Priorities...

carmenc
59 posts
08-03-2016 1:57pm
As an owner of Tannoys, you do not need Gamut monoblocks to power them. Yes, you need some clean power, but quality is the most important factor. Decide if you want tube or ss. As for me, I went tube pre and ss amp for my DC8s. From my research, the 10As are perhaps the "brightest" of the upper end Tannoys. No, I’ve not heard them to confirm. A nice tube amp with at least 50 wpc or a ss amp with 100 wpc will be just the ticket. If it were me, I’d sell the Gamuts, buy a good Integrated amp and get into the Prestige line....Turnberrys i.e. Good luck and let us know your thoughts so maybe we can be of further help. Regards.....

I’m sorry I don’t agree with your statement that Tannoy’s don’t need a lot of power. As an owner of the DMT10 Mk2 speaker my experience shows otherwise. Right now i have these speakers connected to a modest vintage Yamaha integrated amp that outputs 120W/ch in class-AB & the sonics are very good. No issues here. It’s worthy to note that the Yamaha integrated is not a high current amp. I connected these speakers in my reference system which has a very high current amp (’coz it has to drive my Apogee Scintillas 1-ohm version) & I can tell you that the DMT10 Mk2 behaved like a totally different speaker - it just lit up & came alive. I went back & read the manual which has the spec sheet & noted that it’s max handling power is 350W even when the speaker is 94dB efficient. The impedance plot is almost a flat 8 ohms i.e. a very easy speaker to drive.
So, I concluded that Tannoys like good quality & large quantity of power to make them sound their best. On various forums I've read this same thing.....
The Gamut M250 mono blocks are a fantastic amp - my friend has a pair driving the original Revel Ultima Salon in his setup. It’s a pleasure to hear his system each time. The M250 control that Ultima Salon speaker so well - the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. From an engineering stand-point what impressed me was that each mono-block has just one (1) MOSFET power output device. Yes, just one!, to create the 250W/ch output. So, Gamut did away with matching many output devices - there’s a compromise in that as you try to match power devices. If they are not from the same lot their parameters vary (that’s just par for the course) & the overall matching & balance is as good as the worst part in the lot used in the amp output stage. With a single MOSFET power output device, all that matching headache is gone.
If I were the OP I would not give up those M250 monos - they are excellent & are, what I would consider, a long-term keeper as they would drive many other hard-to-drive speakers (the Revel Ultima Salons are more difficult to drive than the DC10T).
Stringreen gave some good advice - spend your money elsewhere where you’ll get a better bang for your buck. And, start saving for that speaker upgrade. Another DC10A will come along at a good price. You don’t have to get this particular pair..... FWIW.

I only ask about your music tastes so I can understand why you make those statements. 
I listen mainly to progressive technical rock/metal & math rock so I need amps that provide very high levels of detail & speed but tonal accuracy; the GamuTs are excellent at providing these requirements. 

I've been offered a pair of ARC Ref 210 at a good price & so have thought about selling the GamuTs & Tannoys to buy them & the new PMC twenty5.24...!

@bombaywalla - I agree! I particularly like the iron fist/velvet glove metaphor! 

The M250i are also very sensitive to mains upgrades so I suspect I have yet to hear their full potential...

@bombaywalla ...we'll just agree to disagree, how's that?  The Tannoys don't need lots of power, you just want lots of power. Difference!  Our experiences obviously differ.  It's based on listening preferences, room size, etc.  Go back and read through all the advice here given to the OP to stay on track.

@infection, if you're in love with your amps and are seeking affirmation on how good they are then just keep them.  You started out by seeking advice yet give very little detail as @goheelz mentioned.  When I gave you advice based on my experience with Tannoys, which is extensive, you end up defending your amps which is missing my point.  Regards.......

@infection also, you mentioning the ARC amp and PMC speakers further suggests to me that you just want to try something different out.  That's why I asked you if you really liked the Tannoy's.  As my friend JohnnyR has told me more than once, "you're chasing your tail".  Now that I think of it, do grab the ARC amp and a pair of Vandersteen Treo CT and be done with it.  Buy lots of music and no more tail chasin.  You can just sit back and enjoy.  Regards.......