Amplification for Dali MS4

Steve,

Whatever you do PLEASE by an amp that is soft and warm. These speakers are so incredibly dynamic and detailed that they don't need the help of any amp to improve in those two areas. The bass and mid-range clarity is phenomenal! The transparency is also phenomenal. I heard some of the purest and most correct vocal timbre's that I've ever heard.

Unfortunately, what's rarely talked about (I don't how the professional reviewers and other owners omit this)is how unbelievably hot, searing and ear drum splitting the treble is on these speakers! I've never heard a speaker that I literaly had to cut the music off because the tweeter was burning a hole in my ear! The dual soft dome/ribbon tweeter...while able to reproduce every frequency including those frequented by cannines, needs to be tamed immensely.

Also, be careful with your cdp selection. I used an Esoteric DV 50 and X01 with these and the combination was unbearable. Same thing with an Ayre CX 7 and Krell SACD standard. All of these are very high end cd players that I've demoed on at least 30 other speakers with no problem.

I eventually had to use a Marantz SA 8260 (which is very musical but known to be colored in the midrange) as well as Zu interconnects (again known for coloration in the mid's and highs) to make the speaker listenable. And even even on certain notes or songs that high pitched searing would occasionally rear its ugly head! And for those wondering about the speaker cables they were all copper (AZ Satori Shotguns and Kimber Kable Bi-focal XL's).

Try one of the Classe, Primare or Cary SS amps...and a hybrid tube/ss amp may be ideal. Again, these speakers are so detailed that even if you use an amp that's colored or overly warm Idoubt very seriously you will lose any significant level of resolution or transparency.

Good luck!

AVGURU

I would have to agree with AVGURU. I own a pair of Dali Helicon 800's and have made the same obseravations as he. The treble is just unforgiving especially with some popular music. I changed my amps from Solid State(SimAudio P3/W3) to ARC amps(SP16 and VT 100). Much easier to listen to. I would therefore make the same recommendation, go with a hybrid. I've actually auditioned the MS4's with a Plinius SA102 before I bought the ARC amps, it just didn't do the same for me as the VT100. What you will get with the ARC amps is a very natuaral sounding combination of speaker and amp. Still detailed and highly resolving but without the edgy sounding highs.

I reviewed a pair of MS4's last year and never experienced the ear splitting highs that some others have. The highs that I experienced were brilliant, never bright or harsh. As a matter of fact, the mids and high were a strong point with these speakers and the bass is fast and tight. I do agree that a better match with these speakers would be something on the warm and lush side...tubes would be my first choice.