Considering that Parasound left the Canadian market at the end of 2013 (I only found out when searching for Canadian dealers just now), I don't think that's a viable option anymore.
Especially combined with the comment from @auxinput above.
Maybe trading up to the 7BSST3 is not a bad idea after all. But at least there are dealers carrying Classe in Toronto. Time to schedule some listening sessions... |
Not even a day in and already got some great feedback - thank you to everyone who took the time to post a reply.
I'll be able to listen to the Bryston 7B3 as well as the Pass Labs here in Toronto.
I already had a chance to audition the Grandinote Silva (single box 'dual mono' design) and was quite impressed with how the sound filled the room and was not tied to the speaker cabinets. Definitely had a lot of bottom end and punch. Hard to tell about resolution and detail as I could at the time only demo it with different speakers and unknown music.
Let me dig into which of the more exotic brands that were mentioned I will be able to listen to locally. |
As pointed out and to narrow this down a bit let's just go with SS (not really a tube guy anyway - way too OCD for tubes ;) ) and class AB.
Being in Canada does limit my options somewhat and while I appreciate some of the more exotic suggestions, buying, let alone demo, them will be almost impossible.
Parasound has come up twice already, so I really need to look into their options.
Classe is another brand that I forgot to add to my short list. |
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@elizabeth those are some good suggestions - thank you. Especially the high gain idea is something I didn't even think of. And also the easiest to test :)
The duplex the Brystons are hooked up to is the Furutech FP-15A-N1 (R) while the power cords are GutWire G Clef 2. The ICs are Nordost Blue Heaven XLR.
So yes, there is some potential for upgrades but I don't really want to spend more on cables (also keeping in mind the state of the Canadian dollar) than what the amps are worth at this stage. |
Thanks again for all the feedback, suggestions, and good advice.
After reading the responses numerous times and doing additional research on most of the amps online, I've narrowed it down to these models:
Amps I can demo easily in Toronto:
Pass Labs X260.8 - around 13K USD
Bryston 7B-SST3 - around 11.5K USD
Classe CT-M600 - around $13K USD
Moon Simaudio 400M - around $6.5K USD but they seem more like a lateral move
Others that sound (no pun intended) interesting but will be a lot harder to get a hold of in Canada:
Parasound Halo JC1 - around 6K USD
Liberty B2B-100 - around 6K USD
That being said, let me add a few more details that make this harder (for me anyway).
Class A and tubes are out of the question. My apartment is in an old building and without central ac it's already warm enough as it is.
That's also the reason I don't leave my amps powered up when not in use.
It's definitely going to be mono blocks again. While the current length of the XLR cables is 4m (that's the answer for @elizabeth ) and the speaker cables are 3m, it's always nice to have flexibility in terms of placement in the future.
Time to line up some listening session after the long weekend.
One more thing I didn't mention explicitly but it might have some bearing on the recommendation is that the JBL 1400 Array are horn loaded speakers with compression drivers.
So maybe taming them a bit with a slightly warmer amp is not the worst idea.
This has been a wonderful thread so far and given me some great ideas. Including some thoughts on upgrading the wires on my current amps. |
@caphill
I am trying to keep an eye on synergy as much as possible but sometimes that's easier said than done.
Especially with the decline of local stores that carry enough inventory to demo all the options.
I'd be happy enough to be able to demo the amps with similar speakers and front end.
On the other hand, considering the price tag, in home demos should be an option for sure.
@elizabeth
It was most likely the EU that implemented those energy rules - but then I am from Europe originally as well. And nothing wrong with looking out for the environment.
I didn't realize that Bryston dropped the idle power consumption on the cubed. Checking the manual for the two version it's 215 vs 80 watts idle and 733 vs 270 BTU/hour also at idle.
That's some impressive numbers - thanks for the heads up.
Since some of you jumped on my comment about the speakers, let me clarify what I meant.
My thought was that going with a slightly warmer amp might give me a bit of a buffer IN CASE things get a little harsh with the Esoteric C-03X pre-amp in the chain instead of the Marantz.
Right now, with the K-01X SACD player going into the Marantz and then the 7BSST2, the sound is definitely NOT too harsh or annoying. If anything, the K-01X sounds smoother (compared to the X-03SE) while also bringing out more detail.
I think I also have a pretty high 'tolerance' and appreciation for treble - as Elizabeth called it: 'treble freak' :)
@auxinput
Krell is one of those brands that I initially thought of (since my go to dealer carries them as well) but for some reason didn't include in the list. Maybe because I haven't seen much about their latest models.
The specs for the Solo 375 look rather good though. On the other hand, based on the reviews I could find it's not exactly a king of treble - "..
if what makes you happy is a lot of treble detail (apparent or actual), the Solo 375 probably isn't your amp."
@nonoise
I checked the link and got that it was for their mono blocks - strangely enough though, the manufacturers website didn't seem to list them (yet?). |
@auxinout
Yes, hearing your thoughts on your new Bryston 7BSST3 amps would be much appreciated. Especially in comparison to the Parasound JC1s
And you made a good point about resolution. I'd rather have 'too much' detail and tone things down / warm it up with wires and room treatments if necessary than end up with the opposite.
