PS Audio BHK 300 mono VS Modwright KWA 150SE mono VS D'agostino Classic stereo

One Amplifier not there that is cheaper but as good or better 
The is Merrill  Audio Thor.  Very  good sound  and under priced 

soloist1 thanks for your suggestion but i will most likely be going the Ypsilon route for the amp-preamp part of my system.
I'm still working on the digital part, will attend the Munich show next month and audition CH Precison, Totaldac, Aries Cerat and others.
Cheers!

Brice

Have you considered Wadia a340 monoblocks?

@thieliste

Glad to hear about your audition with Ypsilon went well. I have recently gone through the similar experience but at a much lower price point.

My dealer brought in McIntosh C2500 / MC601 mono's to pair with my B&W 800D2’s. Right off the back, I was impressed with MAC’s transparency, natural sound and the deep low end. This is by far the best imaging I have heard from my 800’s. C1100T is next on the audition list.

Cheers!

Check out JSA's ad for a momentum s250. If still available an unbelievable price w warranty. I'd jump on it. 50% off

Hi Charles how are you doing ?
Yes you were right Ypsilon is beautiful sounding gear.
I don't think the d'Agostino classique amp can reach this level of quality, only the Momentum can at another price tag.

Hi,
I'm happy that you finally had your home audition with the Ypsilon electronics as they are genuinely superb.  I thought you'd be very impressed with their gorgeous natural sound character,  natural is hard to do.

I know you're quite interested in the D'Agostino and I hope you can also hear them in your home as well.  I was confident the Ypsilon would bring out the best in your Thiels. 
Charles 

Hey guys I'm enjoying Florida weather at the moment, I did my Ypsilon home demo on Feb 25 and it went flawlessly.
The distributor came the night before to plug all the gear in my system and we started the auditions the next day in the afternoon.
My Hegel HD12 DAC ended up being a serious bottleneck with the Ypsilon pre and monoblocks.
Luckily the distributor brought a Playback Designs CD player and an Helixir Audio DAC.
With the PD CD player we really started enjoying the huge potential of an Ypsilon system driving Thiel cs 3.7s.
I can tell you guys that I never heard my speakers sing in the past like that day!!
The midrange was the most magical I've heard to date, I felt like crying at some point.
The bass was very solid with huge articulation, there was a lot of air between instruments.
The soundstage is something I have never experienced in the past on Thiel speakers, holographic and extremely stable.
When we switched for the Helixir DAC it got even better, higher resolution and more relaxed.
If you are looking for an awesome DAC under 10K take a look at the Helixir Audio DAC retail for 7.5k.
To sum it up Ypsilon is phenomenal gear most probably competing with brands like CH Précision for half of the budget.
The Aelius ll monoblocks with only 200w into 8 ohms had a very good grip on my speakers.

Open up your minds dont think top digital is a liability you would be dead wrong !!
I  owned a Stereo store and had many  $$ systems. 
Merrell audio in NJ,U.SA  their top amps have classic class A sections 
As well as top digital modules think up their top Levinson, Krell Ayre
For  $12k flagship,or less$$  if you can get a deal their top mono blocks 
Just read the Many Great reviews Not one even questionable. I am looking to buy their Thor mono blocks only because I don't have the extra money
And even at $5 k price performance Champs. You would Never know 
What was inside. The sonic goods is what it does in spades. Please
Do  yourself a Big favor. I invite even the Biggest skeptics which I was one of them
Go give these electronics a solid workout .their preamps also. Myself own 
Custom Build Radu Tarta Vacuum Tube gear which I consider Top shelf .but their SS gear if Very good.
Go read the many reviews ,then get a listen.

Keep me posted- thieliste.

Yes that's what i meant too much brightness.
I guess the only way to know is to try out.
One thing that is sure is that the Aelius monos will lack bass slam compared to a CH amp.
The midrange should be a little sweater and magical with the Ypsilons.

I don’t accept the premise that you can have too much "true" transparency.

I agree with Charles.  I just received my Metrum Pavane DAC back from The Netherlands after being upgraded with their Transient  DAC TWO modules that are also used in their Adagio.  The transparency is exceptional and the result is an analog-like relaxed musicality - transparent, resolving, nuanced but very natural sounding....go figure.

No, I don’t accept the premise that you can have too much "true" transparency. I do believe that you can have too much brightness and tilted up high frequency region emphasis  that some may interpret as transparency.
Charles

Do you think Ypsilon might be too transparent for the already very transparent CS 3.7s ?

Thieliste, 
For all I know the CH Precision "could" be a better match with your Thiels than the Ypsilon.  My comments were based on hearing these two brands 3 or 4 times at shows in of course separate rooms rather than direct comparison in the same system.  Overall impression is that the Ypsilon consistently struck me as the more natural sounding.  In your system this may or may not be the case. I'm looking forward to your audition comments. 
Charles 

Hey Charles what have you been up to lately ?
Well i would have to try CH gear with my Thiels and see how that goes.
Will there be a sonic match ? it's difficult to say.
Meanwhile i will try Ypsilon on my speakers in 10 days.

