AudioNervosa
Systemic Development => Amplification and Preamplification => Topic started by: bacobits on March 08, 2010, 09:46:16 AM
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Has anyone tried this amp with single driver speakers?
Or, just owned this amp and has some comments?
I know it likes 89db and above speakers and stable loads.
I have one on the way. We shall see. It has gotten good reviews all over.
I will comment more when it arrives. My room is not operable since we moved in just last week.
Den
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Heard the previous model with Gallo speakers and KEF very nice. Enjoy !!
charles
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Sure is a pretty amp. Italian design is gorgeous
(http://www.tnt-audio.com/jpeg/newclassicone.jpg)
http://www.pathosacoustics.com/classiceng.htm
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So what will you be mating this amp with ? Pre, speakers, CDP, cables.
charles
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These.
http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/17.html
I had always wanted to try out this hybrid amp.
She is sure purdy. Hope it sounds that way.
Here we go, mucking with things.
Den
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The amp should fit in just fine. Happy listening.
charles
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Just a short update. When I first hooked up the Pathos I said to myself oh shit what did I do?
After listening to it of awhile I started to hear the potential of what has been mentioned in rave reviews of this amp. This amp is dependent on the speaker you use with it. The single driver Brines FT1600II are not the best match. The Pathos would not integrate my sub too well either. I have never before heard this happen. So, I sold the sub and purchased full range speakers. After looking at the specs carefully and some comments from Richie's expertise I decided to go with Usher CP6371's. These compliment the Pathos Classic One MKII quite well. Now I can hear what this amp is capable of. Noticeably faster, beautiful tone, midrange, and one hell of a grip on the bass. I'm a tube guy and had been for awhile. This is a MOSFET Hybrid and damn if it doesn't sound like a tube amp. Nice layering of the instruments and a deeper wider soundstage.
Very happy with the combo right now. I just have to play with placement and these speakers are keepers.
Getting closer to that "nth" degree of real that is so elusive.
These puppies are heavy,100lbs for the speaker and a cast base is adding another 50lbs.
Poor Fed Ex guy! Kudos to Fed Ex though for getting them here without damage.
D
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Where's the pictures?!!! :drool:
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OK, speakers not placed yet. :thumb:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/bacobits/NewSystem3.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/bacobits/NewSystem1-1.jpg)
D
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Looking good Babs. What is that tuned amp doing on glass eh ? Dem tubes are a vibrating. Herbies to the rescue, you'll be glad you did. Da tubes will love ya. :thumb:
charles
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Wow, they really look nice. All you gear is pretty, you have good taste! Thanks for shooting some for us.
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Herbies smaller tender feet under amp.
I also have here Iso cups with ebony balls,
Carbon/graphite cones etc, etc.
A potent involving sound.
Now I can hear what all the fuss about this amp is.
D
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Herbies smaller tender feet under amp.
I also have here Iso cups with ebony balls,
Carbon/graphite cones etc, etc.
A potent involving sound.
Now I can hear what all the fuss about this amp is.
D
Cool. ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumb:
charles
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Sweet! Looks like a really nice system!!!! Enjoy
Mike
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A bit of an update on what I was doing here and some of the trials of getting there. I wish I could hear this stuff before hand, but it ain't gonna happen. So I rely on the reviews and my taste.
I guess now I have become a "Sand Man". Since the purchase of the Pathos Classic One MKII I have changed my mind on sand amps. It's been a long time since I owned one ( Classes' 25, BALLS!). The Pathos has changed my whole system. Thanks to my accountant I was able to go there. I had heard some great solid state amps but they were out of my price range, even used.
My Brines Single drivers were not doing it with this amp, it also did not get along well with my sub. That has never happened before with a piece of equipment. People were telling me to go "full Range" young man. So, looking for a proper match I changed to the Usher 6371's, 90db, and 4 ohms which means the Pathos puts out 130 watts /ch now. With the Raysonic 128 the sound I'm getting just floored me. Very much of what Sam Tellig heard when he first reviewed the Pathos Classic way back. It is not a slam amp which is more what I'm used too, but it has tone, emotion, and finesse.
