I love my current system; I want to change my current system. While fortunate as I am to have my current system in a dedicated listening room, I don't have the luxury of having a second room/system when I want a change of pace or just something different for a period. My preamp-less system is comprised of a CAPS server, Bricasti M1 (BADA RS on order), Ayre MXR (pre-Twenty) and Wilson Sophia 2 in a 10x18 treated room at moderate to moderately-loud volume. I'm intentionally leaving out cabling as 1) I'm not a believer (I know, aghast!), and 2) even believers would (probably) concede that it wouldn't make the kind of change I'm looking for.
My current system is neutral, detailed, transparent and perhaps ever-so-slightly lean with a believable soundstage and concise imaging. This is very much what I want most of the time, but on occasion I want something on the opposite end of the sonic scale. So what do I want to change? Simply put, I'd like an occasional diet of SET-like presentation (huge, 3D soundstage with some midrange bloom and overall natural presentation). While I'm not necessarily seeking the syrupy sound that Cary used to be known for, I also don't want a hybrid that purports to provide a middle-ground between SET and traditional solid state (which would be great if I could only have one system); I want what SET is best at providing and will accept its traditional disadvantages (to a point, of course).
Just to be clear, I want to keep my current gear (except for the Bricasti which will eventually be replaced by BADA RS) and am seeking assistance on how to complement/rotate my system (in the same room) in order to get the secondary sound I seek. To that end, I think need to either add a second amp (presumably tube) or second DAC (presumably tube), or a preamp (presumably tube). At this point, I am looking to pursue only one of these options.
1) The obvious problem when adding a second amp is that there aren't many SET (or SET-like) amps that would technically mate well with Sophia 2 (off the top of my head, I believe its sensitivity is 89db and has impedance dips to 2ohm on some parts of the spectrum). Wilson specifies the lower limit of matching amps at 12 watts, but I would feel more comfortable with at least 20 watts, which pretty much takes out most DHT-based amps. There do appear to be some 845/211-based amps that exceed 20 watts, but I get the impression that many of these amps are blurring the line between SET and solid state (not to mention their excessive weight; anything above 80-90 pounds is a problem, but not a complete deal-breaker.) I would also be open to some EL34-based amps, perhaps something as simple as a PrimaLuna amp. But with everything else remaining the same, I guess I don't know if changing the amp alone (given the limited pool of matching amps) would provide the sound I'm seeking.
2) I could add a tube DAC, perhaps something like a Lampi Big7 with its tube-rolling capabilities, but I'm not sure if it alone can provide the sound I'm seeking.
3) I could add a tube preamp, but again, I'm not sure if it alone can provide the sound I'm seeking.
What do you think? In my system, would changing any one (and only one) of these parts give me what I want? My budget is under $10k.
My current system is neutral, detailed, transparent and perhaps ever-so-slightly lean with a believable soundstage and concise imaging. This is very much what I want most of the time, but on occasion I want something on the opposite end of the sonic scale. So what do I want to change? Simply put, I'd like an occasional diet of SET-like presentation (huge, 3D soundstage with some midrange bloom and overall natural presentation). While I'm not necessarily seeking the syrupy sound that Cary used to be known for, I also don't want a hybrid that purports to provide a middle-ground between SET and traditional solid state (which would be great if I could only have one system); I want what SET is best at providing and will accept its traditional disadvantages (to a point, of course).
Just to be clear, I want to keep my current gear (except for the Bricasti which will eventually be replaced by BADA RS) and am seeking assistance on how to complement/rotate my system (in the same room) in order to get the secondary sound I seek. To that end, I think need to either add a second amp (presumably tube) or second DAC (presumably tube), or a preamp (presumably tube). At this point, I am looking to pursue only one of these options.
1) The obvious problem when adding a second amp is that there aren't many SET (or SET-like) amps that would technically mate well with Sophia 2 (off the top of my head, I believe its sensitivity is 89db and has impedance dips to 2ohm on some parts of the spectrum). Wilson specifies the lower limit of matching amps at 12 watts, but I would feel more comfortable with at least 20 watts, which pretty much takes out most DHT-based amps. There do appear to be some 845/211-based amps that exceed 20 watts, but I get the impression that many of these amps are blurring the line between SET and solid state (not to mention their excessive weight; anything above 80-90 pounds is a problem, but not a complete deal-breaker.) I would also be open to some EL34-based amps, perhaps something as simple as a PrimaLuna amp. But with everything else remaining the same, I guess I don't know if changing the amp alone (given the limited pool of matching amps) would provide the sound I'm seeking.
2) I could add a tube DAC, perhaps something like a Lampi Big7 with its tube-rolling capabilities, but I'm not sure if it alone can provide the sound I'm seeking.
3) I could add a tube preamp, but again, I'm not sure if it alone can provide the sound I'm seeking.
What do you think? In my system, would changing any one (and only one) of these parts give me what I want? My budget is under $10k.
