Endgame pre-power or Int recommendations
- Thread starter Thieliste
- Start date
that is what you get when you draw conclusions from chatter rather than experience. The speaker is simply very extended in the treble (no rolloff) and revealing so it has no forgiveness for less than stellar high frequency signal and you learn quickly that a lot of amps are dirtier up there than you realized. Does it exaggerate the flaws? Perhaps, but when it is right then the highs sound just fine with the speakers. Go find a pair to hear and then mix in about a dozen or more amps then we can compare notes...
At this level, lengthy demos are necessary, IMO, unless you are very sure of the sound you can expect.
Ypsilon pre-power : €52K before discount.
Aries Cerat pre-power : €46K before discount.
T+A Integrated + PSU : €24.5K before discount.
Hi jasbirnandra the pic that you see in the first page of my thread was taken at my home with my distributor's Ypsilon pre-power combo.
I will PM you with his phone no, i have no idea if he is allowed to sale outside o France.
Dear Thieliste,
I’m a newbie on this Forum and also French native. Sorry guys for my so-so English.
I know Ypsilon and like this brand (had Aelius 2 and Phaethon at home a while back).
I am running a JMF HQS 6002 on my Rockport Avior. Within your budget I would suggest you to audition a pair of HQS 6001 + their matching preamp PRS 1.5.
The only drawback is that you will need to travel a bit to see JMF factory. Then an audition at home could be organized with the manufacturer.
I have never auditionned Aries Cerat. But I know CH and Gryphon pretty well ; two other excellent options. Not to mention Nagra stuff; one Classic preamp with two, bridged, Classic amps. Also in your budget.
If you want to talk over the phone, don’t hesitate to PM me.
Cheers
Laurent
I’m a newbie on this Forum and also French native. Sorry guys for my so-so English.
I know Ypsilon and like this brand (had Aelius 2 and Phaethon at home a while back).
I am running a JMF HQS 6002 on my Rockport Avior. Within your budget I would suggest you to audition a pair of HQS 6001 + their matching preamp PRS 1.5.
The only drawback is that you will need to travel a bit to see JMF factory. Then an audition at home could be organized with the manufacturer.
I have never auditionned Aries Cerat. But I know CH and Gryphon pretty well ; two other excellent options. Not to mention Nagra stuff; one Classic preamp with two, bridged, Classic amps. Also in your budget.
If you want to talk over the phone, don’t hesitate to PM me.
Cheers
Laurent
Hi @Thieliste
any update on your search process?
I've got the Chord Blu2Dave mscaler/DAC combo and have been using it directly connected to a Pass Labs XA30.8 with excellent results. Some weeks ago I tried an Ypsilon PST100 mk2 preamp in this chain and was shocked by the improvement in the soundstage and the overall presentation (in the Ypsilon's active/tubed mode). Actually the Ypsilon has been the first preamp which delivered in my system without giving up much on the detail level the Dave provides.
Based on this positive experience I'm thinking about upgrading from the XA30.8 to the Ypsilon Aelius 2 monoblocks (I didn't like the XA60.8 monoblocks which should have been a logical upgrade path).
Any suggestion regarding a power amp to the Blu2Dave / Ypsilon PST100 mk2 combo (my speakers are 95 dB single drivers in crossoverless connection with a pair of Rel T/5i subs). Cheers.
any update on your search process?
I've got the Chord Blu2Dave mscaler/DAC combo and have been using it directly connected to a Pass Labs XA30.8 with excellent results. Some weeks ago I tried an Ypsilon PST100 mk2 preamp in this chain and was shocked by the improvement in the soundstage and the overall presentation (in the Ypsilon's active/tubed mode). Actually the Ypsilon has been the first preamp which delivered in my system without giving up much on the detail level the Dave provides.
Based on this positive experience I'm thinking about upgrading from the XA30.8 to the Ypsilon Aelius 2 monoblocks (I didn't like the XA60.8 monoblocks which should have been a logical upgrade path).
Any suggestion regarding a power amp to the Blu2Dave / Ypsilon PST100 mk2 combo (my speakers are 95 dB single drivers in crossoverless connection with a pair of Rel T/5i subs). Cheers.
Have you looked at the Aries Cerat Diana Forte? It has 60 watts of pure SET magic from the big bottle 813 tubes. And there is also a Concern 25 mono block if you can get away with less watts.
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Another very good one is the Italian Riviera. The pre+power on the Wilson grand slamm X1 was brilliant, it is a 50w hybrid. I never got to compare it with anything except had heard an older Levinson in that room which had left me unmoved. Gian and his friends have very good exposure to both CH and to Riviera. The Italian OTL Alieno os also worth auditioning. You will need to shortlist these and get the dealers to rotate all of these at home. Worth doing auditions and then paying the dealer/distro for one, it is then the right one and you don't lose money swapping it out if you buy from the used market. Many of these do not have good resale though as brands are not yet established.
