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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.




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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 ~
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,661 posts
 
Hi @jjss49 Regarding ARC supplied power cords, I had the same question. In fact, the new buyer reached out to me and was wondering why I didn't include the original cord. I reached out to ARC customer service directly, and they told me that the GSi75 in fact did ship with the thinner cord, but they would be happy to supply the other one for $25. The new buyer then called ARC as well to confirm, and all was good. This was my first ARC piece, so I have no idea what the truth is, this one might be the odd man out. 

BTW, the new owner has ARC separates (REF 150, REF 3, REF Phono 2). He is trying to downsize that's why he bought mine. According to him, he was pleasantly surprised how close the Gsi75 comes in terms of sound quality. Th separates are still more lush and extend deeper, but he said that he could easily live with the GSi75. I wish I could have kept both, but many of us have significant others to keep us level headed, 

Also, it was quite an eye opener for me wrt how my perception of sound quality changed when I heard both units in my home vs the dealer. I wonder how the Hegel would sound in my house, but my spouse will kick me out if I spend anymore, even to compare :)
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,661 posts
 
@ryder You are absolutely on point! The Luxman is definitely sensitive to cable changes. I have had the Cerious speaker cables for a few years now. I originally bought them when I used to have Parasound A21. When I replaced the stock cord with the Cerious cables, the improvement in sound was very subtle. But with the Luxman, it's a whole different ballgame. I still cannot believe how it transformed the same equipment into a different beast!

Now the one area where I think the Gsi75 had an edge was the built-in DAC. My current DAC is Audio Mirror Tubadour III (non-SE version) which is not based on balanced topology. Before the GSi75, the most expensive DAC I had listened to was I think $3000. The GSi75 was my first taste of higher end DACs and I must say that it was a revelation. Its ability to dig up the details and present them in such a way that each instrument is prominent with plenty of air around it, but doing so without ever sounding forward or etched. I miss that DAC for sure. Don't get me wrong, the AMT is a fabulous DAC, especially for the price I paid. But I can't help but think if it's doing full justice to my new rig. I will lay low for a few months, hopefully allow my wallet to regain some of its self esteem, and then start looking for a new DAC. Based on your feedback, I will look for balanced.
arafiq's avatar
arafiq OP
1,661 posts
 
Sorry I meant to say Cerious power cord, not speaker cables.
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