Geeze, I don't get around much to listen to other systems. I'm having a blast with this arrangement..
I had changed my wires to Signal Analog 2 from my Home Grown Solid Silver. These are nice for the $$
and still breaking in. The system now is on the warmer side of neutral. Separation, staging, tone, timbre,
and "boogie" is all there.
Next, comes my Phono. It was not doing what I'm hearing from Digital. WHAT?
So I decided to sell my EE Mini Max Phono which I have loved for awhile now but missed better adjustability. This amp is a bit compatibilty challenged? But man, when it clicks it's damn cool.
Cartridge change will come later. The Phono replacement has to be very adjustable. That means solid state most of the time and in a price around $1K new or used. I'm not going into Steelhead or Art Audio territory although I would like to. Ok, I did a lot of reading the last 2 weeks. Almost bought a Ray Samules Nighthawk that came out a few months ago. The price now has gone up from the $650 intro to $835 shipped. No formal reviews except from users on the AC board. 6 Moons has it listed to review it later on. I decided it was too expensive. You see, I really like used prices for what you can get at that $ level. After much thought I purchased a Musical Surroundings Nova Phonomena for a good price. It is well reviewed and favorably thought of the last 3 years. It has all the adjustments you could possibly want and also is rechargeable battery operated. We'll see it's on it's way. I will report back next week.
So, as it is, my whole system has changed for the better because of this amp. I did not expect to change all of it. In fact I almost turned around the Pathos when I first fired it up. I'm glad I didn't. I could hear there was much more there. This time I matched the speakers to the amp. It is usually the other way around of me.
More to come.
D
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More to come.
Always is..... :lol:
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You got a great system there den, enjoy it! It will get better and better as you listen and learn more about it. Find you some nice audio buddies down there in Charlotte so you can share the joy! There are quite a few audiophiles down there, aka Charlotte Audio Society. Some of them post in Carolina Audiophiles Circle on AC. Congratulations! I too am leaning toward SS, gradually. The silence, control and low coloration of SS are so appealing. But the loss of the 'bigger than life' musical exaggeration is difficult to give up.
Rich
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I agree about the SS part is much more quiet most of all. Very black backgrounds and very vivid individual instruments in separation and it really represents the recorded venue. All this adds up to superb listening.
One reason I sold the Mini Max phono was I running the Dyna 10X5 at the recommended MM 47K
setting and that forced me to really turn up the volume on Vinyl. Could use a little more gain believe it or not. I bet there is more there zeroing in on the custom settings using the Nova Phonomena Phono .
the tubes sounded OK, but got noisier between songs only, and did not match my digital qualities.
I know, I have been told not to pay any attention to the volume setting in relation to other sources. This is a strange animal of an amp. We'll see what is up next week.
D
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Absolutely no knock on the EE Mini Max Phono it is an excellent pre
but it never sounded at 47K like the Nova set at 50K where I have it set now. I was not even going to go that high on the setting because I didn't think the 47K setting was any good.
Everything just popped in place last night. It was one of those moments I was throwing everything I had at it last night. Billy Idol????? :lol:
I said the Pathos must have its act together with other components to sound its best.
Sorry, I'm just rambling on with this. I notice most here are not into vinyl.
D
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Sounds like you got a winner there, Den. The source and load impedances of any signal combine to affect frequency response and current delivery of any AC signal whether it's at phono, line or speaker voltage level. The MC is fixed source impedance, so it's no surprise that adjusting load impedance has such a huge effect on the sound. You want the lowest impedance you can get without losing any frequency response. Like rollo said, higher load impedance makes it more bright, because more high frequency is getting through with larger impedance ratio. But lower load impedance gives more bass control and drive, because more current can get through with lower impedance ratio. Power transmission is only concerned with current delivery efficiency, so they strive for equal source and load impedance to maximize current efficiency, but they only need frequency response up to 60Hz. As you're discovering, it's a tradeoff.
Of course the Pathos and Ushers are revealing the changes so well too. Maybe you would have heard a little more from the EE on the new system. But tubes have drawbacks as well as advantages. You're livin it. :thumb: