I think I've made up my mind


After having auditioned the following :

1. Avantgarde Uno G2 + Audio Note SET amp/Pathos Twin Towers integrated amp
2. Magico V2 + Soulution 720 pre + 710 power amps
3. Sonus Faber Elipsa/Wilson Sasha + ARC Ref 3 + Ref 110
4. Thiel CS3.7 + Parasound JC1 pre + JC2 power amps

...and after weighing all factors like room interaction, degree of difficulty of setting-up, value for money, magazine reviews, and comments posted here and AVguide.com....

...the winner is: Thiel CS3.7 + Parasound JC1/JC2!

Now for the cables. MF and JA of Stereophile noted that the specs of Parasound show ultra-wide bandwidth and high-current capability which reminds me of Spectral amps. Therefore, would MIT Magnum MA speaker cables and interconnects be a good match? Anyone has any other suggestion? Thanks.
jtein

The truth is they don't want you to screw up the sound with a cable that doesn't mate well with their amp. So, they tell you to use MIT or it will void your warranty.

I have heard Spectral with many other speaker cables and the amplifier worked just fine.

Maybe more companies should do this to ensure satisfied customers.
Mad floyd FYI any tube pre amp with a highish out put Imp will be dull into a 10k or 15 K input imp
Cheers Johnnr
John, that would cause a high frequency roll-off, no? I'm not sure if that is what is meant here by dull, but the Ref 3 certainly sounded dynamic as heck, but that was into a 100kohm load, I think Pass amps need SS preamps or tube pre with 500ohm or less Zout.
Rrog: > So, they tell you to use MIT or it will void your warranty.

Nonsense. I suggest you start by understanding SS amplifier designs, especially those with extremely wide bandwidth and no chokes, then you will perhaps understand that the MIT/Spectral cables limit that bandwidth to something manageable in the range of 800kHz, that keeps the transistors within acceptable operational thermal limits.

The amps will not die immediately without the MIT/Spectral cables, but long term they will cease to operate - has happened way too many times to those that think they know better.