Looking at SS Amp for Change of Pace

[harley .guy07]

yeah even if my budget allowed Wilsons I don't think I would like a speaker that big unless I had one hell of a big house and besides you have to build up your floors in your house for their bigger speakers since they weigh like 600 lbs a piece.

[frenchmon]

yeah even if my budget allowed Wilsons I don't think I would like a speaker that big unless I had one hell of a big house and besides you have to build up your floors in your house for their bigger speakers since they weigh like 600 lbs a piece.

Ah...come on harley...you mean you not want a pair of the smaller Wilsons like the Watt Puppy's or the Duette's? I'd take either if I had a chance.

[electronicsprof2]

I have recently bought a Musical Fidelity M3I for my system at my second home, and it is very very impressive. I am using it with the PSB Image T6 speakers, which are also nice. But this amp is so good for the money I was unprepared for it. My big system in the main house has an Audio Research LS-26 preamp and a Bryston 3B-SST amp driving Vandersteen speakers and subs, so I am a little spoiled there, and my old NAD 356BEE wasn't cutting it; wishy-washy vague weak bass and a general lack of dynamics. None of those problems with the M3; if there is a better amp for under $5K, I have yet to hear it! It is so good that I hardly miss my big system now when I listen...it's that good...lol.
Anyone who is in the market for a good integrated amp for under $4k or so...take notice! The M3i is a real winner.
I ordered it from Audio Advisor because I wanted a free trial, and they give you 30 days. About 10 minutes after I hooked it up I knew it was NOT NOT going back!

Besides the Marantz PM-15S1 that I mention at the end of Frenchie's Marantz post, I'm also looking at an Arcam FMJ A32 and a Krell 400Xi. I know Marantz and Krell have their banner wavers and their distractors here and Arcam doesn't have a big following. Just want to get some ideas on sound characteristics
( Bright, Warm, Neutral, etc) These are all used so it's kind of shooting blind and hope for a sonic match. Thanks

[harley .guy07]

Ah...come on harley...you mean you not want a pair of the smaller Wilsons like the Watt Puppy's or the Duette's? I'd take either if I had a chance.

Maybe their smaller speakers would be fine but even their smaller models are larger sized compared to other brands out their. But when I hear something about Wilson's its usually about the Alexandria or another of their bigger models and if I was going to spend that much on a pair of speakers I think I would want to be able to hear every frequency that my ears will allow and would probably be the last speakers I would buy or at least for a couple of decades.

[vlastoc]

In recent times Anthem 225 interests me more and more.

It seems beating all the NADs except of Masters...

In Europe, new costs about 2000$ (1500€), what about the prices in America, please?

[Jack in Wilmington]

In recent times Anthem 225 interests me more and more.

It seems beating all the NADs except of Masters...

In Europe, new costs about 2000$ (1500€), what about the prices in America, please?

I paid $1200 for mine. List price is $1499 I believe.

[vlastoc]

Regarding the NAD 375 BEE, the test in Stereophile - oct 2010 is quite positive, has anybody an extensive listening experience?

[RGA]

Jack,

Lately, I have begun to arrive at the same conclusion as you have. I'm becoming unsatisfied with the headroom available from my Jolida. And it's a 40W 202a. My setup is very fast and detailed, but it just doesn't have the dynamics, bass output, and quite the visceral impact I've grown to like over the years.

Let me know how that anthem works for you because I've been thinking about making a switch for a couple months.

I've been thinking about going to the Jolida 502a and possibly even the 1501 hybrid. My problem is that I know the 502 will be the better amp than the hybrid, overall, but I really want to give the tube preamp and SS amplification a go. However, cost is a limiting factor, as always. Do you think stepping up to a 502a would quell my desire for more headroom and fuller bass or should I just save up for a tube pre/ss amp separates?

The 42 isn't exactly a bass champ to start with - higher power tends to lean out the sound (Bryston for example) and makes it punchy but they don't do depth very well.

