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Help me choosing an Integrated Amp

Hello everyone,
long time reader, first post here.
Sorry if my english is not perfect, it’s not my mother language.

Long story:

I have an electrostatic headphone system right now, because I didn’t have the necessary space to have a dedicated room for speakers, I think that the most important aspect in sound quality is room acoustics, so why spend money if I can’t have optimum acoustics? That’s why I have a headphone system right now.
But, story changes, I bought a flat last week, and will do reforms to have a listening room (6 meters x 4 meters x 2,5 meters).
My current setup is (besides modded Stax SR-007A and KGSSHV Carbon CC amplifier):

- Metrum Pavane DAC
- Custom 0db PC, Asus RT-AC88U router & MCRU linear PSU for router.
- Full Ansuz X Cable loom and Mainz X-TC.
- Furutech FWS (R) Schuko Outlet.
- Sonore MicroRendu & Sonore Signature PSU (with SR fuses)

My speakers will be Strauss Elektroakustik SE MOD 901, they’re not very well known but they’re awesome, transient response is lighting fast, almost like my Stax headphones, plus they’re super coherent, seamless. I fell in love with the speakers.
Room acoustics will be done by Strauss himself, so the last link is an integrated amplifier (for budget and price/performance reasons).
The speakers are not very sensitive, they’re rated at 85db and recommended power is 20 to 160w at 8ohm.

Due to budget reasons, I will try to buy second hand or ex-demo, so not possible to audition the amplifiers.
I don’t like tubes, for me, the ideal amp should be pure class A (if possible), dual mono, fully balanced with no negative feedback (if possible). Ideal "sound signature" would be balanced, very natural without glare, huge soundstage and details presented in a natural manner, I don’t like hyped top end, the speakers are VERY neutral and accurate, so they will expose negative qualities of the amp like a magnifying glass.
This is the list:

- Audio GD Master 10 (Class A/B, 250w at 8ohm)
- Gryphon Atilla (Class A/B, 100w at 8ohm)
- Accuphase E-600 (Class A, 30w at 8ohm)
- Pass Labs INT-30A (Class A, 30w at 8ohm)
- Electrocompaniet ECI 5 MK2 (Class A or A/B???, 120w at 8ohm)
- Ayre AX-5 Twenty (Class A/B, 125w at 8ohm)
- Constellation Inspiration Integrated 1.0 (Class A/B, 100w at 8ohm)

I like to listen music between 70-85db (not too loud) and the room will be 24 square meters, is a 30w pure class A amp enought for the speakers or should I buy a more powerful class A/B?
Which amp is better?


pitomazogordo
jlaz
25 posts
 
What about a boulder 865? This might check all the boxes that you want. The 865 is class a for the first 15 or so watts then transitions to a/b for to 150 watts. The Boulder has everything that Boulder amplifiers are known for... they present whatever it is fed, they are dead quiet, and the offer a large soundstage. There is a great write up for the boulder on stereophile.

I think the boulder is better than the Ayre and while they differ from the Gryphon in sound, I think they are more comparable.    
georgeatcarolina
5 posts
 
Why not ask the manufacturer what a good match for their speakers would be? Surely they must have tested a number of them.
I looked up the "Strauss Elektroakustik SE MOD 901" a conventional two way speaker,  mfg rates it 85db@8ohms and recommends "20 to 160w" - I imagine 20 would be valve watts?
In an apartment room  19ft x13 ft x 8ft  I imagine 50w/ch or better @8  ohm would suffice - unless there are no neighbors, :)
  
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
So, there are folks who actually can compare audio equipment sound quality by just listening to YouTube videos?! I probably missed the humor in that.... or it was meant to be serious. Hard to tell these days.
pitomazogordo OP
3 posts
 
Thanks everyone for being so helpful and responsive to my thread!
Things turned to an unexpected direction, I ended up with Pass Labs XA60.8 and XP-20 preamp...why? I wanted an integrated amp, and this combo is mega expensive...well, I've been very, very lucky, because I won 10k euro from a lottery ticket!!!!
Dealer had ex-demo XA60.8 and XP-20...40% discount, so I didn't think it and bought them.
Didn't tried with the speakers (I haven't got them yet), but wow, the amps sound amazing, I listened to them with Magnepans (very tough load) and no problem, super natural sound and lots of power, I suspect it will drive my speakers with ease.
I'm very happy, very very happy...this is a once in a lifetime purchase, the amps have 50 hours of use and are in mint condition...I suspect that they will last more years than me!!!
Have a nice day everyone of you guys!!
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,763 posts
 
Congrats. Let us know how they work out with *your* system.
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