are the NATs more full bodied sounding than the Audions?
I've heard the Audions extensively, including in my own room (I'm a local friend of 213Cobra, Spirit)
Graham, the entry level NAT pre, retailing at 7k, usually available from manufacturer direct at much less, was rated at 2, behind ypsilon's 23k retail pre, by a German mag.
Btw, I heard the tune audio anima with Aries cerat interested yesterday. Best speaker for me, along with a custom made horn I heard in Berlin. What amps does your friend drive them with?
Interesting...what are your thoughts on the Aries Cerat? I have a photo of it...but it wont load 899k too big? did you manage to hear the Aries reference horn speakers by any chance? even briefly?
Interesting...what are your thoughts on the Aries Cerat? I have a photo of it...but it wont load 899k too big? did you manage to hear the Aries reference horn speakers by any chance? even briefly?
The system sounded really good. The Cerat integrated weighs at 115 kg. I really can't compare it to anything because I have heard the Animas sounding great with even two devialets used as monos, lol. That said the decay and musicality was high, and it sounded better than his lower end cerat pre going into a heavily modded jolida.
They were demoed with Cerat monos in Munich in 2011 and it was considered to be one of the best rooms.
The best thing about Animas is that amps become less important. Yes, you can always improve sound but you won't need to. This guy had fluctuating dirty power he has left untreated and his system sounded better than sota power grounded systems
Bonzo,
Would love to have heard the Aries Cerat, they would be the perfect spiritual match physically with the Animas given their striking visual appearance. Bit OTT on the big ram logo but even that has a charm.
I've heard the Animas at his place with his Manley 300b single ended amps as well as a pair of 50w class A monos by Pure and the crazy Greek horns even sounded great with a Bakoon. But for me the SET amps were the best marriage. Like many good horns they can be marvelously musical and kind to any gear as long as it has the right spirit and a low noise floor.
Ps Spirit, let Bonzo twist your arm, the Animas are just genuinely fantastic and the only other pair of speakers I've heard that appeal to me as much as the big Maggie's, oh so different but oh so very right at the same time. They have the sound, life like dynamics and scale as well as a presence that is both sonic as well as physical.
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