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Wilson Sabrina X ... oh my God! and Jadis... or?

Well, I’ve been a sucker for high efficiency and low powered tube amps, but the other day was visiting a good store and they had several Wilson speakers; the man offered me to sit and relax enjoying the Sabrina X, with a Jadis DA-50s and... BIG MISTAKE! Cannot stop thinking in such beautiful, full, complete, non fatiguing sound, I had 2 hours of pure enjoyment, seriously Didn’t want to leave room.

So here I am sending all my stuff and getting what I really think is the final game? At the end, I’ve never listened to such expensive and fantastic speakers. Fed by the aforementioned Jadis, a Prima Luna DAC and a Innuos Zenith, a shame I couldn’t play some records, but He said He was even better with vinyl reproduction.

I started with Isaac Hayes - Close to You from Black Moses... the voice was spread everywhere the room and just came from the amp, which was in the middle of the rack, just amazing, also played some flamenco, funk, classical, Jazz, Blues, Bossanova, Samba, everything was just spot on and sounded far beyond the speakers, without losing presence in front of me, hard to explain.

Now that I’m in, and pulled the trigger for an Ivory ones, need a proper amp for a few months till my wallet recover or sell the stuff I have.

I have a Goldmund Telos 7, which is beautiful Swiss made small amp, 175wpc Class AB with a fantastic DAC inside. But wondering if going Tube path is the right thing, cause I heard such airiness, full bodied, non fatiguing and relaxed sound with Jadis that was awesome!

Thought about these ones:

-Jadis DA-50S
-Mastersound Duetrenta
-Audio Research GSI75 (someone sells to me at good price)
-VAC Sigma iq170
-EAR Yoshino 834
-Lyric Ti200
-Octave V70 Class A
-Any of RAVEN tube amps?

Solid State: (Thinking from the "most analog sound"):
-Pass Labs INT-60
-Mark Levinson 5805 
-Krell k-300i
-Boulder 866
-Coda (dunno much)
-ModWright (dunno much)
-Moon (dunno much)
-Kinki EX-M1PLUS

Not sure going Class D, although reading lately a lot about GanFet Class D amps like AGD, Java, Gato, Aavik...

I’m going integrated for now and for a few years, if it got a DAC or Phono inside, better, but can live without them inside.

What I don’t want to lose is that 3D, great body sound that valves used to give me, more into musical pure joy than High End nowadays.

Btw, speakers cables were Nordost and Crystal Cable, being the later one maybe more open and higher volume but maybe less controlled if I remember well.

Much appreciated, these Wilson left me in shock.

superelmar

Showing 1 response by atmasphere

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,099 posts
 

The above is why---contrary to the common wisdom that an OTL amp is the best for use with the original QUAD ESL, the exact opposite is true. The QUAD has one of the most wildly-varying modulus-of-impedance curves in the history of hi-fi (from below 2 ohms to over 100, depending on frequency!). Used with a high output impedance amp like all OTL’s, the frequency response of the QUAD is drastically effected. Not good, obviously. I originally used a Bedini 25/25 (solid state) with my QUADS, a classic combination.

@bdp24 Quad ESL57s and 63s word great with OTLs! Neither drops below 4 Ohms in the highs so no worries. We have lots of Quad ESL customers.

@superelmar As you seem to have noted, there are class D amps now that have the same smooth mids and highs of the best tube amps and no problems driving lower impedances.

FWIW other than impedance the Sabrinas have always been a fairly easy speaker to drive. Most tube amps on the 4 Ohm taps should drive them just fine. But since class D amps have made such advances I don't see why to do tubes at this point.

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