MBLeming, the Reference 3a De Capo is a match made in heaven for you. I listen to a lot of the music you were talking about...the De Capo's are very fast with very good bass, they image very well and have a fantastic midrange. I think the Almarro 318b is a perfect marriage as a lot of the people over at the owners circle for Reference 3a at audiocircle.com will attest to! |
Bongofury,
Good information you've provided.
One area that I slightly disagree - your admonition re: 6Moons. In my case, no doubt that some items reviewed on 6Moons affected my decision to subsequently purchase these same items (Minimax and Raysonic CDPs, Zu Tones, and Micropure Kotaros) simply by exposure to their availability. These products must be competitive and won't survive on hype alone . . . especially so here in Hong Kong, wherein lay virtually the entire gamut of HiFi to sample. Some of my purchases/orders actually predated the reviews on 6Moons (Yamamoto H/P amp, Almarro A318B, & REL subs). Perhaps it's a case of gravitating towards the same sound / design - who knows?
It seems quite clear that they've a fairly good track record for picking quality products which also represent extremely good VFM. In fact, both the Project and Sony sources you've recommended where given very favourable reviews on 6Moons as well.
Accordingly, if one's tastes are congruent with those of a partcular group or site; then, in my book, this would help diminish the likelihood of costly mistakes over time.
Just my $0.02.
Cheers,
Garry |
B-O-F, love your moniker!
Best laugh this weekend. |
Interesting Larryken,
The bias on my 318B was always rock steady after the first ~30 hours. And I think I only had to adjust it twice in that time.
You used the exact term that I kept returning to as I tried to describe the amp to others - "tonal purity". That is the best possible description.
BTW, I just saw pictures of Almarro's new monoblocks from the recent trade show. I think they are Class A PP and use the same output tubes as the A318B. Yowsa!!! |
Mbleming
FYI: You may wish to also audition LFD integrated amps from the UK. There will be a huge write-up on these in both Stereophile and Tone Magazines in the coming days and this company will have a buzz in 2008, as they are now entering the US market. I know many studio engineers at the BBC who claim that they are the best in class for recreating a rock sound. They are built around the same quality component build theory as Almarro (simple engineering and sterling components) and can deliver real rock performance with speakers like the Zu Tones. Gene Rubin Audio has just added this brand in So Cal and I would suggest you research this alongside Almarro.
The best rock speakers I know are ATC 19s out of the UK. See the recent writeup on www.sonicflare.com. They are a true industry standard for studio monitors and they play all genres well. Their little brothers are the ATC7s and 11s. Very precise--will play the source exactly how it is recorded--warts and all. I have been in the music business (live touring) for 30 years and I use the professional 150s for my work. Pink Floyd and Rolling Stones and 1000 recording studios use these--the best endorsement I can give you. I have worked with everyone from the The Clash, Sting, No Doubt, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc...they are critical to my business around designing lighting routines.
With that said, when I am off, I like a more relaxed sound around my home and both Almarro and LFD are the finest amps I have heard from home consumer electronic providers. I really like the 205 amp by Almarro--I bought this for my daughter and she loves electronica and hip hop. She has a pair of studio monitors by Paradigm and a iMod player from Red Wine Audio. Killer sound for about $1,500. I would also look at the Fatman iTube amp out of the UK.
PS: I like Zu but they only sell direct and they require 250 to 500 hours break-in. The dynamics can be very aggressive and they are not good for long listening sessions.
I think you will love ATC with your music choices matched to the LFD. Radiohead sounds incredible on these and you won't believe the bass from artists like Hot Chip or LCD.
I hear lots of gear at the Electronics shows and am usually a skeptic around audiophile products. In my three decades, they rarely hold their value and very few reach cult status.
You would be wise to buy around brands that are not the latest fashion. From a amp and speaker perspective, Harbeth from the UK, Bryston from Canada, NAD from China, Paradigm from Canada all deliver finely built components with price-for-performance. These companies have weathered many a downturn in the market and provide long-term performance (Bryston gives 20 year warranties). I think the best CD source is Sony Playstation 1 and I love the new Rega and Pro-ject turntables.
You can build a really incredible system for a few grand these days and don't get caught up in the tweak factor that dominates this hobby. The smartest thing you have done has found this site. It is a wonderful forum to research your options. But be wary of people like 6moons--they also take advertising from manufacturers. A lot of your choices seem to come from their Blue Moon Awards. Check out Tone Magazine and Stereomojo--well respected sites. |
I've owned a 318B since August 07....look for a speaker match that's 8 ohm nominal and 92db or better and you'll have plenty of power to play loud...this amp does high frequencies like none I've ever heard and the overall tonal purity is very good...it's not a micro detail machine but a musical sounding amp...the power tubes take about 100 hours to settle in and then hold their bias without drifting much...the manual bias is very easy...just get a multimeter, it's not difficult to do. I like the amp and it's looks, only wish would be for a little more detail.
Larry |
Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate the info. Garryh, I'd love to hear your impressions when you finally land that 318B...I've only just ordered my own as well.
