Guys, here's the conclusion to this story. As I was trying to decide whether to leave my still steller performing 20.5s alone or to spring for the $$, give them up for a month and send them to Levinson for a preventive maintenance refurb, I noticed a pair of almost new Lamm 1.2 Reference hybrid mono blocks for sale on the 'Gon and bought them.
They are already broken in so I have been having fun comparing them with the 20.5s. I also finally received my Silent Running Audio Craz Twin isoRACKS. Let me tell you that the sound is glorious with either set of amps!
The Lamms are better than the 20.5s (they should be), but not as much better as you might think. It is not an apples to apples comparison, however, because I cannot use the same speaker cables because the 20.5s take only camac connectors and the Lamms take only spades. So I am using my 8 month old Transparent Music Wave Ultra speaker cables with the 20.5s and almost brand new Purist Audio Aqueous Anniversary cables with the Lamms.
The Lamms seem more powerful than the 20.5s (and are so rated), definitely have more air and a better mid bass, mid-range and treble. They also resolve more. You can hear the lead singer on just about any CD take a breath. It feels more like the performers are right there in the room with you. The sound stage is no wider than the 20.5s but it is deeper. The 20.5s have a stronger, deeper base (at least with the Transparent cables they do), and are not shabby at all in the areas of soundstage, imaging, extension. I have never heard notes decay as realistically as they do with either amps and either speaker cords in the SRA Craz Twins.
Best to all and thanks again for your comments which ultimately led me to the Lamms though none of us knew that at the time.
Ed
They are already broken in so I have been having fun comparing them with the 20.5s. I also finally received my Silent Running Audio Craz Twin isoRACKS. Let me tell you that the sound is glorious with either set of amps!
The Lamms are better than the 20.5s (they should be), but not as much better as you might think. It is not an apples to apples comparison, however, because I cannot use the same speaker cables because the 20.5s take only camac connectors and the Lamms take only spades. So I am using my 8 month old Transparent Music Wave Ultra speaker cables with the 20.5s and almost brand new Purist Audio Aqueous Anniversary cables with the Lamms.
The Lamms seem more powerful than the 20.5s (and are so rated), definitely have more air and a better mid bass, mid-range and treble. They also resolve more. You can hear the lead singer on just about any CD take a breath. It feels more like the performers are right there in the room with you. The sound stage is no wider than the 20.5s but it is deeper. The 20.5s have a stronger, deeper base (at least with the Transparent cables they do), and are not shabby at all in the areas of soundstage, imaging, extension. I have never heard notes decay as realistically as they do with either amps and either speaker cords in the SRA Craz Twins.
Best to all and thanks again for your comments which ultimately led me to the Lamms though none of us knew that at the time.
Ed