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Jungson or DK Design: good with Quad 989's?

HI--I run Quad 989's currently driven by an ARC D-400 solid state amp. Although this set up sounds overall very 'nice', I am looking for more dynamics. I really value midrange presence and body and would like to avoid tube output stages. I would also like to move to an integrated.

I'm intrigued by the buzz on both the Jungson 88D and the DK Design integrateds. Here is my reasoning on mating with the Quads: The Jungson is Class A which I understand is good for electrostats, it's sound has been called tube-like, and is rated at 80w/ch into 8ohms which MAY be enough drive. The DK is 150w/ch into 8 ohms and advertises "a massive output amplifier capable of driving any load..." It is not class A but it does have a tube front end which may offer the midrange I'm looking for, and some ability to tailor the sound using different tubes.

So....Please offer me some informed opinions (or better yet experience!) regarding how well either of these might mate with the 989's. Or, if you have suggestions for another integrated that you have heard making wonderful with the Quads 989/988/63, please advise. --Thanks Much!!
atkinsonrr
Post removed 
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
I don't know about the Quad speakers but I did get an e-mail a few months back from a Maggie 1.6 owner.

He was wondering if I could give any advice on a pair of used Apogee Duetta Signatures he had found for sale and wanted as a replacement for his Maggies.

We exchanged a few e-mails and he did buy the Apogees...He did tell me that he was using the DK Design integrated and that it sounded very good with the Duetta Sig's...with plenty of drive power also.

Not much help,

Dave
newbee
4,767 posts
 
IMHO, if you really want more dynamics than you can get out of a D400 you need to get new speakers, not new electronics. Lack of dynamics is inherrent in the design of the quads.

Now, if you really value midrange presense and body, as you say you do, you're not going to find it in any SS amps I have ever heard, with or without tube preamps, with my Quad 63's.

Frankly its hard to imagine anyone who cares enuf about the quality of sound reproduction to spend the loot to get Quad 989's to then want to use SS integrateds, of any quality level. But then, as Viridan implies, I doubt that is why you posted in the first place.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,190 posts
 
I'm going to disagree with Newbee. The Quads have outstanding dynamics. I've never heard a speaker that betters the Quad's ability to differentiate the various levels of loudness between very soft and very loud. What they don't do is go very, very loud and beyond. Also, why the slam on solid state integrateds? As the owner of such a beast I take offense. Not a lot of offense, but offense none the same. True, SS amps won't have the midrange papability that a good tube amp can possess, but then again those tube amps won't provide the bass slam that the SS amps deliver. Based upon what others have described, the hybrid DK may be just the ticket for those British electrostats.

To shill or not to shill, that is the question.
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