System Dissatisfaction - My Own Fault

@mceljo

My speakers are not a weakness to my ear, but I know they are a polarizing sound that many don’t appreciate.

Fair enough. I don’t know of any affordable SS integrateds that truly mimic tube sound. I’d suggest the Croft Phono Integrated but you probably want something with a remote control. Regardless, I’d stay away from the tube + class D hybrids, they sound nothing like a tube amp. It seems many make that assumption, but IME, the typically thin and analytic class D traits negate any tube warmth.

If going the hybrid route, I’d stick with a class AB amp. You might check out these.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/mobile/prodinfo.asp?number=VISV500

Not a lot of power on paper but I’d almost guarantee it’ll seem more powerful than your Integra.

Well, since I'm a glutton for punishment in recent month I decided to double down on my audio purchases and will be trading in the Cambridge Audio 840A along with the cash from selling the Cambridge Audio 551R and a little out of my personal funds for a Pathos Classic One MKiii that's at one of my local shops that I enjoy doing business with.  I do have a 30 day money back policy to cover me if I decide it was a stupid move.

I think the hybrid amplifier with a bit more power than my Yaqin just might work well for me.  I've heard the amp before in years past when I purchased my speakers and receiver, but I never focused on it based on the systems it was connected to and such.  One of my more memorable listening experiences was with the Pathos Logos (similar design with more power) and a pair of Focal 807v speakers.  The owner set me up with that system to do a speaker cable comparison (hardware store cable vs. a $2,000 set that I had no idea how much it cost until after).  The 807v speakers are the large bookshelf speaker in the same lineup as my 836v floor standing speakers and they have the same tweeter.  I remember being really really impressed with the detail in that setup.  Pathos has always been on par, but different, with Krell so I'm excited to give this amplifier a try.

I should be bringing it home tomorrow.  It's been on loan to a local retail shop so the owner had to go retrieve it and I needed to get my amplifier all packed up.

I'll be sure to report on how I like it, but I'm curious to see what you all think.  Did I just make another lateral move or possible make a nice improvement?

Dissatisfaction resolved.  I love the sound of the Pathos Classic One MKIII so far.  It has a very smooth top end and powerful bass even at the low volumes that I have been able to listen to it at (the kids are in bed).  The soundstage makes me feel like the performers are on the opposite wall which is different than any of my previous gear, but I really like it.

I didn't get the remote (have inquired about it as it may have just been overlooked), but my Harmony remote has control so it's a non-issue.  I did get the original box with the shipping label from Italy.

I love my Yaqin tube amplifier, but the one thing that I always felt that it lacked was great bass at lower volumes and it didn't like being turned way up so there was always a balancing act.  The Pathos clearly has more to give.

@georgehifi, I am interested in your thoughts on the Pathos Classic One MKiii being a good match for my Focal 836v speakers.

@helomech, I picked up the Pathos for around 1/3 of the original retail price (about 1/2 price if I factor in the loss on the trade-in) which made it an affordable option. I am really pleased with the amplifier which I assume is at least partially due to the hybrid configuration.

Now that I have had more time to listen and evaluate the new addition I am completely blown away with the sound. The Cambridge Audio 840A made my system sound totally different and as much as I liked some aspects of the new sound I missed the sound of my system. I have always felt that my Integra and Yaqin had a similar sound in the same way that my Focal 836v speakers has a similar sound to the Focal 806v speakers that my father-in-law has. The sound quality isn’t the same, but there is a lot of characteristics in the sound that they have in common.

The Pathos seems to maintain the sound of my system and just take it to the next level. It doesn’t take away the highs like the Cambridge Audio, but still adds a more powerful, yet refined, bass response.

With the Cambridge Audio I was all over the map on liking it or not. It was great for some music, ok for some, and downright poor for some others to a point that really didn’t make sense to me. I think it was just an issue of how I want some recordings to sound and they no longer did. With the Pathos I have not found a single thing that isn’t drastically improved.

When I read the reviews for the Pathos I can understand the things that the reviewers liked or disliked and hear them in my system. One criticism is the bass being too refined, but while I can hear what is being described I like the result. One of the most positive reviews suggested that it was an excellent amplifier for the Focal Utopia Diablo speakers which says something for an amplifier at the $3k retail price point matching to a $10,000+ pair of speakers. I have heard the Diablo’s several times and would consider them an absolute favorite. I have never heard a Focal speaker that I didn’t like, they just get too expensive for my budget. I feel that this Pathos and my Focal speakers are a pretty solid match for my budget. I really would never spend more on speakers than I did on the Focal and likely wouldn’t spend more than the Pathos would have cost new which puts me near the top end of the gear that I would ever be willing to own.

This thread started with dissatisfaction and has transformed to audio bliss.