Amplifier ideas with KEF Reference 1

Thanks for everyone's input. I just started a new thread specifically on the aci600 vs Black EX separates..... Hoping to learn more. I'll report back once the system is in place!

@keoliphant
If you can find a pair of Classe Delta CAM 600 monoblock amps try to have a listen to these amps in your own setup and system. These amps have been discontinued last year and few Classe dealers might still have them on display or in b stock and they can be had at discounted price today. Their original retail price was $14k/pair. You can still keep using your PS Audio BHK Sig preamp and Direct Stream DAC.

The Classe Delta CAM 600 monoblock amps are class AB design and huge and heavy but they run cool due to superb internal heat management system they have in there. Classe uses ICE Tunnel to dissipate heat which is executed outside the signal path and does not interfere with the amp's circuitry. 
These amps sound and perform phenomenal very musical very smooth refined and doesn’t get in the way of the music. The amps don’t induce its own sonic coloration like some other high end amplifiers do. Your speakers simply sound like themselves. You should read reviews on these Classe CAM 600 monoblock amps. The Classe CAM 600 monoblock amps received many outstanding reviews from several different hifi reviewers from many different hifi magazines and sites. John Atkinson of Stereophile simply said that these are the best sounding amps he's ever reviewed or the best amps ever made period. I know it was pretty bold statement he made, and one reviewer from The Absolute Sound made similar statement regarding these Classe Delta CAM 600 monoblock amps. 
In reality these Classe CAM 600 is spectacular sounding amp and run cool but big massive in size and very heavy. 
Dynamic headroom and bottom end extension and control are excellent.
The Classe CAM 600 excels in extracting musical details and nuances and information. The tonal is neutral and balanced across the entire spectrum with a touch of warmth. The noise floor is one of the quietest I’ve heard from any high end amplifiers. The amps are dead quiet and the music emerges from a dark black silent backgrounds.

These amps look very stylish too imo.
I happen to own these Classe CAM 600 monoblock amps in my dedicated home theater room driving my front speakers (B&W 800 D3). I have also tried the amps for playing music and they sounded fantastic for both stereo music and high end home theater setup.

One time I dragged these Classe CAM 600 monoblock amps to my dedicated stereo setup in a separate dedicated listening room and pair them up with my Magico M6 speakers that I have in there and sounded wonderful. I compared them with my Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 monoblock amps (2 pairs) that I normally have in my dedicated stereo setup and while my D’Agostino Momentum M400 edges out the Classe CAM 600 but the Classe CAM 600 are bargain considering the price difference between these two amps.
My Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 monoblock amps retail for $65k/pair and I have 2 pairs bi-amping the Magico M6 speakers. And I’m using the Audio Research Reference 10 linestage preamp and a complete full DCS Vivaldi stacks (Vivaldi master clock, Vivaldi upsampler, Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi CD/SACD transport) as my digital front end source components. Even when I slipped the Classe CAM 600 amps in my high end reference two-channel setup the Classe simply performed wonderfully driving my $176k/pair Magico M6 speakers.

You should also consider other options such as the Audio Research Ref monoblock amps, CH Precision, Soulution, Audionet Max monoblock amps, Tidal, MBL monoblock amps, Burmeister, T&A, Gamut, Virus Audio, Constellation Audio, Halcro, higher end Naim separates eg Naim NAP 500 DR amp + Naim NAC 552 preamp + various Naim streamers + DAC separates. You will probably love how Naim gears sound. Even their lower end series or entry level series sounded very musical.

Oh finally I forgot to mention about Devialet gears. I highly recommend any Devialet. If you go this route you won’t need your PS Audio BHK Sig preamp and Direct Stream DAC. Devialet is basically all in one solution (streamer/DAC + pre + amp). Fantastic products. It starts at around $10k plus for the Expert 130 Pro to around $40k for the Expert 1000 Pro.
I happen to own the the Devialet Expert 440 Pro, which is right below the 1000 Pro for my master bedroom setup paired with the Wilson Audio Duette ll stand mount speakers.

One last thing I would like to recommend to you is the new Linn Klimax DS with Katalyst DAC architecture with its Linn Klimax Solo Chakra 500 monoblock amps. But this setup will cost you around $55k. $30k for the new Klimax DS (with Katalyst DAC architecture) and another $25k for the Klimax Chakra Solo 500 monoblock amps. With this setup you wouldn’t need the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC nor the PS Audio BHK Sig preamp.
The new Linn Klimax DS (with Katalyst DAC architecture) will blow away the PS Audio Direct Stream DAC. They are in different league. The Linn Klimax DS has built-in volume control (preamp) so the signal path is made as direct and short as possible. The new Linn Klimax DS (with Katalyst DAC architecture) is the best sounding digital streamer/DAC I’ve heard for under $50k. You will literally have to step up to MSB Select Two DAC ($150k) or DCS Vivaldi full four separate stacks ($125k) like the ones I have, or the Esoteric Grandioso full separate stacks ($100k+) in order to outperform the new Linn Klimax DS with Katalyst DAC architecture which retails for only $30k. This is a single box solution for you : digital streamer/DAC/preamp in a single chassis.

