I use an Ayre amp and DAC run only in balanced mode. I use Vandersteen Quatro's that are a semi active speaker (active subs built in). Richard has been at this as long as nearly any other designer and knows what he's doing. He measures, builds and listens. He takes into account everything a designer needs to.
I personally love the idea of a full y active system. That's the way a designer wants it to sound. Now if you don't like how it sounds, move on. My favorite system of all time, regardless of cost is the Vandersteen 7 mk2 with his own amp (speaker cable included as is the passive crossover that's built into the amp. The amp also has the DBS unit that Audioquest uses (Richard I believe is a co inventor) as well as the well received HRS systems vibration control system and to top it all off, his amp as well as the amps in the 7's has the Audioquest Niagara technology built in.
Folks don't often realize what's inside a speaker or amp etc... To me, it's a fully active system as it was designed that way. Add a pre and run a source into it and then add a top end pair of AQ balanced interconnect and you have a GREAT system, that's simple and sounds outstanding to most of us.
Everyone talks about synergy and often forget about it when assembling their systems.
Bi amp? if the speaker allows, it can sound so much better than not going it. I do feel strongly that you shouldn't go with two lesser amps as I've never heard system sound better with lesser electronics. Again, that's just me. Bi wire, as I said earlier, yes if it's designed that way as Vandersteen and some others are. It's all in the implementation.
I personally love the idea of a full y active system. That's the way a designer wants it to sound. Now if you don't like how it sounds, move on. My favorite system of all time, regardless of cost is the Vandersteen 7 mk2 with his own amp (speaker cable included as is the passive crossover that's built into the amp. The amp also has the DBS unit that Audioquest uses (Richard I believe is a co inventor) as well as the well received HRS systems vibration control system and to top it all off, his amp as well as the amps in the 7's has the Audioquest Niagara technology built in.
Folks don't often realize what's inside a speaker or amp etc... To me, it's a fully active system as it was designed that way. Add a pre and run a source into it and then add a top end pair of AQ balanced interconnect and you have a GREAT system, that's simple and sounds outstanding to most of us.
Everyone talks about synergy and often forget about it when assembling their systems.
Bi amp? if the speaker allows, it can sound so much better than not going it. I do feel strongly that you shouldn't go with two lesser amps as I've never heard system sound better with lesser electronics. Again, that's just me. Bi wire, as I said earlier, yes if it's designed that way as Vandersteen and some others are. It's all in the implementation.