Hi all,
Am in a bit of a conundrum. Have a good price on a refurbished Sovereign Power Signature amplifier.
Price aside, I'm not entirely sure I should proceed with that or with a good class D amplifier. D-sonic's Pascal products seem to be one of the best value/quality ones in the $2-$5K bracket.
The logic for the Sovereign stems, in a most unscientific manner, from as exhaustive a comparison I could make over the last year online:
The Aaron No.3 Millenium amp apparently trumps a Wells Innamorata, and on capable Vapor Nimbus speakers. The Sovereign is the big brother of the Aaron, and the manufacture stated on email that the sound of the Power is in another class compared with the No. 3.
I am located in the UK and it has been utterly impossible trying to get these amps in the same room, short of purchasing them.
I am running Amarra 4 > Schiit Yggdrasil > Class D Audio SDS-470 amplifiers > Custom Vapor monitors. In all humility, and in honest puzzlement when contrasted with my query on the cheaper products above, I genuinely preferred this system over a full MBL TOTL system, Magico S5s, Giya G1s, etc. I've tried headphones as well, seeking a viable upgrade path - a Chord Dave, with a Wells Audio amplifier and Audeze LCD 4s last month were actually dull. The imaging, soundstage and density of my current set up, esp as near fields, is comparatively more attractive. A definitive jump would be the Radio D4.1 (quite the 'clamping' of a soundstage) and the YG Sonjas (mainly for scale, though the RAAL tweeters are v likely clearer). I admit hearing all these on separate occasions, often with friends to compare notes with, but it has only made me question the price-quality balance almost all of us struggle with in this hobby.
In short, I am stuck on the inevitable upgrade path without spending exponentially more money.
Genuinely grateful if anyone has any experience or thoughts on the above.