Amp for Acoustic Zen Crescendo 2 ?

If you have reasonably normal hearing acuity and listen in a relatively quiet room, wig’s listening levels seem quite typical in my opinion. I’m assuming that this is C-weighted (as opposed to A-weighted) scale. Bill, are your listening levels typically in the 90 db and higher range?

Certainly we’re all different in regard to our comfortable and satisfying volume levels. Mine are in the same range of wig’s the majority of the time. Occasionally I’ll listen at higher levels but not for long periods of time. If someone has some degree of hearing deficiency I could understand the need to crank up the volume level to compensate.
Wig probably has such a high degree of resolution and transparency in his system that it provides much involvement without having to turn it up louder.

This has been my experience as my system has improved over the years. Nuances, inner detail and dynamic ebb and flow are apparent at lower listening volumes compared to prior systems I’ve owned.
Charles

I do not listen at 90db as that is simply too loud for me most of the time, I do listen at levels over 73-78 db at times for sure. I think many aphiles do. We would all be surprised at how loudly we play our music at times.

I find the better a system is the more likely you are to turn it up a tad more and enjoy. Why? Because a well put together stereo system will not sound too loud (noisy) at 83-90 db or so. Noise does indeed play a role here. The music and scale of the performance swells and surrounds you without sounding "loud". This only happens in a system with this capability. This is why leaving enough headroom in your speaker/amp combo is so vitally important.

I have put together many systems that sound wonderful at lower volumes, but show signs of noise and strain when turned up. Many of the mods and tweaks I do address this very issue. Well executed power supplies are so important etc... I don’t want my music to sound more reproduced and forced as I turn it up. I want it to remain engaging with a sense of ease that does not force me to turn it down. This is a particularly difficult thing for a system to do right. Particularly difficult for my ears as I have a touch of tinnitus.

It is also true that a nicely resolved system will sound very satisfying at lower volumes for the reasons you point out. Many want both opportunities in their systems.

I agree that as an audio system mproves resolution,  purity and transparency, performance does increase in both lower and higher listening level scenarios. I find that excelling at the lower volume levels is a greater challenge for most systems as many can sound flat or lifeless at subdued levels.  This is more elusive in my opinion. I suspect that Wig obtains satisfaction in either direction of the volume control as desired. 
Charles  

Charles,Granny Ring,

I listen at the same levels that you guys do with the occasional louder listening session but usually not for very long.

I also have found as my system has gotten better and better it's much more resolving,engaging and has better dynamics at lwr levels below 78 db.

Kenny.

Charles, I am confident Wig’s system scales both ends of the db spectrum to his satisfaction. It does as I have spoken and emailed him directly. I am saying one needs to know what one wants in a system, understand the limitations of a given system combo, and go from there. No system is perfect and tradeoffs are enevitable. Just understand them upfront.

There are several roads to the same set of sonic priorities and not all of those roads must include a certain kind of amplifier or preamp. We play systems, not amplifiers, and the audio landscape is serving up some exciting new ways to sonic bliss. Buckle up as we are in for a ride and tomorrow’s gear, close proximity tommorrow that is, will bust up some of our current conventional wisdom. Frankly, it is happening right now.