Wilson Alexia 2

George:
In my home, the only difference in bass response between the Dag Momentum S250 and the Audio Research amps was the quality of the bass

That will be the output impedance of the ARC being 0.7ohm and the D’Ago being 0.2ohm this is 3 x the damping factor in favor of the D’Ago, the Gryphon is 0.02ohm 10 x better again than the D’Ago, and with even more current available.
The bass of the Alexia which is at it’s worse .9ohm epdr.
That’s why they’re so hard to drive to their best in the bass.

All this is reflected in what the reviewer and tester found with the D’Ago

Overall, the Momentum’s sonic personality, its high-frequency transients somewhat more relaxed, its bass performance ever so slightly less muscular

The output impedance was moderately high for a solid-state design, at 0.21 ohm at 20Hz and 2kHz

And that was on the Wilson Alexandria XLF’s
https://www.stereophile.com/images/113Walexfig1.jpg way easier to drive than the Alexia’s in the bass https://www.stereophile.com/images/1213Walexfig01.jpg

Cheers George

Jeff rowland stuff is top end 

Hi George:
I read the Stereophile measurements and the review when they were published. I cannot speak about the Gryphon. I can speak about what I heard in my room. Measurements are helpful to determining how components may interact. Nothing beats actually listening.

Agree nothing beats listening. But to give what your listening to, deserves to have the best measurements to do the job properly, and get the very best out of the speakers yes?
Even a big Nad will work into them and sound fine, and if you didn't know any better you could very well say that's the amp for them.

So tot get a "base line of amps" that will do these great speakers justice, the test specs are the 1st most important to be considered, for the "base line of amps to listen to".
Otherwise you get some saying  things like Cary 805 monoblocks are a great amp get them!! 

Cheers George

Old thread, and comments are spot on. FWIW: own the Alexia 2s and had them on McIntosh stereo amp. Not offensive, but somewhat veiled. Moved to Pass X600.8s and a huge improvement. Heard both Boulder stereo and D’Agastino Progression monos and Momento monos (new release version) on them. Heard the ARC 160s, too.
 

And what they say seems true: the Wilson’s sound best IN MY OPINION on ARC for tube, and D’Agostino for SS. We liked the Momentum’s, stereo or monos work, well over the Progressions.

 

We will be upgrading in a bit to either ARC or Dags Momentums, most likely.

Just my two cents.

j