Revel Salon 2 Amplification Questions


Currently my Salon 2s are powered by a Plinius SB-301 fed by a Plinius M8 (Ayre C-5xeMP front end).

I have been and remain quite happy with this setup, but upgraditis may be kicking in (I should have followed someone's sage advice to stop reading audio forums for at least two years after assembling my system).

Specifically I am curious to know whether anyone is using these speakers with any of the following SS brands: Symphonic Line, FM Acoustics, Clayton, Gryphon, Karan, MBL or Accuphase (but feel free to weigh in with other suggestions of a like quality). And, if so, what they like/dislike about their gear, both pre and power amps.

I am only interested in SS power amps, but am open to a tubed pre. The Salon 2s are power hogs and while most of my listening is below 90db, every so often I wanna pretend I'm 14 again and crank Houses of the Holy at 110+ db and I don't think tube power amps can get me there.

My tastes run to mostly classic rock (Stones, Grateful Dead, The Who, Elton John etc.) with occasional detours into symphonies or jazz. I prefer strong bass that when played at volume can be felt as well as heard, clear but not bright treble and mids that are rich and not too forward - I guess the audiophile term would be slightly dark.

The system is in a 28'x16' sunroom with a 15' cathedral ceiling and a 9x5x8 bumpout on the left rear. There is lots of glass and I have not treated the room (nor do I intend to as it was built to enjoy the view), so I want to avoid anything that really emphasizes the high end. But I do want fast amplification with the ability to convey both micro and macro dynamics.

The Plinius gear actually does quite well achieving these goals, and unless there's a significant upside with the brands I've mentioned vis-a-vis Salon 2s then I have no real reason to change. But if it can get much better, then let me know.

p59teitel
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Update - the Symphonic Line Kraft 250 monos have been in my system for two weeks now. While they didn't even have 100 hours on them when they arrived and so are still breaking in/settling in a bit, I can say that they are stunning with the Salon 2s.

Detailed high end without fatigue, amazing dynamics and micro-dynamics, extended powerful bass without bloat or boom , plucked instruments sound like they're really being plucked, and vocals are smooth without being euphonic. Fast as all get-out too.

Really though the best thing I can say about them is that they simply produce the music so that you can listen to it without hi-fi considerations intruding into your consciousness - I know that sounds a bit New Agey but I don't know how else to say it. I also don't know why they aren't better known over here.

Actually I can kinda guess even though I'm no marketing expert: no USA advertising or show appearances, confusing English-side website, odd nomenclature for gear, and Mr. Gemein's apparent penchant for not providing the kinds of technical measurement we Americans crave. Be advised for example that the nominal 250 watts into 8 ohms output designation is essentially meaningless; these puppies drive my Salon 2s louder than my Plinius SB-301 with a stated 310 wpc does.

Despite all that, the product is "until death do us part" incredible and is well worth investigating in the top tier of solid state amplification. Thanks to Klaus Bunge, the Symphonic Line USA rep (and Odyssey Audio principal), for alerting me to their availability when I called with an inquiry about the history of the SL tube pre-amp I ended up getting. I thought he was over the top when he gushed on and on about the Kraft 250s, but after two weeks of listening to them I can say that his enthusiasm was entirely justified.
As a Revel Ultima Salon 2 owner I would like to chime in despite the fact that I am late to the party!

My setup includes Weiss DAC 202 -> GamuT D3i pre and Gamut D200i.

Can't say I have auditoned many systems with Salon2's to make comparison, but...the sound this system reproduces, to me, is akin to $100K systems I happen to listen in high end audiofests that I have been to.

And I would like to disclose I have no commercial relationship with any brand I've cited above.