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Amps/Preamps for Rockport Aviors

Hi everyone, I just ordered new Rockport Avior speakers a couple of weeks ago and they are coming next week.  My current system is: ARC ref 75SE amp; ARC LS 17se pre amp; simaudio 280d dac and network streamer; Feikert turntable, ortofon cardenza bronze cartridge, and a boulder 1008 phone stage. 

I am thinking about upgrading my amp and preamp for the Aviors.  I was looking at the ARC ref 250SE as well as a used Boulder 2060.  For the preamp, not sure, maybe an ARC REF 6 or a used boulder.  Someone also suggested I look at a simaudio evolution 860 or 870.   My one concern with the ARC ref 250SE is whether those amps will pair well with the Rockports or if im better off getting a solid state.  I am not married to either tube or solid state (I had krell a long time ago before the 75SE and bought the 75SE becuase i thought it paired well with my Thiel 3.7's). 

I am brand new to the Avior speakers and looking to get more out of them than my 75se, and would greatly appreciate anyone's views. 

thank you in advance.  Larry
gasherbaum
foreverworkin
9 posts
 

Hi Larry,

For what it's worth I recently heard a setup in a shop driving Aviors that included a Chord CPA 8000 pre and a pair of Chord mono's that could have been the 1400 MkII's, not sure, but the price of the amps only was $27K if that tells.  It was a short listen, however, it was music I was very familiar with I must say it was very impressive!  Definitely some of the best sound I have ever heard and I recently heard the same music on a well set-up Linn Klimax 350 Exakt system.  


Foreverworkin

admranger
144 posts
 
I've heard two different Rockport speaker pairs at the Sound Environment in Omaha, NE  (don't laugh, this is a top shelf store.  There  is a very surprising amount of disposable income in Omaha).

They were the Lyra and Cygnus.  Lyra's were powered by D'Agostino momentum mono blocks and the Cygnus were powered by D'Agostino 2-channel momentum amp.  D'Agostino pre.  dCS DAC, etc.

Ridiculous soundstage depth and breadth.  The speakers just disappeared (hard to do as large as they are) and it was like the artists were in the room.  This with only Tidal feeds.  Hi-res stuff would likely be mind blowing (is that still a thing?).

The 2-channel momentum amp would be an excellent choice for your system in my modestly educated opinion.  
gasherbaum OP
43 posts
 
Hello everyone,

Thanks for the all the advice.  foreverworkin, I have heard rave things about the Chord DAVE dac, but don't know much about the Chord amps; you have given me something new to investigate.  Admranger I had hoped to hear the D'Agostino amps with the speakers as the dealer that had the ARC and VTL is also a D'agostino dealer, but he couldn't bring them to my house when he brought the ACR and VTL.  I did hear them at his store on a pair of Vandersteen speakers and boy was the D'Agostino a great sound. 

I thought I would give you an update.  My speakers arrived a little over 2 weeks ago and have been playing ever since -- although not fully broken in let's just say they are a very nice improvement over my Thiel 3.7's and I'm loving the new Rockport Aviors.  I have heard the ARC REF 250's with a REF 6 preamp -- unfortunately, I wasn't able to hear the ARC REF 250 SE's as the dealer didn't have them, just a used  pair of REF 250's.  He also brought the VTL 450 mono's with a VTL 6.5 preamp.  The VTL sound was nice, but I liked the ARC better -- that may be just because I'm used to the ARC sound as I have ARC gear, so not sure, but after a few hours of spinning records on both I liked the ARC sound better.  I wish I had been able to hear a REF 250 SE as the REF 250's were very nice, and I expect the 250 SE's would be even better than the 250's.  I should be able to hear the Ayre reference preamp and stereo amplifier soon and the dealer offered to let me listen to the Ayre dac because I also need a new dac -- my last one isn't working the way it was supposed to and the dealer and the manufacturer have offered me a full refund, which I thought was amazing.  I'm looking at an EMM labs dac, a Chord DAVE, the Ayre right now, but I know even less about DAC's and digital music than I do about amps and preamps. 

Thanks again everyone for all the help and taking the time to provide the great advice.  I will provide another update after I've heard the Ayre gear. 

Larry  
cytocycle
1,043 posts
 
Did you ever decide on what amps/preamp/dac would match up with your Aviors? 
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