which amp to upgrade my Levinson 383/39/WattPuppy6

Henrus,

I am in your shoes right now. I am using a Levinson 383 to drive my Egglestonworks Rosa loudspeakers. Like your Wilsons, the 383 just isn't enought to drive my Rosa's properly. It is definitely the weak link in my system.

The 383 cannot be run as a pre-amplifier so you will have to replace it with another integrated or make the full jump to separates. I am auditioning separates at home right now. I think I have decided on a Mark Levinson 320S pre-amplifier and the Halcro DM38 power amp. It is proving to be a wonderful combination to my ears and it has found new music in much of my old CD collection. It is clearly a major step up in price over the 383, but it is even a more dramatic upgrade in sound quality - night and day really.

Hope this helps!

Brad

RUN to the NuForce site and order the Ref9s. You will find exactly what you lack. You will also have 30 days if it isn't right.

I have WP7s in a room approximately your size. NuForces gave me weight and dynamics I didn't think I could get! Boy, are you in for a surprise!

And for god's sake, get a rug!

Bob Wood
http://www.GreatHomeTheater.com

Henrus,

I like the suggestions so far: Halcro, McCormack, BAT, Nuforce. All really great options.

I have Watt Puppies too and about the same room as you. I think the suggestion that the 383 isn't going to cut it is correct. It's got to go.

I was driving my puppies with a FPB200 200W Krell and the sound was decent. It doesn't take much power really to handle the puppies - they are pretty sensitive. Just use a good separate amp. All the ones above are great.

However, Pass Labs just released the new X-0.5 series which sound a lot like the XA series but faster and with more power. I took a chance and bought the new X-250.5 and it is the best amp I have heard to date. With the puppies it is perfection. Be careful though because the older non-.5 models do not sound anything like this. Get the new .5 models. They are from another world. At 250W the meter shows I'm only pulling about ~23% of the max power out of the X-250.5 even all loudest volume I can handle. So I've got plenty.

It you want to buy my old Krell I'd probably sell it at this point. It'll take care of the bass problem you have. But I wouldn't suggest it. The X-250.5 is really the bomb.

what a cool site. only here will you find not just one but 2 or 3 other guys with similar equipment. too fun. thanks everyone for the suggestions. i will try to audition them all (assuming the dealer will comply and carry. :>)

Oh my stars....If you went to a a Full Peanut Butter (FPB), you would really hear a difference in that system. Or any of the ML amps.