Hansen Prince: Dartzeel, Soulution or Boulder

The Hansen's are truly a transparent speaker, so they will take on the character of whatever amp you go with. The bass does need some control so I suggest SS, but then you will probably need tubes somewhere in the chain so the top end can shione, like the pre.

Why don't you call Wes Bender directly. He's heard these paired with many different amps and could give you a perspective. His number is on his web page (Wes Bender Studios).

Ptmconsulting,

Thanks for your input, much appreciated. Wonder if for instance the Dartzeel pre would be a good match which Soulution power amp. I'm expect the Dartzeel pre-amp will be more warmish sounding than the Soulution pre (at least if Dartzeel pre has a similar sound as the power amp). I've owned the Dartzeel amp in the past and liked it a lot. I only would have preferred if the Dartzeel had a bit more power in the bass.

At our HIFI club, Boulder and Wilson shared a demo with reps of the companies setting them up. I don't know if it was Boulder, or the very high priced Wilsons, or the cables, but the results were abismal. Be sure to listen to these components together at a stereo store or get disappointed

Hififreak, I'm a big fan of the Hansens and all the electronics you mention, albeit only recently with the Soulutions.
I concur that the darTZeels are the warmest, the Soulutions the most neutral and that the Boulders split the difference.

I think your idea of the darTZeel pre with the Soulution amp could be a winner if the output and input impedances match (not sure there).

I'd be interested in what you ultimately choose.

Hi Khrys,

What a stunning room you have, a very very nice clean setup with superb equipment. And with a Steinway as reference it's really nice to compare your equipment. I love listening to piano music on my system. But indeed, there is nothing like the real thing :).

When you purchased your Boulder equipment, did you compare them with Dartzeel and Soulution or was the Boulder just right when hearing them and you didn't have any need to look elsewhere?

It's hard to decide as I'm planning to buy used (new out of my league) so there is some risk involved. There are some people I often communicate with that own Soulution or Boulder with their Hansen speakers but taste is always a bit subjective.

I probably don't go wrong with any of these 3 brands, but from past experience the Dartzeel is probably not as fast as Boulder/Soulution with complex classical plays. But the voices on Dartzeel are absolutely superb.

Maybe I should just base my decision on what's available on the used market. If I can get it for a good price I can try it and sell it again if it's not that much to my liking.

I'm planning to make a choice in the next few weeks