That Rega Apollo is a great player, and combined with the Portal you should indeed be happy. Congraulations- and Enjoy!
My first impressions of my Portal Panache
I'm posting this thread because a few days ago there was a question about what power cord to use with a Portal Panache integrated amp. That post spawned a couple of inquiries about the amp and what it sounded like, etc.
Mine arrived yesterday along with a new pair of MIT Magnum 2 interconnects. Got everything installed this morning and have had the system running for almost 2 hours now and just had to post some comments starting with BLOWN AWAY! First let me mention my other 2 amps. A Jolida Reference 3205 (a highly modified 502A) and a modified Jolida JD1000A. I mention that only to put in perspective what kind of sound quality I had before. I just sold both of those amps because I wanted to try to kick my tube habit! With the Portal Panache it looks like I have done just that! This amp ROCKS. The music it makes is nothing short of incredible! I can hardly believe it costs so little for what you get in return. It's a fairly spartan looking amp and it isn't about bells and whistles but rather about exceptional build quality and making really good music while keeping the cost down. It's got gobs of power for a seemingly smallish amp. My speakers present a 4 ohm load...the Panache runs 200 watts per channel into 4 ohms. I have the volume at 11:00 right now and my room is so full of music I can hardly believe my ears. This amp throws a big soundstage..tall deep and wide. The bass kicks and punches and has visceral slam but without any boom or slop. The bass has a feeling of proper weight and speed to it and it just rolls along with the rest of the music. The midrange is big but feels very natural and balanced. It's right there in your face but it doesn't overwhelm you at all. There is a genuine sense of balance from top to bottom with the presentation.
I have been Lisitening to Joss Stone and right now it's Anastacia. Both of these ladies have a great big voice and it comes across as just that. Big and soulful with a palpable sense of the space they are occupying! Upper mids and high end are sweet and tight with no brightness or ear fatigue at all. The details and nuances jump out.
The Panache delivers fast, tight music that just rolls along effortlessly.
My source is a Rega Apollo cd player. Interconnects are MIT Magnum 2. Speakers are Chapman Sound Company T6's. Speaker cable is Analysis Plus Oval 9. My electronics are plugged into a Monster Power HTS 3600 MKII. That is then plugged into a Monster Power AVS 2000 voltage stabilizer. I have a Van Den Hul Mainsstream Hybrid power cord on the amp and the Apollo has an Analysis Plus Power 10 cord. Both of these are getting replaced with PS Audio xStream Plus cords in a couple of days.
To summarize, I have spent more for equipment in the past and gotten less music for my investment than I'm getting now with this set up. I don't see how you can go wrong with the Portal Panache. It really delivers the goods without having to mortgage the house. Most of us have some kind of audio budget that we have to live within but we still want as much music as that budget will allow. I for one can stand up and vouch for the Portal Panache and what it delivers. I have read the reviews like most of the rest of you. Everything I have read is exactly what I'm experiencing with one exception. I read that a lot of Panache owners experience a bit of a buzz through their speakers when there is no music being played. I have no buzz at all through mine. As a matter of fact the background on the Portal Panache is jet black!
I know this sounds like an ad for Portal Audio, but other than being a very satisfied customer and a happy Portal Panache owner, I have no affiliation with them at all. I'm just an audio nut looking to get the most mileage out of my audio budget. I just wanted to pass along my thoughts on this unit. I'm very excited about having added this amp to my lineup. You can't go wrong in my opinion because it has a 60 day trial priviledge that comes along with the purchase of a new unit. It's my understanding that not too many buyers take advantage of that return priviledge, and with what I'm hearing right now it's easy to believe that. I can honestly say that it's one of the best "bang for the buck" pieces I've ever purchased.
Happy listening and have fun everybody!
Mine arrived yesterday along with a new pair of MIT Magnum 2 interconnects. Got everything installed this morning and have had the system running for almost 2 hours now and just had to post some comments starting with BLOWN AWAY! First let me mention my other 2 amps. A Jolida Reference 3205 (a highly modified 502A) and a modified Jolida JD1000A. I mention that only to put in perspective what kind of sound quality I had before. I just sold both of those amps because I wanted to try to kick my tube habit! With the Portal Panache it looks like I have done just that! This amp ROCKS. The music it makes is nothing short of incredible! I can hardly believe it costs so little for what you get in return. It's a fairly spartan looking amp and it isn't about bells and whistles but rather about exceptional build quality and making really good music while keeping the cost down. It's got gobs of power for a seemingly smallish amp. My speakers present a 4 ohm load...the Panache runs 200 watts per channel into 4 ohms. I have the volume at 11:00 right now and my room is so full of music I can hardly believe my ears. This amp throws a big soundstage..tall deep and wide. The bass kicks and punches and has visceral slam but without any boom or slop. The bass has a feeling of proper weight and speed to it and it just rolls along with the rest of the music. The midrange is big but feels very natural and balanced. It's right there in your face but it doesn't overwhelm you at all. There is a genuine sense of balance from top to bottom with the presentation.
I have been Lisitening to Joss Stone and right now it's Anastacia. Both of these ladies have a great big voice and it comes across as just that. Big and soulful with a palpable sense of the space they are occupying! Upper mids and high end are sweet and tight with no brightness or ear fatigue at all. The details and nuances jump out.
The Panache delivers fast, tight music that just rolls along effortlessly.
My source is a Rega Apollo cd player. Interconnects are MIT Magnum 2. Speakers are Chapman Sound Company T6's. Speaker cable is Analysis Plus Oval 9. My electronics are plugged into a Monster Power HTS 3600 MKII. That is then plugged into a Monster Power AVS 2000 voltage stabilizer. I have a Van Den Hul Mainsstream Hybrid power cord on the amp and the Apollo has an Analysis Plus Power 10 cord. Both of these are getting replaced with PS Audio xStream Plus cords in a couple of days.
To summarize, I have spent more for equipment in the past and gotten less music for my investment than I'm getting now with this set up. I don't see how you can go wrong with the Portal Panache. It really delivers the goods without having to mortgage the house. Most of us have some kind of audio budget that we have to live within but we still want as much music as that budget will allow. I for one can stand up and vouch for the Portal Panache and what it delivers. I have read the reviews like most of the rest of you. Everything I have read is exactly what I'm experiencing with one exception. I read that a lot of Panache owners experience a bit of a buzz through their speakers when there is no music being played. I have no buzz at all through mine. As a matter of fact the background on the Portal Panache is jet black!
I know this sounds like an ad for Portal Audio, but other than being a very satisfied customer and a happy Portal Panache owner, I have no affiliation with them at all. I'm just an audio nut looking to get the most mileage out of my audio budget. I just wanted to pass along my thoughts on this unit. I'm very excited about having added this amp to my lineup. You can't go wrong in my opinion because it has a 60 day trial priviledge that comes along with the purchase of a new unit. It's my understanding that not too many buyers take advantage of that return priviledge, and with what I'm hearing right now it's easy to believe that. I can honestly say that it's one of the best "bang for the buck" pieces I've ever purchased.
Happy listening and have fun everybody!