2. amps-preamps
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A3cr or AES DJH?

Hello all - Just wanted to float this question to anyone who might have experience with either piece of gear. I recently got a ridiculous deal on a Musical Fidelty A3cr power amp - needed power for my latest speaker acquisition, Infinity RS IIIa's. I had been driving them with my Pioneer SX-850 receiver which I am now using as a pre-amp for the A3cr. Sound is great, but I sense I'm on the verge of a top-notch system here and want to take the plunge on a pre-amp, perferably one with a remote. I could get either the matching pre from MF - A3cr preamp - or an AES DJH signature for roughly the same price shipped, in the 550-700 range. I have a rough idea that the A3cr power amp could benefit from tubes and yet there is something compelling about the idea of having its matching piece (which of course received glowing reviews back in the day from the Stereophile set). Anyone out there have any thoughts, experiences to share? Thanks so much for any insight. 
davelarz
halifax
51 posts
 
I had the a3cr pre and power amps, and switched to a sonic frontiers line 1, which to me sounded like an upgrade.  I enjoyed the combo and would be tempted for the AES tube pre over the matching pre just for the fun of it. Since I have not heard the AES, in that price you may be able to find an older conrad johnson  tube preamp which would be super nice with the a3cr.  Make sure the output and input impedance are compatible.
davelarz OP
43 posts
 
Thanks for responding Halifax, appreciate it. Funny, I thought about the SF1 as well, a few of them out there on the used market. But I went for the matching a3cr pre - price was great, piece was pristine, and the DJH has a high output that I was worried about matching up with a3cr amp. Not great reviews on the DJH remote either (man I'm loving having a remote again). Anyway, I'm really impressed with the a3cr combo. Main characteristic to me is non-fatiguing detail. Soundstage is pretty deep as well for ss pieces. Could use a shade more warmth and coloration, but on the whole I tend to prefer detail over warmth so I'm happy. I can definitely imagine going to a tube phono pre at some point down the line. Currently running a black cube and it sounds great but I primarily listen to vinyl and I think introducing some tubes into the chain will work out nicely. 
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