Thanks!
Michael |
I auditioned the Almarro speakers at their So Cal distributor. Very nice with Jazz and classical, which the owner played for me. I also played Innervisions by Stevie Wonder from my vinyl collection and was amazed at depth and musicality.
Zu Tones are a solid recommendation--they have good dynamics. I would also recommend Paradigm. |
Ditto on the matching the 318B with either Almarro or Zus.
Having only heard the M1A speaker with the 318B, I was quite suprised at how nice it sounded . . . especially bass-wise. Nice, tight, clean, and very dynamic; though not quite as dynamic as the Zu Tone (via the 318B). This comparo was made easy as the local dealer reqresents both Zu and Almarro in Hong Kong. I can imagine that the bigger Almarros sound similar, albeit exhibiting larger scale and frequency range.
I've heard the entire Zu range with the 318B and they all sound wonderful. Focusing on the Tones, this, in my opinion, would be a fine match. Together they exhibit quickness, clarity, and tone (no pun intended) that is hard to beat.
My 318B has been on order for a few months now and should be arrive in about 2-3 weeks. It will be paired with my Aurum Cantus V3Ms and I'll be sure to post my thoughts asap.
Cheers,
Garry |
I did consider the Almarro speakers which look very nice, but I haven't been able to find as much information on them, so they were at the back of my list...Would like to hear any opinions on the M2A, M33, M3A if anyone has experience with them...again, thanks to everyone who has posted to help me out...this is proving to be a tough decision...wish I could hear them ALL! |
Match well with Almarro speakers |
the heresys are quite different from the B&W's. they are one of best buys in audio, if you dig the 'feel' of 'live' unadorned music. they are very close in character to the larger klipschorns with the exception of the bass. compared to more traditional multi driver speakers, they sound(by nature) more forward. they also do not 'image' as well as the B&Ws, or other smaller speakers.....what they will do (for a very reasonable amount of money) is put you in the front row of a live event.......suprisingly they are not fatiguing either. the fact that they have such a following after decades(some enthusiasts have owned forever)is a testiment to their sound. |
have a relatively low budget and interested in highly efficient speakers.
i auditioned several models of his including single driver speakers (ala omega) using various drivers (fostex, hemp cone, etc.). these speakers can handle rock/pop stuff and be great fit for almarro or other low-powered tube amps.
he's based in southern and northern california and local auditions can be arranged.
check out fritzspeakers.com
he's a great guy. |
I was also looking onto the Axiom M80ti speakers, perhaps they might be a good match, though maybe too big for my room. |
Jaybo, do you think the Heresey's are a a speaker that will be a significant upgrade frommy B&W's? This whole switch came as a result of just getting bored with the sound of my Arcam Diva A75 integrated and the B&Ws...I figured a switch ti tubes and better speakers would do the trick. I haven't even bought the amp yet actually, but I do have my heart set on it. I'd imagine the Heresey's might work well with my Arcam while I save for the Almarro. Maybe I will seek out a dealer to listen to them. |
the heresys are pretty dynamic even at low to mid volume. they will also show off the amp's midrange which is very lifelike. you can put the speakers in corners as well. good luck. |
Thanks Jaybo, I will look into this speaker as I certainly am looking to rock! Although its rare these days that I get to really crank, so loudness isn't a big concern for me. |
just a thought, but the new klipsch heresy may be fine...especially if you like to rock. |
Your room is moderate sized and if you want anything close to realistic levels, I would try and stay with 90 dB or higher. Just as important as overall efficiency is the impedence curve. Are there any frequencies at which the impedence drops significantly? You can always use Zero autoformers if that's the case, but a 6 ohm or greater nominal impedence and a smooth impedence curve will indicate an easy to drive speaker. Looking at the Europa spec, its 5.25 ohms, very smooth curve, sensitivity 88 dB. You might try it with the autoformers, or it could be OK if you don't push it hard. I would say you are right on the edge, but there are other good higher eff speakers out there that MIGHT be a better match. I only heard that amp once at a show, but it sounded great with some very good, high eff horns. |
Thanks for the responses guys, so I see it looks like a no go on the GMA Europas...damn, I thought $650 sounded like a good price and match for the amp...I need greater sensitivity with the 318B? I'm new to tube amps, so I'm not entirely sure what the rules of thumb are on speaker matching. I should go no lower than about 91dB? |
Jaybo, the A318B will have no problem with the Zu Tones. The Tones are rated at 96dB/12ohms, an easy load for for tube amps.
I owned the A31A & A318B for several months and drove a range of speakers with them including 90dB/4ohm Jean Marie Reynaud Twins mkII's. The A318B was fantastic with the Twins within reasonable limitations. |
the almarro is a nice(if limited) amp, but all the speakers you are naming(including your b&w's which are really good)benefit greatly from more power or grunt. you may want to look into omegas or other super efficent models, or look into a push/pull design and keep the b&w's. finding the speakers you want to live with, and then working backwards is the best way to go. |
