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Revel Salon 2 Amplification Questions

Currently my Salon 2s are powered by a Plinius SB-301 fed by a Plinius M8 (Ayre C-5xeMP front end).

I have been and remain quite happy with this setup, but upgraditis may be kicking in (I should have followed someone's sage advice to stop reading audio forums for at least two years after assembling my system).

Specifically I am curious to know whether anyone is using these speakers with any of the following SS brands: Symphonic Line, FM Acoustics, Clayton, Gryphon, Karan, MBL or Accuphase (but feel free to weigh in with other suggestions of a like quality). And, if so, what they like/dislike about their gear, both pre and power amps.

I am only interested in SS power amps, but am open to a tubed pre. The Salon 2s are power hogs and while most of my listening is below 90db, every so often I wanna pretend I'm 14 again and crank Houses of the Holy at 110+ db and I don't think tube power amps can get me there.

My tastes run to mostly classic rock (Stones, Grateful Dead, The Who, Elton John etc.) with occasional detours into symphonies or jazz. I prefer strong bass that when played at volume can be felt as well as heard, clear but not bright treble and mids that are rich and not too forward - I guess the audiophile term would be slightly dark.

The system is in a 28'x16' sunroom with a 15' cathedral ceiling and a 9x5x8 bumpout on the left rear. There is lots of glass and I have not treated the room (nor do I intend to as it was built to enjoy the view), so I want to avoid anything that really emphasizes the high end. But I do want fast amplification with the ability to convey both micro and macro dynamics.

The Plinius gear actually does quite well achieving these goals, and unless there's a significant upside with the brands I've mentioned vis-a-vis Salon 2s then I have no real reason to change. But if it can get much better, then let me know.

p59teitel
ritmo
99 posts
 
I have a pair of the Salon 2s. I use ARC to drive them - a combination consisting of the ARC Ref5SE and the DS450. In my 16X19X9 room, the DS does a very nice job driving the Salon 2s.

I have considered moving to the DS450M (monos) but I'm not sure if this is a worthwhile upgrade. Have also considered a couple of other options - ARC Ref250s (not sure if these would struggle with the Salon 2s), Pass 600.5, Bryston 28 SST2s, and a few others. But frankly, the DS450 is doing a pretty good job right now.

Mike
p59teitel OP
314 posts
 
I've heard the Salon 2s with the ARC DSi200 integrated amp (with ARC CD8 front end). The combo sounded very good but I think 200 wpc is the least amount of power it takes to drive them.

Here's a favorable review of the ARC Ref250s:

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/blog/arc_reference_250.htm

p59teitel OP
314 posts
 
The new (to me anyway) tube pre-amp has arrived - the Symphonic Line "The Enlightenment."

This beat the pending arrival of a new set of RCA interconnects and power cords to arrive (was using balanced ICs and the Plinius M8 pre-amp is 240V). So right now I'm stuck using $7 Rat Shack ICs and a power cord from my Pioneer plasma display. Not exactly audiophile grade stuff, yet I can already hear a significant improvement over the Plinius pre. The treble is much more detailed and realistic, yet more relaxed and pleasing to the ear. The mids have seen a like improvement as well, and my one concern that bass weight - perhaps the best attribute of the M8 - might be diminished has proven unfounded.

The soundstage width has shrunk a bit but I'm thinking the new ICs will expand that back out. In any event it matches up very well with the Plinius SB-301 power amp and so far I'm extremely happy with the way it meshes with the Salon 2s.

But I'm guessing I'll be even happier when I hear it with the SL Kraft 250 monos that should also be arriving soon. What the hell, a new car can wait until next year...
adam18
670 posts
 
Totally off topic, but somewhat related......
I'm driving my Revel F-12's with a Rogue Audio Cronus integrated amplifier, and the synergy is sublime. In my room, with my system, and to my ears, the Revel -- Rogue combination is extra special.
p59teitel OP
314 posts
 
The SL pre-amp has been in place for ten days and the new ICs are starting to break in, so a few observations can be made.

The Plinius M8 did quite a few things well, including deep bass with authority, good macro-dynamics, a quiet background and a wide soundstage.

The SL tubed pre-amp improves on all of those things except the dead quiet background, and even there I can't hear anything unless I stick my ear 18" away from the speakers, which is a big who cares. But the improvements don't stop there.

There is a plainly more natural sounding mid-range, and a far more detailed that is less fatiguing treble at volume. Micro-dynamics are much improved and more life-like - you can hear much deeper into ensemble playing and I'll be interested to hear how symphonies sound once the ICs are fully broken in. The soundstage is deeper and layered.

Overall, I find it just slightly on the warm side of neutral but not at all rolled off or overly polite. And it does not lack attack - drum hits and aggressively plucked notes are dramatic and vivid, and music does not sound at all slow.

None of this is to say that the Plinius M8 is not a solid pre-amp. It is, and during the time it has spent in my system it has performed very well. But the Symphonic Line is a substantial upgrade and gets me closer to my ideal of what music should sound like.
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