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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
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 ?
gregm
3,411 posts
 
Well, the Klimo Beltaine power amps are a joy, but the McIntosh C-46 preamp sounds better than the Klimo Merlin
Hmmm interesting.

I used these amps for a while (w/Duevel spkrs).

Now, at the same time, someone lent me a FM acoustics pre (the single-ended model) and that provided excellent sound.

*An old Goldmund pre (I remember this one: mimesis 7.1) was also good. Maybe a used new one (w/ remote) could serve?
*A symphonic line also provided good sound (in fact two models: a tube one & their expensive ss one).
*Amazingly, I never used a Merlin... Also no Mac either, sorry.
*Believe it or not, I also used a simple transformer volume-control and had excellent results, BUT pls note that I had very healthy outputs from both phono & cdp. Also, no remote (but you can get these with remote). Cheers
audiofeil
4,011 posts
 
>>I just though that I might have a little more knowledge on the subject then most.<<

That's rather presumptuous don't you think? There are many many experienced audiophiles here, most of whom are not in the trade.

Recommending only products you sell adds little to the readers interested in an objective discussion IMO.
jeffreybowman2k
216 posts
 
sorry, i thought the initial post was asking for pre-amp suggestions for AGs. for amp suggestions, here's a vote for audiopax 88s. i have them now with my Duos and, with a nice set of GEC kt-88s, i am very happy.
flg2001's avatar
flg2001
543 posts
 
I own AG Unos and tried at least half a dozen amps (SE, push pull, class A, gainclones, etc..) I have reached the best presentation with Jadis amplification (DA50signature in this case), but a pair of JA30 might just work for you.

Fernando
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