Dartzeel CTH-8550 mk II vs NHB-108

[davelarz]

Hello all - looking for some Dartzeel advice as I contemplate moving from the Dart CTH mk II to an NHB-108 (mk I or II). I love the CTH but recently... in one of those bizarre findings that results from endless fiddling... I discovered that I love it even more when I run my tubed headphone amp (LTA MZ2) into it as a pre-amp. I suppose it's just kissing it with some tube goodness.

But I don't want to get sidetracked with a debate about that or have folks rushing to tell me there are better preamps out there in the world... I am aware believe me. The point is that this is how I'm listening to the CTH now and I think it sounds incrediballs... but of course it means that I have two preamps in the chain, which of course got me to thinking... as a Dart fanboy maybe I should try to move to the NHB-108.

The 108 MK I is available on the used market right now at a crazy low price (for Dart gear anyway) though granted it is possibly a 20-year-old amp (made by a manufacturer that is basically defunct). The MK II is also available at a doable price. So I'm just curious what you Dart cognoscenti out there think of the NHB vs the CTH and whether given any experience you have you think it would be an upgrade for me in my admittedly unique situation (I am doubting many of you have fronted these $40-60k amplifiers with a $1200 headphone amp as pre... but who knows!). I admit it gives me a little pause that the NHB (mk II) is rated at 150wpc while the CTH is 200, though a loss of power shouldn't be a big issue for me because I have relatively sensitive speakers (Stenheim 3's).

I'll leave it at that. Any thoughts welcome...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the 108 either Mk1 or Mk2 if your room is not huge with those speakers. get the Mk2 if you can. if you like to play really loud then the CTH might offer more driver control.

CTH is really good, but not quite as refined as either 108. the first watt of either 108 is special.

 

[davelarz]

Thanks Mike. My room is def not huge.

 

[microstrip]

The NH108 sounds surely fuller and more musical than the CTH8550, better treble, but lacks the power and drive of the CTH8550.

As your speakers are not particularly sensitive - 91 dB according to Stereophile measurements, not the non standard value quoted by the manufacturer - and are an hard load , my advice would be listen before you commit.

The CTH8550 could easily drive my Soundlab A1 Px's, the NH108 could not. For a long time the CTH was my reserve amplifier.

 

[davelarz]

Well that gives me a lot to think about - though I do think the Stens are an easy load overall and that the NHB would fare just fine driving them. But the real question is... well on the "if it ain't broke don't break it" line of thinking, what do I expect to gain from this move? I think I'm considering it just because putting a preamp before a preamp makes me think... well mate let's get rid of the unnecessary preamp. And of course there's the fact that I like to get new stuff...

The sound I'm getting now from the CTH fronted by the LTA MZ2 is... well look before I had the CTH I had the Ypsilon integrated. And I LOVED it. Nothing not to love about that piece. The sound of the Yip was super saturated and vivid, and the presentation was very immediate. The CTH was more neutral tonally and more ethereal with the most holographic soundstaging I've ever heard from solid state. That kind of holographic experience is probably my favorite thing about audio, the sense of a three-dimensional world that I could almost walk into if I weren't so glued to my chair. Like it's Narnia happening over there.

So I decided that I couldn't live without what the CTH was doing. That said, I was very sad to see the Yip leave.

Fronted by the MZ2, I'm getting a little taste of what I loved about the Yip while losing nothing of the CTH's core strengths. It's a little richer and wetter in tonality, a little more texture to the sounds, but still so expansive, and with what seems like almost weightier low end weight and slam.

So maybe, maybe I stick with what I have. Never been my strong suit.