Vitus Ri100 with Dyns Good Combo?

audiotroy1,002 posts07-19-2018 5:19amThe Vitus gear does tend to sound warm, which may not be a good thing with the Dynaudios, the Gryphon and T+A are both warm but not as warm as the Vitus gear.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

I think that’s a bit of a generalization. I would describe the previous model SS-102 power amp & the SIA-025 integrated as warm, however the SM-011 & Masterpiece series for example are more neutral. Also, the new RI-101 integrated I recently reviewed is more neutral in tonal balance & natural sounding, with just a touch of warmth.

The other observation i’d make from listening to most of the Vitus line over the years is, VA gear matches very well with a wide range of speakers. I guess that comes down to the design and sound signature of their products. Boulder is another manufacturer which pairs well with a wide range of speakers and front end components, especially the latest series.

Thanks @audiotroy . The systems above are not mine, it belongs to my mate. After hearing the Contour 5.4 driven by the Gryphon Diablo, he wanted to try something else. At this stage a new  Vitus/T+A/Gryphon is out of his budget, well....atm. :)

The A21 is your weak link the JC 5 would be better, however the entire setup of preamp and amp would be bettered by moving into an uber integrated from Vitus, Gryphon or T+A.

The Vitus gear does tend to sound warm, which may not be a good thing with the Dynaudios, the Gryphon and T+A are both warm but not as warm as the Vitus gear. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

I had five (count em!) Alfas in a row. The most fun car to have in the shop.

I owned a 1986 Alfa Romeo & know where you’re coming from @kalali, though hand on heart from seeing these amps in the metal, listening to them & reading up on them, they’re the real deal.

Italians are not necessarily known for the quality of their electronics. Design esthetics yes but electronics assembly not so much. Ask any Alfa Romeo or Fiat owner😁

Thanks for the insight regarding the Ri100 melbguyone. Will check out your suggestions. 

I’ve heard the Dynaudio Confidence C4’s driven by Accuphase separates which added some warmth and delicacy & had good synergy. The Vitus RI-100 is a bit bottom up, dark sounding & not suprisingly, a little rolled off on top. The new model (RI-101) is better balanced, more nautral sounding, resolving, has a touch of warmth & has a nice musical flow.

If you were considering Vitus, I would go for the RI-101 if you can afford it. On a lower budget, and given the power demands of your speakers, I could recommend the Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary if you like a tonally rich and warm sound. That amp is beautifully designed and built, doubles down to 300 watts @ 4 ohms & according to Stereolife Magazine "will drive the most challenging of loudspeakers.".

Otherwise if your speakers present a particularly difficult load, or you have a large room, I could recommend the Audia Flight FLS-10. That amp is also beautifully built, powerful and is putting out 380 watts @ 4 ohms with a high damping factor. The FLS-10 sounds a bit cleaner and less rich than the AA, but is on the warm/musical side. I like it more than the RI-100, but the RI-101 is better. Hope that helps!

Thanks spinaker01, yes I agree with you on the A21 is the weak link. It doesn't have the control on the lower register. Mids is not quite there. Have a chance to pick up a used Ri100. But there isn't a chance to listen the amp on the Contours, hence the question.  Am afraid the newer model Ri101 is out of the budget. 

Could go to the new JC5, but the owner of the above systems have tried his speakers with Gryphon Diablo 300 with DAC module installed. The differences are quite stark. From top to bottom everything opened up substantially. The whole systems just come alive. Not sure the JC5 can keep up.  Btw, I am in Australia :)

I would say that the weak link is the A21. The non JC halo stuff is nice (upper level mid-fi) but not in the same league as the Vitus gear. The RI100 has received very good praise from the reviewing and listening crowd, but they are hard to find in the North American market. The RI100 has just been replaced with the 101 btw