Best amp/preamp combo for Wilson Watt puppy 5.1

BVaudio amp and pre, try and believe.

C.A.T. amp and preamp

I'm using the Convergent Audio Technology JL-2 power amp and SL-1 Mk3 premp with my Wilsons and find the combination to be outstanding, powerful, detailed, wide soundstage, low noisefloor. I imagine the JL-2 (or new JL-3 monos) with the C.A.T. Ultimate I or II or upcoming Legend preamp would be even better.

I am currently using Levinson 334 amp driven by Levinson 390s Cd/Preamp with Watt/Puppy 6's, but I had the 5.1's before. Both combinations sounded great to me. I tried a BAT VK-75 tube amp and found the general flavor of the sound to be the same but less dynamic so I didn't keep it in. I tried the Rowland Model 12's and while there were several aspects to the sound that I liked there was a harsh glare--perhaps attributable to the Rowland's extended high end bringing out problems with the Wilson speakers' tweeters--that I couldn't live with.

Dvavc - Wilson doesn't modify the Scans ... they are build to their specs at SS factory, in Videabek, Danemark.

Having been in Scan Speak factory and having spoken with their head engineer - Mr. Lars Goller - I can tell you that most of the manufacturers order the drive units to their specs, so chances that Wilson uses the standard 8545 are minimal. 4 Ohms voice coil is only one of many mods you can order. Wilson probably also orders a shorter voice coil for higher sensivity too.

I have had a pair of 8545 mid woofers made by Lars for my car - they were 91dB and 4 Ohm.

Sdatch, do you know what is the impedance of the midrange drive in Watt/pupys? I got to change a midrange drive, and I know Wilson uses Skan Speak 8545 drive. I ordered one from Madisound because they sell it for $145 a 1/2 Wilson's price(of course Wilson claims that they modified drive, but I didn't believe them). Now you just confused me with that impedance because Scan Speak 8545 rated at 8ohms and I'm thinking that may be they indeed modify that drive.

An amp with high power and current is ideal. While the Wilsons are highly sensitive, their impedance curves can be tricky, and are rated at a nominal 4 Ohms. The person from whom I purchased my 3/2s (which were upgraded by Wilson to bring in spec with the 5s) drove them with Levinson 434s, fed by the 390S CDP / preamp. That seemed to be a pretty good match.

Dvavc, Related to H2O? well, yes, I am at least three quarters water. :)

Oh, the amp. No, not at all. The builder lives three thousand miles away, and
sells direct.

No, H2Os aren't anything like an Aleph. Far from it. In fact, I can't think of an
amp that it reminds me of. The H2O is music, with all the dynamics, all the
layers, all the liquidness, and all the extension of the real world. Read the
review.

Muralman1, you are not even remotly related to H2o, are you? By the way,aren't they more like Aleph series?
P.S. So far even their site under construction, then how about waranty?:)

nagra vpa's with pl-l or pl-p. the only electronics i've lived with that bring out all the nuances of any watt/puppy combo.

Dvavc, Oh yeaaaaaaahhhhh, and it isn't subtle, no, not at all.

Muralman1, are you saying they better then your's X600?

Naim pre/power amp, bi or tri amplifing config. Very Musical.

Fernando

Without a doubt, the H2O Signature, and a clean preamp, of your choice, that is comfortable with a 10k input impedance.

Check out Audiofankj's review here:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1103079446

I have the same amps running 1ohm Scintillas.