Soulution 520 preamp

[Car commander]

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan

Jim,

I'm curious about what makes the 725/711 potentially better than the 720/710. Are they more transparent, more dynamic, offer greater detail or enhanced musicality? Or is it more a question of flavor? It would be interesting to do an A/B comparison. By the way, I couldn't be happier with my K-01/520/501/D3 system. It gives me all the performance I need and it is extremely musical to boot.

Ken

If I had your 500 series setup, I would not worry about the 700 series stuff.
My opinion comes from a pro I have a lot of respect for. The amps wiegh 160lbs I am not willing to lift two of them. Lol. My point was that the 720/710 gear is not a compromise.

[cmarin]

Originally Posted by Car commander

Hmmm, not everyone thinks the 725/711 setup is better than the 720/710 setup. I also don't think its a limiting factor. YMMV.

I'm sorry Car Commander. I didn't mean to imply that everyone thinks the 725/711 is superior to the 720/710.

I should have made it clear that it was my personal opinion of the comparative performance in my room, ancillary corresponding equipment and the music I prefer. And that the comparative performance could be different in different setups.

Sometimes we get so passionate about our equipment that we forget the limitations of our opinions. Thank you for pointing this out and reminding me.

[Car commander]

Originally Posted by cmarin

I'm sorry Car Commander. I didn't mean to imply that everyone thinks the 725/711 is superior to the 720/710.

I should have made it clear that it was my personal opinion of the comparative performance in my room, ancillary corresponding equipment and the music I prefer. And that the comparative performance could be different in different setups.

Sometimes we get so passionate about our equipment that we forget the limitations of our opinions. Thank you for pointing this out and reminding me.

No harm done and I was not offended. I can easily have mine converted if I wish.

[cmarin]

Originally Posted by Car commander

No harm done and I was not offended. I can easily have mine converted if I wish.

Thank you. I am glad. No offense or harm was intended. My intent, perhaps clumsily executed, was to encourage "Still-One" to give the 711 a listen so his own ears can decide.

[Car commander]

Originally Posted by cmarin

Thank you. I am glad. No offense or harm was intended. My intent, perhaps clumsily executed, was to encourage "Still-One" to give the 711 a listen so his own ears can decide.

I too would be interested to hear what he thinks over the D'Agostino's. I think he just got the preamp.

[Odyssey]

I have had the 725, 501's, 711, 701's all in my Chicago listening room at the same time thanks to my dealer. I bought the 520/501's for my secondary residence and I now own the 725/711 stereo amp driving my Raidho D5's in my primary residence (Chicago) using the Ansuz Diamond cables. I would love to hear the Vovox at some point.

The 701's do sound better on many types of music; however, the the 701 is a bridged amp and has all of the advantages and disadvantages of a bridged amp. For the delta in price i am quite comfortable with the 725/711 path. I have not heard the 710 but I am sure that it is an excellent amp.

[PlanarSpeakerFan]

Originally Posted by cmarin

I've had both the 710 and the 711. There is no question that the 711 offers a significant improvement over the 710.

The 711s will keep up with the best sources, preamplifiers, and cables. They will not be the limiting factor.

If your sources or cables or isolation components or power conditioning is the limiting factor, then the 710 will be ideal. But if the ancillary components are at their best, then you need the 711 to maximize the performance of your system.

I've heard the 701s with the same equipment that I've had in my room (berkeley ref DAC, soulution 725 and Vovox cables). The monos are basically twice the price of the 711 and offer greater headroom and all the performance that additional capacity implies (greater dynamics and effortlessness).

For the money, the 711 can't be beat. Now if you happen to have an extra $75k or so burning a hole in your pocket, then the monos would be the choice.

Hi CMarin,

Would you be willing to describe what specifically you preferred about the sound of the Soulution 725/711 compared to the 720/710. I've never had the opportunity to audition the 720/710 so I'm quite curious to hear your opinion since you've owned both.

Thanks,
Ken

[PlanarSpeakerFan]

Originally Posted by Car commander

If I had your 500 series setup, I would not worry about the 700 series stuff.
My opinion comes from a pro I have a lot of respect for. The amps wiegh 160lbs I am not willing to lift two of them. Lol. My point was that the 720/710 gear is not a compromise.

Jim,

LOL, don't worry, I'm not upgrading to the 700 series. I'm totally satisfied with the 500 series. I'm just curious about the sonic differences between 720/710 and 725/711.

Best,
Ken

[PlanarSpeakerFan]

Originally Posted by Odyssey

I have had the 725, 501's, 711, 701's all in my Chicago listening room at the same time thanks to my dealer. I bought the 520/501's for my secondary residence and I now own the 725/711 stereo amp driving my Raidho D5's in my primary residence (Chicago) using the Ansuz Diamond cables. I would love to hear the Vovox at some point.

The 701's do sound better on many types of music; however, the the 701 is a bridged amp and has all of the advantages and disadvantages of a bridged amp. For the delta in price i am quite comfortable with the 725/711 path. I have not heard the 710 but I am sure that it is an excellent amp.

Hi Le Roy,

As a bridged amp, what do you consider to be the disadvantages of the 701's other than the price? I'm in a very curious mood today.

Best,
Ken

[Odyssey]

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan

Hi Le Roy,

As a bridged amp, what do you consider to be the disadvantages of the 701's other than the price? I'm in a very curious mood today.

Best,
Ken

The 701 is a bridged version of the 711. For reasons I can't fully explain the 701, in bridged mode, is 4x the watts of the 711 at 8 ohms. The 701 or most bridged amps are most suitable for speakers that have a higher nominal ohm rating.

As I understand it a bridged amp when driving an 8 ohm load "sees" 4 ohms. For a speaker that has a lower nominal ohm rating this is more of a challenge for a bridged amp. If you look on the Soulution web site you will see that there is no power rating at 2 ohms for the 701. The 701 is rated at 600 watts at 8 ohms and 1200 watts at 4 ohms but no power rating at 2 ohms.

I'm guessing the 701 relies on its massive capacitance for the demanding musical transient passages at lower ohm ratings. I am not completely sure.

Interestingly the 701 in its dual mode (for bi amping) has the same power specs at the 711. The 711 is power rated at 600 watts at 2 ohms for speakers that dip way down.

I will say again as in a previous post that for most all musical passages in my direct comparisons that the 701's appear to me to be sonically superior, except in certain rare instances.