2. amps-preamps
  3. 177530-53619

For classical music lovers best amp for large orchestral forces?

I recently upgraded my pre to an arc ref 6se. Currently using pas xa25. It's a very good amp but I'm noticing a fair amount of compression when playing large symphonic works. My speakers are Dalis and they are excellent as is the arc.

For smaller forces, chamber, piano and voices the system works beautifully. But if I'm looking for more transparency and a deeper sound stage for symphonies I find sometimes a boxy cramped sound. Looking to spend around 8k or less either tube or solid state. There have been discussions about the xa25 and what's better but they fill up immediately with tangents of philosophical and technical discussions of how one hears. I'm looking for as many possibilities of actual units that I can read about and possibly hear.

Thanks for your ideas.

roxy1927
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
4,192 posts
 

It might be your Epicon 8’s are the problem.  A Trio is easy for most systems to reproduce, but the more things a speaker has to reproduce, the harder it is, especially at higher levels. 
 

BTW, Congratulations on the Ref 6se.

All the best.

grk
204 posts
 

"What about an ARC 75SE…? They come on the used market often and it may give you an opportunity to see if the upgrade to an 80s or 160s is worth it…? "

I would shy away from any product that often comes on the used market! This likely happens for a reason, e.g., there are issues with it.

Ask you local dealer if they have an amp for you to audition. Or check out amps from some online companies that offer trial periods. Some offer up to 45 days which should be plenty of time to make a decision. SPL amps look interesting. Good luck.

 

 

jayctoy's avatar
jayctoy
3,735 posts
 

Try to find Plinius SA 100 , or Mark Levinson 332, 333.

welcher's avatar
welcher
106 posts
 

I have a Pass XA25 and Audio research 75SE. I listen to both amps every week. When compared to the XA25 the Audio Research has a wider sound stage, more detail and a cleaner background. When compared to the Audio research the Pass gives a warmer presentation and has stronger bass. I second the recommendations to look at the newer Audio Research amps.

soix
8,755 posts
 

All you guys recommending tube amps, do you know that the OP’s speakers have a stated NOMINAL impedance of only 5 Ohms?  I haven’t been able to find more detailed measurements, but given that I’d have to think the minimum impedance likely reaches well below 4 Ohms somewhere in the frequency range.  Could something like an ARC Ref75SE (an amp I lust after BTW) perform optimally or provide enough juice on demanding recordings played at higher volumes with this kind of load?  I don’t know the answer, but on the surface it does not seem like an optimal situation. 

More to discover