I think you first need to determine what speakers really move you, because your amplification needs/options will vary greatly depending on this. I'd think you'd either prefer the planar sound or conventional cone drivers because they're quite different. I think you need to come to terms with that first, then it becomes much easier (and more productive) to figure the rest of the stuff out. Best of luck.
Starting from Scratch -Please Help Pick 1 out of 3
Dear Friends,
Hope that all of you are well, in a moment of transitional evolutional state of mind i sold off my Rogue Cronus Integrated, my Tannoy Stirling Speakers ; well pretty much the spine of the entire system.
I wanted to start over, i listen to a lot of varied stuff ; usually very complex stuff ; i love the weight of solid state gear and the resolution of their baselines and the treble which intermittently sound "filled" ; i also love the midrange liquidity of tubes especially on vocals and the natural timbre of orchestras and drum snares.
So i had gone on a spree to audition some gears, some which couldn't be heard are also included as a part of the system (say, i listened to the power amp but not the pre) i couldn't get to some of these due to various difficulties but generally i've put a package of 4 different set ups - i hope learned pundits here can guide through this to build a good system which i will use for a long time.
I am not the type for frequent upgrades.
Thank you!
The Candidates
Group 1
------
Pre : Rennaisance Preamplifier MKIII by VAC (Valve Amplification Company)
Power : VAC Phi 200 Power Amplifiers (Valve Amplication Company)
Speakers : Harbeth SHL5 [or] Devore Fidelity The Nines (Please Pick)
Just love the look of this system!
Group 2
------
Pre : Modwright LS 100 or Ls36.5
Power : Pass Labs XA 60.5 (Class A 60 wpc) but can take a few months to save
up for Pass Labs XA100.5 (Class A 100 wpc) if it really matters.
but evidence shows otherwise :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXGf3AonFCQ
Speakers : Magnepan 1.7
Which sounds great!
But Will the Modwright (semi-tube) impedance match with the pass'?
Group 3
-------
Pre : Leben RS28CX Premium Preamplifier
Power : CS-660P Separate Power Amplifier
Speakers : Harbeth SHL5 (or) Devore Fidelity The Nines (or) Devore Fidelity Orang Utan
Group 4
-------
Pre : Modwright LS100
Power : Pass Labs XA30.5 Monoblocks (30 watts Class A)
Speakers : Devore Fidelity Orang Utan
Also Please Feel Free to Mix-Match and Advice.
Music will be fed from my MAC to my DAC and to these.
Thank You!
Hope that all of you are well, in a moment of transitional evolutional state of mind i sold off my Rogue Cronus Integrated, my Tannoy Stirling Speakers ; well pretty much the spine of the entire system.
I wanted to start over, i listen to a lot of varied stuff ; usually very complex stuff ; i love the weight of solid state gear and the resolution of their baselines and the treble which intermittently sound "filled" ; i also love the midrange liquidity of tubes especially on vocals and the natural timbre of orchestras and drum snares.
So i had gone on a spree to audition some gears, some which couldn't be heard are also included as a part of the system (say, i listened to the power amp but not the pre) i couldn't get to some of these due to various difficulties but generally i've put a package of 4 different set ups - i hope learned pundits here can guide through this to build a good system which i will use for a long time.
I am not the type for frequent upgrades.
Thank you!
The Candidates
Group 1
------
Pre : Rennaisance Preamplifier MKIII by VAC (Valve Amplification Company)
Power : VAC Phi 200 Power Amplifiers (Valve Amplication Company)
Speakers : Harbeth SHL5 [or] Devore Fidelity The Nines (Please Pick)
Just love the look of this system!
Group 2
------
Pre : Modwright LS 100 or Ls36.5
Power : Pass Labs XA 60.5 (Class A 60 wpc) but can take a few months to save
up for Pass Labs XA100.5 (Class A 100 wpc) if it really matters.
but evidence shows otherwise :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXGf3AonFCQ
Speakers : Magnepan 1.7
Which sounds great!
But Will the Modwright (semi-tube) impedance match with the pass'?
Group 3
-------
Pre : Leben RS28CX Premium Preamplifier
Power : CS-660P Separate Power Amplifier
Speakers : Harbeth SHL5 (or) Devore Fidelity The Nines (or) Devore Fidelity Orang Utan
Group 4
-------
Pre : Modwright LS100
Power : Pass Labs XA30.5 Monoblocks (30 watts Class A)
Speakers : Devore Fidelity Orang Utan
Also Please Feel Free to Mix-Match and Advice.
Music will be fed from my MAC to my DAC and to these.
Thank You!
- ...
- 53 posts total
VAC will deliver the goods. They do have a signature or house sound, and the components you have specifically identified are well respected in the industry and among hobbyists. I played all types of music with my VAC gear and was never disappointed in the performance. As for speakers the Phi 200 will drive many speaker models just fine. I think the DeVore's are a good choice. I used Spendor 1/2e and Audiokinesis Jazz Modules. The Spendor's were about 88 dB efficient and the Audiokinesis 92 dB. So even Harbeth might be a nice choice, although IMO they are on the warm side. |
I think you first need to determine what type of speakers you prefer between planar and cones, because your amplification needs/options will vary greatly depending on this. They also sound very different and have different amplification requirements, so I would start by making that decision and then it becomes much easier (and more productive) to figure the rest of the stuff out. Best of luck. |
I am just so worried about weak bass with tube gear, hence the confusion about using "all tube set up" but i havent heard VAC enough or lived with them - infact i've only heard their preamp, i listen to a lot of weighty stuff (but not techno or anything like that) - lots of film scores which have everything interwovenIf you are referring to deep bass extension, I'd be more concerned about the speakers than the amplifier. My impression is that the Orangutan is the only one of the speakers mentioned which will extend significantly into the bottom octave. You might also want to consider the Daedalus Ulysses, which is rated to 28 Hz, and which several members here, myself included, have paired with VAC amplification with excellent results. It costs a few thousand dollars more than the Orangutan, but its 98 db efficiency means that you most likely wouldn't need anything near the 100W power capability of the Phi 200, and you could consider purchasing one of the older and lower powered Renaissance series 300B-based amplifiers used, at far lower cost. I'd feel certain that those amplifiers would also do fine with the Orangutan. Search posts by Audiogon member "Raquel" for lots of good info on the Renaissance amplifiers. Best of luck, however you decide to proceed. Regards, -- Al |
- 53 posts total