The new issue of HiFi+ magazine, no. 40 has a great review of the I-5, well worth checking out. The mag is available at most bookstores and it's the best HiFi mag on the market in my opinion. Whatever you decide, have fun and happy listening!
Simaudio I-5 and Dynaudio Contour S 1.4
My current system is a Simaudio I-3 driving a pair of Dynaudio Contour S 1.4s. I'm extremely happy with the sound so far, but am wondering if the upgrade to the I-5 may eke out some more detail. Both the Sims and the Dyns seem to complement each other nicely.
My concern is that the Dynaudio's tend to be a touch inefficient. While the 100W/Ch I-3 seems to drive them quite nicely, the I-5 shaves off a few Watts per channel in favor of a more refined sound (at least according to Sim's marketing).
I've also heard that the I-5 tends to sound a bit more subtle, whereas the I-3 has a more forward, energetic sound.
My question(s):
1) Does the I-5 really sound that much better than the I-3?
2) Does the I-5 still have enough juice to power the Dyn's?
3) Would (in your opinion) the I-3 or the I-5 pair better with the Contour S 1.4s?
I'm listening to the system in a relatively small room and pretty moderate volume. And, I have a separate subwoofer, so bass "slam" is less of an issue.
I'd appreciate any thoughts...
/* Jonah */
My concern is that the Dynaudio's tend to be a touch inefficient. While the 100W/Ch I-3 seems to drive them quite nicely, the I-5 shaves off a few Watts per channel in favor of a more refined sound (at least according to Sim's marketing).
I've also heard that the I-5 tends to sound a bit more subtle, whereas the I-3 has a more forward, energetic sound.
My question(s):
1) Does the I-5 really sound that much better than the I-3?
2) Does the I-5 still have enough juice to power the Dyn's?
3) Would (in your opinion) the I-3 or the I-5 pair better with the Contour S 1.4s?
I'm listening to the system in a relatively small room and pretty moderate volume. And, I have a separate subwoofer, so bass "slam" is less of an issue.
I'd appreciate any thoughts...
/* Jonah */