Accuphase or Leben for heavy metal

You really can't make broad generalizations about Metal, there are so many different subgenres! Even these below get broken down even further. Some types have excellent production while others are compressed and poorly recorded on purpose :)

Though I rarely listen really loud (I use a 45 watt tube amp with efficient speakers with excellent results)

I agree with this ....

@atmasphere Wrote:

@apanhc Just so you know, there's no way to design an amplifier (or loudspeaker) for a certain genre of music. As long as you have the bandwidth and power to reproduce the signal at a lifelike level you're golden, as long as the electronics and speakers actually sound like music (rather than electronics) while doing their job.

If you like to play loud, you might consider more efficient speakers. For example if your speakers were 96dB instead, you'd only need 1/4th the amplifier power to make the same sound pressure and quite often you get greater dynamic contrast and greater detail at the same time.

The greater dynamic contrast has to do with less thermal compression in the voice coils that you get with higher efficiency drivers. The greater detail often has to do with the efficiency as well, since the drivers are often faster.

OP has speakers already. They are 90db 1W/1m in his original post manufacturer is Piega. Might be the Coax line. If so nice speakers. Worth driving well.

I would be searching something near the 250W/ch @ 8ohm or more, 0.1 Farad of capacitance min and 1KVA torridal transformer min. Not saying a nice Luxman won’t fit the bill however moving up the power scale will help tremendously.

My decision (I’m a metalhead too) was to purchase something that can do almost anything very well and leave that component alone for a very, very long time. For me I purchased a Pass Labs X350.5 as a power amp moving away from the Luxman M02’s I purchased in 1987. Once the power is done for me I can focus on preamplification and sources. I have a good smattering of speakers so I am good there for a while too. Used the same process of getting what I need for what I listen to......

Cerwin Vega AT15’s for some dancing fun when company comes over or if I just want to wail on it with say.... METAL!! Stratovarius Visions of Europe. Excellent power metal.

Monitor Bronze used for connecting anything new to the system just to ensure that if something goes wrong (short in a cable) then good chance this will be the failing component, at a low cost.

PSB Stratus Gold I’s because they were a great deal for a rather quality speaker that can lend itself to projects like fully active.

Day to day

For the delicate stuff Maggie 1.7’s with active crossover and subs.

For the main’s Krell Resolution 1’s.

Exchanging gear can get costly so I prefer to make moves that I won't have to make again for a while such as in amps, preamps, turntables, etc. Rule is if I buy something I have to sell something. For speakers it's a bit more fluid but if OP has the Coax line then I would stop there!

Atmasphere frequently comments on "music specific" gear being a silly idea and I agree 100%. Maybe you don’t want mini monitors for metal, but maybe you don’t want those for Mahler either. Or maybe you do. Do you plan to sit 50’ away from your system? No? Does anybody sit there listening to metal at 115 db? Don’t answer that. I’ve spent many decades playing electric guitar too damn loud and now go between 15 watt and 18 watt tube guitar amps and either one can still play REALLY loud although I don’t do that...pedals...gotta have my pile of pedals. My hifi rig uses Klipsch Heresy IIIs (allegedly 99db efficient) and 2 RELs with either a 15 watt Had SEP or a Pass XA-25. I sit 9’ or so away from the speakers and loud (for me anyway) uses maybe 3 watts, although I have no clue. Weirdly, the system won’t play mumblecore or polka so there’s that.

Hi - I don't think I've posted before, but thought I'd chip in here as I've (very nearly) the two amps and listen to quite a bit of metal.

I've three integrated amps: Accuphase E-550, Leben CS600X and Mcintosh 6700 which are rotated between Peak Consult Princess V and Kudos Titan 606 speakers. If I were to pick solely for listening to metal I'd put the Leben and Mcintosh joint second (Leben for normal levels, Mc for louder in big rooms) but the Accuphase quite far ahead of both.

The Accuphase can be beautifully visceral with great texture (lead guitrs) and I've never found it wanting in the drive department.

My comment about the Mcintosh is possibly more to do with their house sound (music tends to pleasantly waft over you vs make your ears bleed) rather than the pros/cons of more watts.