for highs, mids, bass response, soundstage etc.
Do you think your latest bass discovery is from the Monitor Platinum 500s or is it from the McIntosh 1.2kw. If the amp, is the McIntosh the best bass amp from the above group?
I would love to see that spreadsheet! That's incredible
If you started a website and a YouTube channel it would be a huge success. I think that's a fantastic idea. People would go nuts seeing this high quality gear in action.
Thanks for your advise on the bel cantos. I agree they would suit my needs better.
I was also considering the ps audio stellar stereo or monos as mentioned but I have also come across The red dragon s500 that has been compared favourably to the bel canto as well. Any experience with these (albeit much lower quality /cost) amps?
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 :)
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.
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.
Hi Whitecameross I have only found your thread last night and spent hours last night and this morning reading it top to bottom
First I want to thank you for doing this. You are taking out all the bullshit and hyperbole you get from reviewers, which are mostly driven by advertising dollars. You are trying so much gear and giving us all a great insight into the best gear which is fabulous.
I have a question as well as a suggestion.
My question is I am running Triton one speakers at the moment through an emotiva xpa5 Gen 2 amp. While I have heard from you that emotiva are good bang for buck I have realised that it isn't ideal for my speakers for music listening.
I found this thread as I was looking for reviews for the mc207. I don't have any more room(apartment living) to get full size monos or even another separate stereo amp so I was considering replacing the emotiva with the mc207 as I have seen one second hand for half the retail price. That way I can use it for home the artist well as 2 channel, but it was mainly to get better performance for my 2 channel. Based on what you have said this is probably the worst multichannel amp and I should be looking at the Plinius Odean instead. The issue is it isn't as cheap as I can get the McIntosh
Based purely on what you said I am considering the belcanto 600m monos. Firstly because I have heard from you and read that this is one of the best class d amps that is a bit of giant killer. After hearing more since you wrote that is this still the case? I was considering ps audio bhk but can't really fit a 250 stereo let alone two 300 monos in my set up.
Would the belcanto 600m (or 500s stereo) be a worthy upgrade considering my circumstances? Would it be better than the mc207 (as the McIntosh second hand is the same price as full retail bel canto in Australia at the moment.)
I was also considering the ps audio class d stellar monos or stereo. Have you come across them?
Price to performance with small form factor is big for me. I would love a pass lab's or luxman but don't have the space but feel I can do better for my Triton 1s than the emotiva xpa5. I will leave the emotiva for home theatre duties ( centre and surrounds)
As mentioned for my suggestion I truly think you need to seek out and test out the DEQX units. Www.deqx.com. Basically these are room and phase correctors that can match your speakers to your specific room challenges, as no matter what gear you have you are always "hearing" the room to some extend.
This unit the hdp5 is also a dac and pre amp and would be interested to hear your thoughts in general. Some people simply incorporate the deqx into whatever set up and preamps they have. It's pretty cool tech and I myself have the express 2 model. Check the movie out online on their website. When you buy it you need an expert to come and measure and calibrate your room and measure the response of your speakers. You have probably already heard of it I am not sure. (btw I am not affiliated with deqx. I just thought I to would be worth sharing as the tech is cool and works for both digital and analog sources.I mention it as I want to hear your thoughts on how it improves your awesome gear.)
Thankyou again for this great thread. I have learned a lot over night!
Whitecamaross, I think you need to change cables. The Wireworld silver 7 cables are ok cables but with your speakers and amps they are now below the level of your system. In my set-up they have sounded leaner that purist, shunyata or tara labs
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.
I've had Monitor Audio PL 500s for almost two years. Everyone hears differently, but we must evaluate speakers in the context of the "system". To my ears, in my room, with my equipment, the PL 500S are chameleon like. They are a reflection of what components and cables I have used and how well/poor the music is recorded. Most people that have heard them often label them laid back and I have never had the slightest fatigue after hours of listening.
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.
Because once you have had good bass and loose it due to system changes, you want it back. I have some Carver Amazing Platinums Mark IV that I ran 2 - Hafler 9500's bridged mono for 750 watts per channel. Bass was great, but the Carvers are aging and I did not want to continue to run them hard and the Haflers are a little grainy on the top end. I replaced my amps first, with McIntosh MC601 monoblocks (600 watts per channel). The mids and top end improved dramatically. The bass suffered significantly. Less bass and not as tight. I bought some Legacy Focus SE speakers to go the the Macs. With the Legacy/Mac combination the mids and top end are fantastic, but bass is sloppy. I can't run the bridged Haflers because the Legacys are 2-4 ohm in the bass region running just the woofers. A single Hafler running the Legacys have more solid and weighty bass pushing 250 watts than the Macs do pushing 600 watts. I am looking to get a good bass amp for the woofers that will be in the 500 to 800 watt range for 4 ohms.
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.
whitecamaross- you have very sweet list of components and back-up components. Regarding the ML No. 585- which cd player, Simaudio or Gamut, was a sonic match?
whitecamaross, At the level your system has reached, I think that top level ATC speakers would really take advantage of the great amplification that you are using and show things that even the Dynaudio Temptations are unable to do. I know that they are very good and you have a lot invested in them, it's just a thought for the future. The dome midrange in the ATC speakers is incomparable, as well as all of the other in-house manufactured drivers. The power and dynamics at high levels will make many other speakers sound pale, and their neutrality at any level is pretty rare.
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)
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.
I didn't read everything but did you list the components in your system? That may explain the sound you got from some amps also. I remember many years ago a guy I know on Audiogon used tubed Wolcott amps with M Logan speakers. Happy listening.
I have some Legacy Focus SE speakers and running the McIntosh MC601 amps. I find the bass slightly light and somewhat loose (I have a Hafler 9500 that gives better bass). I am looking to get another amp for the woofers. Of these, what would you recommend for nice, tight low end slam: Pass X350.5, Pass X350.8 or Parasound JC1?
@whitecamaross I also feel your pain! I'm sure you know this but: Iveprofan 800 mg every eight hours. Don't hesitate to get some physical therapy if you don't return to normal in a week. Hot moist heat will help.
Whitecamaross I feel your pain! I tweaked my lower back 3 days ago on a power walk. This happens to me once or twice a year and is a 5 day injury each time.
Thats the problem with big amps - I have Mcintosh 501's that weigh 98 pounds each - like picking up boulders!
Whitecamaross, I hope you feel better and are able to enjoy your Thanksgiving! Thanks for your continual posts of your audiophile journey. It benefits the entire community! Take it easy hoisting those huge amps. You remind me of my dear friend Teajay (reviewer Terry London) who lugged his 200 pound unwieldy Tekton speakers around all by himself! We audiophiles will do almost anything in pursuit of our hobby! Again Happy Thanksgiving!
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...
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.
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!
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
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 !
Have you listened to an Audible Illussion preamp? I haven't tried many preamps but this is a stellar unit. If so, how would you compare it to the ARC REF6?
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.
Nebob- Try connecting your amp directly to an outlet preferably with no other things used by that outlet. Ditch the power strip. I use for the amp power cord that came with the amp. On the pre amp and interconnects Wire World. I did upgrade power cords with my speakers, to Wire World, I used with Martin Logans and there was audiable difference for the better clearer sound.
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 ?
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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