2. amps-preamps
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For classical music lovers best amp for large orchestral forces?

I recently upgraded my pre to an arc ref 6se. Currently using pas xa25. It's a very good amp but I'm noticing a fair amount of compression when playing large symphonic works. My speakers are Dalis and they are excellent as is the arc.

For smaller forces, chamber, piano and voices the system works beautifully. But if I'm looking for more transparency and a deeper sound stage for symphonies I find sometimes a boxy cramped sound. Looking to spend around 8k or less either tube or solid state. There have been discussions about the xa25 and what's better but they fill up immediately with tangents of philosophical and technical discussions of how one hears. I'm looking for as many possibilities of actual units that I can read about and possibly hear.

Thanks for your ideas.

roxy1927
taww's avatar
taww
124 posts
 

Hi @roxy1927 - a lot of good suggestions here and I’m not sure the amp is the source of compression, but the obvious upgrade is a bigger Pass amp. Even the smallest of the XA line, the XA30.8, should provide more headroom but if you favor realistic levels you may want to try the Class AB X line which is not quite as sweet but has more headroom. 
 

Bryston 4B3 is another good choice with tons of power but it won’t be as detailed and sweet as your Pass. re: Benchmark I haven’t heard it but have a fellow violinist friend who swears by his.

I have another left field suggestion: a Class D amp like the Legacy iV2. It might not click for you or your system - many really don’t take to Class D and I suspect it’s because of specific system interaction - but I found it to be even more transparent than a Pass XA30.5 and Bryston 4B3 as well as another Class A amp, way more powerful and fatigue-free than anything else and shockingly competitive with my Reference Gryphon amplification. In your price range and with your desire for more dynamics, it’s my strongest recommendation. 
 

Cheers,

TAWW

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,890 posts
 

The ones with low distortion that also have plenty of power and dynamic headroom.  Take your pick!

jmfawdofile's avatar
jmfawdofile
23 posts
 

Hi

What power cord are you using on the amp? Thanks!  
 

joe

jbuhl's avatar
jbuhl
903 posts
 

The PS Audio M1200 Mono Blocks (Class D/ tube hybrid?) are about $6.5K and I believe they have a buy/try option. Their BHK 250 also has same option. affords in home audition.  Cambridge Audio mono blocks are also winning people over.

 

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,636 posts
 

@roxy1927 I hope you've sorted out by now that the mismatch between the amp and speaker is the problem and not any of the components otherwise. If you like the sound of the amp at lower volumes, If I were you I would consider a speaker that is easier to drive and by that I mean a lot easier to drive. By about 10dB or so- something in the upper 90s instead of the upper 80s.

Then you won't be pushing your amp into clipping, which is the source of your 'compression'. Also, more efficient speakers have less thermal compression and so sound more dynamic on that account.

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