My local dealers like Atoll Integrated as pairing well with Dyns. https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/atoll-electronique-in400se-integrated-amplifier
Integrated Amp for Dynaudio Special 40
I have recently picked up a great pair of Special 40s - unfortunately I am currently powering them with a Marantz sr5014 AV receiver and I am looking to upgrade to a dedicated integrated amp. I have read quite a bit about it already and have narrowed it down a bit. My source, for now, will primarily be a Linn Axis I inherited with a new Adikt cartridge. I may do some streaming as well but it is less important. I am open to either used or new and leaning towards used so I can get the most bang for my buck. The list I considering is below:
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Ayre ex8
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Moon 340i /i3.3
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Plinius Hautonga
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Roksan Blak
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Belles Aria
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I like my Belles Aria quite a bit. Its only 75watts but I think its a stout 75 watts. It has a silly damping factor too; can’t remember exactly but I do remember seeing it in the owner's manual and being pretty surprised at how high it was. The Volume control, ie modulation, is great. I’d describe the Aria’s sound as very open and with great bass definition, weight and control. It sounds tube like to me at times. Anyhow, I hope that helps! Goodluck! |
Sim + Dynaudio. The synergy is real. I would make a suggestion though and skip the i3.3 if you are willing to buy used and go with an older i5 or i5.3. Or jump up to the i600. Maybe it’s the number sequencing, but I’ve always thought that the I3.3 was an evolution of the i3 while the i5 evolved into the 600 and 700. The i5 is more refined, has better soundstage, and a bit more high end sounding. I could be wrong though, I only auditioned the i3.3 but I’ve owned both the i3 and i5 and the 3.3 reminded me a lot of my old 3. And don’t worry, even with 110 watts the i5 will have no issue driving the special 40’s. |
Hegel h390 sounds great with dyn Audio you also get a grtrat a dac "SoundStage! Hi-Fi | SoundStageHiFi.com - Hegel Music Systems H390 Integrated Amplifier-DAC" https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1365-hegel-music-systems-h390-integrated-... Wr have an open bix h390 if you are interested The h390 is very close to the hegelh590 a 11k integrated at half the price for 6k the h390 is unbeatable and the hegels very high damping factor gives the speakers far deeper and tighter bass then you can achieve with other amps Dave and troy Audio intellect nj Hegel dealers |
Many thanks for the replies thus far....very helpful information! I've hear some love for the Aria and the Moon but any thoughts on the Roksan or Plinius paring? Also, audiotroy2 - do you have a link or a posting of your open box Hegel? Thanks again - I'm new to this community but already enjoying it very much! |
I had the Aria with a vinyl system (phono preamp), and I found it to sound distant and lacking in dynamics. At the time, I couldn't figure out why - everyone raves about the Aria, but I wasn't hearing it. After selling it, I found a site that listed the input sensitivity as 1.2V, which is extremely low for an integrated amp. Assuming that this spec is correct, it explained why the Aria didn't sound good in my system, as my phono preamp couldn't really drive it well. Just something to consider. |
@terracebk21 i have the norma ipa 140, a great sounding integrated but it's $7k. here is the entry integrated. https://www.thesoundadvocate.com/2021/08/norma-hs-ipa1-integrated-amplifier-analysis/ |