Olive Naim Nait 2. A killer little amp.
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I have a Devialet Original d' Atelier, which is upgraded to 1000Pro. It's a very clean window into the recording. Those who say Devialet sounds clinical need to learn to set their speakers up properly. They're clean, not clinical. SAM adds more depth to the bass than almost any amp can and with 1000W into 6 Ohm, there's plenty of power, thus grip. Since they've added Sweet room (supposed to be room correction but it's more or less an equaliser) there's to possibility to make it sound like any amp you want. You want more warmth? increase the bass a bit, lower the treble and it's there. You want it more lively? Increase the highs. You want mid range, increase that. Whatever change you make, there's still that clear window into the recording with incredible grip. My mate bought a second hand Devialet 220 Pro and we took it speaker shopping. It held its own against a +50 grand dCS / Audio Research / D'agostino setup. I've recently bought some 99dB efficient Zu speakers for fun. You wouldn't expect a powerful amp like the Devialet to sound good with such an efficient amp but it does. If I were in the market for something else, I would seriously be looking at Parasound. I heard the JC1's in a shop. Very good. Not just very good for the money. |
I have an Aesthetix Mimas. http://www.aesthetix.net |
Someone earlier mentioned us being in a Golden Age for Integrated Amplifiers to which I would add IMO it's ALMOST impossible to get a bad sounding front end these days with 99.9% of available choices offering ZERO distortion,virtually ruler flat freq.response & an inclination by manufacturers today to tune for a musical experience instead of tuning to grab attention in showrooms... |
I use the Exceptional U.S made Coda CSIB integrated amp it has 3 power choices all doubling down into 2 ohms.the lowest power 150,300,600 has the highest amount of pure class A -18 first watts , these guys are very understated ,stereotimes best of 2020 , and great review.I feel the best integrated in the $10k and under group ,Before Nelson Pass went on his own these were his fellow engineers, the Torroidal transformer is potted for very low noise and huge 3,000 va ,and pure class A preamplifier section, mosfet,fet, and 40 bipolar transistors on the output section , Burr Brown 100 step volume Attenuator high current 120 Amp capability . 10 year warranty , 5 year transferrable.for $6500 is a heck of a bargain and sounds very natural . |
@audioman58 The Coda sounds interesting but would likely be a poor match with my Devore speakers. What speakers are you using with it? It sounds like a much different take on a Pass amp with specs like 400 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms, 800 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms, yet only operating in Class to 5W. I'd be very curious to give a Coda a listen. |
Hello The Coda is a very smooth but dynamic amplifier I have 18 1st watts in pure class A then 150,8 ohms 300,4 ohms I use modded Elac Vela speakers 86 db , and tried on my brothers spatial audio open baffle X3 speakers 97 db efficient as well as Wilson Sabrina X speakers which sounded incredibly good,with Bricasti front end. and did fabulous in both great microdynamics deep image depth and large Soundstaging . And bettered the $10 k Passlams 60 integrated amp , the 3kva gives it incredible current on demand my friend drives hisMaggi 3.7 with ease ,all coda can be sent in for any one of 3 power outputs. |
Have been using a VAC Sigma 160i SE for several years, driving Nola KO speakers. It's a fabulous combination, delivering the most dimensional, open sound I've ever had, with the speakers simply GONE. Just bought a used Hegel H190 to use in a new system built around KEF R11 speakers. Don't have it set up yet, but the Hegel sounded FANTASTIC in a friend's system, driving Tektons. |
Main integrated is a Cary SLI-50. Sounds really great with both my Cornwalls and my ESL-57's Bought it new waaaay back and have a hard time imagining letting it go. Also have a Heathkit SA-3 EL84 based integrated that runs in SET. Its being rebuilt and is causing me some grief and has been on my bench for a bit. Last is a Marantz 1030 that I've rebuilt/recapped that I use for my TV. Sweet sounding little amp. Does the job :) |
Have had a Quicksilver Integrated Amplifier by Mike Sanders for just a couple of days, and not sure I'll get over the "wow!" * All tube, musical. * Rated at 20 watts both 8 ohms and 4 ohms, drives Focal Aria 906s just fine. The speakers are quoted at 89.5 dB sensitivity and 25-120 watts. I listen at moderate volume in 3.8 m x 5.26 m room, which means the knob is typically around 10:30 o'clock. * The detail from this setup is excellent. The proportions of midrange, treble, and bass suit my taste. * Solid construction, point-to-point, U.S. made, and a good price. * It might save me a room heater this winter. ;) http://quicksilveraudio.com/products/integrated-amplifier/ |
