2. amps-preamps
  3. 167319-38929

Parasound A21+ vs MF M8 500S vs Cary 200.2 ES vs Hegel H20

Whilst in COVID lockdown I've been considering the next step for my system. 

I've been running a Herron VTSP-3 tube pre-amp into a Rogue ST100 tube amp for a while and whilst it has beautiful tone, timbre, density and the performers appear in front of me, I feel like it is a little smoothed over and lacking in excitement and dynamics. It needs a touch more air, liveliness and punch.

I tried a CJ CA200 (185wpc) integrated and a Kinki EX-M1 (215wpc) integrated and they both brought excitement and dynamics to the presentation but the CJ was faulty and was returned to the seller and the Kinki sounded just a touch dry to me (I upgraded the opamps which helped but it somehow sounded harmonically incomplete or overdamped and I couldn't ignore this when listening). Surprisingly, I didn't miss the tubes although both my pre-amp and amp sound pretty neutral and not typically tubey.

Although my speakers, Silverline Sonata III's, are rated an easy 93db sensitivity and 8ohm (+/- 10%) impedance, the extra power of the two integrated amps I tried really seemed to bring them to life. So, I'm thinking that if I keep the tube pre-amp but replace the Rogue ST100 (60wpc in Triode mode and 100wpc in Ultralinear mode) with a solid state power amp that's around 200wpc+ into 8 ohms, it might get me to where I want to be.

Obviously taking the candidate power amps home for trial would be ideal but this would be very difficult logistically, plus I will probably want to buy used in order to be able to afford the quality I'm after. Buying, trying and selling a number of amps is not something that would be readily tolerated by my wife who, although tolerant of my audio obsession has her limits.

So, if anyone has compared these amps, especially directly against each other, I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts as to their relative strengths and weaknesses. 

dkerr

Showing 1 response by desferous

desferous
29 posts
 
Just a quick thought because it sounds like you did like the Kinki.

My wife and I just got a Kinki EX-P7 & EX-M7 into our Focal Sopra 2s.

It sounds open, alive, and true.  Maybe revealing would be a good word too.  I am not sure what dry means.  (We tried a Pass XA-25 thinking it would be the choice and it sounded like someone had put pillows in front of the speakers. I wanted to love it but it drove me nuts.)

So, maybe consider Kinki separates.  I read in research and it seems odd, but something we might try in the future, that many people actually prefer a Denafrips preamp to a Kinki preamp with the EX-M7. 

Though our next step is to try a Decware amp! (in a year or so.)

Anyway, have fun with your search & keep auditioning at home!
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