eugene81

Responses from eugene81

Sonus Faber Cremona vs. Cremona M again, I know
My $.02...I have both the original Auditor and Auditor M right now and must say I'm a bit on the fence.The M indeed loses some of that signature SF midrange magic, but does add a bit more detail (not WAY more as some claim), clarity, size, dynamic... 
Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor "Minimum" Power?
Thanks for the warning, but I already own the speakers and like them very much. For the record, the amp drives the speakers very well. 
Pass Aleph 30 + Placette Passive Pre OK?
Just to follow up on my own question for future lurkers who might be considering this, I now have an Aleph 3 and tried to run it with the Placette and the results were not good. Puny sound and congested in the rear of the soundstage. However, when... 
VTL ST-150 vs... ?
I certainly get richness with the Placette paired with the VTL, and to a lesser degree a Pass Aleph 3, and maybe even the Bel Canto C5i moreso than the Belles. It's probably the somewhat recessed vocals that is my biggest gripe with the Belles, bu... 
VTL ST-150 vs... ?
I gave my Bel Canto C5i another listen this morning and am leaning towards keeping it or going up to the Ref500s with my Placette. It's really a great piece. Doesn't quite have that spooky holographic quality and natural texture of the VTL, but re... 
VTL ST-150 vs... ?
Class D is not high on the list right now. Maybe I'll give W4S a shot sometime down the line.Rdavwhitaker, I am starting to face the reality that I probably am a "tube guy" -- I like the VTL a lot, as well as my Almarro A205A MkII, and haven't fou... 
Best integrated for $500?
Virtue audio 
Ayre AX-7e vs. Belles Reference 150A
Thanks for the direct comparison Fly_fish_nz.Anybody have thoughts on the Belles Ref 150A vs. the Luxman L-505u? I'm extremely interested in this piece. I heard it VERY briefly at a dealer with an Ayre CDP, but hooked up to Paradigm Studio 60s. Ob... 
Ayre AX-7e vs. Belles Reference 150A
Thanks for the advice, guys, especially Pkoh70 -- that is very helpful! I've decided to keep the 150A Ref and wait for an Aleph J to arise to compare the 2...... I'm also contemplating trying out a tube or hybrid amp, but the excessive concentrate... 
How hot is pure Class A solid state vs. SET?
Thanks for the responses. Two 100W light bulbs: that puts it into perspective (although an idle Class A SS amp is not as efficient as a light bulb Almarro states power consumption of its 18 WPC A318B 300b SET at 260W, so assuming the same efficien... 
Ayre AX-7e vs. Belles Reference 150A
Yeah, the Cremona Auditors are 88 dB @ 4 ohms. Sounds like a rather difficult load, but my 60 WPC (actually 120 @ 4 ohms) Bel Canto C5i Class D had no problem with them though and others have reported they are fairly easy to drive.Ugh, but now I'm... 
Ayre AX-7e vs. Belles Reference 150A
Hmm... now I'm almost set on getting a Pass Aleph 30 or Aleph J. :D The reputation of these amps (and all Pass Class A models) is the stuff of legend. The heat and energy consumption were a deal breaker for me, but I figure I gotta have one of the... 
Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor "Minimum" Power?
Oops, I was comparing peak to RMS power. OK, the Ref500m ONLY puts out 3.75 times more power than the C5i. :) 
Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor "Minimum" Power?
Thanks for the reply. I would think the Auditors are harder to drive as they are rated 88 dB sensitivity vs the 91 dB of the floorstanders. Both are 4 ohm nominal impedance. I haven't found an impedance curve for the Auditors, but the big guys are... 
Pass Aleph 30 + Placette Passive Pre OK?
Also, has anybody had experience with both the Pass Aleph 30/3/J and the Almarro A205A MkII SEP integrated? I know it's kind of apples and oranges, but that's the amp I'm replacing. It sounds great for more intimate, acoustic and vocal music, but ...