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How good are the AES Sixpacs???

I have been looking at the AES Sixpacs and have read great things about them. Looking for info from those who own them or have heard them. I currently have a Primaluna integrated. I love tube sound and am looking to see if these amps would take me to the next level. Would plan on using the AES signature preamp with them. Thanks for any advise.
jval197

Showing 2 responses by nrenter

nrenter's avatar
nrenter
765 posts
 
I just hit my 2-year anniversary with the Sixpacs, and I'm still lovin' them. I have the AES AE-3 DJH pre-amp, too. I couldn't be happier with the combination. If it will best your PrimaLuna...no idea.
nrenter's avatar
nrenter
765 posts
 
Here's a quote from my system review:

As for the AES hardware (AE-3 DJH and Sixpacs), I was nervous about transitioning to tubes. Would the tube rush drive me crazy? Could I live with the weak, flabby bass? What am I going to do with only 50 Watts? Well, let me assure you, the AES hardware quickly dispelled all of my fears. I can literally crank the volume (with no source active) and hear absolutely nothing from the speakers. No rush. No hum. No noise. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Sometimes when the spacing between tracks on a CD is a little longer than usual, I wonder if my system has shut itself off.

The low end is absolutely wonderful. Now I'm not saying that the AES hardware equals the "slam" of the Rotel powerhouse, but there is something there that is more satisfying. I've been trying to think of a way to articulate it in words, but I haven't found them yet. The low end seems to be “more appropriate”. You don’t feel it in the chest, but with all of the wonderful qualities the AES hardware brings to the table, you really don’t care.

The dynamics of the pre-amp / amps surprised me as well. Why my previous solid state components sounded compressed is beyond me (especially with a 200 Watt per channel beast driving monitor speakers). I thought that previous incarnations of my system were revealing all that the source had to offer. The AES hardware presented detail and nuance buried within many of the CDs and LPs that I've listened to for 20 years (or more). What was obscure is now accessible.

It did take longer than the stated 100 hours to break in the AES hardware (about 240 hours - but, hey...who's counting?). This may be attributed to the Jensen capacitors I had upgraded when I place the order for the Sixpacs.

The only reservations I have about the AES hardware is purely superficial: I don't care for the myriad of fonts and font sizes on the faceplates, the blue LED on the AE-3 DJH should be replaced with a red LED as on the Sixpacs, the speaker binding posts need to be upgraded, and since the bias pot is hyper-sensitive, a large knob should be included. I’ve been e-mailing the techies at AES, and all of my concerns can be easily remedied.

Build quality is superb. The AES gear doesn't have the same polish as the Cary gear (automotive-quality paint, etc.) but it is still very respectable. If you know someone in your area with this setup (or happen to live near the Cary headquarters or either of the 2 dealers), I recommend stopping over for a listen.
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