Amp/pre for Soundlab M1s Advice: Digital or no?

Hello Brian,

Thanks for the kind words!

In my experience, amps with digital-switching power supplies haven't worked real well with Sound Labs. There seems to be some dynamic compression that amps with good, old-fashioned beefy power supplies don't have. That being said, I haven't heard the TacT amps with Sound Labs.

How many channels do you need? I presume only two of those channels will involve Sound Labs.

Best wishes,

Duke

Hi Duke:

Any idea how the Parasound JC-1 monoblocks work with the Sound Lab M-1s?

Mshan -

I'm a dealer for both Sound Lab and Parasound JC-1's. They work exceptionally well together. The Sound Labs in my living room are hooked up to JC-1's right now, even though I have some other amps on hand that are several times the price. I had to be convinced that the JC-1's would work well with Sound Labs, and now I have several customers (including one with the Ultimates) who have switched to JC-1's.

Duke

Duke - Which switching amps have you heard? I understand Spectrons/Bel Canto/Ear seem to have a great reception among audiopiles - even tube guys. Now very highend manufacturers (Linn/Rowland/others?)with good reputations to lose seem to be putting out some products. The concept of a pure digital signal path with room correction & equalization done in the digital domain is seductive and will be the future of audio eventually. I just wish I could get some real world comments from users about how the current state of art works with electrostats.

Brian,

I am a Sound Lab dealer and have heard a Spectron amp on them some time ago. It was an OK match, nothing particularly wrong, but I didn't hear any magic. I was the first person to try Parasound JC-1s with Sound Labs (U-1s) and immediately knew it was a superb match, as they really brought the speakers to life with excellent control, focus and dynamics. Some may prefer tubes.

Brian Walsh