This is why High End audio is such a personal undertaking. It’s near impossible to account for all the different preferences people have and the many variables that play a role. I’ve heard a suite of CH Precision electronics at the CES a few years ago. In my opinion Ypsilon is better sounding between these brands. Of course my opinion is no more or less credible than yours, simply a reflection of different taste.CH Precision reminds me to some degree of Solution. For some listeners they represent sonic nirvana. I recognize that type of sound doesn’t impress me nearly as much. High End audio offers the beauty of many choices.
Charles

Guys last saturday i was luckuy enough to attend a CH Precision demo at the only dealer's there is in France.
I was surprises that only 3 people showed up for the demo including me.
It was a full CH system driving a pair of Wilson Sabrinas.
I can tell you guys in over 22 years in the hobby i have never audition to such outstanding solid state gear and i'm not even sure the best tubes out there can surpass that.
Unheard dynamic top to bottom, lightning speed, very high definition without any harshness, smoothness and liquidity.
The bass is absolutely phenomenal, crisp and clean.
The synergy of a full CH system is unmatched at any price.
The system consisted of C1+X1+L1+X1+oneM1.
C1 was had the streaming board.
Total price of this system without speakers and cables around €132K.
This brand is in a completely other league than the gear i have mentioned in this thread.
If you have never heard a full CH system i would recomment that you do even if you will never afford to purchase such gear.
CH is totally upgradable for future technologies.
You will never face obsolescence with CH Precision.
Now all i have to do is find a way to rob a bank lol.

Keithr, this combo would surely be awsome with my Thiel CS 3.7s.
I plan on to audition this gear at the Munich show this year.

I think a BAT combo would work great with Thiel. 53SE with 655SE. Tonality would be synergistic with Thiel top end.

lalitk if ever i choose Modwright to build my system i would definitely buy 2 150SE bridged and the LS36.5 with separate power supply.
In terms of sources  i should pick either Totaldac six or twelve depending on budget or one other option in the $10K range which is outstanding is the Audiomat Maestro 3 Reference with streaming option.

thieliste, I have not tried the 36.5DM power supply.  I did discuss the separate power supply option with Dan prior to buying the LS36.5. According to him, it's a whole another level of performance.  It's on my short list of future upgrades.

I don't know your rest of the setup but If you're considering LS36.5 or any other preamp, make sure it has line level outputs to drive a sub. Dan customized my LS with a fully balanced output in parallel to drive my JL Audio F212v2. The sub adds a another layer of dimension that IMHO, no speaker is capable of producing.  

jafant don't worry i'm going to the Munich show this year therefore i will meet the Nagra team and audition the gear.

lalitk thanks for your input, yes i do know the Modwright 150SE beeing very good especialy in bridged mode, they could drive most speakers out there.
How would you rate the 36.5DM preamp with the separate power supply ?

+1 melbguy1.  

I am very happy with a pair of Modwright KWA150SE driving my B&W802D2's in bridge configuration. This amp is grossly underrated, easily one of the best solid state amp under $10K. The holographic imaging, tubey mid-range, fabulous highs without any edginess and superb tight bass. The build and finish quality is also unprecedented at this price point.  

Try to audition these amps in bridge mode with LS36.5 and Elyse DAC and be ready for a magical ride. 

thieliste-

at that price level and performance I would seek an audition prior to any purchase.

Happy Listening!

Hi guys since i find VAC preamps too expensive compared to other very well know brands, i was thinking of the Nagra Classic preamp to go with the d'Agostino Classic amp.
The Nagra is $17K here in Europe compared to the $25K VAC.
What do you guys think ?

Kinda looks like a window air-conditioning unit. lol ;>)

Seriously, what makes these amps so appealing to you, thieliste?

Dave

Guys i thing i have found my dream monoblocks but i have no idea how to finance them except winning the lotery :

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2016/05/22/high-end-2016-ypsilon-and-the-hyperion/

Well guys my home Ypsilon demo date has been pushed to end of february.
But the good thing is that the distributor might have the PST-100 MKll preamp by that time so he should be able to come with the full Ypsilon system.
Keep you guys posted.

scar972 thanks for your advice, i will obiously start to find the right amp do drive my Thiels properly and then move up the chain.
That's why i'm starting to do these home auditions of amps first.
After the Ypsilon i will try to arrange an audition of the D'agostino classic.

thielist...thinking about it again, I highly recommend that you decide on one component at a time. There's no need to decide on a preamp now or anything else for that matter. We all hear differently and enjoy a different sound since recreating the original event is impossible, go for the sound that you like. I see this clearly amongst my group of audiophile friends, we all have invested quite a bit in our system and they all sound different. Once you have decided on an amp, you will have a better idea of what flavor you want more of. If the system is dark add a fast solid state pre, if it's too analytical add a warm tube pre, after that you can fine tune more by tube rolling and with cables to achieve the sound you want. Recommendations and reviews can only give an idea of what a component sounds like, your room will play a major role in the outcome, so focus on one piece at a time, you'll be happier at the end.

