Lamm!

[Jerome W]

Serge,

I have to listen to that preamp but I must say it has to be darn good ( Which I don't doubt actually ) to consider buying it. No remote control, 2 volume buttons.... That's not very useful. But you're right : only music matters !

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Hmm, I bet the M1.2s would sound great with your speakers but I'd be leaning more towards an all tube system first and if you feel you still need more grip on your speakers then go for the hybrids. I think Wavacs would be a great place to start your experiment. Which model did you have in mind?

Serge, its not what I have in mind ... rather what the dealer wanted me to have in HIS mind!

He's pushing me to have a home demo on the HE833v1.3 150w SET mono's with the PR-T1 preamp. To sweeten things up, he said "Lets not talk about price first. See if you like it". Great salesmanship I say!

Oh well, no harm trying out for a month. Then he can have it back! Told him upfront I am broke! He just gave me a smile in return!

Cheers!

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by JSCC

Serge, its not what I have in mind ... rather what the dealer wanted me to have in HIS mind!

He's pushing me to have a home demo on the HE833v1.3 150w SET mono's with the PR-T1 preamp. To sweeten things up, he said "Lets not talk about price first. See if you like it". Great salesmanship I say!

Oh well, no harm trying out for a month. Then he can have it back! Told him upfront I am broke! He just gave me a smile in return!

Cheers!

You're dealer must be a distant relative of mine. Mine insisted on me taking home the Ayre KX-R preamp. I told him I wasn't shopping for a preamp and he just smiled and said take it home for a few weeks.

Jerry, that is an offer you should not turn down. Think of it this way, even if you can't afford them right now, at least you will know how your speakers mate with the SET amps of such caliber! There is little doubt in my mind it will be a sonic match made in heaver with your Acapella's and if that's the case, you can plan on making the move someday when the timing is right.

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by C220MC275

Serge,

I have to listen to that preamp but I must say it has to be darn good ( Which I don't doubt actually ) to consider buying it. No remote control, 2 volume buttons.... That's not very useful. But you're right : only music matters !

There are far more convenient preamps for sure. The Lamm LL2D is a very special preamp paired up with the M1.2s in my system. It does things no other preamp that I've heard so far can. Although the much more expensive solid state Ayre KX-R actually surpasses it in some areas and offers flexibility way beyond the LL2D, I keep coming back to the LL2D every few days and it just always makes me want to keep it in the system. It just sounds so right and musical on a different level all together.

As always, if you decide to explore the brand, try to get a home audition just to be sure what you hear is to your preference and if you can live with the inconvenience of not having a remote and having single ended ins/outs only. The 3x more expensive L2 does offer balanced but it is a different preamp all together. The topology is completely different, the LL2 is all tubed, single ended, class A preamp and the L2 has tubes for power regulation only. I've heard both, I prefer the tubed version so far by a small margin.

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by PHC1

You're dealer must be a distant relative of mine. Mine insisted on me taking home the Ayre KX-R preamp. I told him I wasn't shopping for a preamp and he just smiled and said take it home for a few weeks.

Jerry, that is an offer you should not turn down. Think of it this way, even if you can't afford them right now, at least you will know how your speakers mate with the SET amps of such caliber! There is little doubt in my mind it will be a sonic match made in heaver with your Acapella's and if that's the case, you can plan on making the move someday when the timing is right.

All dealers speaks the same lingo! After all, they must have come from the same school!

Anyway, like you said, no harm except trying to fight temptation! Will power is all I need.

These are not cheap amps. They costs a BOMB to me! Like you said, the experience will set the pace for any future update and surely, this may be the move away from McIntosh, should that happen. Thanks for the encouragement!

I look forward to your post on the preamps viz-a-viz!

Cheers!

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by JSCC

All dealers speaks the same lingo! After all, they must have come from the same school!

Anyway, like you said, no harm except trying to fight temptation! Will power is all I need.

These are not cheap amps. They costs a BOMB to me! Like you said, the experience will set the pace for any future update and surely, this may be the move away from McIntosh, should that happen. Thanks for the encouragement!

I look forward to your post on the preamps viz-a-viz!

Cheers!

I think the point is not that you are moving from any brand to another but that you are moving one step closer to the ultimate system that will maximize the performance and unlock all the potential you paid for. Your horn/plasma ion tweeter speakers will clearly benefit from the magic that only a SET amp can bring. You're in for a very big surprise my friend.

[JSCC]

Originally Posted by PHC1

I think the point is not that you are moving from any brand to another but that you are moving one step closer to the ultimate system that will maximize the performance and unlock all the potential you paid for. Your horn/plasma ion tweeter speakers will clearly benefit from the magic that only a SET amp can bring. You're in for a very big surprise my friend.

Serge, you are right. Indeed I was given the same story! Be prepared to be amazed. And I thought he meant the price of the amps (which are really amazingly high).

He did warn that although the Acapella's are horns (classified as such), they DO need plenty of power. Thats why he's recommending the Wavacs, high power SET's. Strange tube the Wavacs used - one tube producing 150 SET tube power. So, housekeeping is much simpler than the norm tube amps he say! Just dust them every day with a fine duster!

I consider this to be a "weird amp" matching for a pair of "weird" speakers. I am mentally prepared for the surprise, except my wallet is not ... not now! Maybe 2010!

But I will give a try for one month!

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by JSCC

Serge, you are right. Indeed I was given the same story! Be prepared to be amazed. And I thought he meant the price of the amps (which are really amazingly high).

He did warn that although the Acapella's are horns (classified as such), they DO need plenty of power. Thats why he's recommending the Wavacs, high power SET's. Strange tube the Wavacs used - one tube producing 150 SET tube power. So, housekeeping is much simpler than the norm tube amps he say! Just dust them every day with a fine duster!

I consider this to be a "weird amp" matching for a pair of "weird" speakers. I am mentally prepared for the surprise, except my wallet is not ... not now! Maybe 2010!

But I will give a try for one month!

As you know the SETs are usually pretty low powered. To have 150w of SET power is truly something special and that never comes cheap my friend. However, owning such a set of amps is indeed a once in a life time/ long dream for many. Enjoy your audition and I am really anxious to hear about your findings and how they match up with the Acapella's.

[Still-One]

Don't some of the Wavac list for about $350K?

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by Stillone

Don't some of the Wavac list for about $350K?

Yep, some sure do http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/704wavac/

Fortunately for Jerry he will be auditioning a much more reasonable pair or I would have strongly suggested not to do it!!! That is something you just don't touch unless you want to spend the rest of your life longing....