Amati Futura vs Guarneri Evolution

[TommyC]

Is the Futura easier to drive than the Evolution?

According to Stereophile's measurement, the Futura (3ohm minimum) is quite a bit more difficult to drive than the Evolution (4ohm minimum).

Sonus Faber Amati Futura loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sonus Faber Guarneri Evolution loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

However, when I auditioned them, I noticed the Evolution used less wattage on the Mac watt meter than the Futura.

[jdandy]

Tommy.......Are you thinking about replacing the Guarneri Memento'a with Guarneri Evolution's or going up to the Amati Futura's?

[TommyC]

Dan... I think I will eventually. These speakers look much better in person. The GE still looks slightly strange with the slimmer column, but it's not bad. I can live with it

[Jerome W]

Tommy,
You do not need an "easier load" than the GM for a pair of CC80 or CCQ power amps.
Dan drove them with a 275.
I know that the Shindos are not design intially for those loads but don't forget they work in pure class A. Very different watts from the class AB of Mc.
If you do not make parties for all the neighborhood, the most powerful Shindo monoblocks will be more than enough to make the GM smile !

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

[Glisse]

I have used a variety of different amps on my Amati Futura. To me, these seem quite efficient, in fact more so than all my other speakers except for my Audio Note AN-Js. But according to the Stereophile measurements, they are much less efficient than the preceding Anniversio.

But without sufficient current, the bass is softer, and the dynamic expression is reduced. This of course will also depend, very much, on the size of the room, and also how loud you listen and the type of music you play. As the Stereophile graph for the Futura shows, that sustained low impedance from the mid bass right through to the lower mid range is going to draw a lot of current from the amp. And there is a lot of musical power in this range.

A Pass Int30A, with it's 30w Class A output, sounded surprisingly good on the Futura. But a First Watt F3, with 10w single ended Class A, could not drive them at all, regardless of volume levels. Even at very low volume, there was no dynamic contrast at all. I have not tried my Wavelength 300B SET, although I am sure this would have been better than the First Watt amp.

The GE does not look so different from the GM you have, although it is more demanding at the crossover point. But in most music, there is not so much electrical power needed at around 3kHz, so that should not present a problem. So if you are liking what you get with the GM, I can't see why, except for slightly less efficiency, you would not also get a good result from the GE.

Can I ask why you are considering the change? I am interested because my kids have destroyed my SF speakers I use in my bedroom system, and I have the GM and GE on my short list. I am also considering the Accordo, but am still waiting to see whether I can get one to hear. This does not require as much current as the SF designs, but of course is voiced quite differently.

[Apexorca]

Glisse!

My experience is the same. I have tried a lot of amps to my Futura. The more current the better. I think the Futuras i voiced to the warm side of the scale. I tried to have that left but open them up a bit to sound worm, but clear and clean. The best was to change cables to Nordost and drive them with krell.
Now they are stil warm and at the same time clear, open and fresh.

Thats what I recommend after ours of testing.

[TommyC]

During my audition session with the AF and GE, I never use more than 5 watt. The volume was set to between 30 and 35 on the C220 preamp and the C50 preamp.

When I mentioned my Luxman is 100 watt, the sales said that's not enough. I don't know why I need several hundred watt when I don't go above 5 watt during the loudest peak.

[tunes]

Originally Posted by Glisse

Can I ask why you are considering the change? I am interested because my kids have destroyed my SF speakers I use in my bedroom system,

!! Yikes! What did they destroy!

[TommyC]

Originally Posted by Glisse

Can I ask why you are considering the change? I am interested because my kids have destroyed my SF speakers I use in my bedroom system, and I have the GM and GE on my short list. I am also considering the Accordo, but am still waiting to see whether I can get one to hear. This does not require as much current as the SF designs, but of course is voiced quite differently.

I'm not considering changing right now. But like all audiophile, I'm sure I'll get the itch to upgrade sooner or later. Right now, I want to get my amplification sorted out first.

[Glisse]

Apexorca, the Futura are for sure not clinical at all. And unlike every other speaker I have, they sounded good with just about every amp I used.

But neither do they mask anything at all, so it is easy to hear every system change with them. And for me, it also means that I can try and get the most transparent amps, DACs, cables, etc. Without having to use any of these things as a tone control, which always means reducing transparency. Looks like you found the same

I think for Tommy though, the bass on Futura needs that substantial current you mentioned to avoid sounding a little soft and slow, and might be too much for Shindo to manage. I was just trying to give him some feedback on lower power amps - I actually use a Burmester 911 with my Futura. The small amps I use in other systems.