Best Amps for Sonus Faber Aida and Later Generation Sonus Speakers?

[caesar]

Aida seems very hard to drive. Heard Aidas with Audio Research, but it doesn't seem to be able to drive them to sound good with anything but small scale stuff and vocals. Can't rock with The Who with even ARC 750 monoblocks.

But recently heard the Aidas with Soulution. WOW!!!!

 

[LL21]

I have spoken offline with a member here with a fantastic amount of experience and who is methodical almost to the extreme in his system design and setup. He told me that he heard the Aidas also being driven by a muscle amp and was underwhelmed by the experience...and just out of curiosity asked for the Zanden 9600 monos to be substituted, and he was blown away by the dramatic improvement in what he was hearing.

At the time, I had asked this member for advice about the Zanden 9600 monos, and this was part of the extremely positive answer he gave me.

 

[Birdwatcher]

These are really good news, as I am interested in SF speakers for my Zanden 9600 MkII amps. Maybe not the bigger Aida or Stradivari, but Amati Futura or a Serblin Ktema.
Any advice on it?

 

[LL21]

These are really good news, as I am interested in SF speakers for my Zanden 9600 MkII amps. Maybe not the bigger Aida or Stradivari, but Amati Futura or a Serblin Ktema.
Any advice on it?

If this audiophile (who has communicated with me privately) thought the 9600 II were one of the all time great experiences and particularly was floored by its pairing with the SF Aida, I do think you might wish to really ensure you have kept all SF speaker options on the table, including the SF Strads which I owned years ago. I think Amati Futura and 9600 could also be a great pairing potentially...heard 9600MKi and Futura individually but never together. Not heard the Ktema but understand from those who have that it is sublime. Again, strong candidate for magic with Zanden for me.

 

[microstrip]

These are really good news, as I am interested in SF speakers for my Zanden 9600 MkII amps. Maybe not the bigger Aida or Stradivari, but Amati Futura or a Serblin Ktema.
Any advice on it?

I used the Amati Futura with an Audio Research REF150 in my room and it was a perfect pairing, but only if the room is not too absorbing in the high frequencies - the Futura can show treble shy and lack air in rooms with heavy curtains or heavily damped in the high frequencies .

The Futura managed to disappear in my room much better than the Stradivari in the same room and they sounded wonderful with voices. Nowadays, if we like them, at used prices they are a really bargain,

 

[Hiempie]

I use Spectral amp and preamp for about 15 years now and this is a wonderfull combination.