I've heard Salon2 paired with Mark Levinson - current but not sure which model, and McIntosh MC601 amplifiers and to my ears the McIntosh combo sounded much more dynamic with much bigger soundstage. Everything else was constant during this demo. In general, there are usually too many variables to make a fair comparison so for someone who seems to keep their gear for a long time, and given the size of the investment, its best to audition extensively before the purchase.
Amps/Pre-amps for Sopra 3 or Salon 2
Hi everyone,
Looking to put a system together and have not settled on a speaker yet, however, I somewhat like what I am hearing from Focal Sopra 3's and Revel Ultima 2 Salon 2's. Sopra seems to have a silkier midrange and better tweeter while Salon's may have the edge in low frequency extension. It may not be a fair comparison as I have only thus far been able to hear Focals downstream of Naim (and briefly McIntosh 452) gear whereas the Salon's were run with much more expensive Moon Evolution mono's / pre-amp / dac. I was able to directly compare the Sopra 2 / Sopra 3 / and Scala V2 Utopia on the same Naim 300 / N272 streaming pre-amp combo. Surprisingly I found the Sopra 3 more satisfying than the Scala V2 due to better low frequency extension.
To get to the point, the Naim equipment sounds pretty good , however, I am not completely sold on the low wattage/higher current class B design at $19K. I am looking for other recommendations or experiences.
For historical background purposes I am coming out of a Linn Majik cd, Threshold fet10, Threshold S-500, Mirage M-1 originals, combo from years ago. I am currently (when possible because it is in the family room where the wife and kids frequent, lol) listening to an Oppo 105D streaming Tidal / Rogue Pharaoh integrated / Totem Forest Signature combo powered through a Torus RM-20 and connected with Transparent Ultra balanced ic's and Ultra speaker cable. I have to be honest in that I have heard a lot of equipment combo's, within the price range I am currently shopping, that do not sound as satisfying as my "second system" that was put together for about $15K in total thanks to the pre-owned Transparent cables.
I want to start my new system with the electronics as I still possess the Mirage's and they have been sentimentally good to me. I have upgraded them throughout the years with re-foaming, new crossovers, Cardas binding posts, new internal wire, etc............well......they still make sound and prodigious bass! I also really don't care too much how they sound with the new electronics pushing them as long as my future speakers blend well.
Thanks for any and all responses and I apologize in advance for any delayed answers as I will respond as my schedule allows.
Foreverworkin
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- 10 posts total
- 10 posts total