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BEST AMPS FOR WILSON SASHA

hi, i have in this moment a ayon cd5s cdplayer with built in preamplifier , pass x250 amps and wilson sasha speaker ( i love sasha), i want a new and better amplifier, the options are two, pass xa100.8 monoblocks or cary 211fe monoblock, what is the better option for the sasha?, your opinion please
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marktomaras
544 posts
 
My good friend has ARC VM220 tube mono amps for his Sasha 2's and speaks very highly of the combo.
orionpcgames's avatar
orionpcgames OP
38 posts
 
i have only two options pass xa100.8 or cary 211 fe
marktomaras
544 posts
 
I am not a Sasha owner, but I do have Wilsons.  I think the Cary is risky.  I love tubes, but I think the 200 watts of pure class A in the Pass amp will be a better driver to the Sasha.  I would be worried about lack of power with the Cary.

i have 100 watts of tube power driving my Sophia 2's, and I think even the easier to drive Sophia could benefit from more power.  The Sasha, being a more challenging speaker to drive, would probably do better with the stronger of the two amps.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

A big +1 for the Pass amps, as they will stay uniform over the audio band range in frequency response driving the Sasha varying loads.

The 211’s will act like a tone control and not stay flat in it’s power delivery, especially around 60- 100hz where the Sasha is 2ohm and -45 degree phase angle and where the power is really needed, the 211’s will sound thin/bright and with very low bass drive and control.

(That 2ohms and -45degree can equate to an even lower than 1ohm perceived load to an amp!!!)

http://cdn.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/710Wilfig1.jpg

Quote from Stereophile measurements:

Sasha’s plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase (fig.1) reveals the speaker to be a demanding load for the partnering amplifier to drive. Not only does the impedance drop below 4 ohms for most of the lower midrange and upper bass, with a minimum value of 2 ohms at 86Hz, but there is also an amplifier-unfriendly combination of 3 ohms and –43° phase angle at 61Hz.

Cheers George

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