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ICE Amps for classical music?

I listen to classical orchestral music at heavy volume. I detest reproduced music for always sounding more or less electronic and not acoustic. Real music is beautiful in a way reproduced music--so far at least-- never is. I have become curious about Wyred4sound amps because of low price and high watts. I am wondering if any of you "mostly classical" listeners have heard these amps and feel they do no more damage to music than amps which are NOT ICE amps. I am using a Plinius SA100 now and have used a VAC 100/100,
a Bedini Classic 100/100, a Music Reference RM-9, and other tube and solid state amps. They all had their pluses and minuses, of course, but for least electronic, clearly the Bedini was the winner. So what about ICE amps?
rpfef
weseixas
519 posts
 
05-03-10: Rtn1
I may know what happened with the Weseixas shoot-out. This is far-fetched, but maybe he just did not like the Bel Canto amplifier? It seems at least plausible.

LOL Rtn1,

Make that all 5 ........
weseixas
519 posts
 
Hello Mapman,

I cannot find your system using the search feature..

regards,
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,337 posts
 
Weseixas,

Many variables are in play.

I'll just note that I do not hear those things in my setup which is different and leave it at that.

I am wondering, tonality aside, how was the sound stage and imaging with the BC in the setup you heard?

If that was big yet still focused, then it was as should be.

If not, then I would say all bets are off in regards to overall sound quality, including tonality.

Also piano would sound different on Maggies than on anything in my system even under ideal circumstances, so I would not attempt to draw any conclusions based on that alone.
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Weseixas,

All joking aside, if the Bel Canto can handle 1 ohm, then by all means, drop by with it someday. As an aside, you can make it a marvelous vacation. Visit the lovely abundance of wineries, check out the still largely wild north coast, visit John Kenneth Galbraith's favorite city, San Francisco.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,337 posts
 
Weseixas,

Can you confirm the damping factor spec of the Threshold amp?

As I mentioned prior, I'm suspicious of the high damping factor (>1000) of the Bel Canto perhaps not being a good match for Maggies, but that is just my technical intuition talking.

I'm wondering if anybody else has any observations regarding amp damping factor and how to match that to the Maggies?
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