PS Audio vs. Cary

I have heard Cary, Bryston and Proceed. While they are good, I think you can do better new and on Audiogon for the money. You might want to consider an Ayre amp. For soundstage and air I don't think you can beat a V-3 amp for $1000-1200 used. If you can afford it, Ayre's new stuff is a huge step up though. I believe a simple A-B test with an Ayre amp vs any of the equipment you listed will show Ayre's strengths. I have also heard many pre/pros. Arcam and Anthem stood out over Cary and Bryston in my system.

Thanks everyone!

Scott

What are your plans for interconnects, speaker wire, source, ect? Cary products have served me well. I have not had one reliability problem and the tubes last forever. Have you considered an integrated amp like the SLI80? This would save you the price of one set of interconnects and the amp gets rave reviews on Agon. IMO, it will take a complete package to get the sound you want. The front end affects the final result. Take your time and listen to all you can before you take the plunge.
Good luck!

I have owned both. 2 HCA2s & 1 PCA2 the PCA2 is a great preamp for the $$ I still have it. The amp is just ok I had to tried it twice to figure that out. As for Cary the rocket 88 is pretty good had one for 2 years. If you can swing it a ARC 150.2 is a Great amp for $$. I have a ARC 150M & it is world class. It is the Best SS amp I have had the plesure of owning.

I started out with Chorus floorstanders and then upgraded to Cobalt 816s a few years later. Very happy with them, and of course the Electras sound even better. If you like the Chorus then you might want to consider the Cobalts when you eventually upgrade. I'm a big fan of the JMLab sound.

Anyhow, as for what electronics to use, I'd probably favor the Cary even though I haven't heard it. Since the JMLabs are on the lean side they pair very well with tube gear in my experience. I'm using a Conrad Johnson PV-10B pre with a B&K ST125.2 amp and I'm very pleased with the results. At about $500-600 used, I'd consider the PV-10B a bargain and definitely a very good match for your speakers.

Just to throw it out there, the Audio Refinement integrated amp sounds great with the Chorus and Cobalt. Its amazingly smooth for solid state and even though its only 50 watts it will drive the speakers very, very loud. It's a real giant killer. You can get it used for around $500. I don't know what your budget is, but buying an Audio Refinement integrated and then putting the rest of the money into a cdp or saving it for an eventual speaker upgrade could be something to consider.