Ive my owned Duos for 2+ years and consider them in the top echelon of speakers. Some of the speakers Ive owned previously include Celestion SL 600s, Martin Logan Sequels, Quad 63s, Innersound Eros, & Verity Parsifal. The Duos, set up correctly and using synergistic equipment, come close to bringing live-in-your-home concerts to your everyday listening sessions. What the Duos can do and the emotions they bring to listening sessions are unique and addictive. Certainly, they are keepers.
Like most perfectionist speakers, especially those in the Duos price range, system synergy and fine tuning are required in order to achieve this speakers considerable potential. The issues that Cobra mentioned are not part & parcel to the Duo. Though, they are part & parcel to Duos hindered by set up or synergy issues. Critical setup items include speaker positioning to achieve excellent imaging and a coherent blend of the bass to the midrange, adjusting the bass to midrange crossover frequency, and setting the volume of the bass. Like many users, I find the Duos are coherent with the horns in their stock position. A few other users adjust horn positioning via the adjustments available to achieve a similar blending of the various drivers.
The Duos certainly let you know about the equipment used in front of them. Lacking proper attention to other components, the sound certainly can suffer. This is not a fault or a problem; just something to consider and is shared by most other speakers in this performance class. I sit about 10 from the front of my speakers and the sound is fully integrated. Given decent source material, the speakers disappear and I have a lovely deep rectangular soundstage. Ive never heard any lack of integration where I became conscious of the individual drivers. Timbre, harmonics, accurate tonal colors, etc are essential characteristics in my listening priorities. I used OTL amps for many years in part as they excel in these characteristics. The Duos also excel. You want emotion; you get it in spades with these speakers.
Per your electronics questions. I have not used a balanced amp in years so cannot provide any help there. Electronics that I like a lot with the Duos are the Viva electronics (like the Verona amp) and the Art Audio PX-25 amp. Viva components drove the first Duo system I ever heard and which initially caught my attention. The Viva Solista integrated amp, a scaled down combination of the Verona amp & Linea preamp, is rumored to be a great fit. Also, try the Audiopax as Cobra suggested. If you get the Duos, I highly recommend evaluating the new power cord from Basis Audio to replace the stock Cardas power cord as the improvements obtained are considerable.
Like most perfectionist speakers, especially those in the Duos price range, system synergy and fine tuning are required in order to achieve this speakers considerable potential. The issues that Cobra mentioned are not part & parcel to the Duo. Though, they are part & parcel to Duos hindered by set up or synergy issues. Critical setup items include speaker positioning to achieve excellent imaging and a coherent blend of the bass to the midrange, adjusting the bass to midrange crossover frequency, and setting the volume of the bass. Like many users, I find the Duos are coherent with the horns in their stock position. A few other users adjust horn positioning via the adjustments available to achieve a similar blending of the various drivers.
The Duos certainly let you know about the equipment used in front of them. Lacking proper attention to other components, the sound certainly can suffer. This is not a fault or a problem; just something to consider and is shared by most other speakers in this performance class. I sit about 10 from the front of my speakers and the sound is fully integrated. Given decent source material, the speakers disappear and I have a lovely deep rectangular soundstage. Ive never heard any lack of integration where I became conscious of the individual drivers. Timbre, harmonics, accurate tonal colors, etc are essential characteristics in my listening priorities. I used OTL amps for many years in part as they excel in these characteristics. The Duos also excel. You want emotion; you get it in spades with these speakers.
Per your electronics questions. I have not used a balanced amp in years so cannot provide any help there. Electronics that I like a lot with the Duos are the Viva electronics (like the Verona amp) and the Art Audio PX-25 amp. Viva components drove the first Duo system I ever heard and which initially caught my attention. The Viva Solista integrated amp, a scaled down combination of the Verona amp & Linea preamp, is rumored to be a great fit. Also, try the Audiopax as Cobra suggested. If you get the Duos, I highly recommend evaluating the new power cord from Basis Audio to replace the stock Cardas power cord as the improvements obtained are considerable.