I had really nice results with the Sapphires with the Manley Mahis, they seemed to
be a bit tighter, with more resolution across the board than the Prima Lunas. The
PL's had more of a vintage sound to me.
You would have to get an outboard phono stage, but one of the amps I just
reviewed with the Sapphires was the 200wpc Valve Audio. You can get em
at music direct for 3000 bucks. the 100wpc version is 1695, also quite good
depending on your power requirements. They are hybrid amps, with 6922 drivers
and solid state outputs, so a nice combination of warmth and control.
Honestly, I use the Sapphire XL's here quite a bit in my second system between
reviews and even in a system that approaches about 75k, the Sapphires still do
a fantastic job! The better the gear you hook em up to, the better they perform
and with the Titan XL sub they make a really impressive full range system for 3K!
The crossovers work well with any tube or transistor amp I've ever tried, and I've
probably hooked them up to about 30 different combinations over the last year!
You'll be surprised how much more music is lurking in those little speakers.
If you haven't picked up the sound anchor stands, this too will take them to
another level of resolution!
Happy shopping,
