Well I'm glad that the store owner is behaving reasonably, the audition of the amplifiers with your speakers is ideal. Now all you have to do is listen and trust your ears.
Charles,
Charles,
Jeff Rowlands Amp and Dac vs. VAC amp and DAC
I spent the afternoon at Fidelis looking into analog and they are dealers for Wilson and recently VAC. They have Wilson Sabrina, VAC 200iq and VAC Sigma 160i SE in stock. 200iq and Sigma 160i SE in different rooms so I just demo 200iq with Sabrina. Preamp was VAC SigMKIIa SE (my current preamp) and not familiar with the DAC ... something expensive. Overall I found the sound very good but boomy bass. It seems the amp cannot control the bass, impedance curve or needing setup fine tuning. We switched 200iq with D’Agostino Momentum Stereo Amplifier and WOW! No more boomy bass, actually less bright, more transparent, doesn't sound like tube or SS but just music. I know I know not a fair comparison, $14K vs $35K. This is the 1st time I heard VAC SigMKIIa SE with Momentum and it's an EXCELLENT match. Now getting dangerous thoughts in my head ... Hmm! So if you are buying from a dealer, insist on home demo before writing a check. If you are set on Sabrina, Rowland might be a better option so don't rule them out. Dealer can help with Sabrina setup. Another option is go with tube pre and SS amp. |