Downsizing from Ayre MX-R monoblocks

For the money, in my opinion nothing beats a Denon PMA 2000 Mark IV. Used, I think $600-700 is a good price, although they may be going for less. They were around around $1100 before being pulled from the market. Denon has introduced an anniversary integrated amp that looks like the PMA with only very, very minor cosmetic changes. The specs on the anniversary amp read just like the PMA 2000 IV. The new amp is going for about $2500. The 2000 IV weighed 54lbs, the new one is 57lbs. Both are 80wpc into 8ohms, 160wpc into 4ohms. I think it clips at around 120wpc into 8ohms. It's very conservatively rated. They produce a prodigious amount of current - 20 amps continuous, 120 amps peak - that's not posted on the Denon website but I read it on the net somewhere. It sure sounds like it does! I used to own one before moving to tubes.

The shop here is a tube and vinyl clan mostly. Several of the guys who wanted to assemble a solid state system as well have been very happy with the PMA. As the Absolute Sound website used to say, at its price, nothing else even comes close.

A buddy of mine has a PMA and bought my Silverline SR-17.5 speakers. I upgraded the speaker crossover to Duelund components. He is using a Rega Saturn CD player. We tried several cable combinations:

- My Kimber KS3035 and Kimber Select interconnects (demo only, they weren't for sale, I just wanted him to hear them!)

- circa 2005 Audio Magic Sorcerer speaker cables and interconnects

- Kimber 12TC speaker cables
- Kimber Hero interconnects
- Kimber Timbre interconnects

He ended up going with the Audio Magic wire. The sound was clear, rich, fast, and notes eminating from an absolutely black background. Audio Magic is silver conductors, but not bright like most other silver cables. It's good stuff and really worth a listen. And if you can get some of the older Sorcerer wire here on Audiogon, it would be worth it. There's a huge amount of silver in those older cables!!!

I actually thought the Audio Magic Sorcerer cables were a better match than my Kimber Select wire.

Through the end of the year Rega is offering a "cash-for-clunkers" deal, so the Saturn can be had for about $1800 I think. At its price point, the Saturn is hard to beat.

So, that's my recommendation for your system:

Denon PMA 2000 IV (used) or the new anniversary amp.
Rega Saturn CD player.
Audio Magic wire.

And one more thing, I recommend an audio grade outlet - I use a Wattgate - it really does make a difference. The sound is more extended and richer... I compared outlets when I had a PMA. When I went to tube monoblocks (Rogue M-180), I went straight to a dedicated line and the Wattgate outlet without hesitation.

Please email me if you want to discuss any of this in more detail.

Oh, we also auditioned Cardas Cross speaker wire. But the Audio Magic was the ticket!

A new system is a new system and you will be disappointed if you try to recreate something you had before. You're better off accepting your new system for what it is and try to maximize its strengths. The Sonus Fabers are an excellent choice and I don't think you really have to worry about upgrading them anytime soon. Because they are relatively easy to drive you have many choices. Krell, McIntosh, Plinius, YBA or Rowland would all work well, but I'm going to recommend the Pass and the Sugden integrateds. The Pass gives you the option of choosing between a lower wattage pure class A design or a higher wattage class A/B model. Sugden offers three different pure class A models.

A good friend & audio bud bought a pair of Sonus Faber Electa Amator II's almost 4 yrs. ago & wound up making them part of his main system, replacing Aerial 10T's.

He started out w/a BAT combo which sounded great but moved around the gear from his other system and currently is running a big MAC SS amp & Hovland preamp. Although I haven't heard this latest iteration (he moved out of state), we both have very similar tastes when it comes to the overall sound we're trying to achieve. This combo has proven to be the best so far, beating out Pass 350, Blue Circle Despina, First Sound Presence Deluxe mkll & a BC amp that burned up (reason unknown).

How about the Audio Research DSi200, it has recieved some goor reviews and from what I have heard of it in my dealers system, it sounds pretty damn good. Not sure about the synergy with Sonus Faber but it sounds great with Wilson Sophias and Vandersteen Quattros. Just a thought.