Sonus Faber Stradivari amp: X600.5 or X1000.5 ?

Peterayer:

Right now i have 185 hours counted on my REF3 preamp.
The improvments its not so big. I was also told from my deal to switch on and off a few times a day for recalibration of the caps. I think it will take more then what i was expeceted to. (2-300 hours). I think it can take even up to 7-800 for full brake in of the capacitors.

How many hours you have on your XA160.5 right now ? Did you feel that boom of performance ?

I've had my XA160.5's for about a year and I think they have about 900 hours on them. As I wrote earlier, I did not notice a big change during the first few months. "Perhaps a very slight increase in smoothness, soundstage expansion and instrument air and separation." Mine were demos, so they already had some time on them. I did not feel that "boom of performance."

My amps just sounded great from when I first got them and they are a better match for my speakers than were my old XA100.5's, which are also great, just not as powerful.

02-21-11: Peterayer
Johnb30,

Congratulations on your new amps.

...

I often turn my amps on about 2-3 hours before I listen and then I'm pretty sure any improvement during the first hour is from the cartridge. I dare say it is similar to what I hear when I switch from CD to LP (sorry, couldn't resist).

Perhaps you need a better DAC (sorry, couldn't resist) :-)

Mine is an ARC DAC8...i dont know what peterayer has.

BTW i just bought a Kimber KS-6063 cable for speakers.
They sound superb !

How many hours for ful brake in for this cable ?

Knghifi,
That was funny. You are right that a better DAC would improve things a bit. But you stating that "perhaps I NEED a better DAC...." is a presumption on your part. "NEED" is way too strong a word. I'm an analog guy, so even "WANT" may be too strong. I would certainly accept a gift of a better one, though :^)