Integrated SS amps - Luxman vs. Simaudio Moon?

I have listened to a Luxman L509u. To me, it sounded better than the L590. The L509u with Luxman DU80 sounded very tube-like, with a deep soundstage. But it is a cool $20k. Thanks. -Renjy651

Mark...I have heard the Verity Rienzis, Leonores and Parsifal Ovations (all driven by tubed ARC source and amplification) and they are excellent speakers. I am a firm believer of building a system around a speaker. So I would recommend a quick visit to Verity in Montreal (or one of their dealers there) and take a listen. While as mentioned above you are not guaranteed the same sound you hear at a dealer's, at least you know that the speakers are capable of a sound you like and you can address any room/speaker interactions with room treatment if the speakers end up sounding differently in your listening space. So my suggestion is to audition the Verity's (hopefully with Luxman electronics) before buying something at that price point new and unseen. My sense is electronics you are less likely to take a hit on (especially if you buy a pristine used or demo unit with warranty coverage) and I would be more comfortable buying and reselling that stuff unseen. Just my 2 cents worth.

The best thing to do is call up Verity. I have a sneaking suspicion the Rienzi's will be too small for your room. I had the Fidelios in a 17 x 20 room and while they sounded good, they did sound small. If you are buying new and can afford good speakers, then take your time. I've spoken to Verity before and they're straightforward and helpful. Since you mentioned the Leonore, I'd investigate them. The 509u doesn't doesn't have a remote, in case you need one.

Other speakers you may want to investigate: Devore Silverback Reference or something from Audio Physic. If you can handle the heat of the Luxman, then go for it. I thought it was stellar.

Not hard to drive? Probably rules out the Simaudio: there are sweeter sounding integrated amps out there. I found it powerful enough, but a bit dry in my system, and pretty similar in sound to the much cheaper CODA integrated I had not too long ago (you can get those for around 1/2 the price of the I-7). As others have said, get something with tubes, or something biased higher to class A. I had better luck with a sweeter sounding amp, as my speakers aren't super power hungry.

Thank-you.

For the right speaker, the Luxman 590Aii, with 30 wpc of pure class A power, looks like a good option.

If I decide to buy Verity Audio speakers, which are not demanding, I will probably buy the Luxman 590Aii to drive them.

Regards,

Mark