I got my Essence speakers about 6 months ago replacing a pair of Druids. I drove the Druids with an Almarro 300B which is a really nice match. Once I got the Essences, I decided to try some new amps. I started with a Red Wine 30.2 after reading about them for years ... I found it dry and lacking clarity even after a factory tune-up. I moved on to First Watts F1. The sound had the sparkle and clarity I was used to from the Almarro but not quite as much depth. It had more firmness on the lower end and pop on drum sticks. But the F1 did not have enough power - I use a MAC with no preamp. I go from itunes through Pure Music software into my Exemplar DAC and to the amp. I replaced the F1 with an F3 using the same set-up. That is an ideal pairing to me. I kept the Almarro and switch them out ... different sounds but I consider them equal.
BTW - I listen nearfield (6' between speakers and 6' from me) throughout the day as I work at home. So I was going through tubes every few months.
For grins and because I have the bug, I just bought an F5 to see how it compares. I'll post my thoughts in a few weeks once it arrive and is up to speed.
BTW - I listen nearfield (6' between speakers and 6' from me) throughout the day as I work at home. So I was going through tubes every few months.
For grins and because I have the bug, I just bought an F5 to see how it compares. I'll post my thoughts in a few weeks once it arrive and is up to speed.