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Vienna Acoustics vs Revel Studios?

Three years ago, I invested in a system that has given me many hours of listening pleasure. I have Vienna Acoustics Beethoven speakers, a SimAudio I-5 integrated, and an Ultech CD player. At that time, that was about as much as my budget would allow, and I have never regretted buying any part of this system. The only "problem" I am having is that the system lacks "rock out' power. It is perfect for moderate listening, but will occasionally clip or become slightly shrill or unfocused when "cranked."

So now, of course, I'm pondering all kinds of potential remedies. I could simply use the I-5 as a pre-amp and add something like a Bryston 7B ST for extra volume. I could sell the I-5 and go for separates, maybe even try out some tubes, such as the Sonic Frontiers Power 3 set-up (although I have heard that tubes are not necessarily a good match for the 'warm' Vienna speakers). Or I could sell the system and try out the Revel Studios (I think the Salons are probably too big for my living room) with some combination of the above to drive them.

I am not a true audiophile, in the sense that I know an awful lot about this stuff, but I do know that I enjoy good music played on a good system. I don't mind paying for top notch equipment, within reason, but I don't want to fork over 10-12K when a modest adjustment in my current set-up would be almost as good.

So, I appeal to all of you true audiphiles for advice. Please show me the way. Would the Revels be a big step up from the Viennas? Would separates be much better than adding an amp, while using the I-5 as a pre-amp? Any suggestions on possible matches?

I realize the answers are, to some degree, subjective. But I am interested in your feedback and experiences.

Many thanks.
chriscox9674
chriscox9674 OP
4 posts
 
It appears that many people love the Viennas as much as I do. It also appears that I need to consider not only different amplication, but a different source as well. I am intrigued by the thought of trying out tubes and would appreciate suggestions on possible good matches with the Beethovens. Ayre? Sonic Frontiers? What about the pre-amp?Or is there an SS combo (such as Pass) that approximates the "tube sound"? Also, any thoughts on a CD upgrade in the $1-2K range? Meridian, perhaps? I'd love to try the Sim Moon Eclipse, but can't quite feature spending $3K for it. Please offer up suggestions on a significant upgrade from the Ultech.

Thanks again for all the help. Unfortunately, I do not live in an area where I can easily audition all of this stuff. I must therefore rely on the kindness of strangers. I must say, it worked out great for me when I assembled the system I have now.

karls
332 posts
 
My top two picks in cdps in this price range would be Meridian 508.24 and Wadia 830, both of which are excellent and can be had for $2k used. I would highly recommend looking into the BAT preamps and amps, any models, they are all excellent. See www.balanced.com. Good luck!
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I own the Beethovens and I'm very happy with them. Even though they are efficient, at 70 wpc they may be underpowered. Remember that they are 4 ohm speakers, so the 4 ohm amp rating is more important than the 8 ohm rating. I'm not familiar with the Simaudio integrated your using, I don't know if it doubles into 4 ohms (140 wpc?). I prefer solid state amplification, as tubes can sound kinda mushy with these warm speakers. I also drove them with a Classe CA-200 amp with great results. Currently, I using a Threshold T 400, which sounds even better. It is 150 wpc of Class A power. It does 'rock out' when needed. I would say for more power, I'd go with the seperate amp first, still using your Sim as a preamp. A 'warm' sounding amp, that would sound good would be a Sim, Classe, McCormack, Jeff Rowland or Threshold. They are the best smooth solid state designs that come to mind. I would also recommend a front end upgrade. With smooth speakers and amp, you may want a more aggressive cd player, IMO. Try a Proceed CDP or a Arcam FMJ 23. Both those units seem to have more punch or rock better than similarly priced, smoother operators like the BAT or Classe.
sagger's avatar
sagger
112 posts
 
Chris: for a cd upgrade in your price range I would suggest the Resolution Audio CD-55 (pay about $1700 used). Athough I like & have owned Meridian, I find the Resolution to be a much more analog sounding source. Plus it's got upsampling...a great feature. For amplification I would suggest the CJ premier 11a (75 watts pentode,)which can be had for around $1750 on the used market. A sleeper killer preamp would be the Joule Electra LA-100, but must be MKIII. You can pick one up used for around the $1500-$1700 range. This combintion has great synergy. I guarantee it will make a night & day differance to what you hearing now. You will immediatly notice more resolution & detail & most of all that that precious indescribable midrange magic. If you can't afford the CJ/Joule combo, look for a good tube integrate .
dearing
48 posts
 
I have a few general observations about the "Vienna Acoustics sound" versus the "Revel sound" as based upon my experience with my VA Mahlers (so forgive me if what follows is all off-topic).

I run a pair of Mahlers (not Beethovens) with a VAC 70/70 Mark III tube amp with great success. I have also used a Bryston 4B-ST with the Mahlers with great success. VERY MUSICAL. I have only spent a half an hour with the Revel, the big Salons (not Studios) powered by an all-Levinson system. It was very boring and disappointing to me, but this was probably due to the Levinson gear. The Mahlers with tubes behind them are much more musical. That said, the room I have the Mahlers in is too small, so I have some bass bloat, even when running them with the very powerful 4B-ST. The Mahlers, I am told, are only flat in the bass in a big room (cubic feet-wise) with serious amplification and the right speaker cables (Sumiko, the Vienna Acoustics distributor in the U.S., uses Kimber Monacle at shows -- I use Kimber Select 3033).

Don't forget that the Mahlers and Studio are roughly the same price, while the Beethoven is half the price of the Studio.

Good luck.
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