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In Reply to: RE: I listened to VS-60 posted by Stale on October 26, 2014 at 07:56:52
"[VS60] It is the same as VSi but with no passive preamp. It was the cleanest sounding amplifier I have ever had a chance to listen to. It's sound was also completely harmonically bleached, freezingly cold and dry amp I have ever heard."
You should listen to Bryston amps!
I had the CJ Premier 11a, similar to your MV60SE, and although it was a nice enough sounding tube amp, I thought it lacked dynamics and punch. It was also lacking in bass. The CJ Premier 11a was my very first tube amp and when I discovered the AES/Cary SixPacs at a fraction of the cost, I sold the CJ. The AES/Cary SixPacs were much better IMHO.
I also owned the Cary Rocket 88R which didn't have enough power to make my speakers sing. I was using the Tannoy Definition D500s which aren't especially difficult to drive but in my somewhat large listening room that I had at that time, the Rocket 88R sounded veiled and compressed.
The ARC VSi-60 is definitely a clean sounding tube amp. It is more transparent and extended than the Rogue Cronus Magnum but I wouldn't call it cold, bleached, or dry. I reserve those words for Bryston. ;-)
Follow Ups:
There are limitations to what they can drive. However, I found over time that generally I do not care for the speakers that are hard to drive and those who need to be pushed to sound good, no matter what the amp is, unfortunately most of today's speakers. Have no issues with the bass nor dynamics, but I use speakers that need not be pushed hard.We discussed 6Pack before, it is good for the MSRP but ultimately did not do it for me (not to mention heat). Those interested in details can search the forum. But I got new CJ for less that the 6packs at closeout :-)
Byston? Come on it is not even in the same league. IMHO, I am not sure it is even in the same sport. Saying Bryston sounds cold, etc. is like saying that your home furnace is bad in baking thanksgiving turkey. Close but no cigar :-)
On a serious note, sst2 was better than tubed McIntosh integrated driving Magnepans and for a change not harsh (not much of the endorsement?).
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"One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane."
Edits: 10/26/14
I think that's one area where we can agree to disagree. Or perhaps its just so called system synergy in our particular setups.
I much preferred the AES/Cary SixPacs over the CJ Premier 11a even though both are excellent amps. The CJ may have been a tad more 3 dimensional with it's almost holograph soundstage..... but without much oomph in the slam department, I found it better suited for female vocals, smooth jazz, and the stuff that passes for music in elevators. Yeah, that was a low blow. The CJ was much better than that and I reserve the elevator music comment for the Levinson 383 I once owned. Talk about sleepy time boring. The Levinson 383 was like Brystons on Xanax... like a loud transistor radio with a pillow smothering it. ;-)
One of the interesting aspects of my comparison was that I found the modest 50wpc SixPacs to sound more robust, more dynamic, and 'alive' compared to the 70wpc rated CJ. The SixPacs were a lively pair of monoblocks always ready for a crashing change in dynamic contrast, something I felt was lacking in the CJ.
I don't consider my Tannoy speakers to be difficult, just 'real world' speakers. They're not high efficiency speakers for flea power SETs but anything in the 50wpc 'or so' range work well and 100wpc or more really make them come alive. My Thiels require more power and the SixPacss didn't cut it in the larger room I had when I was using the Thiel speakers.
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