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Upscaling Speakers, Downscaling Amp...What to Do?

A few months back, I purchased a pair of Joseph Audio Pulsars. I've enjoyed them so much that I've decided to upgrade to the new Perspectives. However, my better half hath decreed that no more money can go into audio, so I've made the extremely difficult decision to sell my amp (VAC Phi Beta 110i) in the near future. Its replacements will obviously be significantly less expensive, yet they must provide a similar listening experience. The preamp is already fixed - a Modwright LS 100 with phono stage. My question for the board is, what amp? Tube or solid state? Cost (used) needs to be around $3000-3500, and a minimum of 100 wpc. The obvious pairing is either the Modwright KWA 150 or KWA 100SE. I would welcome any another other suggestions, but if you do so, please tell me why. Thanks in advance.
curriemt11

Showing 5 responses by agear

agear
1,362 posts
 
Sounds a lot like my better half. Patience is not a heralded virtue in audio but I would exercise it here. There is a real risk of going backwards or sideways at best. Save your pennies, and upgrade the speaks in the future. Buy your wife that nice bag to grease the wheels...
agear
1,362 posts
 
Mike, I agree with you that speakers trump electronics on a relative scale of influence. That being said, what about your room? I have heard many state that the room is the most important variable in the equation. What have you tried in terms of room treatments, etc? I know this question is tangential, but I am curious....
agear
1,362 posts
 
Mike, that is a nice size, particularly the ceiling height. From your system images, things looked tighter. I am not familiar with the Lyngdorf unit. I used one from DBX back when I was messing with an Emerald Physics speaker. It made a discernible impact. In speaking with room jocks, the standard line is that room correction software has more impact the worse your room gets....
agear
1,362 posts
 
The dbx used with the EP speaker did x-over duty as well. Clayton Shaw (designer of the EP line) actually transitioned to software-based x-over and room correction that was supposed to be substantially more sophisticated (Spatial Computing). I never heard it since I bailed on that speaker. I know the Amarra (and

"I would go so far as to say that, unless you have a professionally designed listening room, you really haven't heard your system at its best."

I agree with that statement 100%.
agear
1,362 posts
 
.....the Amarra (and ULN-8) dacs have both x-over and room correction capabilities....
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