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Amps for Avantgarde

I recently installed a new set of Avantgarde Mezzo speakers. They have two horns for medium and high frequencies and a horn based woofer cabinet with its own 500 Watt amplification.
The speakers look great ( I have them in cherry with burgundy red horns), my wife likes them and the sound is GLORIOUS !
You can see my setup in Avantgarde-acoustic.de web page/gallery
Bass it has all you can take, the limit is your ears an the furniture trying to move around by itself. Even at low levels you get plenty of bass.

From my former setup with Aerial 8B speakers i had a C-46, two MC-501 and a MCD-205, all McIntosh.
With the Avantgardes the MC-501 were showing a watt usage of hardly over 0.5 Watts, at normal listening levels and no more than 5 Watts when really turniung the volume up to hurting levels. The sensitivity of the Mezzo is 107dB.
I thought that maybe I should try the real fine stuff, valves single ended, which have an output power handicap, but in this case with theses speakers not. 5 Watts is probably enough.
A friend of mine who is also audio dealer loaned me a set of Klimo Belataine Mono Valve amps, 5 Watts Class A, single ended, 300B, with automatic bias controll and choice of feedback or no feedback. The Klimos have a separate power supply for each mono amp and those are also valve operated.
He also gave me a Klimo Merlin valve preamp to try.
Ther hearing test produced the following results.
The Merlin with the Beltaines compared to the C-46 with the MC501's sounded more real, more detaild, more lifelike and maybe with a tighter bass. No distortion or noise was heard at any level.
But I did try another combination, and that was hooking up the C-46 to the Klimos
And I got an even better, more detailed and lifelike sound than with the Merlin Valve preamp.

I have never been really interested in valve amplifiers and considered well designed solid state the better.
Well, the Klimo Beltaine power amps are a joy, but the McIntosh C-46 preamp sounds better than the Klimo Merlin, which has had some good reviews, allthough it is not considered a preamp good for rock. Maybe that gives a hint.

Now here is my question, should I stick with the C-46 or can I get something much better, solid state or tube ?
stefanfad8
sdrsdrsdr
196 posts
 
Please help - 3 top-of-mind choices for Avantgarde. Date:07-08-06. Check out this thread.

I have Avantgarde Trios and use Viva Aurora 845 monoblocks. I wanted to try others, a Wavac 300b and a Yamamoto 45. I was warned the 45 would not do it and it didn't. The Wavac 300b did have the power the trios needed. In comparison to the 3X the price Viva, the Wavac sounded rolled off at bass and treble, and had slow bass. It didn't have near the pace and drive that 845 amp had. On simple laid back female vocals I enjoyed the 300b, also on solo violin. The Wavac did hold up to the 300b reputation with the romantic magical midrange. When the music got demanding in any way the 845 handled everything that the Wavac couldn't. Overall I found the 845 leaner sounding, but very clear, more natural midrange, very tight bass and extended treble. Not all 845 SET's are like this though. My old Cary 845c had similar treble roll off as the wavac. The bass was all there but slow and bloated. The midrange was richer, but grainy,less clear, and as natural sounding as the Viva. I think what I would like to do is add a 300b amp in the future(Wavac is a friends)to my system for those romantic cravings. I could see the Viva getting about 75% vs. 300b 25% usage. We cant get it all in one amp.
Steve.

Also, I tried all these amps in a pair of Silverline Sinfonias, 96 db and 8 ohms. Anyone interesed in my opinion let me know.
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
Sounds real,
It is unprofessional and unethical to advertise here without a disclosure wouldn't you agree?
sounds_real_audio
1,019 posts
 
Wow!!!! You are so right about ethics. That thought had never occured to me. I just though that I might have a little more knowledge on the subject then most. I beg your forgiveness.
jclnv
26 posts
 
Tron tubes or Lavardin MAP solid state.
stefanfad8 OP
4 posts
 
The 300B Set Klimos are doing fine and I doubt I can get anything much better. 5 Watts is plenty of power for the 107db sensitivity of the Avantgarde.
The preamp is the link I want to improve uppon in my chain.
I have tried the Klimo Merlin and the Mac 2200 preamps, both valves, and I find the sound too soft and not lifelike.
I tried the preamp section of an Accuphase E-550 and didn't like what I heard either, it was rather cold.
I still like the C46 Mac Preamp better. Is it possible that the C46 is good enough as not to have to look any further?
The only drawback of the C46 is that it has a very deep case and I can not easily fit it on the shelves I have.
For me a preamp HAS to have a remote and balance controll.
I think that a tubed preamp will give me too much of the softness I do not want in my system.
Remember that the new Avantgarde Mezzo (a Primo with only one woofer cabinet) is very revealing and the sound is absolutely lifelike and THERE !.
What else in preamps could fit my taste of naturality and reality ?
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