My 2 favorite sources for this new system so far are Totaldac Seven and Aries Cerat Kassandra 2 Ref, but i'm also looking at more reasonable DACs like the PS Audio Directstream or the Aqua Formula.
Int Amp for Thiel CS 3.7
I need some advice on choosing the right Int amp to drive a pair of Thiel CS 3.7
Here are some that i can think of : Hegel H360, Modwright KWI 200 SE, Karan KA-I 180 MK2 and others.
Thieliste
Here are some that i can think of : Hegel H360, Modwright KWI 200 SE, Karan KA-I 180 MK2 and others.
Thieliste
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@thieliste You are welcome. When I compared the Ypsilon Phaethon to the T+A PA 3100 HV, I really liked the Ypsilon integrated amp. Quite good, but different. I would have had to swap in tubes (not many choices) and possibly change cabling and (perhaps) other components to deliver the synergy and performance I want. Essentially, I was contemplating bringing it to where the T+A already was (within my system)...and this finalized my choice. Recently, a speaker cable change and a new power conditioner have made a Significant difference in how the Lyric Audio Ti140 Mk2 integrated amp and Pass Separates are performing. Had I THIS level of performance with the Pass gear and then with the Lyric, I probably would have stopped there. The Lyric Audio amp performance is especially remarkable. I encourage you to try out different amplification components, realizing that system synergies are so important. All the best. |
David Ten as a T plus A dealer the same comments also apply to their gear. You may not be getting the PA 3100 to sound its best either. We run our gear with Audio Magic power conditioners, Enklein cables with an Isotek syncro power cable on the Audio Magic the combo sounds amazing. Dave and Troy Audio Doctor NJ |
Some reviews of the T+A PA 3100 HV with it's separate PSU : http://www.ta-hifi.de/wp-content/uploads/HiFi-News_PS_3000_HV_PA_3100_HV_Review_05_17.pdf http://www.ta-hifi.de/wp-content/uploads/stereo-magazine-issue-10_mp_3100_ps_3000.pdf |
I have auditioned the Bel canto Black top of the line a couple of years ago on a pair of TAD compact Ref, very clean sounding but didn't blow me away for $55K.I think just under $20K there are many competitors that are more musical.The 4 integrated that i really have to audition before making a decision are the T+A PA 3100 HV, the Ghyphon Diablo 300, the Vitus RI-101 and the Pass Int-250.I'm sure one of these four will be a perfect match for my speakers.The difficult part will be to home demo each one of them knowing that not a single dealer carries all four brands where i live. |
Thieliste, I own 3.7’s.Thiel rep told me something between 100 and 600 Watts, That doesn’t limit current is what they recommended.Ive tried several amps (not integrated,sorry)with good results.Minor differences in sound I heard was very subjective!Im sure there is a lot of good choices out there!Just try to have fun in your search,and I bet you will find a good fit!I did think a class d amp gave me the best bass out of the 3.7’s.Good luck! |
Hi Thieliste, I hope all is well with you- I was just wondering what you decided to do and if you are happy with match for Thiel 3.7's. As you might recall I also have Thiel 3.7's which I simply love and use daily. I am also looking for an upgrade to my current system and I have found this thread extremely interesting and helpful. My current set up is Pass XA 60.5's, Primaluna Dialogue premium (speaking of solid state . amplification combined with tube pre), moon audio 280d dac- cabling is Nortdost Heimdall 2 throughout. System sounds great but I do think the Prima Luna may be the "bottleneck"....it is great but i suspect that the alps volume control holds it back a bit compared to higher end preamps. I really like the Pass labs with the Thiels but I am not necessarily married to them if I had to change them in favor of better overall pre/amp combination. If I were to put my finger on what the system is missing it is a bit of depth to the soundstage and some smoothed over detail thus not managing to extract some of the finer spacial cues. As for the rest, the rig really produces an outstanding lateral soundstage with excellent solid imaging- the Thiel's completely disappear. I also wrestled with the idea of a high end integrated or just going with a preamp upgrade. (Well, I am still wrestling with all of this.). In terms of the latter I have to always consider the right match for the Pass amps as their measured input impedance is 17k (20k stated single ended). Suggestions have been to try a Pass preamp exploit system synergies but others have had better experiences with other alternatives (simaudio 740p with pass amps). If I were to stick to tubes others seem to think that a PS Audio BHK or an Aesthetix Calypso (Eclipse) might be great combo's. SO i am kind of the same boat as you and wondering what to do- and therefore I am very interested in hearing what you ultimately decided to do. |
thieliste best one i can think of is d'Agostino Momentum IntegratedGood choice for those current sucking CS3.7 beasts. The Ago's a bi-polar output amp, and will have the best current delivery, and that's what you need. Cheers George |
Hi guys, i'm still searching for the right SC and IC for my Thiel CS 3.7 Right now i'm really not happy about my Gryphon VIP SC and IC, they are way too clear in the trebel and too lean sounding with my speakers. I really nead much more meat on the bone an better bass. I'm in the process of auditioning cables and so far i got the best results with Cardas Clear Beyond SC and IC. Yesterday i brought back Kubala Sosna Sensation SC to try out and today just received Tellurium Q Statement SC and IC. Will make a shootout tomorrow and let you guys know.
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Second recommendation of Luxman L-509x. It does indeed have the power needed to drive the 3.7's. Keep in mind that it's doubling its output in 4ohms and nearly doubles AGAIN into 2ohms.
For reference, I'm driving my Wilson Watt/Puppy 8's with a Luxman 590axii. It clearly outperformed a very expensive separate setup with ARC Ref75SE, PSA BHK pre (yes, tried the ARC Ref5, but the BHK was better). Should say something about the quality of the Luxman integrated amps... |
@thieliste I like my Audience FrontRow speaker cables with the CS3.7. I need to get a second set for my other CS3.7 amp. I cannot share between the amps due to SpeakOn termination that I had custom made. I knew I would never sell the speaker cable. |
@yyzsantabarbara My Audience and Kubala dealer told me not to try the Audience Front Row because of lack of bass with this cable if paired with 3.7s. He recommended me the Kubala Sensation which is much thicker. I'm now demoing the Kubala Sensation SC and the Tellurium Q Statement IC in my system. This combo is actually pretty good in my system, much more engaging and organic, smooth and liquid. Tomorrow morning i will try the Tellurium Q Statement SC and see if it can outperfom the Kulaba Sensation SC. Let you guys know. |
After having used a Gryphon Diablo 300 with my Thiel CS 3.7s for a year i was never really satisfied by the result. I had quite a bit of harshness in the trebel and listening fatigue. Lately i started looking for a much warmer and liquid sounding integrated and found a dealer demo Vitus SIA-025 Mk2 in Belgium. The Vitus is in another league compared to te Diablo 300, it is so much more refined, laid back, sweet and very smooth. In class A it also has more bass than the Diablo 300 this is pretty surprising. I'm really happy to have pulled the trigger, the SIA-025 is a spectacular integrated that would equal much more expensive separates. |