To upgrade from simaudio 3.3i to 600i or not?

I have owned the Simaudio i7 and have upgraded to the point where I now have a P-8 and W-8. I still often crank up the volume to the low 50's. Volume didn't change as I upgraded to the high end Sim separates but the quality of sound did. Still, we're talking serious deminishing returns moving from the i7 to the P-8 and W-8 separates. The i7 was fantastic and I expect the 600i is even better!

Enjoy!

Camb,

Thanks for the post. Good to hear from a previous i-7 owner. I move around in the Navy, so simple is better for, thus i stick with the integrated amp. If did choose to move up and upgrade to seperates, could i just add the w-8 to the 600i or you recommend the p-8 as the preamp?

If you feel you would benefit from more power then using your 600i as a pre amp with a W-8 amp would be a step up. You might get a little more control and punch in the bass with the additional power.

You could also try adding a P-7 or P-8 pre amp and using your 600i only as a power amplifier. I was surprised to learn how important the pre amp is in the overall sound - maybe more important than the amp so long as the amp is powerful enough for your speakers.

A third option is adding a W-7 and bi-amping your speakers, with the W-7 driving the bass of both speakers and the 600i driving the mids and highs. I tried this with the I-7 and W-8 but the gain on the I-7 was higher than the W-8 so it didn't work (the higher gain of the I-7 made the mids and highs a little louder than the bass).. It's worth a shot with the 600i though...many swear by bi-amping as it creates a truly effortless sound and really can open up the soundstage when you offload the task of driving the bass to a separate, dedicated low frequency amp.

Definitely try these options before you buy, though, as the benefits over the 600i alone may be relatively small for the expense. The 600i is an impressive piece! Also, Simaudio integrated amps have the advantage of really short, high quality connections between pre amp and amp without the need for expensive interconnects.

Camb,

Had the opportunity to listen to a P7 with a W8 at the Analog room in San Jose. Truly, the sound was impressive, but not enough to upgrade from the 600i. For what I need at this time in my life the 600i is perfect. i may take a look as it gets closer to upgrade time, but if choose to upgrade i believe i should make it significant enough to make a difference.

Right now, i just purchased the Simaudio 310lp to add to the mix. Cannot wait to hear the sound, but do not expect to much since I am still spinning records on a Project Debut with the Sumiko Blue Point 2. This will be until I return to the states so I can set up my Project Classic (or upgrade) with a new cartridge.

Again, thanks for the advice. I surely do welcome it.

Shawn

Ok, i stand corrected. Adding the 310lp with the project made a huge difference. I hear a bottom end for the first time. Of course, I added Transparent speaker wire with Transparent balanced interconnects.