[briang]

I am long time lurker, but rarely post and am hoping that someone might be able to share their thoughts.

My system consists of and Olive 4hd to a PS Audio PWD2 to an Axiom Audio passive to an AVA 550 double die + to Magnepan 3.7 speakers.  The cables are Grover Hoffman.   I am looking to make a change and am concentrating on the amp.  The Maggies are a recent purchase.  I bought them because I now have room for Maggies and I wanted to give them a try.  I have developed a great deal of respect for the 3.7s, but I definitely prefer point source imaging to line source.  Regardless, it will be at least another year before I make a speaker purchase to keep my wife happy.  The PWD2 is also going to be around for some time.  I like the PWD2, except for the digital volume control which is why I also use a passive pre.  I have owned the AVA amp for years and have gone through several upgrades.  The amp is very nice for the price, but the 33 db of gain is problematic.  In the end (short term), I would like to replace the amp and pull out the passive.

Sonic qualities:  neutrality, precision, and soundstage are all very important to me.  Depth is more important the width and I would eventually like to have a palpable 3d image with lots of spatial information and easy detail.  In theory, I would prefer musical over analytical, but in reality I don't seem to mind when a system occasionally has a slight drift to the analytical side as long as the timing is perfect.

Suspects:
Ayre VX-5:  I have always liked Ayre equipment and I am sure the reviews will be good.  Ayre has a history of offering upgrades and should have good resale value.  The input gain is 26 db, which should be fine for the Maggies but might not work with my next speakers.  It is also at the top of my price range and its physical depth might be a problem for my AV cabinet.
BMC CS2:  I like the look, it should have decent resale value, and it has a volume control.  I have only heard this piece once and was very impressed with the total system, but could not evaluate specific qualities of the amp itself.  It is also at the top of my price range.
Hegel H300:  The price is right, it has plenty of power, it has a volume control, and the resale should be decent for another year or two.  Although I have not heard this specific piece, I have heard Hegel in the past and was always impressed.
Class D:  Traditionally, I have not been overly impressed with Class D stuff, but I have not heard the latest and greatest and I have an open mind.

I realize that I should have a home audition, but I think whichever I bring home first will end up staying regardless of whether it is the strongest choice or not.

Any thoughts?

[bpape]

Look at a pair of tricked out Odyssey Stratos Monos.  In your price range, plenty of guts, Klaus will bias them for whatever speakers, you have/get, etc.  I'd think they'd be a sweet match for Maggies and may change your mind about getting rid of them....

Bryan

[geowak]

Funny I would first suggest looking at AVA. I think they make tremendous amps! Maybe they can customize one for you and trade in what you have? Also much said about Nuforce amps and Ncore. I also like Musical Fidelity and Parasound. I have the A21 driving MMGs very easy. Lots of choices....

[Cheeseboy]

I'm trying to find out what the Axiom Audio Passive Pre is all about.  IN looking at the chain perhaps the passive is not getting you the gain you need to make the maggies sing.  You may be able to add a pre-amp with gain and get the dynamics you are looking for. 

I'm concerned about the Axiom Audio's DNA.  Why are you using a Passive? 

McCheese

[briang]

I'm trying to find out what the Axiom Audio Passive Pre is all about.  IN looking at the chain perhaps the passive is not getting you the gain you need to make the maggies sing.  You may be able to add a pre-amp with gain and get the dynamics you are looking for. 

I'm concerned about the Axiom Audio's DNA.  Why are you using a Passive? 

McCheese

I have added the passive because I have too much gain.  The input of the AVA amp has 33 db of gain and the PWD2 is 2.7v through the single ended outputs and double that via balanced outputs.  The digital volume control at low volumes becomes noticeably funky.

[briang]

Thank you for the responses.

