Cary v12 vs. Vac 80/80 vs. Music Reference RM-9


Seeking sonic comparisons between these three amps, one of which I'm considering buying used. My priorities are a rich, textured midrange, smooth treble (allergic to brightness), not too forward sounding, and given the first three, soundstaging. Bass is not a huge priority. My system is a Primare CD31 player, CJ Premier 10 pre, and Snell Type A speakers. I'm not about accuracy since many recordings are less than ideal. Looking for realism and richness/emotion of the music.

Does triode operation give that goosebumps midrange like no other? Or is it all about execution? Can an older RM-9 compete with the Cary and VAC?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
montaldo

Showing 1 response by mikirob

Agree with Bradluke0 description, my v12 is awesome with Infinity Prelude Compositions or Tekton Lore. Fabulous all around. Rolling tubes with this amp is fun, albeit expensive.