Speaker Amp recommendation

[DigiPete]

Have you heard them Dusty? I had a A3cr pre and power amp combo and while had some "musicality" in it, the bass was overcooked driving the pair of 4312A monitors I had then, which are sensitive and quite an easy load for any amp. Not sure they're a good match for the Paradigms.

Odyssey amps are quite good for the price. I tried a stereo Stratos here. Not the most transparent and clean sounding amp ever, but remarkable performance for the price indeed. Kind of honest, which is the gear I like better.

Any suggestions in the $500-$700 used range that would better the Stratos?

[n_maher]

I second the Outlaw recommendation, I use one of their receivers with my Paradigm Monitor series speakers.

[Torpedo]

Any suggestions in the $500-$700 used range that would better the Stratos?

Tough call, it depends very much on the Paradigm's demands and your preferences about detail and all those things. Maybe I'd go for some vintage Luxman like the L550 or a more modern LV105, I love how those amps sounded, very natural.

From more modern production depending on your preferences, I keep good memories from the Arcam A85. Not a world class amp, but still powerful, tidy and "right" for an affordable integrated. In a different vein of sound, more vivid, lots of PRAT and airiness with well controlled bass, the Naim Nait 5i could interest you. But it's only 30wpc IIRC. With some more power and still that kind of "fast" pratty sound, the Densen Beat could be much of your liking.

I don't think any of these is factually better than the Odyssey, just different flavors which could be more of your liking, it all depends on what kind of sound you want to achieve.

[Dusty Chalk]

Have you heard them Dusty? I had a A3cr pre and power amp combo and while had some "musicality" in it, the bass was overcooked driving the pair of 4312A monitors I had then, which are sensitive and quite an easy load for any amp. Not sure they're a good match for the Paradigms.

Yeah, I used to own that exact combo. I thought they were great. They struck me as fairly straightforward, though, not overblown in the bass at all -- perhaps the speakers were overblown? Or maybe the speakers were fine, and the source was overblown? I have to admit to liking the power amp more than the pre, but only by a small margin. I currently own harder-to-drive speakers (Dynaudio Special 25), and got a A308CR to drive them.

I have to admit, I mostly used the combo on Spendor S3/5's (extremely limited LF) (with a Sunfire Jr. sub between the pre and the power), but I did try them on other -- full-range -- speakers. My overall impression of them was that, although not perfect, they came as close to driving most speakers effortlessly, so as to make them sound like what they were, whatever that was. With just a touch of warmth. Easily the most listenable solid-state amp I've ever heard.

[Torpedo]

Yep, those MF sound "powerful" and capable to drive many speakers. It's true that I had heard them sounding better driving other speakers like Sonus Fabers, Proac and B&W, but funnily enough all were restricted at LF. I also must agree that overall sound was pleasant and the midrange sounded quite right for SS at that price. In fact I liked them better than later versions, which while more powerful, were less natural sounding.

Who knows, maybe an A3 sounds gorgeous driving the Paradigms. One never knows until trying it.

[Torpedo]

Yep, those MF sound "powerful" and capable to drive many speakers. It's true that I had heard them sounding better driving other speakers like Sonus Fabers, Proac and B&W, but funnily enough all were restricted at LF. I also must agree that overall sound was pleasant and the midrange sounded quite right for SS at that price. In fact I liked them better than later versions, which while more powerful, were less natural sounding.

Who knows, maybe an A3 sounds gorgeous driving the Paradigms. One never knows until trying it.

[grawk]

I have an LV113, and while it sounds great, it's deteriorating fast in terms of what still works on it.

[DigiPete]

Just finished an A/B listening session with an audiophile buddy of miine, between my Denon 3808 receiver and the loaner Adcom GFA-5400 125wpc/8ohms (not his amp by the way).

Well the Adcom is more transparent, in the highs the faint cymbals are more pronounced/forward and clearer, fuller (not hollow, tinny, digitally.... you get the point), better soundstage envelopment, voices are more fleshed out, better attack and decay...

Just a better amp all the way around, and sounds well balanced to me tonally.

That's it, I'm done with the Denon 3808 as an amp.... I'll keep it for home theater surround channels and doing pre/processsing duties (for now).

I want more !!

The NHT class D amp has me interested, as well as the higher level Adcom GFA-5500/5800 (200wpc or 250wpc into 8 ohms), and the stratos. What to do...??

[DigiPete]

ATI 1802 amp. Any opinions??

