Atma-Sphere MP3 or something else?
hey all
some quick background. I'm a headphones guy but use speaker amps/pre power combos for my Abyss TC (and previously Susvara).
current gear is
Primaluna Evo 400 preamplifier
Nad M23 power amp
speaker cables to speaker/headphone adaptor box (with 0dB and -17dB attenuation switch); i use 0dB for the hard to drive headphones, and -17dB for more sensitive headphones like Utopia etc.
i have the Atma-Sphere MP3 on home demo for a couple of days/weeks. had some initial issues with a faulty 12AU7 tube, but Ralph @ Atma-Sphere was great in helping me trouble shoot the unit. Am still having some background mild hum/electrical noise, very faint and only audible between songs/during quiet music or passages. not a big issue; am guessing either the inherent gain or from the rather old 12AT7 tubes. if i flick the switch on the speaker/headphones adaptor box to -17dB, then the background hum disappears.
from my own listening, i really like the MP3. i think it outclasses the Primaluna evo 400 especially in the low end and mids. top end is less clear/sparkly than the Primaluna, but overall it makes for a very warm, inviting, lush sound. music and staging, pretty much everything sounds grander and "bigger" with the Atma-Sphere.
i'm looking to get a new tube pre. the Atma-Sphere seems like a rather "old" model. i cant find any recent reviews or forum posts about it. anyone here still using the MP3 or have the newer MP3.3 variant? is the MP3.3 an audible improvement over the older models? is it still a "relevant" component? i was also looking at the Modwright LS36.5 but the local dealer doesnt have a unit on hand, so i cant demo it, and it'll be a blind buy.
just to close the loop.. ended up ordering the slp-05. such a beautiful component indeed! it is dead silent with my gear (which was a massive relief). swapped out the stock tubes for a NOS Mullard GZ34 and a set of sylvania 6sn7 black plates and the sound is phenomenal. the low end feels like it will extend down forever. very holographic sounding with lovely width and front/back depth. the headphone out is unfortunately quite a bit of a disappointment.. but as a preamp, it is great!
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OP @docroasty - to reconfirm, so are you now using the Cary SLP-05 tube preamp in front of the NAD M23 Purifi Class-D amplifier then? Also, still using the Ascend Sierra II ex speakers, or different speakers now? Curious to know two things. 1) what other amplifiers have you tried before, 2) do you by chance have other amplifiers sitting around to compare to with this combo?
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@decooney yep am using it in front of the Nad m23. I still have the Sierra 2ex but those speakers are used with an Audiolab integrated; I only tested it with the mp3 to see if the whine/hum was still present with speakers. otherwise, the slp-05 and nad M23 are used with my headphones (yea I know..) but I find my Abyss 1266 TC Phi sound best out of speaker amps. As for other amplifiers I've tried.. Audiolab 6000a, Audiolab 8300a, Benchmark AHB2, Pass Int60, apollon 1et400a, kinki M7. aside from the current nad M23, I also have the apollon 1et7040sa variant purifi; this actually pairs very well with the slp-05. I wanted to use these two power amps because I like how they have selectable gain. am waiting for my friend to test his newly received atma-sphere Gan monoblocks before I decide if I wanna pull the trigger on those somewhere down the road. |
A worthy comparison group there. Will be interested if you conclude any of the Class D amps, M23 or Gan monos pair up better with the SLP-05 as good as or better than any of the prior solid state amps you've tried. Thx. |
