I would start listening just to the amplification in my current system with the source that is going to be used. But we must consider we do not have any details about the OP, his preferences or motivations - we are just debating our old divergences, adding some recent findings!
Both can be great systems. And "all" good advice above. I think the amplifier choice, while both are top notch, will yield a different sound. Also your room size and sources/cables maybe should be factored in. You might be better off with Sasha 2's, Gyphon Diablo + better(or keep your existing if good) cables/sources. The Sasha's are killer good....sure you can always get better. Just depends are you on the upgrade path down the road or you want it best now and that's it.
What's your room like? This can have a impact as well...wish it was a easy answer !
I can not find any of these characteristic in any of the posts in this thread. As you, I asked for more details and IMHO the debate was intrinsically related to the OP. WBF become a great forum in the past just because it was a place where we could debate these divergent subjects openly, most of the time slightly off topic, but triggered by a related subject.
I can not find any of these characteristic in any of the posts in this thread. As you, I asked for more details and IMHO the debate was intrinsically related to the OP. WBF become a great forum in the past just because it was a place where we could debate these divergent subjects openly, most of the time slightly off topic, but triggered by a related subject.
Direct answer to direct question-if the room is right I would choose the Alexia and Diablo 300.
Permutation for my money-Sasha 2 with Diablo 300.
If you can hear it- Gryphon Pantheon with Diablo 300.
Both can be great systems. And "all" good advice above. I think the amplifier choice, while both are top notch, will yield a different sound. Also your room size and sources/cables maybe should be factored in. You might be better off with Sasha 2's, Gyphon Diablo + better(or keep your existing if good) cables/sources. The Sasha's are killer good....sure you can always get better. Just depends are you on the upgrade path down the road or you want it best now and that's it.
What's your room like? This can have a impact as well...wish it was a easy answer !
Thank you all of your suggestion. My CD is ARC CD9, and my room is about 25?. While I'd rather tend to alexia and Gyphon Diablo300, I don't know whether my thinking is right or not?
Thank you all of your suggestion. My CD is ARC CD9, and my room is about 25?. While I'd rather tend to alexia and Gyphon Diablo300, I don't know whether my thinking is right or not?
The matching between the Audio Research CD9 and the amplification will be a factor to be considered. I have owned the CD9 just before moving to the Metronome's and it is an excellent CD but it is a tubed unit with capacitor coupling. It sounds much better than can be expected for the price when partnered with an ARC preamplifier, and prefers an high input impedance in the preamplifier - the Boulder (100 kohm balanced ) seems perfect. The CD9 has better bass definition than older ARC tube CD players and will perfectly control the bass of both speakers.
I recently listened to an all ARC system with the CD9 incorporating the new Sabrina and was really impressed. It does not have the scale of the Alexia's or Sasha's, but the system was really bewitching. Voices sounded natural and the acoustic spaces was displayed with a sense of freedom we seldom experience in reproduced music. I would have not believed that the CD player was a CD9 if I had not seen it!
So there have been quite a few votes for the Diablo300 Alexia pairing. Glad to hear that but I still think the diablo 300 has been shortchanged here. The old diablo happily ate high end pre/power combos for breakfast. It does not take great insight to see the 300 is not going to be a step down from that....