I would look to a physically larger speaker (which tend to be more efficient) first and the upper powered tube amps second. Efficiency in a speaker has only advantages (except they tend to cost more to be done well) but there is no downside - you can run any amp, they have "generally" far superior dynamics and transient response (timing).

With LE speakers you generally have to run high power (worse sounding) amplifiers to get the speakers to operate but you end up being forced to listen to said high power (worse sounding) front end gear. If you don't run those amps and you run the low power class A amps (much better sounding) you can't hear it because they don't have the power to move the long throw woofer types. Buying the high watt (good sounding) amplifiers is ludicrously expensive. The gain in "grip" may easily be achieved over the 202a but possibly at the expensive of what the 202a is doing well. I would simply look at a speaker that doesn't make the 202a wheeze.

[texlle]

It really is difficult to choose which component to replace. I've found, in my experience, that many of the difficult drive speakers have a certain body and finesse that the lighter drive speakers don't, probably more quantitatively expressed in terms of dynamics and timing. Dynaudio and Thiel being two examples here. I have truly grown an affinity for the fluid and surreal upper range, the natural midrange and expansive three-dimensionality associated with the Dynaudio sound. In my opinion, the Jolida seems to emphasize these qualities twofold.

I will confess that I am the type of audio enthusiast who is adamant about extensive auditioning before I commit to such an important decision. I wish I had the liberty of whimsically buying and selling gear frequently until I reach a fair state of content, but unfortunately I do not have the time, resources, or patience. I tend to be very analytical of my gear and often find myself critiquing when I know I should be enjoying the music I listen to.

I did make what I'd call a risky move by purchasing a used Rotel receiver online having never been exposed to the Rotel house sound, but I have also never read such unanimous praise over an amp/speaker match than I have of the Rotel/B&W combo. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been highly impressed and feel that I have gained some confidence that allows me to experiment with foreign brands. Luckily, I have at my disposal a small, but superbly outfitted local hifi store, which allowed me to save a lot of time and energy by introducing me to brands like Arcam, Dynaudio, MF, Jolida. Brands whose characteristic sound I would never have experienced and thus would not likely buy if I hadn't been able to put them to the test before purchasing.

There is an audio expo coming to Jacksonville in March that won't arrive soon enough, since I've always wanted to go to one, but can never justify leaving town strictly to attend one. It's also spawned the idea that we really need more local hifi interest groups. Have a cookout, listen to some new gear. Do the same thing next month at the next guy's place. If the crowd's too large, or even if it isn't, you could even reserve a conference room at a hotel for a weekend once a year and bring your own stuff for others to experience. You'd just need to facilitate partition walls.

Ultimately, I foresee the Jolida getting the plug pulled. When I first really got into hifi when I was 16, and began to discover a world of audio outside of best buy and circuit city through hifi specialist retailers, I decided that I wanted to find the right speaker before I found the right amp. I'm growing more and more fond of staying within the Jolida family and feel that a simple boost in power is all this system needs. I may have to take another visit to my local hifi store and audition a jd 502 and jd1000. They both should suffice my need for more headroom and fuller bass output since this 2 channel sits in a small bedroom and is rarely rocked out. Bass depth can always be supplemented by a nice Sunfire super junior or any equivalent sub I may find. If I were to upgrade my dyns, it would likely be to a set of 52SE's or possibly Focus bookshelves. I would then likely sell the 42's, one of which unfortunately has minor cosmetic damage to the side of the baffle, which would surely compromise the selling price. However, I would like an amp with the capacity to get loud (and clean) on occasion. My task now is finding one that will fit the budget. All I can do now is save up, and peruse the used market for the right deal.

[Enochrome]

Hi Texlle,

I have a Jolida 502a with Sovtek KT88's, RCA Blackgate 12AT7's and EH 12AX7's that I have
been thinking of unloading, because I am switching to a small SET approach.

No pressure and worries. Send me a PM if this interests you.

Thanks,

Enochrome