Odyssey – I forgot about them.
Nuforce – I had an in-home trial of the 9v2.  It was very different from the AVA, but I am not sure it was better.  FYI, the trial pair was used single ended rather than balanced.  I have purchased their headphones and SB-3Ts with happy results.
Parasound – I think the A21 is great for the price, but I would like to reach a bit higher.  The JC-1s would be very high on my list if they were not monoblocks.

[geowak]

Well you could look at the Musical Fidelity offerings. My dealer had a integrated set up, the M6500i. It was the most musical and powerful amp I had heard to date. Just fabulous. Dual mono design and it's a beast. I bet you cold get rid of the AVA and the Axiom, and insert this into the picture with great results.

Also Ayre is hard to beat. To me they are creme... The only other choice I can offer is ARC. They make top-notch gear, that sounds superb and holds it's value. Plus they pair very well with Maggies. A few people here on AC who own ARC gear can share their thoughts....

[charmerci]

You could ask AVA if they can reduce the input gain of the amp.

[srb]

I have always liked Ayre equipment ..... The input gain is 26 db, which should be fine for the Maggies but might not work with my next speakers.

You might want to also consider the Bryston 4BSST², a very nice refined and powerful amplifier with 300W/ch at 8 Ohms, 500W/ch at 4 Ohms and selectable gain of 23dB or 29dB.

Steve

[WGH]

The new Synergy amps are fabulous. I have had a couple of listening sessions with 4 other audiophiles and all agree that when the Synergy is compared to an NCore or a modded Naim amp the Synergy always sounds the best with Salk HT2-TL speakers. More comparisons are going to be done before any review is put together but so far it looks like Frank hit one out of the park with the Synergy series.

Wayne 

[OzarkTom]

I recently bought that new Job 225 amp for $1500. 6moons gave it a very glowing review including a Blue Moon award. This amp is the best AC powered amp that I have ever had at my place, even better sounding than the Ncores. It has fantastic depth and musicality.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/job/1.html

[a.wayne]

I am long time lurker, but rarely post and am hoping that someone might be able to share their thoughts.

My system consists of and Olive 4hd to a PS Audio PWD2 to an Axiom Audio passive to an AVA 550 double die + to Magnepan 3.7 speakers.  The cables are Grover Hoffman.   I am looking to make a change and am concentrating on the amp.  The Maggies are a recent purchase.  I bought them because I now have room for Maggies and I wanted to give them a try.  I have developed a great deal of respect for the 3.7s, but I definitely prefer point source imaging to line source.  Regardless, it will be at least another year before I make a speaker purchase to keep my wife happy.  The PWD2 is also going to be around for some time.  I like the PWD2, except for the digital volume control which is why I also use a passive pre.  I have owned the AVA amp for years and have gone through several upgrades.  The amp is very nice for the price, but the 33 db of gain is problematic.  In the end (short term), I would like to replace the amp and pull out the passive.

Sonic qualities:  neutrality, precision, and soundstage are all very important to me.  Depth is more important the width and I would eventually like to have a palpable 3d image with lots of spatial information and easy detail.  In theory, I would prefer musical over analytical, but in reality I don't seem to mind when a system occasionally has a slight drift to the analytical side as long as the timing is perfect.

Suspects:
Ayre VX-5:  I have always liked Ayre equipment and I am sure the reviews will be good.  Ayre has a history of offering upgrades and should have good resale value.  The input gain is 26 db, which should be fine for the Maggies but might not work with my next speakers.  It is also at the top of my price range and its physical depth might be a problem for my AV cabinet.
BMC CS2:  I like the look, it should have decent resale value, and it has a volume control.  I have only heard this piece once and was very impressed with the total system, but could not evaluate specific qualities of the amp itself.  It is also at the top of my price range.
Hegel H300:  The price is right, it has plenty of power, it has a volume control, and the resale should be decent for another year or two.  Although I have not heard this specific piece, I have heard Hegel in the past and was always impressed.
Class D:  Traditionally, I have not been overly impressed with Class D stuff, but I have not heard the latest and greatest and I have an open mind.

