[CaptainFantasy]

longtime lurker here.  has anyone had any extended listening time with the xr55 yet?  i have a limited budget, but an unlimited case of upgraditis.  have been considering the 55 so i can put more money toward speakers.

what speakers match well with the pannys?  i saw that someone over at audio asylum is powering a pair of onix ref1's with his xr50.  any other suggestions?

thanks,
- Cap'n F.

[Wayne1]

I use VMPS 626Rs with my modded SA-XR70.

I know at least one other person who uses 626Rs with a modded SA-XR45.

I have heard fair number of speakers on the Panny recievers. If you are planning of keeping it stock, I would NOT suggest anything with a metal tweeter.

I would suggest you get some form of power conditioning ASAP. A balanced power conditioner of around 10 amps would be great for a Panny based HT.

[CornellAlum]

I think that person Wayne is talking about is yours truly

There are TWO things in my opinion that make the xr series amps world class.  First, the mods.  The unit is fine by itself, but it really is a case where you get what you pay for.  The level of detail is there in the stock unit that requires a large investment otherwise, but soundstage is just not IMHO.  You will be much happier sinking money into the unit with mods.

2.  Power conditioning, specifically a balanced power conditioner which tend to not limit dynamics.  I used a BPT unit on the stock unit before mods and it was night and day sound-wise.  While I always thought the stock unit presented a black background, something about it made it seem hazy if that makes sense, almost like some white noise was there that shouldn't have been, electric if you will.   The BPT solved this for me.  I still have the bpt, and I believe Wayne uses an equi=tech unit on his fwiw.


In summary, the xr series amps are great for the money.  No where else can you drop three bills and get that level of perfomance from a stock unit.  However, there is a lot of potential in the unit just waiting to be released, but as with most things, this requires an investment.


Spend the money if you have it, if not, listen to what Wayne was saying about metal and all of the aforementioned comments.

Daryan

[CaptainFantasy]

I use VMPS 626Rs with my modded SA-XR70.

I know at least one other person who uses 626Rs with a modded SA-XR45.[/quote]

i've read a bit about the 626... very intriguing.  the R is probably steep for me right now.  what about the more reasonably-priced B&G speaker line?  haven't seen much written about them.  those tweeters look mighty fine.

I have heard fair number of speakers on the Panny recievers. If you are planning of keeping it stock, I would NOT suggest anything with a metal tweeter.

i HATE metal tweeters, so nothing to worry about there.  the ASW genius 100 speakers i've been eyeing have silk domes, but they're still pretty bright and forward... will that be a problem?

also, is it true that 4ohm loads overwhelm the pannys?

I would suggest you get some form of power conditioning ASAP. A balanced power conditioner of around 10 amps would be great for a Panny based HT.

i definitely plan to upgrade the power cord (something cheap or DIY, though).  as for power conditioner... what's the cheapest i could get?

i definitely don't have a spare $500 for mods, though it does sound intriguing.  maybe after a few months/year or so of stock ownership.

one last thought: the thing that really intrigues me about the xr55 is the "dual amping" capability.... effectively doubling the available power for 2-channel audio.  that alone seems like it would make the 55 heads-and-tails above its predecessors.  thoughts?

thanks for replies, btw!