You should get the Aelius 2 if you already have the the PST 100 mk2, great combo that i had on demo at home.
Regarding my search, favorite tube pre-power is Aries Cerat and for SS CH Precision.
Favorite DAC Totaldac top of the line.
Whether tube or ss, integrated or separates - at ANY price - I've not heard anything that can compare to the ASR Emitter II Exclusive, when it comes to sheer musical involvement. The downside is the space required for four heavy parts (3 power supplies and the main chassis), and the lack of exposure/service in the USA. Fortunately, it's been rock steady for four years, without a hicciup of any kind.
As you can drive to CH, you can consider these for BOTH finesse and brute power: (only sold in Switzerland)...
https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_labspre.php plus PSU https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_psu.php
. full discrete Single Ended Class-A circuit (Optimal dynamic sensitivity circuit)
and for POWER:
https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_one.php
https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_labspre.php plus PSU https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_psu.php
. full discrete Single Ended Class-A circuit (Optimal dynamic sensitivity circuit)
- Cinema-Direct input with priority
- optional: phono input for MM and MC
- external power-supply needed
- inputs (stereo): 6 cinch, 1 Cinema-Direct
- input sensitivity (1V output): 300mV
- input impedance: 10k?
- outputs (stereo): 2 cinch, 1 XLR
- output impedance: 50?
- signal-to-noise ratio: >110dB
- distortions THD (20Hz-20kHz, 1kHz): <0.006%, <0.002%
- dimensions (w×h×d): 21.5×6.8×29.0 cm
and for POWER:
https://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_one.php
- power: 1×240W RMS 8? and 1×3500W 0.5?
2-channel: 2×65W RMS 8? and 2×1000W 0.5? - full-symmetric construction with two toroidal transformers
- pure discrete circuit without global feedback
- input: XLR
- input impedance: 50k?
- signal-to-noise ratio: 124dB
- distortions THD (20Hz-20kHz): <0.01%
- damping factor (at 8?): overcompensated - negative output impedance
- dimensions (w×h×d): 21.5×21.7×30.5 cm
Hard to imagine from my memories of older ASR gear. They sounded like fallen asleep warm feet. Maybe I should give them another listen.
ASR 2 exc was nice but not transparent or clean compared to many pre power alternatives. I'd describe them as warm n wooly..
We compared it to Kronzilla monoblocks many years ago and one guy actually exclaimed that he couldn't understand it but that compared to the Kronzillas the Emitter sounded "broken".
I've been absent from the forum for a few years, so hello to all! I thought i'd share my 2c. Based on your current speakers and budget Thieliste, I would keep your eyes and ears open for the upcoming Vitus SIA-030 for the same reasons Bonzo noted earlier. It will give you the flow, liquidity and tone of a good tube amp, with the control, bandwidth and quietness of ss.
From my discussions with Hans Vitus, the new integrated is been designed to get as close to the Masterpiece Series preamp & mono's as possible, though obviously not as extreme as the MP-I201. It will have approximately 30 watts Kl.A and 200 watts Kl.A/B (true RMS), and be roughly the same dimensions as a Masterpiece mono chassis (though not quiet as deep). I'd expect to see recent innovations such as Intelligent Class A bias and multiple sound modes. There will also be a dac/streamer option board going forward.
The projected msrp is €27K without option boards, and Vitus will be debuting the amp at Munich, 2019. All things going well, I plan to upgrade at some stage in 2019.
From my discussions with Hans Vitus, the new integrated is been designed to get as close to the Masterpiece Series preamp & mono's as possible, though obviously not as extreme as the MP-I201. It will have approximately 30 watts Kl.A and 200 watts Kl.A/B (true RMS), and be roughly the same dimensions as a Masterpiece mono chassis (though not quiet as deep). I'd expect to see recent innovations such as Intelligent Class A bias and multiple sound modes. There will also be a dac/streamer option board going forward.
The projected msrp is €27K without option boards, and Vitus will be debuting the amp at Munich, 2019. All things going well, I plan to upgrade at some stage in 2019.
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I used ASR 4 box for 4 years or so, and during that time I did enjoy my music, it was only when I became involved with Concert Fidelity and received their pre and initially ZL120V2SE mono's, then also the big ZL200's, that I realised how coloured the ASR really was. I does make a nice sound, and will suit many music lovers tastes, but ultimately I prefer the transparency of the CF amps by quite a margin.
Rgds,
Paul.
