Glad I could help! They make great stuff. I'm going to be loading them up tonight to take them home for at least a little while. I'll be pairing them with a Pathos In-Control preamp, so that should be a nice pairing.
I think I saw in a different post that you're 4 hours away? Is that from SimAudio or the distribution center in Champlain NY? I'm in the upstate area. |
@gandlshevchuk You are extremely correct, that was great insight actually! Thank you:) I really appreciate you sharing that experience...It certainly helps...
The gentleman I bought the Titan from (also a dealer) had the same dilemma almost verbatim as you, his comment when I picked it up was "I wanted to keep this for myself for my own system but I couldn't find a preamp worthy of matching". He definitely didn't love selling the Titan:)
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Hello,
I believe I have some good insight for you, I'm a SimAudio Dealer and not too long ago acquired a pair of the SimAudio Moon Rocks. They worked well when I got them , but not perfect. I ended up sending them to the factory to have them completely gone through. They cleaned up the insides, went though the amps and had to recalibrate both amps as they were well out of spec after 15-18 years of age. They now sound much better and also got rid of some small background hiss. I would say do it as long as figure a proper shipping container.
Now the big decision is do I keep them or put them up for sale. They would surely be a nice addition to the system I'm building. |
@perkadin the Contour's are my next step after I win the lottery, LOL! I've never even listened to them and I don't want to because they're outta my league and I love my Evokes so all that will do is mess with my head:)
Thanks @erik_squires I have the ventilation piece covered (uncovered actually:) as the amp is on its own stand beside my entertain ctr...so it's got plenty of breathing room... |
20 years or more for a solid state amp is not unreasonable.
The biggest issue I can think of for multi-channel amps is ventilation. Shoving 3 additional channels in the width of a traditional 2 channel amp is a challenge for space and air flow. If they are put in a tight rack with little air flow they probably won’t do as well as an open shelf.
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I have the Contour 1.8's, 1.1's and center. Like the Sim gear, Dynaudio overbuilds their speakers and are built to last. At one point I had them set up in a HT configuration but now they are in two separate rooms after moving. So I have a 3ch HT setup and use the 1.1's with a tube amp in the bedroom. It's nice having a secondary system, and I was pleasantly surprised how well the 1.1's work with tubes in triode. I think their relatively flat impedance curve really helps. People make a huge fuss over sensitivity and tubes but there much more to it then spl levels. |
I actually reached out to Simaudio and they replied right away. They said since this unit came out in 2001, every single one of them is still "active". They only see about 1 a year for servicing (and he said it's usually because someone shorted a binding post or defective startup). He recommended if I have an opportunity to be without the amp for a few weeks I send it to them for cleaning and calibration...WHAT??? I can't go without this thing for 1 day, LOL!!!
@perkadinI Thank you for the kind words and info...What Danes do you have? 20+ years ago when I started out in this hobby I went through all the usual's (DefTech/Paradigm/PSB/B&W) and someone recommended Dynaudio. Literally the minute I listened to the Audience 82's it was game over. I remember thinking I didn't even know speakers/sound could get this good. I still miss my Audience speaks, but the Evokes have filled that hole more than adequately :)...
@jl35 I honestly LOVED the 1095 more for music than HT actually, lol...There was something just pure magical about the Dynaudio/Rotel combo for me back then. I loved that amp! |
I’ve had my RMB1095 since 2005. always loved it for HT, not so much for 2 channel music....it's still going great |
Honestly, that amp will likely outlast you. The only parts that have a shelf life are the caps, and they will typically last 30 years or more (the dielectric can dry out). I stress "or more" because that 30 year figure is just an estimate. Cool running, overbuilt amps like the Titan will likely last much longer then 30 years before there is any noticeable degradation in sound quality. Enjoy it! The caps can also be replaced at a fraction of the cost of a new amp. My W3 is around 20 y/o and still going strong. Dead quiet, no hums whatsoever, and used daily. Congrats on the deal, that is a heck of a HT amp. I also use Dynaudio speakers. |
Thank you for all the great advice folks! I always appreciate and value the time and opinions of those of you here that take the time to respond and help...You have definitely boosted my confidence level and I am leaning heavily towards keeping and just enjoying (continuing to enjoy) this magnificent unit. Back in the day it was my "dream" piece when it first came out but I could not afford it. So I ended up going with Rotel RMB1095, @ghdprentice :)...I LOVED that amp and only sold it because of my divorce. But getting this unit was a dream come true, especially for the price. Honestly I almost felt guilty especially when I saw it. But again I was willing to drive (4+ hours) and offered cash in hand so he relented after trying to negotiate a bit but I wouldn't go above the 3K...
Much as I would have hated to sell the Simaudio (interestingly Dynaudio actually recommends Simaudio gear as an excellent match with their speakers-and I currently have Dynaudio Evoke speakers), it is getting up there in age and I was a bit concerned that maybe best to make a move before it's life cycle comes to an end and I really had no idea of the typical lifespan. I will say that in the 1 year + I have had it it barely gets even lukewarm even after running all day long. There was only 1 occasion where it was actually a bit on the hot side to the touch but that was after running all day in 5 channel stereo mode at pretty loud levels...
Once again thank you all for taking the time to respond :) |
With multi channel HT amplifiers the technology becomes obsolete before the operational lifespan. |
I have had some amps for decades. I have never had one go out. My current Rotel 5 channel has been operating in the same cabinet for nearly 20 years. |
I have an Adcom 7400 or 7500? What a work horse.. I took the top off a few yeas back before I stored it.. All the modules looked great.. Sounded great for a 5 channel. I used it to biamp a pair of DIY shop speakers for 15 years.. 40 yeas old at least.. The channel that was left over powered 2 15" pro subs with ease.. That was a great work place system.. Serious Christmas Parties.. LOL |
Nobody knows. It depends on so many different things it would be hard to take an accurate guess. My advice is to use it and enjoy it until you notice something wrong with the sound. A call to the manufacturer will give you the advice you need. |