You're also perfectly right about getting the C-03X first and figuring out how the chips fall with it in the playback chain.
I honestly didn't expect to get this much feedback in my very first thread so quickly :)
Thanks for also chiming in @bigddesign3 on the Krell - they're shaping up to be a serious contender.
Good thing my dealer also carries them. Unlike the Bryston, I am not sure he has them ready to demo though.
They are also the priciest option - considering the week Canadian dollar. Oh well...
I would also like to thank everyone for keeping the exchange of ideas and suggestions so civil and on track - it's been a pleasure to read through all the comments to far! |
Exactly what @elizabeth said - she is (sadly) spot on. |
Let me get back on the whole mono blocks vs stereo amps part. I've never said that mono blocks sound better but I stated my reasons for preferring mono blocks - mainly more flexibility in terms of placement.
Not saying I won't consider a great stereo amp but the initial goal is finding a feasible list of mono blocks.
And that's the other part - feasibility. While I appreciate all the feedback and ideas, please keep in mind that even in a big city like Toronto, there are only a limited number of hifi stores left and I can't try some of the exotic amps some of you mentioned.
Neither will I go down the 'import from the US route'. It's really not worth the hassle, not to mention that aboot (see what I did there?) 95% of the sellers won't ship to Canada anyway. And don't even get me started on the state of the Canadian dollar... *sigh*
I've got a good idea of which amps I can actually listen to and that will be my short list in the end.
No matter how good something might be for another forum member in their system, if I can't demo it somewhere, it's not going to make the list. |
@elizabeth
100% agree with what you said |
@auxinput
Thanks for the write up on the Parasound JC1 - very insightful and I love the amount of detail you went into.
Can't wait for your comments on the 7BSST3s :) |
@auxinpput
Thank you for the detailed look (and listen) at the Brystons - you're comments really have been a great help so far. It's obviously not apples to apples but it's still quite helpful to hear how they sound in your system with the Krell S1200 and the B&W 805s in relation to the Parasound JC1. I'm also quite happy for you that you seemed to have found the right tweaks in the form of fuses for those amps in your system. From your comments on the 7BSST3s it sounds like they fit my list of attributes - at least in theory. But at in any case, there are definitely ways to 'warm it up' a bit if need be. I will say that the Bryston is just about the highest resolution and highest resolving amp I have heard. That being said, it will not add anything (which could be bad if you need something added into the signal).
That last part of your write up sounds like it's just what I am looking for. Albeit unheard at this stage.Since I have to start somewhere, I might as well go with this one :) Thank you again for taking the time to add your thoughts on the Bryston 7BSST3. |
It's been a few days since my last post and I had some time to play around with my system. The first thing I did was to change the gain setting on my current amps from 2V to 1V as suggested by @elizabeth
Next I slightly moved the speakers - they are now a bit closer together and more importantly, the left channel is a good bit further away from the side wall.
After that it was time to calibrate all the settings (levels and distances) and finally do some listening.
And I must say, it sounds pretty darn good right now. I am not sure if it was the gain setting of the speaker position (probably a bit of both), but the sound has opened up nicely and everything seems a tad more lively with plenty of detail.
I will still look into (meaning listen to) a couple of amps mentioned here (namely the cubed Bryston, Pass Labs, and Classe but at this stage more to satisfy my own curiosity than an actual upgrade.
Another item where @auxinput beat me to it is the suggestion of upgrading cables to get more out of my current amps. While I am not opposed to playing around with cables and agree that they can make a difference and/or help dial in the exact sound you want, I will politely ignore suggestions of power cords that have a listed price of $8400 (that's US btw). Especially when that suggestion had been posted on another threat almost verbatim by the same author. Not to mention the fact that two of those cables would cost me around $22K in Canadian dollars - three times what I paid for both amps together. No thank you!
To sum it up - really quite happy with how the system sounds right now. Sometimes a few small changes can go a long way.
I'll still look into some upgraded cable (both power and XLR) options but at some more reasonable prices. |
I am with you @twoleftears and @auxinput
Already have the Audio Sensibility Silver Signature to connect the K-01X to the Marantz.
From there it's Nordost Blue Heaven to the Brystons - I just might try some sensible upgrade there. It's a 4m (or about 12ft for those non-metric) run, so it can get expensive - depending on the brand of course :)
As for power cords, it's Wire World (Electra 7 - OCC) for all the front end and Gutwire G Clef 2 for the amps which is OFC.
The wall sockets are Furutech Rhodium.
And last but not least, the speaker cable is the first generation Nordost Valhalla.
I admit that's a pretty mixed bag but like I said, the system seems to gel really well right now.
But of course that never stopped anyone from tweaking things here and there, right?
That being said, let's not turn this into a thread on cables - those conversations seem to get out of hand very quickly... |
