Simaudio I7 vs P5.3/W5.3

Thanks - I have a Simaudio I3RS Integrated that is 100W into 8/170W into 4ohms. My speakers are PSB Synchrony Twos (maybe moving up to Ones) that dip below 3 ohms in the bass. My I3RS handles the bass exceptionally well considering this.

So I am thinking using the I3RS as the pre-amp, buy the W5 (depends on an ex-demo discount I get), then eventually buy a P5.3 maybe.

I think that is a great idea of getting the W-5 and the 5.3 pre. They do sound great together.Make sure you get the 190 watt W-5 with the square emblem on the front with the word moon.

The older W-5 has an oval emblem which says celeste on it and is 175 watts. There were many other improvements other than wattage on the newer 190 watt model.

I've got the i7 and first auditioned the P5.3 pre/power whilst waiting for the i7 to arrive at the dealers. Not much in it, but the P5.3 definitely had more control with greater dynamic headroom. Very similar overall sound though and if you are working to a budget or like the simplicity of an integrated the i7 does most of what the pre/power 5.3 does.

Acdvd,
You may not be happy with the results of using the I3 for a preamp with the W5 amp. In the past I tried for a short time using the pre out of an I5 with a w5 amp. The soundstage was virtually nonexistent. The W5 is a wonderful amp. Anything less than a dedicated preamp may very well lead to disappointing results.

I second Valinar's comments. I've used the I5 as an integrated, and then bypassed its internal pre so that it was used as an amp-only. The improvements were dramatic.

I've read other post(s) in the past from users who have been disappointed with the I5's pre section compared to stand-alone pre-amps.

I say this meaning no disrespect to the I5, which I enjoyed greatly for several years.