All:
Scot Hull just posted a fun write-up on a few amps powering Maggie 3.7s and Tekton Pendragons. It makes for an interesting comparison of how the sound of these amplifiers differ.
http://parttimeaudiophile.com/2013/11/27/magnepan-and-tekton-meet-pass-labs-odyssey-job-merrill-red-wine-audio-first-watt-and-vitus-audio/Powering Maggie 3.7s:
...the Liliana brought organic life to the party. I was immediately struck by how similar the Red Wine sound was to the xxxx — warm, rich, tonally dense — but it then added another level of refinement and some very welcome top-end finesse.
With the Tekton Pendragon SEAS:
Moving from the Veritas to the Liliana was something of a whipsaw — I was clearly back to a “tone amp”. Where the Veritas has created a sense of mastery and control, the Liliana brought organic life to the party. I was immediately struck by how similar the Red Wine sound was to the Odyssey — warm, rich, tonally dense — but it then added another level of refinement and some very welcome top-end finesse.
In the Wrap-up:
Speaking of tube gear, the $5,995/pair Liliana monos from Red Wine Audio were easily the surprise of the bunch. It’s hard to argue with these amps — the sound stage is reference-level, the tone is fabulous, and the bass beats the living piss out of what your typical tube amp would ever be able to produce — and they can do that into loudspeakers that would routinely make a tube-amp blush and look for some kind of towel to wrap up in. Just remember to flip to full-battery to get the most that these have to offer!
The even better news is that a dedicated review of the Isabella and Lilianas is coming next!
Scot is clearly a busy dude and we appreciate his time to conduct this amp comparison and the upcoming full review - I'll be sure to post it when it is live
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving (in the areas that it is celebrated)!
Vinnie
