New Eggleston Savoys ?


I had a weak monment and bought a pair of Eggleston Savoy speakers for my large room. My room is 28x22x10 on peer and beam wood floors. I hope I made the right decision.
coxhaus
I am experiencing the same problem as you are with amps. The Sonic Frontiers Power 3s sound the best. The problem is my room is so large it can suck the watts out of the amps. The Power 3s just run out of steam and start to harden off unless I play at low volumes. The Classe CAM 350 monos are very fast warm sounding amps and seem to get very close to tube sound using the very short SPM speaker cables I use. The Classe 350 monos are rated by Stereophile at 450 watts in 8 ohms. They just seem to really open up the Savoys to allow the music through in a way I can’t do with the Power 3s. I am sure if I had 2 sets of Power 3 monos and bi-amped it would be the best. The heat in Texas in July and August would just be too great. If I lived north I would probably try it.
The Sonic Frontiers Power 3s are fabulous amps and Chris wants to modify them. He said they would be better over all and a lot better bass. He modified my Sonic Frontiers Line 3 and could not believe the difference. The Line 3 is what I am still using.
Coxhaus,

Based upon the discussions above, I wonder if my Lamm M2.1s, or their successors, the 220 wpc Lamm M2.2s would work with the Savoys? (They work very well indeed with my friend's Rockport Antares, and with another friend's Revel Salon 2's, both of which are also somewhat difficult to drive. And the Lamms get pretty warm too, (not hot, but warm enough to raise the room temperature a few degrees). If you get a chance to borrow a pair of M2.2s to audition, I recommend that you give them a try, as they are the best amplifiers I have ever heard. (Tied with the VAC Phi 300.1 tube amps, which would not have enough power for your speakers unfortunately.)

Also, I see you have discovered that Nordost cables and Eggleston speakers go together like eggs and bacon!
(Imagine Homer Simpson - Mmmmmm Bacon!)
;-)

I use Bi-wired Nordost Valhalla speaker cables myself, (along with balanced Nordost Quattro Fil interconnects from my preamp to amps), and I really like the sound. While I liked, (loved?), the mid-range that the Jena Labs Pathfinder speaker cables gave to the sound, they just seemed to roll off the treble just a bit too much for my tastes.
FWIW, the Savoy is going to require some real power. Think Pass X600.5. I think this will have 900 watts into 4 ohms.

As a contrasting opinion to Kurt, (whose opinion I think is typically very helpful), getting rid of the Nordost Valhallas was one of my best system upgrades.

I do think Lamm makes a good amp, and I even considered it. However, my speakers probably require a minimum of 300 watts into 4 ohms to properly control them with the music I like. I think yours would require even more.
Hey Rtn1,

WHAT?!!!
You disapprove of the Nordost Valhallas?!
Infidel!
(And, I take it quite personally that you don't approve of MY choice of speaker cables! Pistols at dawn, I say!)
;-)

I can understand somebody not liking the Valhallas. They can be a touch bright, and they are very detailed, to the point that if you already have a system that is detailed oriented, (i.e. perhaps using something like Wilson speakers), that they might seem a bit much. (Although my friend with the Rockport Antares is using them, and he used them when he was running the Avalon Eidolons too. Although, now that you brought it up, he did replace the Valhallas he used to use, as a preamp to amp interconnect, with the Jena Labs Pathfinders, which helped put some of the musicality back into his system.)

However, my Lamm M2.1 amplifiers, (unlike the aforementioned M2.2s), are just a bit rolled off on top, and going with the Valhallas improved the treble response, immensely, and really let the Andra II's Isotar tweeter do its thing!

My audio philosophy is: System synergy is everything!
I doubt the Lamm M2.2 would have enough power with only 220 watts. My room is too large. Pass Labs is on my list to hear. I had a friend tell me they were cold sounding so I don’t know. I think the Savoys only dip to 6 ohms so I am really looking at the 8 ohm power rating.
I will be experimenting over the next few months with cables. I will try some of the ones you guys are using and recommended.