Tannoy Westminster amp matching question.

Dover,
I`m not "completely wrong" about SS amps as I was expresing'my' opinion based on listening experiences over the years. My viewpoint has nothing to do with your individual results. I could`nt have made it more clear that we will all have difference preferences and thus choose components that reflect that.

If a 500 watt SS amplifier suited your needs best then you made the right choice for your system. We obviously hear differently and move in very different directions in developing our audio systems,what`s wrong with that?
I much prefer lower power SET and you prefer high power solid state. As I said in an earlier post, this is a good discussion. It does`nt imply we`ll all be in agreement.SET amplifiers have given me more realism, musical joy,satisfaction and involvement then any other amplifier type I`ve heard. If your SS amplifier does the same for you,then congratulations and continued very happy and blissful listening to your music.
Regards,

Charles1dad,
I've been coming across your threads for a while now. And it seems, you are just about the only voice in support of the particular combination of speakers and amplifiers- namely Coincident Tech. Pure Reference speakers and Frankenstein power amps.
It is very clear, that you love the sound.
Coincidentally (pun intended) I was in the market for a new system a couple of years ago, and a combination of Pure Reference and Frankensteins was at the very top of my list.
So, naturally, I've made an effort to have an audition, and ended up listening to the combo on quite a few occasions- at least 2 shows in the Coincident own room, and at my local dealer for rather extensive audition.
Every single time it struck me as a surprise- my expectations after reading glowing reviews and the actual sound, I heard. The sound was not dynamic, exceptionally lean with no bass to speak of, and overall rather unpleasant.
Funny enough, the dealer for Coincident REFUSED to demo the Pure Reference with the Frankensteins, sitting in his room, and insisted on a more powerful (50 Wt)pair of PP tube amps.
I made him to connect the Franks anyway, and after about 2 mins of listening to a track, I'm intimately familiar with, asked him to switch back to the PP amps.
He was absolutely right, I wouldn't have considered buying the speakers, based on that pairing.
I ended up going in a very different direction, as you can see in my system.
One comment about efficiency- Coincident claims 94 dB sens., but reading reviews of their other models, it's clear, that they exaggerate sensitivity rating rather significantly. I don't remember the particular speakers, but the claimed sens. of 93-94 dB turned out to be around 88-89 in the measurements. I doubt, PR are any different in that regard.
So, after reading your never ending admiration and praise of this particular combination of 8 Wt. SET amps and the average sensitivity box speakers, I just had to express my impression of the same.
We sure do have different tastes in what we consider a "good sound", but yours strikes me as rather VERY DIFFERENT.
Maybe you would find it educational trying a different and more powerful PP amps in your system.
Cheers,

Maril555,
My speaker is the Coincident Total Eclipse not the Pure Reference.The match between the Frankenstein MK II and these speakers is devine. Prior to the Frankenstein my amplifier was the Bella Extreme(Response Audio) custom built by Bill Baker.It is 100 watt ultra linear and 60 watt triode,class AB push-pull.This was his V-Cap and Bybee versionand perhaps one of the best PP amps I`ve ever heard along with a friend`s VAC Phi 300.1 mono blocks.The Frankenstein from the very first day was better in all the areas important to me than the excellent Bella amp.In the more than three years of ownership my admiration has only grown.

I`ve heard numerous PP amps,VTL,ARC VT-100, Quicksilver and Manley.I liked Bill`s amp more than those(although they are good).

Maril555, your experience is what it is,what else can I say? The Frankenstein did`nt impress you and you moved on. All I can say is its been wonderful(an understatement) for me.Some will like it and others won`t,this is true for every single component available.For example, some love your Lamms and others do not(so what,you like them)When I express my opinion that`s all it is, I don`t make universal proclamations. I`m just sharing my own experiences.I `m sure there`re other components you adore that other listeners may find totally subpar,that`s the way it goes.Would their impressions change your opinion? The truth is we like what we like, it`s all personal choice.
Regards,

Charles1dad,
We have a somewhat similar perspective as to what generally constitute and of upmost importance in music reproductions. Actually hardly ever listen to those aforementioned test tracks etc, except during test sessions/gatherings with fellow 'philes. Concerning those extra watts, to me is like having seat-belt ; depending on driver, will probably never be called for into a life saving circumstance, but good to know that its always there when needed--for you'll never know what might just lurks around each and every bend. ;) But yes, at the end of the day, its the majority of 'real music' that count, and what makes its owner happiest is all that matter.. Best.

Borg7x9,
If you want your WR to 'disappear' better whilst allowing for deeper controlled bass, try placing them on the short side (toed in), and pull them 5-6ft away from rear wall.. My room when I had them was similar, around 6.5m W x 11m L. My time with WRs was interesting in that akin to the old Chess saying, 'minutes to learn, a lifetime to master'.. Easy to set-up and make sing, not so upon optimization. Besides positioning (for depth, disappearing), you might also want to control their cabinet vibrations a little (better image specificity, tighter bass). Enjoy your journey and have fun while at it!

Gregm,
I'm afraid yes, same amp.. Comparable mids, better highs (surprisingly) compared to the best I had then.. Needless to say the bass. Truly enjoyed the long learning curve I had with them. Cheers!

Maril555
I assure you Charles1dad's system is not lean or lacking in dynamics. I have heard the Coincident system at many CES shows and can tell you that the sound you hear thin and aggressive is what I also heard. I know Isreal likes to use the Esoteric dac and transport which is very lean in itself. Isreal actually had decent sound at RMAF last year. I am not familiar with his flagship speaker, but I can tell you that Charles1dad with his speakers are great. This hobby is so suggestive that no two people hear the same way. That's why some people use Lamm single ended amps with their Wilson Max II speakers which has huge woofers and still seems to be very dynamic.