2. amps-preamps
  3. 1109759943

Sonic Frontiers to Conrad Johnson .

I have a Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amp and Line 1 Pre-amp hooked to B&W 801 III. I want tube sound- warm, rich, liquid. I don't care about accuracy, I want the sound to be inviting like I remember from long ago. I don't want the stereo to drive me from the room. I changed the tubes in the Line 1 to Brimmars- it helped but did'nt go far enough for me. I also hook up the PS Power Plant 300 to the Pre-amp and while making it a little more dimensional seems to lean out the sound. The question is what brand of equiptment would you trade the SOnic Frontiers gear for to give me the warm inviting tube sound that I crave? I'm leaning towards a Conrad Johnson LS16II for a pre-amp. And perhaps replace the Power 2 later w/ a CJ amp. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
riceqx2

Showing 2 responses by herman

herman
2,274 posts
 
I owned a set of those B&W and would not describe them as "warm and inviting." Far from it. Accurate, dynamic, analytical, revealing, but not warm and inviting. They were the type of component that wows you initially but I found them tiresome after the initial wow wore off. Even with a CJ Premier 12 I tried they still did not warm up.

Even though the Sonice Frontiers is not as warm and lush as the CJ stuff, I would consider other speakers before changing electronics.
herman
2,274 posts
 
Look back through the responses.

The consensus is, your speakers need to go, and I agree. Nobody says to keep them.

As long as you stick with them you are going to get bright and agressive sound. You say you heard them to be warmer at a dealer, but a brief audition at a dealer will not reveal what you have come to find out, these speakers are bright and agressive.

Let me rephrase that in simple terms.

Your speakers are bright and agressive, they have always been bright and agressive, they will always be bright and agressive, there is nothing you can do to keep them from being bright and agressive, replace your bright and agressive speakers with some that are not bright and agressive.
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