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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
jdub39
486 posts
 

The Parasound Halo JC5 does it for me with both low level and powerful complex loud classical crescendo's with an iron fist grip and a playful nature between the two speakers with 3d imaging  .  Ivan Fisher's Mahler's 2nd from Channel Classics is my go to for my ultimate test of my system after any additions.

roxy1927 OP
119 posts
 

One can always use another Mahler 2. I will check it out. I'm afraid the arc 160m is something I can't do. Maybe someday...

daledeee1's avatar
daledeee1
516 posts
 

Lots of advise.  I would add a couple subs.  That takes a load off speaker and amp.  

Amps from Coda and Pass will do the job.  I go by how heavy they are but Class D broke that rule.  The tube recommendations are good also.

I have an Xa25 with a passive preamp from Khozmo playing Crites speakers, think Klipsch Cornwall.   With two subs I have yet to play anything that sounds compressed.  Including massive hits on a tympani or an electronic bass.  Good luck.

runwell
279 posts
 

@ghdprentice  Good to know you upgrade from 160s to 160m now. is that big improvement?

mglik
888 posts
 

I am a proud and delighted owner of AGD Audions.

In 50 years at this, I have never heard anything like them.

A clear window into the music. Classical is amazing. So much air and separation between instruments. So sweet violins. 
And now there is the $5500 Tempo stereo AGD. Said to be very, very much like the Audions.

And then we now have the Atma-Sphere Class D monos. I don’t know for sure but believe them at the level of the AGD or beyond. 
Ralph, a designer of great tube amps for 50 years, has actually said that tube amps are now on “life support”. That we now have solid state Amos that are as organic and lovely as the best tube amps with greater detail and bass.

Both AGD and Atma are 100 watts  into 8 ohms and 200 into 4.

ARC amps have been developing their designs for many decades and their current amps are also superb. But much more pricey and, perhaps, more “traditional”.

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