Synergy - Mix and Match - Solid State of Mind


Small to Medium Sized Room - Any Component From Column A with one from Column B

Column A - Amplification

McCormack DNA-2 LAE
GamuT D200MkIII
Ayre Acoustics V-5x
Belles 150A Reference
Theta Digital Dreadnaught II (2channel)
Clayton Audio S-40
Natural Progression NP-220
BAT VK-250

Column B - Speakers

Focus Audio FS-688
Focus Audio FS-788
Reference 3a Dulcet
Harmonic Precision Caravelle
Cliffhanger Bulldog

Sold everything I had. Would like to start over. Will choose source and control based on which combination proves to be the best match. Like black silences, warm sound, tonal accuracy, soundstage, holographic imaging, immediacy and don't like sounds just "disappearing as fast as they materialize" i prefer it to leave my ears a bit slower then the time it takes to show up...don't know how to explain, anyway, please help, can't audition them all...

Oh, and I don't think I'll be upgrading them, ever. I still need to get maybe an EMM Labs DCC2,and a valve preamp somewhere down the line...Working for an NGO and I often use money out of my wallet to cover for budget inadequacies. Just want something special to come home to after a hard day's work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
cagliostro
I heard the Caravelles at THE Show and they are an excellent speaker.

I used to own a McCormack DNA-2 LAE. The LAE is everything they said it is/was (Peter Moncrief of IAR proclaimed it the best SS amp in 1998). But the LAE simply is no match for my McCormack DNA-2 Revision A.

I'd suggest buying the LAE and have Steve McC convert it to a Revision A Gold.

-IMO
I have until March to purchase these two parts of the system. They will most likely be the heaviest parts so it would be wise to take them with me, as opposed to having them shipped.

I was under the impression that the DNAs were lean, is this correct?
Lean? The LAE, yes. the Revision A, far from it.

Do not be confused with off-the-shelf DNAs and Revision A DNAs.

-IMO
I am not aware of any noises/audible distortions (such as when idle). As for black silences, the best I can say is that the silences are there and they are not there.

The silence is there because this is a very fast amp. The rise and fall time is as good as I've heard from any amp.

In fact, that is one of the biggest attributes with the LAE version and was known at the time as the fastest amp running. The Revision A meets or exceeds that speed. So silence in that there is inter-transient silence prior to the initial attack of a musical note.

The silence is not there in that well-engineered equipment (which includes fast transistors, etc.) will also pick up much more of the ensuing decay of a musical note after the initial attack whereas lesser components will not.

Therefore, a musical note lingers and evaporates more naturally into the noise-floor rather than dropping off prematurely.

Don't know if this answers your question or helps in any way, but after owning about 6 amps over a 3 year period, I haven't even considered another amp in the 27 months I've owned this Revision A model.

The only other amp I would entertain would be a DNA-2 Revision A Gold and the latest options McCormack currently offers.

This amp convinced me that the amp is the key to any system's performance. (whether good or bad).

-IMO