I owned a DR25 years ago and sold it to fund a BAT VK500, which was different but not particularly an upgrade.  I should have lived with the DR25 longer but was reading too many reviews and chasing the brass ring back then.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/256346-classe-dr-9-big-bang-theory-2.html

Thanks Dave but being a US unit it's 110V and i need a 220V one for Europe.
Or does it have a switch to change voltage ?

Must be your lucky day thieliste. As you know, my favorite amp driving my 5i's:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Classe-DR-9-High-Current-Power-Amplifier-/201772137940?hash=item2efa8e7dd4

Best to you thieliste,
Dave

"...i looked on Hifi shark but didn’t find any Fifteen or Twenty five for sale.
I will look back from time to time and who know one might pop out 1 day."

They do pop up from time to time and are priced to offer a phenomenal value ($1k -$1500).

I will keep an eye out as well and let you know if I find anything.

Best to you thieliste,
Dave

Dave thanks for trying to help me out, i looked on Hifi shark but didn't find any Fifteen or Twenty five for sale.
I will look back from time to time and who know one might pop out 1 day.

Jafant yes since i'm going to the Munich high end this year, i will go check the Audionet Max and it's preamp.

thieliste-

demo the Audionet gear. It is on my short-list as well. Happy Listening!

Hi thieliste,

It is too bad that you are so far away. I could fix you up with my old DR-6 pre and the DR-25 until you get settled. A great combo.

I would think that the CAP-151 would pretty good as a preamp via the pre out. No experience with Musical Fidelity.

Best to you thieliste,
Dave

How about the Musical Fidelity A5 integrated ? i've seen one for $1K.

Or should i not buy anything and try to drive the CS 7.2s with the CAP-151 ?

Thanks Dave for your advice, i will check if i can find a Fifteen or even a DR-25 who knows.
I have another question, do you think i could use my CAP-151 as a preamp with one of these stereo amps or should i sale it and buy a real preamp ?
I know that the CAP-151 can be used as a preamp only but how good is it's preamp section ?

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then. ;>)

Dave,
Your impressions regarding the Classe' models got me curious and I did a discussion search. Nearly unanimous agreement with you of the DR10  being definitely inferior to the DR25 model. Your response to Thieliste is àccurate and apparently widely held. 
Charles 

Hi Charles,

My DR-10 sample (NIB) could have been defective. I had heard the Stages at the dealer with the DR-25 (that I ended up with) and the sonic differences were profound with the Stages in my room at the time.

Never regretted trading up to the DR-25 as it is a benchmark of amplifier performance with difficult-to-drive loads IME.

Best to you Charles,
Dave

Hi Dave,
Opamp in the circuit kills the sound, good warning/advice Dave. I'll acknowledge that there may be some good sounding opamps available.  I think generally speaking most audio components are better off without them. Interesting that two amplifiers (DR10 and DR25) from the same company can vary so greatly in their respective sound quality. 
Charles 

Hi thieliste,

I started by hi-end journey with a DR-10 driving Apogee Stages. That amp was so flat and lifeless than I took it back to the dealer and paid the 2X+ difference to get the DR-25. Night and day difference in those two. Still have the DR-25 and have used it for long periods to drive my 5i’s. Solidly built, musical, with plenty of current and as reliable as they come. The darker sound as compared to my DR-9 and Krell would likely work well to minimize the audible effect of the 6k peak of the 7.2s IMO.

The Ten, Fifteen, and TwentyFive were the next models following Dave Reich’s departure from Classe’. Glen Grue made some modifications to the input stage of Dave’s "DR" designs and they are generally said to be more lively, open, and dynamic sounding than the DR-10/15/25.

http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/1194classe/index.html#GCmxCxR9G3VUHeez.97

The Fifteen was considered the sweet spot of the line and would work very well for you as a temporary solution (if not more). Can’t say about the Ten. Sorry.

BTW- should you decide to buy one, use the SE (RCA) inputs as the XLR inputs use an opamp in the circuit that kills the sound. Apparently, Reich was forced to add it on by Grue after the fact and it shows.

Best to you thieliste,
Dave

dlcockrum do you think i could drive CS 7.2s with a Classé audio Ten ?
I'm looking for a very affordable solution to drive CS 7.2 momentarily.
I saw a Classé audio Ten for $600.

Thieliste, not sure you want to hear this, however, each time I pull up Thiel 3.7 or 7.2 on YouTube, nearly every video there was krell on these speaker’s, I mind you, they sounded damn good to me, I understand opinions are just that, an opinion

1990’s videos. It’s 2017!

I’m a Krell fan, owned 3 and last FPB600 ... great in its time Current SS is in a different world ... no comparison!

The best I heard 7.2 was at Stereo Shop on Mass Ave in Arlington, MA driven by a full stack of McIntosh.

If by any chance the Ypsilons can handle both of these speakers i would rather go the Ypsilon route.

I would definitely demo before purchase.