I have found the GamuT D-200 III to require at least 250 hours of playing time to sound truly open and transparent. It also likes to be turned on and left on. Other folks have mentioned the break in factor and also the role power cords can play with this amp.
I use the 92 dB, 14-Ohm Coincident Super Eclipse III's with the D200. While I think some tube amps are more "audiophile" impressive with midrange transparency and sound staging, the GamuT D-200 III sounds complete and integrated from top to bottom to me. It's the best SS amp I have ever used in my own system: Plinius SA102 MkII, Goldmund M28, BAT VK500, MF kW500, Spectral DM80, 47 Labs Gaincard S, and Sunfire amp. |
Sutts: Yes, I took a chance on answering a thread that had not had activity for a year. Interesting topic, though. You asked, "...what preamp; interconnects; and speaker cables though??"
Pre-amp = First Sound 4.0/Paramout Plus upgrade
Interconnects from CDP (Ayre CX-7) to pre' and to power amp = Shunyata Altair.
IC's from TT rig (TNT 3.5/SME V/Benz LP) to phono stage (modified Luckaschek PP-1) = Audience Au24.
Speaker wire = Shunyata Andromeda
BTW, the First Sound/GamuT combo is fantastic. I expect a pair of Gamut M200 monos to arrive any day now. |
I wonder if some of Sutts' "haze" impression of the GamuT D200 could have been mitigated by adjusting the internal dip switches that govern gain (and input sensitivity).
Matching with the pre-amp and speakers contributes a lot to the over all performance of a given amp. Lots of break in, careful cabling choices and gain-matching of the GamuT could make or break the impression, IMHO.
The GamuT could have been adjusted for less gain to mate up with the 97-dB sensitive Coincident Victories. I think the manual advises this with high output sources; so, I would imagine some aspect of the same principle would apply for sensitive speakers.
With the First Sound 4.0-Paramount Plus pre-amp, the Gamut amp happens to sound very clear with no gain attenuation--in other words .77 V input sensitivity or 35 dB of gain. (Speakers are Coincident Super Eclipse III's in this case, 14-Ohm, 92dB.) The Gamut amp needs about 300 hours of run-in time to kick in. The dealer's demo unit may not have had enough time on it and could have had its setting not optimized for Sutts' surrounding gear. |
What are chip amps? Could some one please explain/clarify. |
Sutts, Yes the Super E III's do tend to mate with a lot of different amps. You are lucky to live so close to "Izzy's" there in Toronto. I visited Toronto two or three years ago and phoned Israel Blume to get a tour of the Coincident factory. No go. He said that there were no Totals, Supers, or Victorys in house to hear, etc. |
Tvad, I also lived with the DI-150 GamuT integrated for about four weeks. While it is good, as you mentioned, the First Sound pre-amp feeding the GamuT M200 monos as a combo comes much closer to the holographic presentation of tubes. While it may not quite have that last bit of 3D-ness of a good all tube system, the First Sound/GamuT combo actually has a better proportioned sound stage. Tube power amps sometimes tend to bulge the front center of the stage a bit forward in relationship to the outer edges and the rest of the imaginary "stage."
I am not a sound-stage/image freak, but I have noticed the more correct relative proportionality of the GamuT amps sound staging over some tubed power amps. As fantastic as that "see into" holography of some tube amps can be, the GamuT seems to get the over all completeness of the staging pretty well nailed. |
I actually used the 47 Labs Gaincard S (higher output version with double power supplies) for about two weeks with the original Coincident Super Eclipses a few years ago. The 47 Labs US rep (can't remember his name) said that even though he believed the Supers were not as benign of a load as advertised that they Gaincard would still be appropriate for those speakers.
I tried the Gaincard S with a pre-amp (Cary SLP-98P at the time) and direct. It sounded much better without a pre', but my normal SLP-98/SLAM-100 combo sounded better in every conceivable way. No aspect of the Gaincard's performance was remotely competitive with the Cary separates. Now, my system was configured for the tubed separates, and I did not have 47 Labs cabling on hand; so the synergy could have been all off.
