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Mola Mola Makua and Kartugas or Preamp and Merrill Veritas?


     I've decided to hopefully upgrade my class D based system by investing in one of these preamp/amp solutions and I'm requesting a healthy dose of wise advise from the plethora of sage A'gon members, please.
     My budget is up to $15K, my inclination is to buy high-end class D amps based on the high quality Hypex NCore 1200 power modules and I plan to purchase used.  The problem is I've never personally listened to any of these amps and I'm relying only on the very positive reviews I've read, hence my request for advice.  Here are descriptions of the current self-identified 2 options I'm considering:


Option 1:  A pre-owned Mola Mola pair of Kaluga mono-blocks and Makua preamp.  I find this option attractive because the preamp was designed to match well with the mono-block amps both performance wise and cosmetically.  The downside, however, is that this matching of preamp and amps somewhat negates the benefits of using separates in the first place.  As an example, I've identified two sellers with Makuas and Kalugas in very good condition but they both want to sell their preamp/amps as three component sets for between $14-15K rather than individually.  

Option 2: A pre-owned pair of Merrill Audio Veritas mono-blocks and a suitable high quality preamp.  I know I can buy a pair in very good condition for about $5K because Merrill, of Merrill Audio, told me he's taking in quite a few pairs of Veritas as trade-ins toward purchases of his new Element line of amps.  He stated they thoroughly check all of these amps, refresh and tune them up as needed and resell them for about $5K/pair. I only know this by responding to one of his ads for a pair of Veritas on U.S. Audio Mart and wound up speaking directly with Merrill (he's a a good guy).  So, I'd likely buy a pre-owned pair from Merrill Audio if I opt for this option.
     This means I'd also need to select and buy a high quality and well matched pre-owned preamp, which I would appreciate any advise on, too, especially from current Veritas owners.
     Overall, my preference is for a ss preamp, mainly due to ease of maintenance, but would accept a tube preamp if it was low noise, low distortion, had a more neutral than euphonic sonic character and was highly detailed.  Besides this, my requirements for a preamp are that it's balanced, has a minimum of 2 pairs of balanced xlr inputs and a single pair of outputs, has a means of HT passthru, has a remote for at a minimum input/HT selection and volume functions and has an output impedance of 10K ohms or less.
     I've thus far identified two preamps that I believe are good pre-owned preamp candidates to pair with the Veritas: the Mark Levinson 326S solid state preamp for about $5K pre-owned that is my 1st choice and the Aesthetix Saturn Calypso hybrid ss/tube preamp for $4,500 new or up to about $2K less pre-owned that is my 2nd/backup choice.
    So, I'm requesting feedback on whether you think the Mola Mola Makua preamp and Kaluga mono-blocks or the Merrill Veritas and a TBD preamp is my better upgrade option and, if you believe it's the Veritas, which high quality preamp would you recommend?

Thanks in advance,
         Tim
128x128noble100
thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 
So you better transfer your money first from your “investment” fund before you make any offer. Or negotiate with seller first, and explain your case
rsf507
2,313 posts
 
Doesn't look like an auction. Send a message and maybe tell them you can give a $500 deposit if you are serious which should satisfy most sellers. Again only if you are serious otherwise you would be wasting his/her time. Can't lose to try.
coffee-jerk
73 posts
 
If you want musical Class D, Bel Canto would be worth your listening time.  They've been doing it for a long time.  

rsf507
2,313 posts
 
@noble100 just curious if you got the listed Christine?
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Update:
     I got very lucky!

     I decided to call the owner of my favorite high-end audio store here in Indy yesterday , Graham the owner of Audio Solutions, and get his thoughts on my attempted upgrades to my system.  His shop is always interesting because he's very knowledgeable, there's a wide selection of new high-end audio/video equipment on display available for audition and there's also a constant arrival of high quality pre-owned equipment available for purchase arriving as a result of regular trade-ins on new high-quality gear purchases.  They have a full-time crew of repair technicians on staff that ensure all gear is functioning optimally.
     Okay, here's the lucky part, After I told him of my specific system upgrade intentions, he stated they had recently taken in some trade-ins in very good condition: a Levinson 326S preamp and a black pair of Magnepan 3.7is bought new this year that were not even fully broken in yet and currently stored there in their original packaging.; his wife thought they were too big for their living room.
     Well, what do you know?  This is the same shop from which I recently purchased a new Lumin D2 dac/streamer, a matched 20 TB Synology NAS and a Parasound Halo P6 preamp w/ remote and HT passthru. I love the sound quality and convenient functionality, paired with an iPad as a user interface, of all this new equipment in my system with the exception of the P6 preamp. The P6 was a necessary addition since I required a selecting/volume control device to accommodate the separate D2 dac/streamer now that I'd no longer able to use my Oppo 105 as a preamp due to its lack of a balanced xlr input.  
     The P6 has an accurate, detailed, neutral and enjoyable sound quality as well as the capacity to portray a solid and stable 3 dimensional soundstage illusion.  However, I didn't like its lack of a input/volume display, somewhat clunky remote and its poor volume control precision.  
     So, I'm going to return the P6 preamp and Audio Solutions is going to come out and swap out the following equipmemtequipment:
Swapping in the Levinson 326S for the P6.
Swapping in the Magnepan 3.7is for my 2.7QRs.
Swapping in my recently purchased Oppo 205 for my105.

     They're also going to allow me to audition a pre-owned pair of Levinson 531H mono-blocks (asking price is about half off their original new msrp of $13K/pair).  As I've stated before, I think my 1,200 watt @ 4 ohm D-Sonic M3-600-M class D mono-blocks are a definite strength of my current system driving my 2.7QRs but these speakers are almost 25 years old.  I'm curious to hear if they'll drive the 3.7is just as well and comparing them to the Levinson 531Hs.  I like many qualities of good quality class D amps but I'm confident my love is reserved for the amps, regardless of amp type,  that actually perform and sound the best driving my speakers in my system. No matter the results, I'll try to remain open-minded and would still be interested in auditioning the Merrill Veritas and Mola Mola Kartuga class D mono-blocks in my system if possible.    
     I'm also very curious on the improvements gained in my system by upgrading to the 3.7is and its true ribbon tweeters.  I'm obviously expecting increased treble detail but realize there are likely to be other performance improvements elsewhere in the audible frequency spectrum.
     Given these numerous impending changes to my system, I do regret probably not having the chance to audition the apparently very competent, low noise, low distortion and neutral Merrill Christine preamp in my system, I suspect I would truly enjoy one in my system.  The Levinson 326S preamp that I will be auditioning, according to numerous professional reviews I've read, shares the same exact attributes the Christine possesses.  I believe it should give me a very reasonable facsimile of the effect a low noise, low distortion and neutral preamp would have on my system's overall sound quality. 
     But if the 326S does not meet or exceed my high expectations or it's not a combination I thoroughly enjoy, I think I'll likely still be seeking out and auditioning the alternative Christine preamp with low noise, low distortion pairs of class D mono-blocks such as my D-Sonics, the Merrill Veritas and the Mola Mola Kartugas just to satisfy my curiosity and determine definitively whether this theoretically excellent combination actually results in excellent sound quality performance.
     The above are the details of my first phase of planned upgrades to my system's audio quality.  The planned second phase of planned upgrades to my system's acoustics and video quality will occur immediately following successful completion of the audio quality phase.
      Constructive criticism and comments welcomed.
Thanks,
  Tim
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