Claude’s amp upgrade recommdation


On a whim I asked Claude what it thought the weak link is in my system (see my Agon profile).  It said my Peachtree Gan1 power dac was the limiting factor.  I gave it a $4000 replacement budget and it recommended a Luxman M-700u.  Great amp, but the only one available used is here on Agon for $7700.  I reduced the budget to $3000 and Claude said a Cary CAD 120SE.  There is one on Agon for $3800 and one on USAudio for $3250.  As a second choice, Claude recommended a Rotel Michi M8 for some reason. The cheapest used one is at TMR for 9499!  As a third choice, though, was an Emotiva XPA-2.  TMR has one for $1199.

i had been thinking of maybe class D monoblocks, but Claude said they would be a poor.match with my Stirling LS3/6 speakers.  Quite a range of suggestions.  Would the Emotiva be an upgrade on my Ric Schultz modded Gan1?  Is the Cary the best choice if the Luxman is above my budget?  What do you think?  Thanks.

treepmeyer

1. Replace the Dual 1228 with a modern table in the $1,500–$2,500 range. The defensible choices, all measurably better in wow/flutter, rumble, and arm geometry:
        •       Rega Planar 6 with Ania MC (~$2,500 total): light/rigid plinth philosophy, RB330 arm, excellent value.
        •       Technics SL-1200G (~$4,300): if budget allows, the gold standard in measured speed stability for the price tier; coreless direct drive.
        •       Pro-Ject X8 / X2B with an Ortofon Quintet Black S (~$2,500): mass-loaded design, well-engineered Pro-Ject 9cc arm.

The Dual arm is more adjustable than the Rega, but not as much as the Technics, which has a better arm overall. This was an excellent example of AI spewing nonsense... IMO the Rega is not in the same league with Technics. 

@treepmeyer 

Being a long time fan of EVS products (absolutely love my EVS1200, owned since new) why would you want something else than the EVS GaN? You might try different cables,or transport, they made a big improvement in my system