2. speakers
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Synergy - Mix and Match - Solid State of Mind

Small to Medium Sized Room - Any Component From Column A with one from Column B

Column A - Amplification

McCormack DNA-2 LAE
GamuT D200MkIII
Ayre Acoustics V-5x
Belles 150A Reference
Theta Digital Dreadnaught II (2channel)
Clayton Audio S-40
Natural Progression NP-220
BAT VK-250

Column B - Speakers

Focus Audio FS-688
Focus Audio FS-788
Reference 3a Dulcet
Harmonic Precision Caravelle
Cliffhanger Bulldog

Sold everything I had. Would like to start over. Will choose source and control based on which combination proves to be the best match. Like black silences, warm sound, tonal accuracy, soundstage, holographic imaging, immediacy and don't like sounds just "disappearing as fast as they materialize" i prefer it to leave my ears a bit slower then the time it takes to show up...don't know how to explain, anyway, please help, can't audition them all...

Oh, and I don't think I'll be upgrading them, ever. I still need to get maybe an EMM Labs DCC2,and a valve preamp somewhere down the line...Working for an NGO and I often use money out of my wallet to cover for budget inadequacies. Just want something special to come home to after a hard day's work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
cagliostro
cagliostro OP
17 posts
 
What about noise. Are the silences black?
stehno
1,453 posts
 
I am not aware of any noises/audible distortions (such as when idle). As for black silences, the best I can say is that the silences are there and they are not there.

The silence is there because this is a very fast amp. The rise and fall time is as good as I've heard from any amp.

In fact, that is one of the biggest attributes with the LAE version and was known at the time as the fastest amp running. The Revision A meets or exceeds that speed. So silence in that there is inter-transient silence prior to the initial attack of a musical note.

The silence is not there in that well-engineered equipment (which includes fast transistors, etc.) will also pick up much more of the ensuing decay of a musical note after the initial attack whereas lesser components will not.

Therefore, a musical note lingers and evaporates more naturally into the noise-floor rather than dropping off prematurely.

Don't know if this answers your question or helps in any way, but after owning about 6 amps over a 3 year period, I haven't even considered another amp in the 27 months I've owned this Revision A model.

The only other amp I would entertain would be a DNA-2 Revision A Gold and the latest options McCormack currently offers.

This amp convinced me that the amp is the key to any system's performance. (whether good or bad).

-IMO
cagliostro OP
17 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I always had a special feeling about the McCormack. In your experience, does it "prefer" a certain kind of speaker impedance...or sensitivity... can they still be appreciated with speakers that are easy to drive... I'll probably be tempted to the McCormack with a full range speaker...

Either way, I'm glad that your responses so far have made me feel better about the amp I was leaning toward.
stehno
1,453 posts
 
I am not aware of any preferences as you state, as I've used the same pair of full-range speakers for the last 4 years now. My Aerial 10T's are 4ohm loads and a rather low sensitivity of 84 or 86db.

BTW, you might check out smcaudio.com for the McCormack mods.

-IMO
scotty333
79 posts
 
The Caravelle is a full range speaker for sure. I would defintely check it out as I am a very happy owner. For tube gear you may want to check out VAC. The Caravelle works quite well with my VAC. A friend is borrowing my Caravelles as we speak using Krell. The most three dimensional Krell I have ever heard. Good luck.
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