What Amp with Sonus Faber Olympica 3?


Greetings....Curious to know what amp are you using with the Olympica 3?  Seems they need some juice at the 80-120Hz region and dip to 2-ohms so I understand it takes some current to properly drive. Just sold a ARC Ref110 and looking for a replacement. Short list:

Pass Labs 150.8 or 30.8
Audio Research Ref 150/75SE
McIntosh MC275
Primaluna EVO 400 

Preamp is a Primaluna EVO 400. Listening room is 16x16 with vaulted ceilings and listening volume level can top out around 90db give or take a few  :)


Ag insider logo xs@2xsamzx12

Showing 4 responses by jjss49

tube amps really don’t like to see impedances 4 ohms and below... arc handles them better than most... if you have sold a ref 110 feeling it was lacking i don’t see how a primaluna or ref75 would do the trick

i think solid state power amp is where you need to go... you've got plenty of tube-i-ness in the pre stage as it is...
@samzx12

don’t think so... 8x kt120 in ref110 vs 4x kt150 in ref75se, through same transformers, even with slightly beefed up power supply

https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?49901-Technical-Differences-Between-KT120-and-KT150-V...

kt150 draws 20% more peak current than kt120 via datasheet (see link above), nowhere near double... and that assumes the power supply can deliver it through the 150...  so double the number of kt120's will still be 70-80% more powerful in transients -- thus i would expect that the ref110 will push and pull harder, greater grip, greater current, esp. with impedance low @ 2 ohms with difficult phase angles in bass region frequencies of the speaker ...


i think the pass is an excellent choice sam - you will some tubelike warmth and fullness with solid state bass control on the low end

let us know how you like it
sam

glad everything is settling in and you are enjoying the music!

best thing all primaluna owners can do for better sound is get those grim chinese input tubes outta there (and buy a pass too LOL)