Amps for Raidho D3's
- Thread starter Mike
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- #62
Thanks Wizard! Do you have any thoughts....suggestions for amps for the D3's?
- Thread Author
- #64
If I had to pick right now......Soulution 501/520.
Viola Audio Laboratories Symphony - 513
Crown Studio Reference I and II - >20.000 from 10 Hz to 400 Hz
I had the lower powered Crown Studio Reference amp (forget which model). Actually back in the day is was not that bad. Thanks for the info.
Viola Bravo II damping factor 700
Slew rate - 35V same like Vitus. Not in the hyper-fast class Soulution 710 - 200V.
A review - http://www.violalabs.com/sites/default/files/viola_review_bravo.pdf
Crown Studio Reference II (just like the one I own).
Sorry - it's bad, except at the bottom where it is among the best even today!
Thank goodness I didn't know any better then. I used it for a brief time on Apogee Duetta II's and it made them sit up and beg. Thanks for the memories.
socfan12
New member
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- Apr 5, 2013
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Thanks for this, wizard.
Viola Bravo II damping factor 700
Slew rate - 35V same like Vitus. Not in the hyper-fast class Soulution 710 - 200V.
A review - http://www.violalabs.com/sites/default/files/viola_review_bravo.pdf
Does anyone know the current output of the Symphony or the Bravo, continuous or peak? Their website is a little thin on specs like these.
dlb2
New member
Mike, you haven't mentioned Pass in your line-up of amps. Are you not considering them or have you listened and haven't been impressed. By not impressed I mean with how they work with the speakers you've been auditioning, not a general overall statement.
+1 for Pass Labs just love the way they sound.
- Thread Author
- #74
Doug - that's a great question. My audition of the D'Agostino monos reminded me of some of the fine qualities of Pass amps - liquidity, smooth top end, and just this incredible "flow" to the music. The D'Agostino amps had slightly better over bass control and slam than my Pass amps, and may have been even a little sweeter on top....but the Pass trumps them in midrange bloom and presentation.
Given that one amp is $55,000 and the other in the $20,000 range - the Pass is definitely the better value. Oh, and both get hot as hell....so there is no winner in that category.
Now, as for Pass for Raidho, I cannot emphasize enough the "out of box" thinking these speakers require. Prior to purchasing my little Raidho D1's, I did a lot of research and spoke to a lot of very knowledgable people (Jon - VT Skier being one of them). Jon has heard more speakers in the past two years than anyone I know. He has been extremely helpful. I also emailed and spoke with Lars from Raidho. John from Audio Salon was also very helpful. Angie at Angie's audio too. I then read everything I could on the Raidho C and D series.
Some of the things I was told, I didn't understand or didn't want to believe. Things like "get control of the bass, and the rest will take care of itself" or "tubes and Raidho don't mix".
It wasn't until I got my D1's home, setup, tried them in two different rooms, in various setup positions and with my ARC REF 250's, ARC DS 450 M's and Classe CAM600's, that I fully understood what people meant.
We are so used to an amp having a profound impact on high's and mid's and bass. But with the Raidho's, the mids and highs sounded almost the same - regardless of which amp I used on them (and preamp). They have a dominant tweeter (in the dominant/recessive gene sense). But that tweeters dominance is something you want. Trust me! However, what affected their sound the most - was the amp with the best bass control. There were only subtle differences in the midrange/highs with the various amps. But there was substantial differences in bass control, slam and the depths to which bass notes plumbed when I worked through the various amps.
Trust me - I'm not considering Soulution because it represents any great "value" or some great watts-per-channel calculation. LMAO! But, I have heard Soulution amps and loved what they did in the bass department. Iron fisted grip. Seemingly going lower. Better bass definition. But truthfully, it wasn't until Cyril provided me with the dampening factor (thank you Cyril) - that what I heard now made sense.
So, to answer your question, I love Pass amps and for 99.999999% of the speakers out there, they are excellent. I'm just not sure how they would sound on Raidho speakers. They might be excellent. Jeff Rowland 725 amps don't have a particularly high dampening factor, but they are always used to demo Raidho speakers. Same for D'Agostino monos (my audition on Wednesday is still haunting me.) I've heard no other amp which can invoke such emotion. Let me tell you, my head is fighting my heart (Soulution vs D'Agostino).
I would just like to add that everyone - everyone - needs to get out and listen. What I may like, you may not and visa-versa. There is no "one size fits all" in audio. My friends from the local audiophile club tell me to this day, "Michael, the best system you've ever owned is the Strad/Pass setup".
I feel that of late, I have let my guard down. I used to always go and listen before buying. But, I became complacent. Lazy. Trusting reviews. Trusting others - when I should only trust myself. My trip to Phoenix in May, my week long listening ventures in Toronto a few weeks back, my trip to Miami and my upcoming trip to RMAF are all overdue listening sessions to formulate new reference points. I realize that multiple listening sessions, in different rooms, with difference gear is ultimately needed to form conclusions one way or another - but I at least now have a much better understanding of some of the latest gear: Strumento, Vitus, Soulution, D'Agostino, Accuphase, Levinson, Constellation, MBL, Focal, Raidho, Wilson, Burmester, DCS, Linn, Boulder, Magico, Vandersteen, Joseph Audio, Vienna Acoustics, Basis, Ayre, Esoteric and countless others are now all in the memory banks as reference points for what I like, and more importantly, what I didn't care for.
I've learned of late, things I thought I would like - I didn't. And things I didn't think I would care for, I loved.
Let me leave you with this last thought. It's not what reviewers say that's important, it's what they don't say.
dlb2
New member
Thanks Mike, excellent post!
veindoc
Member
well said Mike. Even if funds r not a limiting factor, hearing for yourself, taking what you know sounds really good on your music should help prioritize who is in the running. The next most obvious stage is taking the finalists to your home system. AS nice as notes and reference points r at shows or stores, more value really comes from hearing the stuff at your home. If at all possible, having them there at the same week, will truly give the most true relative level of which is most appealing to your ears. Lastly, if your heart and ego, can handle it, get a friend to play them back to back, without you knowing and score them. As I am a scientist, I am suggesting trying a blinded evaluation. Lastly, just like movies, critics are so frikkin subjective, while music and its reproduction r so personable that what u hear is most tandamount. Best of luck,
Nick
Nick
- Thread Author
- #77
Good points. In an ideal world...yes!
asiufy
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How did they do it? Massive negative feedback. And that's why I don't recommend anyone get those Soulutions. The 5 series and the new 7 series go one worse, since they use switching power supplies.
You can hear all that negative feedback as a sort of "hollow" sound. It's common across all amps with that much neg. feedback.
D'Agostinos, on the other hand, have next to 0 negative feedback, and sound sweet. But they don't measure as well, and don't have all those nice specs, a lot like darTZeel too.
Still, I think you're on the right track, taking your time, and doing your homework (listening!). Congrats on the speakers, and I'm sure there are plenty of amp options out there for it
alexandre
mdkim
New member
Whoa whoa whoa stop the clock!
A touch off topic but did I miss your getting Accuphase into one of your systems?! I loved the A200s. If they had a bit more power (or I had more efficient speakers) I may have them right now.
- Thread Author
- #80
