need amplification help for sonus faber amati


Hallo everybody,

I was lucky to get a pair of SF Amati speakers.listening to them with a McIntosh mc402 and a preamp McIntosh c2200 does not satisfy me. I feel that the Amatis are just perfect for my ears but I need to amplify them better. I would like to find an amplifier and Preamp combination that makes them disapear completely. also I need a second hand combination under 10k € for money reason.
What is out there, a little bit older but still reliable (tube or solid state) that you would recommand to have a big soundstage, lots of details and enough power.
Thank you for your help,
greatings from Paris
Daniel

I also have two understanding questions:
1- the power rating seems so different between solid state and tube amps. why do I need less watts in tube amps for the same result?
2- what is more responsable for a wide soundstage: the amp or the preamp?
dacapobone
You might consider the Gryphon Diablo integrated amp. There are two used ones now on Audiogon below your top price, and both have the right voltage for use in France. You may also be able to buy a used one within the European Common Market (Gryphon is designed and manufactured in Denmark). While the Amatis have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, they dip down to 2.6 ohms, so you want an amplifier that is stable down to 2 ohms and that has enough power to drive the Amatis. I had a pair for seven years, and tried a number of amplifier=preamplifier combinations, both tubed and solid state. I didn't actually try the Gryphon with the Amatis, but have heard them in other systems. In my system, the best solid state amplifier that I used was the Accupahse A-50V, and the best tubed was the VAC Phi Beta integrated.
Daniel, as to what is out there, try:
* yr macintosh as Johnny recommends above;
* a used (it's expensive new)YBA amp & pre if possible
* a used class A Accuphase amp
* if still unsatisfied, try different pre's with your amp -- ss rather than tube.

The CJ 12s should outperform the AR200 -- but don't know about the bass performance...
Lastly, the pre affects sound-stage by introducing -or not- phase anomalies in the amplified signal. However, correct speaker placement is more important. Regards
Thank you all so far. This is great help, but I still would like some more information.
(I definately will try to improve the speaker placement.)
In the above recomandations I find some amps that I don't realy like for the reason of personal tast. The Jadis is to colored "tube" for me, the Gryphon and YBA have a little electronic taste to my ears, Nagra is not open enough and FM to slow. I guess I'm a difficult case.
The old KR enterprise VT8000 are suposed to be great. I never had a chance to hear them. Does anybody know if their more recent models are as good? the don't show up in the reviews? They use this strange tube called "Krozilla"!(it seems imposible to find a KR VT8000)
I also never realy had a chance to listen to a good Acuphase or VAC. Can somebody discribe them a little?
Does everybody agree with Gregm "The CJ 12s should outperform the AR200". This would be nice since they are cheaper.
thank you all very much,
Daniel
Dacapobone, as the Amati appear to belong to the type of speakers that are best driven with a modicum of stout control, you may also consider some higher end class D amplifiers. Am particularly fond and familiar with the Jeff Rowland 312. I use them to drive a pair of Vienna Mahlers with great success, which are also somewhat difficult to drive with many amps because of their reasonably wild impedance curves. I have written a discussion of the 312 on The Absolute Sound 188, as a sidebar in my review of the Vienna Mahler speakers.
In my experience, some switching class D amps can sound as refined as amps of any other class. . . and they have the great advantage of generating almost no heat. . . and of driving difficult loads with great ease.

BTW, does 'bone' stand for posaune?

Saluti, Guido
former Amati Homage owner, I have tried many amps on them and I agreed with Denmark Sonus Faber importer the best sound was achieved with BAT VK-75SE/150SE. not Rowland, Pass, ARC, Sonic Frontiers, McCormack, Accuphase, and a few others I can't recall now.