Trying to find an amp that matches my tastes (aka death metal)


So I think I am ready to change my set up/upgrade.

My current analog chain is VPI Prime (Orto 2m Bronze) > MX-VNYL > PrimaLuna Prologue Classic > Zu Omen DW mkII. Digital is Rega Apollo > PrimaLuna Prologue Classic > Zu Omen DW mkII

I feel like I am ready to move into separates and have my eyes on either the Schiit Freya + / Aegir monoblocks or a Rogue RP-1 / First Watt J2.

The issue I have is access to local dealers and also my musical tastes.

Not discounting people's likes, but so much of the audio world is geared towards Rock/Classical/Jazz and I have a very difficult time finding reviews that cite death metal/hardcore/trash metal. I also listen to a good deal of scores and jazz, but a large potion of my time is spent with bands that sound like the following:

Gorguts - Obscura

Death - Lack of Comprehension

Mare Cognitum - Weaving The Thread Of Transcendence

The issue I feel I am having is that I am not hearing much detail or clarity. Some of that might be down to the recordings, but I am wondering if there is a different set up? Would a move to tube/SS help? or all SS? Maybe a SS amp and a passive pre?

I don't feel I want to chase warmth, I'd rather feel like I am at a show or in the recording studio, if that makes sense.

Any help is appreciated!
kcdd

Showing 1 response by brotw

I had a pair of Anthony Gallos Ref 3.1’s. When hooked up to both a class D W4S ST-500mkii and Gallo SA amp (dual amping dual voice coiled sealed 10" woofers), metal was amazing. Low volume pant leg movement from bass drum and bass guitar plucks were physical felt. Sharp imaging and drum/bass definition came from Dirac Live from the PC. Exodus sounded better in my home than at the Nokia show in L.A! So much cleaner with attack and accuracy - amazing. South of Heaven and Justice for All faster and tighter than ever before. Electric bass lines were so much easier to discern and follow popping hard at moderate volumes.

Eventually I moved on from the solid state/class D rock system and moved to a Line Magnetic 48W SET tube integrated with Tekton Double Impacts. Interesting find was how real the snare drum and cymbals became after cleaning up, re-clocking and galvanic isolating the usb signal feeding the dac. The drum kit definitely pops in metal as the only acoustic instrument. The system now plays metal no problem, 90% as good in the bass drum range and more realistic everywhere else, including all other genres of music (except rap). I laugh when I switch from Sara Vaughn to Exodus, that LM508 is insane.

Long story short, for metal, feed lots of power to full range towers with large quality woofers. Use the best calibration you can, (mine exits the pc digitally corrected) and feed a squeaky clean, clocked signal to a good dac. Watch out for cabinet resonances from the bass and get some after market footers to retain mid and high driver accuracy.

Given your set up, bass will sound better with more power, but your speakers are not the deepest reaching either. If you want to feel like your at the show, you need subs or well powered large woofers in your mains to get well defined bass down to 20Hz