[Torpedo]

Pete, I have very short experience with D amps, but while very clean, kind of "detailed" and "airy", with good bass control and presence, they must be doing something not very well yet, that I find them soul less. As if the midrange and the natural timbre of acoustic instruments were not right, sort of bleached and "plasticky" if that means anything to you. However just trying one by yourself wouldn't harm.

If you have enjoyed the Adcom and you find it sounding right for your taste, why not going for it? Don't let the "I want more" fool you, sometimes the better is the foe of the good.

Grawk, have that LV113 of yours checked, just with some caps replacement, a cleaning and eventually replacing potentiometers would leave you with a great sounding amp for years to come. I had a LV-109/ LE-109 combo for years, and I gave it to a friend who still enjoys them. I was fool enough to replace them for a Krell integrated Human moronity knows no limits.

[DigiPete]

Come to find out the loaner Adcom I am using supposedly had $400 of upgrades from PS Audio before its current owner bought it.

I wonder how I can verify that.

This makes me wonder if another Adcom higher in the line will sound as good as the one I am using now...

[grawk]

There are lots of different kinds of class D. The NHT uses icepower modules. A few people on here have and like amps based on icepower modules...

[Torpedo]

I know Grawk, but well, to each one his own. I'm really finicky about human voices quality, probably professional bias, so on recordings I know how it should be, I'm quite hard to please Not implying they sound plainly wrong, just that I know of better things. Probably with more development they end up sounding gorgeous, there's a lot of potential into D amps.

Pete, if you tried a modded unit, then no valid conclusions can be made to foresee how a higher in the range but stock unit would sound. Maybe you can try one without having to spend your money.

[grawk]

Which class D amps have you used? Because I'd guess that most of the people here qualify as somewhat finicky about human voice quality, too...

[Torpedo]

I've listened to one of the Pioneer receivers using Icepower modules -I can't recall the model- at a friend's who has my same speakers. He writes reviews for a consumer electronics magazine, so he receives on loan many pieces of kit to judge, which I go to listen to his place quite often. This was the system being closer to mine that gave me more valid judgment terms.

I also listened to a Jeff Rowland Concerto at a dealer, so set up including speakers was too different to get any solid impression on the amplification alone. However I found some signature in the voices, I mean that sort of artificiality I mentioned before, which was quite reminiscing of the Pioneer.

Using the Tripath module I've listened to a T-amp, which wasn't bad at all for the price. In fact surprisingly good for what I expected having listened to other cheap D amps previously. However its power limitations were too big to find something to blame exclusively to its digital nature.

I can't recall other D amps worth mentioning, mostly midfi models lacking interest, so my weak memory discarded them.

A friend of mine has built a D-amp, not sure what modules he used, which in his opinion sounds really good -I take his opinions quite seriously-, but I haven't listened to it yet. I have to schedule a trial at home with him. Maybe it's different to other D-amps I've tried. Like I said, I'm quite confident that they'll manage to make those things sound as good as anything else. Well, in fact they've already done, some of those amps like the JR I bet sound better than many SS or even tube offers. It's just that the mistakes are different, so it's our own preference which will decide what we like better.

[DigiPete]

Any opinions on the McCormack DNA offerings...

I know... I am now looking above my original budget....

[DigiPete]

Talked to Klaus at Odyssey Audio today.

The Odyssey Stratos Stereo Extreme is looking more like what I will end up getting at this point.

I'll know more tonight when I call him back.

Upgrades from the basic Stratos in the Stereo Extreme:

Additional 60,000

[DigiPete]

Well, its a done deal:

Getting the Odyssey Stratos (not the extreme)- with caps upgrade, upgraded boards and cabling - price must remain undisclosed

Should ship by the end of next week. Now the waiting begins....

[Pars]

This a new one Pete? Ooohhh, break-in

Klaus is fun to talk to, is he not? And you are getting a really good solid product, particularly for the price. When you get it, I would guess you will have a hard time figuring out how they sell these this cheap, as they are built very well.

[DigiPete]

He is a good talker, I just got off the phone again with him and now

I am also getting the Candela Tube Preamp

[Pars]

Holy shit! Merry Christmas!

[DigiPete]

Holy shit! Merry Christmas!

Not when the wife finds out

[Pars]

Yes, I know the feeling (just not recently)

[Torpedo]

Fabulous Pete, congratulations for your purchase. I hope you like it, it's a very good amp for the price, let's know how you like it.

[tyrion]

Congrats on the amp and pre. Now you have me interested. I may try one out while I wait for a McCormack DNA .1 Rev A or B shows up on Audiogon. I checked out their website and I didn't see the Candela. I did find it here: Odyssey Audio Hong Kong - Candela Tube Hybrid Preamp