So having listened to the Momentums with the R1s and the Ref 40 (sources are esoteric P02/D02/G0), initial impressions, all in my room, system and ears....
This is an impressive amp. In the sense that being so small it really delivers the power needed to move the speakers with no problem at all. Gives a weightfull presentation and when it needs to deliver in big crescendos with the volume up it has no problem. With big orchestras per instance, throws a powerful sound and presentation, credible in that sense, and there is no sign of constrains of any kind. Gives you a huge soundstage in those cases as well. Nice. The needle of the power output, rarely passes the middle point. I guess the R1s are not too much of a difficult load after all, but I don't think these amps will have problems driving almost any speaker. They do get hot though. Very. But does not seem to affect performance.
It is a bit noisy. Sound of transformer can be heard more or less loud depending on the moment, at least with these units. But that does not interfere in the music.
IN terms of sound resembles very much what I've read and heard around. It is very "musical" with emphasis in the mid and low mid region. So I guess what you call a warm presentation. Is pleasant and easy to listen to. It controls very nicely the lows and is not short there. It goes deep and with control. Only in the very deep, like double bass you feel maybe it could go a bit deeper and wit more impact but not by much. It is at is best when playing big orchestras like symphonies or the orchestral parts of concertos. The soundstage grows to very credible sizes in these cases and produces a very pleasant sound. Fantastic reproduction of winds and brass.
Personally I would like more high extensions and speed. Also a bit more transparency, inner detail, transient attack, air and focus in the presentation. THat is what I missed the more when listening to them so far. I feel Siltech cables are a no go for these amps. I will give it a listen with Mexcel cables today, which are much faster and extended. I think they are going to be a better match for these amps. NOt sure how much they will make them improve in those areas to meet my likings.
These amps sound best with big large passages. Listening to a symphony, with the musical and weightfull presentation is a pleasure.Plenty of power and nice layout. Fantastic tuneful winds, that are more prominent in the overall presentation than I have heard with other ams, making the whole thing more sweet and "listenable". Goes very wide.
With concertos, when the soloist kicks in, the size of the soloist goes bigger in relative terms to the rest of the presentation, making him be all over the place in a way. It has good 3D so you hear him up front but it is a bit too large and so you fell it should be more focused. This is specially the case in violin concertos. Solo violin passages are fine, with all the meat when it goes to the mid to low registers. But up the highs I like it to be a bit faster and more extended. Also to go deeper into the playing. When Violin is playing along with the orchestra you either miss it or have too much of it depending on the register of the violin plying.
IN chamber orchestra, the sound is overall very pleasant when considered as a whole. It could be more focused with more air between players in the presentation again to my likings. Same thing as said above stands. First violin you miss, while cello is very good.
These are my fists impressions. They may change as I do more listening and tune a bit the system to try to better adapt to the nature of these amps. We will see.
One thing is clear. The R1s are chameleonic speakers, depending on what you put upstream.
My DartZeel NHB108 is very different from any other solid state amplifier I have listened to in my system - even from a good friend DartZeel integrated that has been in my listening room several times.
