I'm thinking of a slightly different strategy, not sure if this makes sense. But hear me out, and tell me if this might be a better approach ...
I realized that I still have my Cambridge Audio Azur 851D DAC that can act as a preamplifer (volume control). So my plan is as follows: Buy a really nice used power amp (SS Class A by the likes of Luxman, Pass Labs, Audio Research, or anything else that you guys suggest), and drive it with the Cambridge Audio for a few months. When funds become available, buy a tube preamp to replace the CA.
What do you guys think? |
@kren0006 -- The dealer demoed both brands with Sonus Faber Olympica Nova II. Since I have the previous version (Olympica II), we thought it would be a reasonable match. It was really a toss up between the ARC and Luxman. Like I said, I would have been happy with either. |
@jjss49 Having said that, you're one of the few posters here whose opinion I value very highly. If you like Hegel, there has to be something about it that I missed earlier. I will definitely ask my dealer for a demo if possible. |
@romney80 -- appreciate the feedback! The Luxman is definitely a top contender alongside with the Pass Labs INT-60. I hope one shows up used in the classifieds some time soon. I was just wondering if you bought it new, and if so, were you able to get a discount from your dealer. You can PM me directly if you don't wish to share the information publicly. |
Thanks for the feedback everyone.
@yyzsantabarbara Surprisingly, I had never heard of the CODA amps up until now. Thanks for the suggestion, will definitely look into it. Wondering how the one you mentioned compares to the Pass Labs INT-60. The biggest difference, at least on paper, is that the CODA does 5 watts in class A, whereas the 60 does 30. Second concern is resale value.
@ei001h -- Audio Research is definitely something I would love to get in my system, but I'm not sure if there is anything (used) that falls within my price range. Do you mind sharing which one you had in mind? |
@erikt You're right, I should have been more clear in my original post. First of all, I want to make sure that I absolutely loved the Cronus Magnum II when it was in my home office driving the Harbeth P3esr's. I had rolled some tubes to tailor it to my liking and was completely satisfied with the sound. Hope nobody interprets this post as a knock on the Cronus Magnum II. In fact, once I get another amplifier for the media room, the Cronus will be back in my home office and stay there for a very long time.
Now, when using the same amp in the media room with the Sonus Fabers, it does get plenty loud, in fact I've never gone above the 11'o clock position on the dial. The issues that I am having (some of them have been mitigated to some extent though, I'll tell you why later) are ...
Bass is not as tight or punchy -- I'm working with GIK acoustics so let's see if that helps. But I can tell the amp does not have as much control on those woofers.
Soundstage depth and imaging -- not as good as I was expecting. Definitely the nice 3D holographic image that I was getting in the study is missing, imaging or placement of instruments is not as precise or locked in. Also, the sound is less fleshed out.
Vocals -- not as centered or forward as before. On some recordings, I expect the singer to be standing a few feet ahead of the rest of the musicians, but right now it's rather 2D. BTW, this is one area where I miss the harbeth sound sooo much!
Refinement -- there is just a general lack of refinement and liquid sound. Instruments suddenly jump at you out of nowhere, and not in a good way if you know what I mean.
So in summary, it's not necessarily the lack of volume that's bothering me, but all the other aspects that I mentioned above.
|
@jjss49 Thanks for the recommendation. I had heard a Hegel (I think it was a 360) a few years ago at someone's house, and felt that it was a bit boring. Of course, that could have been his setup as well. But I've been told that the sound characteristics are quite a bit different than say a Luxman or Mac. I found it to be a bit too neutral for my taste.
The other thing is the looks. I know this is somewhat superficial, and in the ideal world sound should trump everything else. But boy, do they go out of their way to make it look as plain and nondescript as possible. I guess the scandinavian, utilitarian look is not my cup of tea. However, I am going to reach out to my dealer and see if I can arrange a demo (H390) before scratching it off my list. |
There seems to be so much confusion around Hegel and Roon readiness. If I'm buying used, say H390, it has to be able to act as a Roon endpoint without any hassle. I'm surprised a company of this size is still struggling with Roon. |
@romney80 -- I agree about getting a good preamp, and that's what I intend to do down the line. The Cambridge Audio will be a temporary fix until I get a proper preamp. Anyways, I will most likely end up getting an integrated after all. |
Finally decided to pull the trigger on a used Audio Research GSi75. I demoed a few amps at a local dealer and sellers in my city -- Hegel H390, Luxman 509x, Moon Audio 340i, Rega Aethos, and Audio Research. In the end, the sound of valves was too intoxicating to give them up. Of the other amps I auditioned, Luxman was a very, very close second. I'll post my impressions once I get the unit and let it settle in.
|
@ryder Sorry I meant to type 590axii not 509x. The dealer hooked up both 590 and 509 to the same speakers, but honestly I couldn't tell the difference during the audition. Both sounded fantastic!
And I completely agree with you that it was a very, very close second to the ARC. In fact, it was a tough decision to pick one or the other. To be honest, I would have been happy with either one. What tipped the scales in the ARC's favor was that not only does it have a much more expansive soundstage, but the built-in DAC is truly reference level. According to some reviews, the DAC is pretty much the same as ARC DAC9 which retails for $7500. The level of detail and clarity was something I had never heard before (admittedly, I had never heard any DACs > $3500 prior to this).
Having said that, I felt that the Luxman had more slam and looked much nicer ... those VU meters! But the soundstage and clarity of the ARC was at a much higher level. I suspect that was mostly due to the built-in DAC. |
Next time please be more specific the first time, so we can avoid this kind of discussion again... Lol! you're a funny lil' dude! I don't remember asking you to partake in this discussion. Don't let the door hit you on your way out. And once you're out, make sure you not to forget your pills. |
Sure. And you’re free to butt out :) |
So I thought I'd update this thread since a few things have changed in the last few days....
