I should have added if you have a tube amp or a McIntosh tube or solid-state amp the 2,4,8-ohm outputs, the 4-ohm outputs make the Sapphire M3's sing like no other.I suspect this is not correct. The reason is we have customers using our S-30 amp on this speaker and the S-30 has a rather high output impedance (and no 4 ohm taps as its an OTL). I've not heard this combo myself but Clayton (the designer) has- contact him to see what he thinks.
What amp to match with Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire open back speakers
Fellow audiogoners,
If all goes well, I will shortly be the proud owner of a lightly used pair of Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire open back speakers.
The trouble is that in making this acquisition, I will have expanded most of my intended "hobbies" budget,yet still need to purchase an amplifier that will make the speakers sing.
The rest of my modest setup consists of: Bluesound Node 2i streamer, SMSL SU-8 V2 DAC, ProJect Debut Carbon Esprit TT.
The listening room is our living/dining room (400 sqft), and our music ranges from classical to world, with a good dose of classic rock and jazz of all types. We also like to turn things up from time to time...to dance!
Sound characteristics I appreciate the most are: musicality, definition but not too clinical, wide and open sound stage, tight impactful bass, and most realistic vocals.
I am thus calling on all Spatial Audio M3 owners and others to request your advice/guidance in helping me select an integrated amplifier at a budget of around $2500.
Thanks very much for your input and experiences, have a nice weekend and please stay safe!jlr261
If all goes well, I will shortly be the proud owner of a lightly used pair of Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire open back speakers.
The trouble is that in making this acquisition, I will have expanded most of my intended "hobbies" budget,yet still need to purchase an amplifier that will make the speakers sing.
The rest of my modest setup consists of: Bluesound Node 2i streamer, SMSL SU-8 V2 DAC, ProJect Debut Carbon Esprit TT.
The listening room is our living/dining room (400 sqft), and our music ranges from classical to world, with a good dose of classic rock and jazz of all types. We also like to turn things up from time to time...to dance!
Sound characteristics I appreciate the most are: musicality, definition but not too clinical, wide and open sound stage, tight impactful bass, and most realistic vocals.
I am thus calling on all Spatial Audio M3 owners and others to request your advice/guidance in helping me select an integrated amplifier at a budget of around $2500.
Thanks very much for your input and experiences, have a nice weekend and please stay safe!jlr261
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- 32 posts total
Hello again atmasphere and phillyb, I was surprised to see additional contributions to this thread I created when I almost scored a mint pair of Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires... As I wrote in my very last post, the sale unfortunately fell through as the seller apparently received a better offer for his speakers. Too bad for me! In any case, regardless of whether I own these speakers or not, I'm getting a real education here, and really do appreciate your respective contributions. Obviously, learning is a process, and I sometimes get a little confused when sorting through conflicting information. But hey, no worries, I am well aware and cognizant enough not to take everything I read here as gospel. The proof will always be MY ears... So the search continues, and as we prepare to finally relocate to the US this summer, I am anxious to start all over again from scratch, and will definitely be seeking fellow goners' input as I navigate through the possibilities. Thanks again and please stay safe! |
Well crap. After posting this I see you didn't score them. Not to worry as EPs come up. I saw a pair of 2.7s just the other day for $2000, or EP 3.0s for $1200 First, great choice going Open BAFFLE instead of cabinet compromised monkey coffins. I own Emerald Physics 3.4s OB with single 12" drivers and 1" polyester concentric tweeters Looking at the review (link below) there are several things I did to my 3.4s that I recommend doing with the M3s * get the XOs completely off the bases, and isolate from the floor (I use Machina Dynamica springs- inexpensive and work great * Upgrade the jumpers (I use WireWorld OCC) and if possible the wiring to the drivers also. I am unable to do this, as the 3.4s wire is inside the baffles (Why, I have no clue) As to amplifier: Depends on your room size and musical tastes. Large scale music requires a potent amp. Mine is an EVS 1200 ( Ice Edge heavily moded class D, using 2 AS 1200 modules, which is 600/1200 wpc, which I need as my room is volumetrically quite large. If you’re on a tight budget check out the GaN based Premium amp @ $699 https://premium-audio.com/gan-audio-amplifiers.html OR, Underwood HiFi is said to be introducing their much more sophisticated Voyager GaN amp at $3000 (scroll down near the bottom) https://www.underwoodhifi.com/products/lsa-electronics Spatial Audio Lab M3 Sapphire Loudspeaker | REVIEW | Part-Time Audiophile (parttimeaudiophile.com) hth |
Hello Ronsbass and Tweak1! Thanks very much for your input, while the intended acquisition of a mint pair of Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires fell through, I must say that exchanging with much more experienced audiophiles such as yourselves has been a real pleasure and learning experience for me. I have decided to wait until we are fully relocated in the Washington D.C area to resume my quest for a new audio setup, at which time, I'll take the time to listen to as many different components and combinations as possible. The only thing I've set at this point is the overall budget, which I've determined to be 10k, for speakers, an integrated amplifier, a good DAC, and appropriate accessories (cables, room acoustics, etc.). I will mostly stream from a Node 2i I still have and that is just so convenient to use, as well as my ProJect Debut Carbon Expression turntable. Once again, thanks very much for all the very useful information, I'll be sure to let you guys know how things evolve from here on! Have a great family Memorial Day!! |
- 32 posts total