My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
Amazing work whitecamaross and great input from all. Hopefully this forum continues into 2018... Whitecamaross - Last summer you mentioned plans to purchase Simaudio's 870A. Did you get a chance to do some comparisons with it, and, if so, how did that amp compare overall to others? I see you enjoyed the 740P at its price point... |
Thank you for the reply whitecamaross! I was curious as I am currently running the Sim 740P, 870A, 780D DAC combo to YG Carmel 2s (small/mid size room) and am debating whether I should switch to the Lux combo or Bel Black in search of some warmth and added soundstage without losing the current articulation and detail... Unfortunately, my dealer doesn't carry the Lux for a demo, as you note it is a small network. Thanks again for all the information you have assembled! |
Hi Whitecamaross, Given your thoughts on sim's 860a, if you get the opportunity to try out the 870a, you may really enjoy. Has all the characteristics of the 860a that you described and may give you those added decibels and headroom that your ears crave and your speakers may demand. Improved performance at lower volumes as well. Of course, would be very curious to hear your impressions/evaluation. Thanks again for all that you have shared. Invaluable info. |
Thanks for that info and again for all your work WC. I'm sure you all already know this, but I didn't realize how easy it is to use the microphone in your phone as a db measuring device by downloading an app (thought I'd have to buy a meter). Does a decent job, at least for ballpark figures. Interesting to see what volumes I enjoy listening at. Helpful to put this discussion into context. |
Congrats on the move and discovering the Hegel/REF10/Wilson combo. Sounds incredible. Definitely would also be interested in the Simaudio 860 mono vs the Hegel mono comparison to see which characteristics you feel shine for each. The speakers I own I guess are not the easiest to drive, I'm told, and the Simaudio 870a stays fast and smooth with a wide stage at all volumes. As you point out, I am impressed by how relatively cool it is to the touch after hours of play. For what its worth, my speaker specs are: Sensitivity: 87 dB / 2.83 V / 1 m 2π anechoic; Impedance: 4Ω nominal, 3.5Ω minimum. I can only imagine what 2x 860s with the Wilsons will sound like... Envious! |
Understanding the focus is primarily on stats at the moment, I also would echo how well RELs can complement the lower end for certain dynamic speakers connected directly to the amp posts. My 11 year old REL B3 has been a workhorse and has paired well w Dynaudio Confidence C1s and now my YG Carmel 2s. Moved from a 15x18 room to now a 15 x 28 room and I am still pleased with the pressure and tightness of below 50hz as well as the RELs disappearance. Currently all Simaudio/Moon front end. Man, I would love to hear the Neos... |
Just a thought... as a relative neophyte, the info shared on this chain, especially from those with clearly decades of experience, is invaluable to me and I imagine others. So interesting especially when folks riff off WC's journey and his observations on his quest for amp and speaker synergy (expense aside) and, perhaps, system tweaks later down the road. Love that everyone has their own kind of music they enjoy. Wish I could listen to many of setups previously described on this chain, (e.g. greyhound, wow!) but I will settle with turning it up a bit louder here. Toasting you all. Looking forward to hearing how current WC combo evolves over the weekend... |
Curious folks thoughts on the rankings of the amps at the link below as a general guide. Love that the Block Audio Monos are at the top of the list. Pretty sure WC has already perused. WC, although I can't imagine the amount of work it would entail (which may make it a non-starter), and, of course, the equipment you use for evaluating remains fluid, would such a ranking system (e.g. detail, air, transparency, weight, dynamics, timbre, soundstage width/depth, etc) take away from/add to your qualitative descriptions and comparisons (which we obviously enjoy and find informative as it is)? http://www.audiodrom.net/en/power-amplifiers |
WC - Thanks for all your effort organizing and relaying your findings from the shootout. Sounded like a good time. Curious if your observations would agree with Audiodrom's rank (Block is their #1 rated amp for sound overall thus far and the Titan #3, Simaudio at #2). Aside from this thread, I haven't found any other source that tries to compare many amps/line stages/speakers etc. in one location. And trying to get a sense for whether their rankings can be duplicated. The only two submetrics of 12 that the Titan matched the Block was for 'Bass Management - weight' and 'Clarity and Delicacy - Detail'. The Block set itself apart from the Titan the most for Tonal Accuracy and Spatial Resolution (holography and soundstage depth in particular). Would you agree? (Of course rankings have many caveats/influences, in particular, it appears Audiodrom utilized different equipment for the two comparisons, and the Titan review was a few years before the Block, but I believe they try to normalize for that...if at all possible. They do note that a 90 out of 100 today could be far less say in 10 years from now). Anyway, thanks again, and looking forward to tuning in this year! |
fantastic WC. excited for the curveballs. sounds like you had a great opportunity to demo the Odin PC. Will be interesting to hear what it does to the Ref10. Perhaps an Odin speaker cable audition to the Neoliths? Probably too early tell but wonder if Odin (or its echelon) will become your baseline similar to the Neolith, the Blocks, the Ref10? |
jafox - thanks for providing that background. Incredible journey and definitely some ICs in particular to try out based on your recs. ICs seem to be particularly important. For further context, have you experimented with the wireworlds and/or the Nordost 2 series specifically as ICs, PCs or speaker cables? |