I bought the ARC GSi75 and was totally amazed at the sound quality. The sound was lush, huge midrange that easily filled the room, and amazingly 3D and holographic. The built-in DAC was truly reference level. The only thing that I missed was that it still didn't control the low end as well as I wanted to. There was a little bit of looseness and bloat that I just couldn't tame. Then a few days ago a used Luxman 590AXII popped up at a very reasonable price that I bought immediately. The goal was to compare both side by side and keep one. Both are well known and well reviewed so I knew it won't be difficult to sell either.
I've been listening to the Luxman for the past 2 days. The dynamics, clarity and transparency is absolutely top notch. Still I felt that the soundstage was not as wide and deep as the ARC, it was sounding a bit dry. I immediately missed the lush, big, all enveloping sound of my ARC. So much so that I was about to pack it up and put it up for sale. Then I realized that I was still using the Luxman stock power cord. On a whim, I grabbed my Cerious Technology Graphene power cord and replaced the power cord with it. I was not prepared for what happened next!
With the new cord, the Luxman opened up in a way that I did not think was possible. Suddenly, the soundstage was as big, wide and deep as the ARC. This amp has got my SF woofers by the balls and I'm getting the best bass I've ever heard in my house, so much so that I removed the REL subwoofer from the mix. There is so much texture and nuance to the bass that I just can't stop listening. And this does not come at the expense of resolution or any other sonic attribute. The dynamics, rhythm, midrange (although not as big as the ARC but by far the closest I've heard SS come to tubes), transparency, this amp has got everything I had hoped for and then some more.
It doesn't hurt that this is probably one of the most beautiful and elegant amplifiers I've seen. Looks much better in person than pictures. Yep, this is the end of my search!
|
@jjss49 Yes, the ARC came with a very thin (I think 18 guage) wire which kind a surprised me. Except for the first couple of days, most of my listening was done using the same Cerious Technology PC. I am still quite surprised by how much of a difference it made. Honestly, I would have been very skeptical had I not experienced it myself.
BTW, as I said in an earlier post, when I listened to the Luxman at the dealer, I felt that it was a very, very close second. I also said I could have lived with either one. But the fact is that all my auditions were done at someone’s house or the dealer. When I compared the Luxman and ARC in my setup, the Luxman edged it out. Not sure why someone would find it ’weird’.
|
Sorry I meant to say Cerious power cord, not speaker cables. |
Hi @jjss49 Regarding ARC supplied power cords, I had the same question. In fact, the new buyer reached out to me and was wondering why I didn't include the original cord. I reached out to ARC customer service directly, and they told me that the GSi75 in fact did ship with the thinner cord, but they would be happy to supply the other one for $25. The new buyer then called ARC as well to confirm, and all was good. This was my first ARC piece, so I have no idea what the truth is, this one might be the odd man out.
BTW, the new owner has ARC separates (REF 150, REF 3, REF Phono 2). He is trying to downsize that's why he bought mine. According to him, he was pleasantly surprised how close the Gsi75 comes in terms of sound quality. Th separates are still more lush and extend deeper, but he said that he could easily live with the GSi75. I wish I could have kept both, but many of us have significant others to keep us level headed,
Also, it was quite an eye opener for me wrt how my perception of sound quality changed when I heard both units in my home vs the dealer. I wonder how the Hegel would sound in my house, but my spouse will kick me out if I spend anymore, even to compare :) |
@ryder You are absolutely on point! The Luxman is definitely sensitive to cable changes. I have had the Cerious speaker cables for a few years now. I originally bought them when I used to have Parasound A21. When I replaced the stock cord with the Cerious cables, the improvement in sound was very subtle. But with the Luxman, it's a whole different ballgame. I still cannot believe how it transformed the same equipment into a different beast!
Now the one area where I think the Gsi75 had an edge was the built-in DAC. My current DAC is Audio Mirror Tubadour III (non-SE version) which is not based on balanced topology. Before the GSi75, the most expensive DAC I had listened to was I think $3000. The GSi75 was my first taste of higher end DACs and I must say that it was a revelation. Its ability to dig up the details and present them in such a way that each instrument is prominent with plenty of air around it, but doing so without ever sounding forward or etched. I miss that DAC for sure. Don't get me wrong, the AMT is a fabulous DAC, especially for the price I paid. But I can't help but think if it's doing full justice to my new rig. I will lay low for a few months, hopefully allow my wallet to regain some of its self esteem, and then start looking for a new DAC. Based on your feedback, I will look for balanced.
|
It was actually a tough decision choosing between ARC and Luxman. I still miss the palpability, smoothness, and the rich sound of the GSi75. But in the end, it just didn’t have the visceral qualities, especially the tight punch in the bass area, that I was looking for. The Luxman ticked all the boxes for me, and I continue to enjoy the music it produces. Of course, the beautiful fit and finish plus the VU meters, while inconsequential for sound reproduction, adds to my enjoyment.
Having said that, I still very much remain interested in trying out the Pass Labs INT-60 some day. From what I’ve read, it retains most of the positive characteristics of Luxman, but adds more tubiness (warmth?) and muscularity to the sound. So in a way, it probably bridges the gap between the ARC GSi75 and Luxman. I have flirted with the idea of selling the Luxman and buying the Pass Labs, but the Luxman has not given me a single reason to be dissatisfied. I don’t want to regret the decision. So the plan is to save up enough to buy the Pass Labs next year and keep both in my systems. If I really like the Pass, I might sell my Raven Audio Blackhawk instead. Probably for the first time in my audio journey, I have developed an emotional connection with a piece of equipment (Luxman) where it’s hard to part ways with it ... at least for now.
|