Got a Creek Evolution 50a a couple of years ago through Agon, and absolutely love it. It has responded well/in kind to every speaker and equipment upgrade so far. It’s now driving Quads2’s. Neutral, sweet, airy, good bass, great stage and placement…and still exhibits cajones when needed. Want to now add on a Sequel phone board, curious if it will perform as well as well a comparatively priced outboard phone stage 👍🏼🙏🏼 |
@three_easy_payments The CODA CSiB drove my very hard to drive Thiel CS3.7 with great results. Those speakers go down to 2 Ohm. It was a better match than my Benchmark AHB2 in stereo and mono. I sold the CSiB and bought the CODA 07x and #8 amp. Which I do find even better sounding but it cost 2x more. |
My CODA CSiB V3 is a good match with
Thiel CS2.4 Btw, the CSiB comes with 3 versions V1: 150 Watts per channel Class AB into 8 Ohms, 300 Watts per channel Class AB into 4 Ohms, Class A ~18 Watts V2: 250 Watts per channel Class AB into 8 Ohms, 500 Watts per channel Class AB into 4 Ohms, Class A ~12 Watts V3: 400 Watts per channel Class AB into 8 Ohms, 800 Watts per channel Class AB into 4 Ohms, Class A ~8 Watts |
this has been a good thread, but at this point, it seems like a market research tabulation of what is out there in people's systems, irrespective to the applications, features, and performance parameters desired ... not sure it is all that useful for someone seeking directional input as a buyer as the playing field is so incredibly broad, it might be helpful to break out by some useful segmentations/characteristics such as power output tube v solid state 'standard' old school integrated (line stage + power section) vs full meal deal (dac, phono, dsp, streaming....) and of course, price level having a thread include a ps audio sprout @$500 vs a $12000 gryphon 300 vs a $5000 lta berning circuit tube unit is a broad broad waterfront... |
Creek Destiny v1. It sounds the same as my previous NAD and Naim amps - just a little more powerful (100wpc into 8ohms) and heavier to lift. It seems to be full of capacitors inside. I initially thought it sounded smoother (and more "organic" - Rob J Reina) as described in an old Stereophile review - until I directly compared it. In fact it sounded remarkably similar to its predecessor. Its microprocessor circuits are a pain in the neck and I wish it had some way of power limiting the output to protect my Tannoy Berkeley's, but I can see no other good reasons to change it whilst it's still working. https://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/107creek/index.html |
kdveteran - first & foremost - Thank you very much for your service! My Nephew was at Ft. Benning several years ago, I believe before being deployed to Afghanistan & then later at Ft Bliss. jjss49 - excellent post; couldn’t agree more with your earlier post. This hobby has been incredibly fun, especially the last 7 years since I’ve been divorced. On Integrated Amps: Right now I’m getting ready to move overseas in 3 weeks and I’m in this shoe box sized British integrated phase. Currently, I have a Linn Majik I (orig shoe box version) and a Meridian 551 to match a Meridian 504 tuner in 2 separate rooms. I recently just sold an Acurus DIA100 (mkI) and gave my nephew a Music Fidelity B1. I’m using Monitor Audio R700MD’s on the Linn & ProAc Super Tablettes on the Meridian Other SS integrated amps I really liked were: Onix OA21S & OA20/2 Tandberg 3012, & Creek 4330. I also had an Onix OA60, but I liked the earlier shoebox sized Onix’s better. I also had a Creek 5050 years ago, but think the 4330 is probably better I’m a tube guy at heart and I fully agree with an earlier comment from someone touting the virtues of running pentodes in SE. I had the 5/15 wpc SET/SE pentode ASL MG15siDT which runs KT88’s and thought it was spectacular. should have never sold it. Also, a GemTune GS-01 (EL34 in SE Ultralinear) was surprisingly very impressive with an upgraded Alps vol control & tube rolling. |
gsm - I got the Audio Refinement Complete for a friend who was looking for a good int amp as a present for his father in law. I got to audition it for about a week before I gave it to him, and man was I impressed! Ran super cool and areal pleasure to use, and a nice beefy 50 wpc to boot. His FIL was stepping up from a Rotel with Spica TC50’s. |
The Harbeth SHL5+'s have a great midrange , extended treble and a dynamic range that can make for a very enjoyable listening experience. Almost everything you play on them sounds good.They also sound great at low volumes, which is tough for many speakers. In my system the Treo's are much more musically engaging. All of the great features of the Harbeth's plus a more coherent presentation that aligns well with my listening priorities. I suspect that there may be a more synergistic match with the Vandersteen's in my system. I live in a loft with 9 foot ceilings and the system is in my combination living, dining and kitchen area. A space about 20 x 30 feet. I listen to many types of music from classical to rock. I do not like jazz very much though I listen to a lot of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. t |
