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Looking for Amp suggestions or Avalon speakers

I am in the process of downsizing due to a smaller living space and think i have settled on Avalons (either the Ascendants or the Ideas) for my new speakers as their footprint is acceptable to my spouse and i like their sound.

My old amps are the Sonic Frontier Power 3 monoblocks but sadly probably have to give those up as well due to the amount of space they take up. I have also always liked the Conrad Johnson sound (haven't heard alot of other amps so wanted to give an idea of a sound that i have liked over the years).

I have always preferred tubes to solid state but i have heard some say they think the Avalon's sound better with solid state?

In either case, i'm looking for suggestions for an amp that would mate well with the Avalon's. I'm fine with buying used equipment. Looking for something in the under $5,000 range (though of course would love to get away with spending less if i can).

Thanks in advance for all suggestions.
dkonstruction

Showing 8 responses by bo1972

bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
When you play a cello or double bass with Avalon you get some
coulration in the low-mid freq. It is pronounced a litte more
than in real.

This year I sold a pair of Pl-200's to a person who plays a
double bass. He played a few songs for me. Here I had the same
experience again. It is more clean in the mid freq. With
Thiel&partner it is too much.

Monitor Audio uses speakerunits made of ceramics with
alluminium. This gives it a faster response compared to
Thiel&partner units. This gives it a more natural and
realistic sound.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
Ayre weakest point is depth. I compared Ayre with Pass Labs. Pass Labs gives a much wider and deeper stage. Avalon can give a deep and wide stage so this will work better with Pass Labs.Beside this; you need a warm sound with Avalon to get a good involving sound. With Ayre it is less involving. With warmer sounding speakers Ayre works better. I sold Avalon over 6 years of time.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
Charles is right, I prefered also Avalon with tubes. Personally I never liked any demo with spectral. Because in mu opneion classical music sounds in real a lot different.

In the last few years I sold to a few cleints with Avalon spakers Audioquest cables. This gave superior endresults compared to the MIT cables they used.

One of the weakest points of Avalon is an extreme fysical snall and realistic individual focus of instruments and voices. It can give a wide and deep stage, but within this stage instruments do not have the sharpest individuel focus.

In real instruemnts and voices are very direct and small in dimension. I call this intimate focus. Audioquest give a much sharper and fysical individual focus than MIT gives. But also in timing and in resolution it outperforms MIT with ease!
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
You need to be aware that the weakest point of Avalon is what I call intimate sound. This is a physical small and realistic proportion of instruments and voices. Avalon is very good in a wide and deep stage, but within this stage you want a superior physical touchable stage as well.

The biggest mistake I found in many sets is the use of MIT cables. Because there limtation is also the lack of a very small and physical image. In the last years I have sold Audioquest to many MIT owners who use Avalon. I invited people at my home to let them hear what a realistic 3 dimensional stage can be. After this I came to their hoem with Audioquest cables. And it was very easy to show them the difference.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
Pass Labs .5 series had more depth than Ayre. But I prefer the realism in the mid freq. of the Pass Labs over the Ayre mid freq. as well.

Audioquest is at this moment very good in every single part you judge a cable for. Depth the same thing!
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
Physical image between a wide and deep stage is a different aspect. I have even proven this to Avalon owners.

One of mu best friends had a concertroom with A Steinway wing. Here he gave clasical concerts for about 60 people. Instrtuments and voices are very small and direct in proportion. I call it intimate sound. I never had this experience with any Avalon spaker.

There are Avalon owners who say and believe that this is a very realistic sound for classical music. I habe heard this combo many times. In real it sounds a lot different.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
When you read back I will read that I love how it is build. They are different compared to others. I like brands who dare to be different. I sold it for over 6 years of time. I also sold it to friends as well.

It is personally not my speaker. We are talking about a personal taste. I can create a superior phycical stage with instruments and voices which are more apparent and realistic in proportion. Even those who own Avalon I have shown them that I have a much more touchable image than they have. Don't forget this is my job and world. As a perfectionist it never stops. It always needs to be better.

I prefer magico over Avalon. Again it is a personal thing. Nothing more, nothing less!
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,626 posts
 
I also think the .8 series of Pass Labs whill be a great choice. I will buy a X350.8 this year. But for Avalon I would go for the XA series. Because Avalon needs a warmer mid freq.

I think Avalon will work great with XA100.8 and a tube pre amp. I owned the XP-20. It is a good pre amp, but it is not perfect.
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