I realize that I should have a home audition, but I think whichever I bring home first will end up staying regardless of whether it is the strongest choice or not.

Any thoughts?

Maggies need current , Krell FPB series 300/400 is where i would start , Ayre is good also , but you need drive  ........


regards .

[a.wayne]

I recently bought that new Job 225 amp for $1500. 6moons gave it a very glowing review including a Blue Moon award. This amp is the best AC powered amp that I have ever had at my place, even better sounding than the Ncores. It has fantastic depth and musicality.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/job/1.html

I have heard good things about the Job's, just  not enuff power for 3.7's ....................

[briang]

Wow, thank you for all the great responses.

Bryston - Great name and great stuff, but I have never warmed to them.  Although, if my Olive dies, Bryston will be the first place I will look for a replacement.
Job - I also saw the 6moons review.  I think their input sensitivity is .75v, so I am not sure that would work.  Considering the cost, I would be willing to give this a try with my passive pre if the Job had more power.
Krell - I have never heard the FPB 300/400s.  I did a quick look on Audiogon and could not find a used price, so I have no idea what they would cost.  That said, heat and size might be an issue.  My home is in Atlanta.  I have tried their 150 watt integrated and it was very nice.  I also tried the S-275 with mixed results.

Thanks again,

[sharpsuxx]

Of the ones you posted I think the BMC really does everything well.  Very impressive stuff.  Great tone, unbelievable dynamics and build quality.  Other than that some of the Class D stuff out there is pretty good, the best I heard so far is D Sonic out of Texas.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/dsonic/1.html

They had by far the lowest noise floor of any amp I have ever heard although they lack some of the musicality of the BMC.  Class D still sort of flattens music for me, but amazing headroom dynamics and the lowest noise floor I have ever heard.

[briang]

Of the ones you posted I think the BMC really does everything well.  Very impressive stuff.  Great tone, unbelievable dynamics and build quality.  Other than that some of the Class D stuff out there is pretty good, the best I heard so far is D Sonic out of Texas.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/dsonic/1.html

They had by far the lowest noise floor of any amp I have ever heard although they lack some of the musicality of the BMC.  Class D still sort of flattens music for me, but amazing headroom dynamics and the lowest noise floor I have ever heard.

I complete agree about Class D, which is too bad for me because depth is one of my buttons.

[SteveFord]

Big tube monoblocks. 
I would imagine you have the air conditioning going this time of the year, anyway.
I lived in Georgia for a bit - even my tortises would collapse in the Summer.

[avahifi]

We can reduce the gain of your big AVA amplifier.  You might also consider the Fet Valve 600R upgrade.  It is essentially all new inside with multiple regulated power supplies, even the output mos-fets are regulated and they are new too.

There is a thread in the AVA circle here with many very satisfied owner's reports.

Call me to explain exactly what gain you need.  651-330-9871

Frank Van Alstine

[briang]

A bit of an update – I have yet to make a purchase because my wife decided that a dining room table was more important.

I happened to have some extra time on a business trip and spent Friday afternoon at the Capital Audio Fest.  I really like these kinds of shows and I meet lots of great people.

On the electronics side of things, what really appealed to me was Modwright and Arion Audio.  It is hard to tell what specific pieces are contributing in these demos, but I think I need to look at these two more closely. 

Also, I didn’t get a chance to check out Odyssey Audio because the door was locked – maybe next time.

Brian

[zuluwarrior0760]

i have 3.7s.

just replaced a pass x350.5 with Bryston 7bsst2s and could not be happier.

also got a bdp2 which i am having a blast using.  using dac from an esoteric k03 sacd player.

my pre is cat sl1renaissance with phono

listened to arc ds450s also.  realism collapsed compared to pass and bryston.  class d has
never pressed my buttons overall.

heard good thing about modwright.  avshowrooms just posted a video review of kwi200
with 3.6rs

good luck