Hope this helps. Do not hesitate to ask any questions.

@caphill: thanks for the detailed thoughts. My PS Audio Directstream and BHK Signature preamp are sold...BHK monoblocks still up for sale so I'm really thinking integrated or matching pre/dac + power (like bel canto ex).

I also fear purchasing from a manufacturer that's out of business (Classe)..... Of course no guarantees that bel canto's staying around forever. 

Hadn't considered the Devaliet. Might be worth a listen. 

The Linn gear is out of my tax bracket!

@keoliphant
Classe isn’t out of business. B&W Group, which previously owned Classe, has recently sold Classe off to Sound United Group in January 2018.
Sound United Group also owns Denon, Marantz, Definitive Technology, Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics & Heos. 
So, Classe now is owned by Sound United. The brand has been revived.

Dave Neauber, who has been with Classe and has been a president of Classe Audio since B&W Group acquired Classe in 2001, will keep leading the company under a new ownership now. They are re-opening or are already re-opened as we speak now their Montreal, Canada facility under a new ownership Sound United.
True that B&W Group shut down Classe’s headquarter facility in Montreal last Oct 2017 and all employees were laid off.
But now Dave Neaubet is gathering and re-grouping all Classe’s designers and engineers that were laid off by B&W last year for their Montreal facility. And I was told that future Classe products will be made in Sound United’s own manufacturing facility in Japan but will still be designed and engineered in Montreal, Canada.

So you won’t have to worry about Classe.
It’s been revived and is now owned by Sound United Group.

I do own multiple Classe gears in my dedicated home theater room : Classe SSP 800 AV preamp surround processor, Classe CAM 600 monoblock amps (pair) for my front B&W 800 D3 speakers, Classe CAM 300 monoblock amp (single) for my center speaker (B&W HTML1 D3), Classe CA-5300 five-channel amp for my surround speakers (B&W 804 D3 & 805 D3).

I think Devialet will be your best solution. It is all-on-one solution. The price range is between $10k+ to $40k+.
You will have to give a listen. Spectacular sounding products and worth a try.

Linn also makes lower end models and cheaper than the Klimax line. I would consider a new Linn Akurate DS (with Katalyst DAC architecture) and the Akurate stereo power amp.
I think the new Akurate DS retails for around $15k++. Not sure how much the Akurate power amp is. Or you can get the previous model Akurate DS (non Katalyst DAC architecture), which can be had at discounted nowadays for way under $10k. All Linn DS (Klimax, Akurate & Majik) come equipped with volume control (preamp). You will have to use their volume control. Linn DS are pretty much digital streamer/DAC/preamp in one single chassis. Linn does not make dedicated analog stereo linestage preamps any longer. They used to in the past.

Or since this is only for your small office environment I would just get the Naim Unity Nova ($7500). It is all-in-one solution.
It is a streamer/DAC/integrated amp all in a single chassis. Sounded very good very musical. I’ve heard it paired with Focal Sopra 2 speakers recently at my local dealer and they sounded fantastic. Very musical, refined, smooth with excellent PRAT.
Highly recommended.

Caphill, we were a Devialet dealer and the sound quality just was never there, in some ways the Devialet was extraordinary, no noise, deep bass, big soundstage, the problem was always the product never had the musicallity that drew you into the experiece, the T+A was far superior when we tried a large list of amps/preamp combos on our Polymer Loudspeakers and then the Paradigm Personas, the T+A gear sounded better than the $60K CJ Art and Gat, the Manley Labs Snappers, the Electrcompaniet AW 400, the Devialet D400 Monoblocks, the Thrax gear, and finally the Chord SPM 1400 monoblocks and CPM 5000 preamp.

Also in terms of the Bel Canto being better than the T+A 2500R Dac 8 DSD combination, Everest did not setup the Dac 8 correctly you need to be running Roon or Jriver, and converting to Double rate or Quad Rate DSD which opens up the sound considerably, which is one reason we don't carry the Melco.  PCM on the Dac 8 is good, upsampled is way better and in the case of the Dac 8 the real magic is running the higher rate DSD which really creates a spooky 3d soundstage and a very analog like presentation.

The Bel Canto maybe fantastic but you should also be aware it does have its limitiations, one of which is everything is digitized including Analog signals, and two everything is converted to PCM.

We personally find that for certain products DSD sounds much more like analog but it does depend on the product.

So we would recommend that you compare the Bel Canto vs other similar packages and let the chips fly. 

Another thing to consider is how upgradable is the Bel Canto? 

We did check out the Bel Canto Black and it does seem like a very interesting piece, with the notable limitations as noted. 

The Naim Nova is a fantastic piece for the Kef Ref ones, and the upgraded NAC 272/250Dr is really impressive if you are looking for a more minimilist two box solution of amp with dac/preamp/streamer that will outperform the Nova,  Caphill is right on the money with the Nova, it is excellent and the package is great with the Ref Ones.

Whatever you choose look for a warm fuller sounding amp for the Ref Ones have very low levels of coloration and can benefit from a warmer sounding amplifier. 


Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