Pathos TT need advice


Hello All.  Does anyone own or is familiar with the Pathos TT?

I have an opportunity to buy a 2024 lightly used one for about 1/2 price through a local dealer.  Problem is that they have a no return policy on used gear and they are not willing to hook it up for a listen.  It would be a leap of faith for me. Im in the market for an integrated tube amp and Pathos is on my short list.  The TT new is about 2k above my budget so it's very tempting to buy used. I'd be using it with my Paradigm Founders 120H's which are 95db sensitive with powered woofers. Any thoughts?

sandrodg73

Showing 1 response by soix

First, I agree with @jond that it’s absurd the dealer won’t even hook the amp up to listen.  They should be willing to let you take it home to demo for a day or to, and personally I’d tell them to go pound sand.  Further, I don’t think this amp would be a good match for your speakers.  From the Hometheaterreview…

Pathos recommends 5-6 ohms and above, and you 
hear it cry if you connect it to anything dipping below that. INPOL
also means that the Twin Towers bears no protection circuitry, so
please, be nice to it.

This is backed up by the Stereophile measurements…

Paradigm specifies the Founder 120H’s anechoic sensitivity as a high 92dB/2.83V/m. My B-weighted estimate was slightly lower, at 90dB(B)/2.83V/m…On the face of things, the Founder 120H would appear to be a relatively easy load for the partnering amplifier. However, the electrical phase angle (dotted trace) is high in a few regions and the effective resistance (EPDR, footnote 2) lies below 3 ohms over much of the audioband. The minimum EPDR is 1.5 ohms between 360Hz and 410Hz. The Founder 120H will work best with amplifiers that don’t have problems driving low impedances, though the speaker’s high sensitivity will reduce its need for current.

I’d look to one of Pathos’ higher-powered hybrid amps, or there’s also the Unison Unico hybrid amps.  Here are a couple that may be in your price range and would also be excellent choices.  Michael Lavorgna recently very positively reviewed the Unico 90 that I also included just fyi.  Hope this helps, and best of luck.


https://twitteringmachines.com/review-unison-research-unico-90-integrated-amplifier/


https://soundapproach.com/unison-research-unico-90-class-a-b-triode-tube-amplifier.html

https://www.ebay.com/itm/365287400522