The minimalist chip amp thing may have come a long way since the Gaincard and with the right speakers it may be the bees knees, but I would have to revisit the whole thing with easy-drive speakers, flexible and light cabling, etc. to find out. |
Jtgofish: Yes, the hot-running valve gear does become a problem in warm weather. I have always felt, until just recently, that running valves was worth the hassles (tube replacement costs, heat, can't leave them on 24/7, etc) because the sonic goods the gear delivers are so rewarding.
But...after 20 years of using tubed separates, I am going to try the GamuT M200 monos (breaking in now). So far, they show great promise in creating a similar kind of large, open, transparent sound stage that the Cary SLAM-100's do. They are also musically engaging and seem to have a more even-handed tonal balance and handle the highs and very lows with the same even-handedness as their mid-range. The Carys seem to have a more transparent mid range, but the Carys' extreme highs and very lows are not as fleshed out as their mids, upper bass, and lower treble regions.
I may miss the eerie valve midrange realism, but the over all presentation of the Gamut M200's from top to bottom is damned good and pretty addictive. The Gamut trick of valve-like physicality (palpability?) and sound stage depth is the best I have experienced from SS in my system. (Plinius SA102 MkII, Goldmund M28, BAT VK500, and 47 L Gaincard S, among others)
It's all an adventure. We'll see what happens.... |
Sutts, I have also heard that among Gaincard fans, the 25-watt version was usually favored over the 50-watt S version. Since the S version could not come close to powering the Coincident Super Eclipse I's (at the time) properly, I figured the standard version---for all it's alleged better qualities---just wouldn't have the gusto to work well with the Super E's.
I can report on the GamuT M200 monos, though. They are breaking in nicely. All the elements over the already good D200 I had hoped for are present in the M200 monos: more solidity (palpability[?]) to their presentation, larger (particularly deeper) and better defined sound staging and just as musically engaging as the D200.
They M200's also sound considerably more powerful and controlled than the D200 stereo version with deeper, more commanding bass. The D200 is gone; so, I can't make a current, direct comparison. But I spent a month with the D200 and started using the M200's directly after the D200. No regrets.
If I had a bunch more money, I would consider two D200 amps in vertical bi-amp configuration. The extra cost (over M200's) and the additional cabling would kill me right now.
The M200's are working well with about 300 hours on them. I have heard they continue to improve beyond that. We'll see.... |
Sutts, you also asked about the Plinus SA102 MkII amp. Yes, I used the same speakers I have now: Super Eclipse MkIII's. I liked the amp; among the other SS amps I was trying out (Goldmund SRM 150's, and Goldmund Mimesis 28M in quick succession) the Plinus seemed more alive, more coherent, more liquid, and maybe just mated with the First Sound pre-amp better compared to the Goldmund amps. I liked the Plinius amp, but not enough to buy one.
Now, I have heard the (significant) step up Goldmond 29M in another system that just worked wonderfully with the Placette Audio Active Linestage and Talon Firebirds. The 1.45 V input sensitivity of the 28M just may not be enough to let the First Sound drive the amp properly, or something.
To me, the Plinius SA102 MKII seemed to be a more complete amp, in my system. |
Sutts, Both the D200 and the M200's run cool, with the M200s running cooler still than the D200. The M200s are just barely warmer than the room itself. The two-only MOSFETs per channel are mounted on the side of the chassis, equal distant apart and in the middle of the flush side of two, large heat sink banks.
The M200s space their transformers fairly far away from the main board and other signal-carrying wiring and have two, much bigger power capacitors per channel than the D200 has.
My room is a small-ish 12.5' x 17', with low-pile carpet & pad over concrete and lots of open cell acoustic panels--placed mainly at the first and second side reflection areas and behind my listening position. The speakers fire down the long walls and are positioned well forward into the room (from the wall behind them).
May I ask why you ask about the heat and room size? |
