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Assistance with Coincident set-up

I have Coincident Total Victory IV speakers with Frankenstein II 300b amps and a Supratek Cortese Preamp. The components sound very good but when I listen to classical music I would like to have a little more push when the music goes from a soft passage to something loud.
I don’t want to lose any low level detail , that the Frankenstein amp is known for, or as little as possible.
I have $4000-$5000 to spend on new or used.I can’t afford the Dragon II amps they are 10K, and that is out of the question but if I had the money that is what I would get.
My question is will a more powerful amp help or if I changed the preamp would that give the classical music a little more up front push? I want a remote control and phono with the preamp.The Coincident speakers and amps sound very good, My system never sounded so good , I hate to mess with it but if I can make the classical music a little more dynamic I’ll be all set .
I’ve only had two tube amps in the past one a 300b and the other a 45. Is there another tube other than the 300b someone can recommend ?
I’ll keep the Frankenstein until I can find and amp that has the low level detail of the Frank with more power.I may keep the Frankenstein forever it is that good !

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, my listening room is 12 feet wide and 17 feet long with 7.5 feet ceilings.

Abill
abill
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Abill,
Another point, the initial production CSL had 20db of gain and this was far too much for my system. the current CSL has 10db of gain which is just right for me. If you`re interested give Israel a call for his suggestion concerning gain choices.
onemug
784 posts
 
I have not heard the Shindo preamp so I didn't comment on it. I've read it's a great preamp and I think I read that it has a high output impedance, maybe in the 1000's???. If that's true, you may benefit from another preamp. Synergy goes a long way.

No doubt that Coincident would be a great choice. I am very happy with a CJ ACT 2.2 and ART 3 for my pres. They do that "dynamic contrast" thing well. I enjoy their remote and there's plenty of rca inputs. No phono though, but I like the idea of choosing my own phono stage for that "synergy" thing. The "thing" is very big with me. :-)
maril555
619 posts
 
Abill,
I have auditioned Coincident Franks. with Coincident speakers (Pure Reference) on more, than one occassion, since I was going to buy that particular combo.
What was very clear to me, is that Frankensteins simply do not have enough power to drive these speakers adequately on dynamic music. I had exactly the same feeling, as you do.
All Coincident speakers have an efficiency rating of 92-94 dBs, which according to some measurements, is somewhat "optimistic", and even then, assuming the efficiency claims were accurate, there is no way in hell 6 Wt.of SE power is anywhere near enough to play dynamic music realistically.
My current speakers are 108 dB efficient and my amp is 25 Wt/Ch., and sometimes I get a feeling, that they could benefit from more power.
If you had a chance to listen to a speaker, similar to mine, you would understand, what "dynamic" really means.
And again, "dynamic" has nothing to do with the speaker's ability to play loud, absolutely nothing.
IMHO, i don't think you can address this issue with a different preamplifier, cables, etc.simply because, you cannot change certain laws of physics, there is no substitute for power in this particular instance.
abill OP
80 posts
 
Maril555,
I notice you have a Supratek Preamp,I assume the preamp is not a problem for your dynamics ?
What would you recommend for an amp with more power ?
Do you like the Linear A ?
I always wondered how that amp would sound with my system.

Thanks,
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Maril555 makes some good points, and once again proves nothing will satisfy everyone all the time. That Frankenstein-Pure Reference combo did`nt suit him( HEY IT HAPPENS) yet gon member montrjay has had that same pairing for several years and is ecstatic with all music genres to my understanding, yep,just the way it goes.

Maril555 is right, there`s a difference between playing loud and having dynamic contrasts, I get both with my system.

Abill if you live near Michigan I`d bring my CSL to you to audition. It that solves your problem, great. If that does`nt improve the matter, well you may just need a larger amp.
Best Regards,
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