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ICE Amps for classical music?

I listen to classical orchestral music at heavy volume. I detest reproduced music for always sounding more or less electronic and not acoustic. Real music is beautiful in a way reproduced music--so far at least-- never is. I have become curious about Wyred4sound amps because of low price and high watts. I am wondering if any of you "mostly classical" listeners have heard these amps and feel they do no more damage to music than amps which are NOT ICE amps. I am using a Plinius SA100 now and have used a VAC 100/100,
a Bedini Classic 100/100, a Music Reference RM-9, and other tube and solid state amps. They all had their pluses and minuses, of course, but for least electronic, clearly the Bedini was the winner. So what about ICE amps?
rpfef
weseixas
519 posts
 
Rx8man,

Weak was inappropriate and agree it would be more than enuff for your setup ...

regards,
rx8man's avatar
rx8man
1,481 posts
 
If I had Scintillas or similar beasts, plus a larger room, I'd start looking another direction for more oomph, in my smallish room things are cool.
weseixas
519 posts
 
Hello Guys ,

Well we did get the chance to compare the Bel Canto to the Threshold tonight and the Threshold won hands down. Very unusual in Hi-fi to get a consensus, so we had one of those rare moments....

CD Player: Sony
Pre-amp : ARC - SS
Speakers : Maggies 1.6 with stands
Group : 5 Hi nutters

The Bel Canto had a very immediate and powerful presentation , but the sound was harsh and hard sounding by comparison , say analog vs digital. There was more openness in the upper ranges, more apparent space, but at the expenses of finesse and many felt there was an unnaturalness about it and the Bass was horrible by comparison.

The Threshold at first sounded a bit Laid back, but proper , the more you listened, the more it sounded right , attack was there when called for , instruments etc were in a better perspective in size and placement , much better dynamics without sounding shrill , very pleasant and musical sounding where the Bel canto was hard and brittle , the threshold also presented the recording with a emotive (no pun intended)that appeared just right ...

regards,

muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Weseixas

I can't defend the Bel Canto, since I haven't heard one. However, as a long time owner of an ICE amp, I have come to dome definite conclusions. It took years of experimentation.

On my system the Sony would sound terrible. Then again, way before I went class D, and was using Pass gear, NOS players were winners hands down. So, I was an early convert. Now, with the gear I have, the difference only intensifies, remarkably.

The difference lies in several areas. An excellent Sony SACD sound exhibited a severely truncated decay. The stage was both shallow and squished. The tone was cold and tinny. In fact you describe it rather well.

My sound is fully fleshed out. The stage is bigger than my 5 foot speakers. I could go on, but it is just as well to say my sound follows nature. It is a natural sound, in all venues, hard rock, to lizard lounge singers.

These are .8 ohm speakers, with sensitivity at 76 db. Despite that, when I put on a well recorded pianist, I put his grand piano right in the room, turning the volume to 2 o'clock. It is fun to fake out passer-bys.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 
Weseixas, which Bel Canto monos did you try? . . . Ref 1000, Ref 1000M(same as Ref 1000 Mk.2), Ref 500M?

Did the Bel Canto have at least 1000 hours of music to its credit? ICEpower amps require an inordinate breakin time, while your vintage Threshold is of course fully broken in.

Did you leave the BC to play in the background for several hours prior to evaluation? ICREpower amps take about 24 hours to yield their best after powerup.  
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