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Integrated amp -- Pass Labs vs Luxman vs McIntosh

I posted a similar query earlier but did not get a lot of responses unfortunately. As mentioned before, my speakers are Sonus Faber Olympica II, currently driven by Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, in a 20x15 dedicated media room. As an aside, I’m already working with GIK acoustics to treat the room. As much as I love the Cronus Magnum II, it’s clearly struggling with the speakers and room dimensions. I have been doing some research and narrowed my choices to the following (Note: mostly looking for used since my budget is $5 - 6k max)

Pass Labs INT-60 -- love the fact that the first 30 watts are all Class A; these don’t come up for sale often though. I’ve heard that these are as close to the tube sound one can get without compromising what makes SS great. I listened to INT-150 a couple of years ago and was really impressed. From what I’ve read, the 60s are clearly a step up in every way. Besides, I’ve always been fascinated by Pass Labs.

Luxman 590AXII -- I have yet to read anything negative about these. I like the fact that they are a class A design. Unfortunately, the only Luxmans I’ve listened to were 20+ years old and did not leave much of an impression (polite to a fault).

McIntosh MA352 -- A friend has the smaller brother, MA252, which I really like but not sure if they have enough juice to drive my speakers. None of the dealers near me carry the MA352 so I have to rely on feedback alone. I like the fact that this is a hybrid.

Another suggestion from a dealer is Naim SuperNait 3, but honestly I don’t know if it competes in the same playground as the aforementioned amps.

My goal is to find a nice balance between the strengths of tubes and SS -- retain good 3D soundstage, instrument separation, midrange magic, but not at the expense of bass and dynamics. I do understand that I cannot expect an SS, regardless of class A or not, to have the same lush, holographic presentation of tube amps, but want something that gets as close as possible.

I would love to listen from owners or people who have heard the amps before. Since I’m buying used, I will not have the opportunity to return them so due diligence is necessary.




128x128arafiq
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,661 posts
 
@jjss49 Yes, the ARC came with a very thin (I think 18 guage) wire which kind a surprised me. Except for the first couple of days, most of my listening was done using the same Cerious Technology PC. I am still quite surprised by how much of a difference it made. Honestly, I would have been very skeptical had I not experienced it myself.

BTW, as I said in an earlier post, when I listened to the Luxman at the dealer, I felt that it was a very, very close second. I also said I could have lived with either one. But the fact is that all my auditions were done at someone’s house or the dealer. When I compared the Luxman and ARC in my setup, the Luxman edged it out. Not sure why someone would find it ’weird’.
techno__dude
511 posts
 
Ohh the truth came out. You never really compared them head to head in the first place ... »someones house or the dealer »... After the buy, it is then you did a real a to b test in your house setup...

Next time please be more specific the first time, so we can avoid this kind of discussion again...

I used weird because your move seemed awkward. Now that you told us exactly what really happened, I take that back and replace « weird »by... « not really serious tests in the beginning »...
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,661 posts
 
Next time please be more specific the first time, so we can avoid this kind of discussion again...

Lol! you're a funny lil' dude! I don't remember asking you to partake in this discussion. Don't let the door hit you on your way out. And once you're out, make sure you not to forget your pills.
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@arafiq

every arc amp i have owned (it is up to 14 of them in the past 25 years) comes with a heavy gauge power cord... not a fancy branded one, but a heavy duty one suited to handle substantial current demands of the amp -- of course over the years they went from a standard three prong socket on the amp end to a 20 amp version with a different plug...

you probably bought your arc unit used, and the prior owner sent you a cheapie low grade cord, kept the original one ... anyhow, glad you did run the amp with a proper cord and more importantly, glad you found something you are happy with

after all that is all that really matters in this hobby
ryder
1,689 posts
 
Just disregard the not so helpful comments. The Luxman L-590AXII does respond very well to quality power cords. Not only that, if you are able to use the balanced connections, by all means use it to connect to your DAC or source. It sounds better with balanced than single-ended cables.

I initially got a costly Acrolink Mexcel cord for the Luxman and since the improvement was staggering, I bought another Acrolink cord for the DAC. Another round of improvement. The power cord on the DAC now costs more than the DAC itself. I know it may sound nuts but that’s the reality. It’s the end result that matters.

It’s amazing that a power cord can bring such a massive improvement. . Hearing is believing. The definition, texture and detail in the midrange and bass, the smooth glowing tube-like treble. The cord is able to improve on all these aspects on the Luxman (and in my system the DAC too)

Enjoy ~
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