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Need amp match advice to drive Eggleston Andras

I'm new to this sight and to the world of "high-end" audio gear - so much equipment, so little time, and so few places (that I'm aware of) to audition it.

I would like some experienced thoughts and advice on which amps, or amp characteristics, may or may not work well with a pair of Eggleston Andras (not the Andra II's.) They are currently amp-less. I have only heard them through a Krell FBP 300c and ML 39 CD, which was used when I auditioned them in a fellow audiophiles home.

My thoughts so far are Krell 300c, Pass Labs X-250 or X-350, Classe CAM 350's.

I think the speakers will need juice, and the mids (so I have been told) are unique in the Eggleston somehow, that the amp goes directly to them?? and that they are responsible for a much larger frequency range than most other speakers’ mids. Don't know if that matters? They are 8-ohm speakers.

My amp criteria:
1) 3k to 5k (used/demo)
2) SS (I like the idea of tubes, but think they may be cost prohibitive to get the power I will need to get the low-end frequency presence that I desire from the Andras.)
3) Flexibility to work well with either an SS or a Tube pre-amp.
4) Easily accessible through US dealers and Audiogon - Gryphon’s sound interesting but where? How much?

Gear I have heard thus far:

1) Krell
Krell FBP 300c
ML 39 CD
Eggleston Andras - mine :)
I liked that I could follow Rodby's bass lines in Metheny's Secret Story (SS) and Speaking of Now CD's, however track 3 on SS was missing some ultra-low thing that the Classe/Revel F50's presented (or accentuated, good or bad? Could have been the different rooms?) It did seem bright on a lot of other selections (could be harshness in the source material? Which, if it's on the CD I want the system to present it, good or bad.) I did like the dynamics and presence.

2) McIntosh
Mac MC 352 (plastic knobs on a 4K amp?)
Mac C 2200 tube pre-amp
B&W naut 803's
Mac CD
I liked the warmth and overall tone, but lacked the low frequency, detail, depth, and staging of other things I heard.

3) Classe
Classe CAM 200's
Classe 47.5 pre-amp and a CJ 17ls (2 day old, not broken in)
Meridian CD ($3,500 model?)
Revel F-50's

4) Spectral
DMA 100S amp
DMC 15 pre
Meridian CD
Revel F-50's

Liked the Classe gear a bit more than the Spectral due to bass. I could follow the bass in the Classe better (100 watts p/c difference?), and the presence seemed substantive. However the Spectral seemed to have a wider soundstage, albeit seemed more holographic, not quite as "thick", (I'm reaching for terms here.) Using the CJ pre, (with the CAM 200's) the Bass lost some presence and some details. Tonally it seemed very nice.

Sampling of the music CD's I used:
Pat Metheny - Speaking of Now, Secret Story
Sarah Jane Morris w/ Mark Ribot (Guitar and Vocal)
Aphex Twin - hyper electronic stuff
Rickey Lee Jones - Flying Cowboys and Ghosty Head
John Patitucci - Backwoods Bass solo
Miles Davis - Bags Groove and Kind of Blue
Other rock and Jazz and some classical

I like Bass, but I want the whole package! Detail, warmth, truth, soundstage, off-access response, ability to put speakers next to the wall with no boominess, warm the car up in the morning lol.......

Thanks for any and all responses.
128x128jim63
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
3,947 posts
 
jim 63, one of our audiophile bro, mentioned that the
stratos monoblock are good, after comparing them with
plinius, mc intosch, classe, he end up buying the
monoblock stratos, He said this sound more of classe,
Now that extreme are probably much better than the
monos, I like them because they are neutral, smooth,
with good bass, I assume they are not hard to match,
andras kind a hard to match,So i play safe for the price
and the performance,maybe i dont need to buy expensive
gear to play my andra, according to Klaus mine, will
arrive approx mid Feb.And besides Tyson,Alex,Stehno,and
Socrates, and Audiojerry this audiophile do really
know what they are talking about.Try to go audiocicle.com
they are talking about this twin xtreme stratos.Jim
let me know if you find a good match, i will also let
know, if the stratos are good.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Jim63, just a clarification. The McCormack DNA-2 is a fine amp I'm sure. But please make no mistake. I am talking specifically about the McCormack DNA-2 'Rev A' which is a whole different beast altogether.

The DNA-2 Revision A is an aftermarket DNA-2 that has been previously gutted by Steve McCormack and outfitted with some of the finest innards. Look at smcaudio.com to see what has been done to this amp in the revision A section.

And right now there is only one available.

-IMO
del
31 posts
 
Well, when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I have a Berning ZH270 amplifier, and I love it, and it is what I would recommend to you. It meets your price point, and it gives you marvelous tube midrange sound with ss bass, and allows all the musical detail to come through. Plus it only weighs 10lbs, only draws 300 watts (as I recall), is self biasing (no hassle), has a volume control and two inputs (so you can avoid a preamp), and has selectable feedback for speaker impedence matching. Of course, I belong to the camp that thinks tubes sound better than ss, and that eliminating the transformer is an improvement. I have never heard it drive the Eggleston speakers, but I highly recommend you try it. I think it will provide all the things you felt the other amps you tried lacked. The website is www.davidberning.com
jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
3,947 posts
 
Jim 63 with respect to Stehno,I think the Mccormack
would sound leaner with the andra, unless you will
use transparent cable, or MIT.I think the DNA is a
beast, totally agree with with Stehno, but Iam familiar
with this Mc Cormack stuff,dont get me wrong they are
good gear,but they are on the lean and bright side, the
one Stehno is talking about might have different sonic.
Ill tell you a story my fiend here is a dealer of mc cormack,and he was very sure the dna 225 i think is
way better than plinius, I brought my plinius in his
store, the plinius came out on top, this is the sa 100,
with the 102 it will be a diferrent league.Will the extreme
monos stratos will beat the 102? I hope so.It will be very
intersting,next week my friend will loan me this unit.
this is avery exciting SHOOTOUT.THE EXTREME WILL BE TESTED
TO ONE OF THE BEST. i WAS VERY HONEST TO KLAUS, I TOLD
HIM THAT, I WILL ONLY AUDITION 2 AMPS FOR MY ANDRAS.IF
THE STRATOS WILL SOUND BETTER THAN THE 102, I WILL BE
GOING TO THE BANK ALL THE WAY LAUGHING, IF THE 102 wins
then MORE..money need to be spend.stratos will arrive mid
february.I will just go ahead to audition the 102.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
Jim63, I don't mean to be offensive, but Jayctoy gives good indication he knows nothing about McCormack's aftermarket revisions to DNA-2 amps.

There is nothing lean about the Revision A. You can do a search on A'gon for other Rev A owner's opinions. Members Garfish and Eagle being two of them.

My Aerial Acoustic 10T speakers are probably not too dis-similar from your Andras as far as size and thirst for power. And with the Rev A driving them, I've never heard such rich, robust, and dynamic full bass in any other system. Not to mention the mids which are perhaps more tube-like than solid state.

Lean? Everytime I listen via the Rev A, it still sounds like a 1000 wpc tube amp, but with the speed and articulation usually only found in ss.

Don't take my word for it, nor somebody else's word who never listened to or even heard of this amp.

Again check out the smcaudio.com website to find out more about this amp and what other's say about it.

-IMO
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