Infinity_audio
Neither Tvad nor I are in the employ of any audio makers firm, that Im aware of, so both of us give our subjective responses on the Sonatas and other stuff pretty readily just to give back whats been given to us.
Some of the music we listen to is the same in fact. How we perceive it differs perhaps.
As I pointed out I bought mine new was the first owner ever. According to Alan, he put mine together himself. I dont know if that was the case for Tvads units. I was quite meticulous about their break in too.
I also use the 4 ohm impedance taps off the Dodd MK II 120wpc mono amps, not the 8s, as one might initially think to do given the claimed impedance. The IIIs werent 100% run in when the dodds arrived, and I just didnt like the sound on the 8 ohm taps of the mono blocks myself. Taking the advice of another member I switched to the 4s and never looked back.
Untill I made that change I would agree 100% with Tvad about his findings, loose bass, and a tilted up presentation. The lower impedance taps of the Dodds fixed things completely however.
I think Tvad went with an outboard impedance matching transformer of sorts there for whatever reason. I never tried that route personally.
Ask Tvad if he tried taps other than the eight ohm taps on his tube amp setups.
The 275 has 4 ohm taps, right?
Im exceptionally sensitive to the upper ranges of the bandwidth I assure you and simply cant stand issues up there, brightness, brittleness, stridency, etched, etc. if it sounds close to any resemblance of such things Ill go another way immediately.
Additionally, at the point of purchase and previous to it for a couple 3 years I had been talking with Alan off & on, as to which of his systems would best suit me, he said he used several amps McIntosh among others to test his speakers. In fact he offered to sell me either a Pass or Mc. SS Amp when I was in the market for one back then. A 352 & a 350x (I think). I was in the lot o watts campe then too, discounting tube amps abilities almost entirely, prior to any personal investigation.
Alan said he used his own SET amps and a few Mc tube amps. A 275 was one of them then. That was about 4 years ago or so but after the Sonata IIIs release for sure.
AS to near full range floor standing speakers with flat impedance curves that reside at 8 ohms or above, Id like to know which ones are out there to choose from myself, as Im very likely to remain in the hollow state arena for some time to come. That info seems to be quite a secret given so many speaker makers accounts of their own products numbers Ive seen in reviews especially near full range floor standers. Many show 8 ohm imp numbers. Many. Nearly as many say 4 ohms. Its the exception rather than the rule to find a maker who divulges the impedance curves on their spec sheets or otherwise offers them to the public as a rule.
Tastes are important as Tvad says . Some folks are quite anal about their audio systems sonics, some are even fanatical, and others are just picky. Some, are simply never ever going to be satisfied regardless what they have.
My current hearing abilities, given an audiology exam I had just last week, said Im in the middle of the mormal human hearing range, albeit quite sensitive more so than the majority to much of the discernable bandwidth . According to what she related to me following the exam. Neither are both ears hearing exactly alike, but thats true for the majority of humans. My left ear for ex. Is about -4db from my right one, and answered my often questioning of balanced sound staging . So I now listen in the near field, and all is well. Many dont experience as large as a 4 db differendce from one side to the other however. Usually its just 1 or 2 at most without some congenital or damage issue along the way.
My pitch and sensitivity otherwise are not affected. That is not to say Im a human SPL meter or anything of the like, nor am I a frequency meter.
Bottom end was good with all the amps I tried them with, some bettered others. Ss was better than tubes in the tighter punchier more defined aspect . But SS usually excels there over tube amps, anyways..
All amps used, however presented a good appraisal of the lower end. IMHO
Ill add this and stop . I liked the bass represented by the various amps and the IIIs. Some more than others. I kept them and the Dodds and was most satisfied.
I went on an HT binge shortly there after and needed/desired a good sub for it. I got a DD 15. on a whim I connected it off the thor preamp Ive used as my sole/main pre throughout, and was nattily surprised at the differences, with sub and/or sans sub. As well I suppose I should have been after all.
You likely live well away from me but would be welcome to bring your amp here to see for yourself. But maybe you can do that in your area though, and naturally, everytime that will be best. Always.
Im neither a gear hound or easily satisfied, my feedback and system list says as much if you look closely enough. Any thought I have now for change in the IIIs is as was already said, for esthetics primarily, but if I go there, Id try to achieve another level of performance in the doing and thatll be spensive. I dont care to change for the sake of it. That wont happen anytime soon either as I like what Im getting now..
I think though, the real answer to your querry is Yes. The IIIs are better than the orig sonata according to the reviews if nothing else, in many respects.
Of course theres always Israel Blooms speakers, Coincident.Speaker Technology, and a few others. You might want to talk to him as well.
Very good luck which ever way you go.