Although I haven't heard all of the equipment you've mentioned together, my gut says "No." I'm actually a fan of Bel Canto's implementation of Class D amplification, and am considering a purchase later next year of that same unit to go with my Ohm speakers in an office set up, but I can't help but think the unit would not match the system you've already assembled.
I don't know which Schiit amp you have or what headphones, but I imagine that the dedicated unit will beat the ones in the BC or the W4S. Ditto for the DAC. I'm waiting to see how the W4S unit turns out before deciding between it and the BC. My main problem with the W4S is aesthetic. It may be compact and small, but it looks ugly as hell compared to the BC. W4S really needs to hire an industrial designer to improve the look of things. They make great products, but they don't look very good. Still, the extra watts make it worth the wait.
Have you ever heard Harbeth speakers with Class D? Before making any decision, you might want to hear it. With the haircut you're going to take on resale of your present system, I don't think you'll save much money, and with the small footprint of your current components, I don't think you'll gain enough in terms of space to justify the hassle and the gamble. But this assumes you already like the Rega/Harbeth system.
How do you like the Brio R with the Harbeth PS3R's? |
The Brio/ harbeth sounds nice. i relly have no complaints. Just thought Bel Canto in particular may have been an upgrade worth while to swap out what i had. Based on feedback i dont think its worth the effort to sell everything i have just to purchase something more compact. |
selling stuff is a pain in the ass, especially if you are OCD about packing like i am. would you mind answering a question? you seem to have had a number of amps, including the primaluna, lfd,and exposure. which of these did you use with the harbeths? which was your favorite? how does the brio r compare to these with the harbeths. i ask because i have harbeth lust but not harbeth funds at this time...but i hope to get a pair of compact 7's in a couple of years. in the meantime, i love my vandersteen 2ce sig II's, but don't seem to be able to get away from the nagging desire to own a pair of harbeths. it's not rational, but there it is. i'm actually integrated tube amp shopping right now. going to audition a rogue cronus magnum with my vandersteens next week. i think it'll also do well with the harbeths when/if i get them down the road. anyway, any feedback on harbeth amp combinations would be appreciated. |
unfortunately i only had a chance to use the exposure and the brio with the Harbeths. Liked the brio better and i nneded some funds so the exposure was sold. Heard good things about the Rogue with Harbeths. That being said the Vandersteens are great speakers as well. one thing i learned, at some point u have to be happy with what u have otherwise u will never stop. Just enjoy the music and stop being too critical. unless u spend ridiculous amounts of money the return on a small upgrade is not worth it. I used to enjoy music alot more before i became too aware of what i wanted to hear. Its about ENJOYING the music. I am off the upgrade path for a long while. |
smart man. i think the surest path to audio bliss is to assemble a system you like well enough and then never look at an audio magazine or forum again. my only real problem with the vandersteens is that they occupy the living room like twin monoliths and are so good that they warrant better amplification/sources/cables. and that is when i start to go down the rabbit hole. they sounded superb with my doge/hibachi combo, but my need to simplify without shortchanging the vandersteens has me looking at a $2200 integrated. right now, i'm pretty attracted to the idea of selling everything, replacing it with an all rega system. i used to have the brio3/apollo and was contemplating going all rega when i got sidetracked into separates. i miss the simplicity and system synergy goes a long way. i'll be setting up the rega system audition around the same time as the rogue/vandersteen audition. by the end of january, a decison will be reached, this will be a dead topic, and i will be off the upgrade path until my income increases. enjoy your harbeths and your music! |
Thanks for this post!
I have been going back and forth between these three amps and I am have a hard time deciding. I keep coming back to the Brio though.
The only other one I am considering is the Underwood HiFi modded Music Hall 15.2.
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?intatran&1330130782&/Music-Hall-A15.2-L-1
I like the fact that the Music Hall has pre outs and a bit more power. I want to buy one amp that will work for me for a long time and the Music Hall has a few more options. No reviews on this amp though.
The Brio gets great reviews though and I like the small size. |
while they can be extremely helpful, reviews aren't everything. especially since you're considering a modified product. i suppose there's no way to audition the modded music hall, so it might help if you posted a thread asking for feedback on that particular amplifier. someone who has owned it is bound to respond with an opinion, positive or negative, based on their experience with the product. like reviews, their opinions aren't everything, but it'll give you a frame of reference before making the investment.
if no one responds, you might think twice before purchasing. just be sure to provide some context when you post your question, like speakers and source components to be used, room dimensions, listening position, etc.
i've never heard the music hall, so can't say one way or another, but i can tell you that i really loved my brio 3, and would have kept it longer had i not bought speakers that demanded more power to fill the space they were in. |
I auditioned the vandersteens a few years back against the Gallo and Quad (small floorstanders forget the model #) and loved the vandersteens but they just wouldnt fit in the room. still regret that i couldnt make that purchase. I would concentrate on amplifaicationif u like those speakers . u would need to spend alot more to significantly improve on those. |
Anonymoustao - I'm also a Vandy fan, but definitely look into Harbeths - a lot of guys end their upgrade search with these speakers - I have some P3's and I love 'em. |
Zkzpb8 -- not that i am getting the itch ,but what amp are u using with your P3s ? |
Panu21
We have been listing to the new Rega Brio R play great music all day on the New Vandersteen 1CIs and can share with you this level of performance is not ordanary.
For 895 with phono remote and Made in UK it should raise many Eybrows.
Enjoy
JohnnyR |
Drop,
I know this is a bit late but I have the MH a15.2 and it doesn't have any pre outs. There is something called a line out but it is really a tape out because it is a fixed output where you can't control the volume. The way it is set up now if you try to use a powered sub with some bookshelves, you would have to keep adjusting the woofer volume and the Int. amp. volume independently. |
I think Roy Hall said that that output is a tape out, not a pre-out; the screen printer made a mistake. Not sure if it was that exact model, but I've read about the mistake a few times. |
Panu21 - I'm using a Simaudio Moon i-3 integrated - great combination with the P-3 Harbeths. I replaced a Cyrus 8vs2 with this amp and saw a big improvement (more than I was expecting). The Moon is much more refined... |
I have Rega Brio R with the Harbeth P3ESRs and it's a pretty good combo. Like someone in this thread said, nothing wrong, just seems there could be better stuff out there. Then again, the P3s are not meant to be the most powerful speaker. But upgrading to more expensive Harbeths is not an option for me (certainly not that and upgrading the Brio at the same time).
Not to get all philosophical, but my general advice after getting into this game is, set up a realistic budget, go to a dealer you trust, and have him/her take care of you. There's dealers out there who will bad mouth everything they don't carry, and there's dealers out there who will talk with you for an hour even if they don't think you'll buy anything, and encourage you to try out stuff they don't carry. Find the latter and buy from them. At the end of the day, it just seems that all products in the same price range would be right around the same quality. But that's my untrained observation. |
Calsclbgs...that strikes me as very wise advice.
BTW, I ended up getting the Rogue and keeping the Vandersteens. They go very well together and I'm glad to know I can continue to enjoy the Rogue once I get the Compact 7s. |
