helomech
Responses from helomech
| New Speakers under consideration - but I’m afraid That’s the thing. I can experiment with things like DACs and bring them back and forth in my carry on. Speakers not so much. Maybe I should just get a killer DAC and be done with it 🤓 Seems many audiophiles share this sentiment. Unfortunately,... | |
| Integrated amp for 2500-3000 Don’t dismiss the Yamaha integrateds at this price point. They are much quieter than most of the aforementioned alternatives and thus more resolving (yes, noise floor matters). The 2200 can compete with many separates systems under combined value ... | |
| Pass labs krell parasound amps I went from Pass to Coda to Parasound and finally settled on the original Parasound A21 (better than A21+ BTW) as my preferred amp for my separates (I actually prefer a Yamaha integrated to all of them but that’s largely a speaker synergy thing). ... | |
| New Speakers under consideration - but I’m afraid I’m a big believer in physics and can’t see (or hear) how the X3s go very deep, but I failed to mention that I have a VMPS Larger sub driven by Crown K2, so deep bass is not an issue. Will try and have listen in Fla. In my room, I estimate the ... | |
| Integrated Tube Amp approx. $2,500 that’s how I have heard Yamaha, my ears just didn’t want me to like them The MOSFET transistor Yamahas have to go through a fairly lengthy break-in before they sound best. I didn’t believe in amp “break-in” prior to owning one. The differen... | |
| Integrated Tube Amp approx. $2,500 Yamaha is a pretty boring choice. Safe, accurate, flawless, but lacks musicality. Having owned some pretty well regarded SS amps known for their musicality, such as Pass, Coda, and Exposure, in addition to tube products from the likes ... | |
| Integrated Tube Amp approx. $2,500 @br3 Yeah if it’s risk free then no good reason not to. I had an 1100 prior to my 2100 and enjoyed it for years. It paired pretty well with Heresy IIIs I owned at the time. The X200 series Yamahas are a little less “forward” than their predecess... | |
| Separates vs Integrated Would a $30,000 integrated sound better than a $1,000 amp and a $1,000 preamp. Well I hope so and it better. Would a $10,000 integrated sound better than a $5,000 amp and a $5,000 preamp? Maybe. I’m sure there are some nice integrated amps at th... | |
| Integrated Tube Amp approx. $2,500 In my systems, to my ears, the MOSFET-based Yamaha integrateds (especially the 2100 and 2200) outperformed all of the tube and hybrid integrateds I’ve owned, that includes the popular Rogue CMII and Pharaoh amps. To my ears it has more of the tub... | |
| Separates vs Integrated I’ve encountered integrateds that outperform many separates combos, but also the inverse. All else being equal, separates tend to be better. For example, Parasound separates outperform the Parasound integrated, as they should given the cost di... | |
| Speaker Suggestions for Next Move I highly recommend seeking an audition of the Børresen X3s somewhere, preferably with a ballsy amp, not one of the Axxess integrateds of their sister company. I power mine with a Yamaha A-S2100. Out of ≈40 pair of loudspeakers I’ve owned over the... | |
| Solid State preamp Brands FWIW, I tried a Coda CP and it was incredibly noisy in my system. Contacted Coda and they felt it was operating normally. I much preferred the Bel Canto Pre5 and Benchmark LA4. | |
| FirstWatt SIT-3 or Pass Labs XA25 for Avalon Indras? Hate to be the bearer of bad news but your Avalons have a reputation for being power and current hungry. Either of these Pass designs would leave you wanting, especially at low volumes. I have little doubt that even Nelson himself would tell you s... | |
| FirstWatt SIT-3 or Pass Labs XA25 for Avalon Indras? I’ve owned the XA25 twice and tried it with a variety of speaker loads. IMO, the amp does not excel at low listening levels, nor does it drive low impedance loads very well. It is a sweet sounding amp with great soundstage, but it really requires... | |
| What Power Amplifier Should I Buy? @kevemaher One likelihood (based on my experience with F208s) is that your current amplification already outclasses your Revels. In other words, the speakers are likely a bigger bottleneck in the grand scheme. The 208s are nice speakers at th... |