[alfagil]

I just got a new (to me) pair of In-Line Monoblocks (thank you EricB) delivered yesterday and after spending the entire evening listening I have to say they are surprisingly good.  It's nothing short of amazing that the tiny box housing each monoblock, which is smaller and much lighter than its companion 48V power supply, seems to be a better match on my system than my Wyred4Sound ST250.

Tidal (lossless "Hifi") was streaming through an iMac connected via Toslink to a Benchmark DAC1 Pre (which replaced a Doge 8 preamp and Moon 100 DAC), hooked up via RCAs to the ILMs, which then fed a pair of old Von Schweikert VR3.  The previous amp was the Wyred4Sound ST250 (and a Golden Tube Audio SE40SE before that).  All cabling is generic so that will probably be the next upgrade.

My first impression is that the ILMs present a large and spacious soundstage, noticeably more so than I was getting with the W4S.  Listening to some familiar vocal and live performances, I got the feeling that the singers presence and imaging on the soundstage was more palpable.  I was pleasantly surprised that absent was some of the brightness I had experienced upon the addition of the W4S/Benchmark combination.  This makes me think that the ILM is a tad warmer than the W4S, and in my system this is an improvement.  But I also noticed less bass when I played Matoma's Old Thing Back.  There's this bass note they play that reverberates as it decays and it's got more body when played through the W4S.  Through the ILMs it's still there but not nearly as much.

So I get more space and "thereness", slightly better imaging, less brightness with no apparent loss in detail, and on the down side I lose a little bass at the extremes.  And this is totally ok, since the Von Schweikerts are still able to deliver a full bodied sound that sounds very balanced and engaging to me. 

I'll listen through this same set-up to get more seat time and get a good feel for the sound before switching speakers.  Next will probably be the Zu Omen, then Magnepan 0.6QR, & I'll save my favorite Apogee Stage for last.

[uncola]

I'm still loving my ILM's.  Without them I'd probably be taking a break from music in my bedroom during summer because of amp heat(other amps). 
Eager to hear your impressions with other speakers like the sensitive zu omen

[alfagil]

I made a few changes.  The Zu Omens have replaced the Von Schweikerts and placed the ILMs right next to the speakers using 4-inch long pure silver ribbon speaker cables.   

The speakers are 7' apart, 4' from the side and back walls, with the listening chair 5' from the plane of the speakers. This probably makes it a nearfield situation. 




The Omens immediately sounded better than the VonS. Better resolution. It's a much newer speaker with fewer drivers, and there is no grill cloth. The VonS come with a sock that covers the entire cabinet. I've considered taking them off but that'd never be tolerated by my wife.   Anyway it's a big improvement so I'm probably going to sell the VonS. These Omens sound revealing and convey a sense of space well and sound more natural. Got me thinking how tekton lores would sound

[AmpDesigner333]

New Wires for In-Line Maraschinos....