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Amp and Preamp for JM Lab Alto Utopias

I know this question has been asked before, but I haven't seen any recent answers. I'm strongly thinking about a change in my amps. I've had the Alto Utopias now for more than six years, and I still love them. I'd like a preamp and amp that pair well with the Altos and that can do well with the great variety of music I have in my collection: rock, jazz, soul, international, electroacoustic, blues, Afrobeat, dub, ambient, trip hop, breakbeat, etc. For the most part, I prefer a lush and warm sound for most acoustic recordings. But I prefer a bit more analytical detail on electroacoustic music, which requires closer attention. I sense a good, powerful solid state amp works best with the Altos for better control of the bass.
washline
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
Hi Washline, the Alto’s impedance is not really very tube friendly. I would stick to solid state. I haven’t heard the new Krells but I hated the old Krells with Utopias. A SS Mac should work fine if that’s your flavor.

I looked at your system pictures and maybe it’s the photography, but those speakers look like they’re much too close together and in a very confining space. If picture 1 is representative, and you’re stuck with it, you need new speakers, not amps, IMHO.
washline OP
202 posts
 
Thanks very much for the reply, Phaelon. The speakers were a bit close together at my old apartment, but I recently moved into a new house, and have a dedicated listening room that does much better justice to the speakers. The old space was L-shaped and the listening position was wider than the location of the equipment. I will soon post better pics.

I very much appreciate your comment. Thanks.
phaelon
1,038 posts
 
I gave the classifieds a quick look and noticed that there is a GamuT Di150 Dual Mono integrated amplifier for sale. Unless one absolutely needs the flexibility of separates, I’ve become a huge advocate of integrated amplifiers as offering the best value for the dollar. Not a recommendation, just something that I would be looking at.
washline OP
202 posts
 
Yes, I like the idea of high quality integrated amplifiers as well. Thanks for the recommendation. I've been reading on this amplifier and it looks like it's basically the same components and circuitry of the separate preamp and amp combined into one box with slightly reduced power supplies. Have you heard the ASR Emitter II? How would that one compare to the GamuT? I'd love to try the DarTZeel, but it's well out of my price range right now.
nvp
317 posts
 

Accuphase pairs very very well with Focal Utopia Be speakers. You do not need to go to their separates to best your current Musical Fidelity integrated and you have quite a few choices (e.g. even the old E-406 and E-407 integrated are supperior to the Tri-Vista 300, while the newer iterations E-408, E-450 and E-460 even more so).

However, if funds permit, the Altos really deserve separates. My recommendation would be one of the Accuphase "mid-class" preamps (C-2400, C-2410, C-2800, C-2810) with an Accuphase class A power amp (e.g. A-50, A-45, A-46, A-60, A-65). The Accuphase class A amps do not get nowhere near as hot as similar designs from Pass Labs for example. However, if they still get too hot for you, Accuphase have very many A/B amps that sound very similar to their class A designs.

Having said all this, I should also say that your Trivista 300 integrated also pairs very well with the Altos. Thus, proceed with care and sell your MF integrated only after you are 100 percent sure you like the new-electronics-Alto combination better.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Paul
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