Same interests at the same time with the same models is difficult to occur.
My Levinson recently blew on my face (by the way do NOT buy them, service sucks !).
Aniway, I have been trying several power amps which included the Plinius 250 MKiV and the YBA Passion Stereo.
I have to say that the YBA is BY FAR far the best Power Amp to drive my Maggies in every respect - I've tried several top brands like Krell, Levinson, Classé and Audio Research -while the Plinius was clearly a worse option than the Levinson I had before and really did not sound good at all, which was surprising and even annoying given the rave reviews it received everywhere. Is it because they advertise more...?
When you change just one piece in your set up you really can hear the differences and make the best decisions.
I also tried the YBA Integré Passion in my set up, which yielded an acceptable sound, but the sheer Power of the Passion Stereo Power amp just gives you that extra control into the low impedance areas of the Maggies. Frankly there is more of everything, more, deeper and tighter bass, more of a liquid midrange and wider/deeper soundstage and clearer and more extended highs. Awesome !!! You just cannot stop listening to your cd's again, because you've just re discovered them !
So although the Intégré may be an excellent option with easier speakers , it is by no means a match for the Passion Stereo in any set up.
The Intégré Passion is also in another league compared to the DT, which I believe has grown into the Audio Refinement Line as a lower end line of YBA.
As for the comparison with the plinius, if its the same difference I noticed between the 2 power amps, then I would stick with the Intégré and go visit New Zealand in a heartbeat !
My Levinson recently blew on my face (by the way do NOT buy them, service sucks !).
Aniway, I have been trying several power amps which included the Plinius 250 MKiV and the YBA Passion Stereo.
I have to say that the YBA is BY FAR far the best Power Amp to drive my Maggies in every respect - I've tried several top brands like Krell, Levinson, Classé and Audio Research -while the Plinius was clearly a worse option than the Levinson I had before and really did not sound good at all, which was surprising and even annoying given the rave reviews it received everywhere. Is it because they advertise more...?
When you change just one piece in your set up you really can hear the differences and make the best decisions.
I also tried the YBA Integré Passion in my set up, which yielded an acceptable sound, but the sheer Power of the Passion Stereo Power amp just gives you that extra control into the low impedance areas of the Maggies. Frankly there is more of everything, more, deeper and tighter bass, more of a liquid midrange and wider/deeper soundstage and clearer and more extended highs. Awesome !!! You just cannot stop listening to your cd's again, because you've just re discovered them !
So although the Intégré may be an excellent option with easier speakers , it is by no means a match for the Passion Stereo in any set up.
The Intégré Passion is also in another league compared to the DT, which I believe has grown into the Audio Refinement Line as a lower end line of YBA.
As for the comparison with the plinius, if its the same difference I noticed between the 2 power amps, then I would stick with the Intégré and go visit New Zealand in a heartbeat !