Amp for Acoustic Zen Crescendo 2 ?

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.

Grannyring,

Very well said,+1 on all of your statements.

I tell lots of newer people in our hobby that a great system is put together with a set of priorities in mind and at the end of the day we listen to a system as a whole and not the individual components.And Offcourse each one of us has our own list of priorities that are unique to us individually.

I will boldly predict that in 10 yrs or less class d amps and all in one components such as the Lyngdorf will turn the audio industry upside down.A higher percentage of audiophiles will buy them for the convenience,simplicity, potential overall value,and great sound.

You are definitely one of the early adopters and I can tell from your words and statements that you truly love the sound you are hearing with your system and I think that is just totally awesome.

Kenny.

Kenny you just wrote exactly what I am thinking and chose not to share🙂

One box solutions without all the ICs, power cords, digital cables, longer signal paths, additional noise and complexity are indeed the future. No doubt about it. What is coming, and here now for room correction, will be and is so impressive! Our walls and rooms will be invisible to our future systems! This alone will and has brought sonic improvements impossible not that long ago. We will be able to use software and small chips (something like this) to taylor the sound if you want. Want that DHT SET sound, then you can have it without the additional noise. Want that 100 watts of Class A SS sound, then you can have it without all the heat. Want absolute neutrality, you can have it. So much more than I can think of on my own.

I am an innovation professional and sense we are in the midst of historic sonic improvement. These are special times and unique in all of audio history. The technology is more disruptive in nature than even the tubes to SS thing that happened decades ago.

Anyway, now is the time to have an open mind and explore the possibilities. I am very attracted to tubes on so many levels, but the reality is I must be open to a future which will bring many wonderful options.

I will end my little "excitable boy" post with one word......noise. Until you hear a system/electronics that has all but eliminated it, you just don't understand all the noise you are living with in your system. Noise is sonic bliss's enemy #1.  It obscures detail, nuance, tone, ebb & flow, and emotion at all volumes. Innovation will incarcerate this sonic criminal.