Speaker Asylum: RE: Size of the speakers by arildji

Thank you very much for sharing your experience with the 801’s versus Avalon speakers.

It is not a need for improvement in sound quality with the 801’s that make me consider a change to my system and ask the questions. It is solely a wish for less visually dominating speakers in my living room.

I have owned 4 different solid state amplifiers and tested even more transistor amplifiers, including such brands as Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson, Plinius, Electrocompaniet and more, during the 14 years that the 801’s has occupied my living room. It was more out of curiosity that I tried an Audio Research VT100 Mk. II tube amplifier, and both to my surprise and joy I got the most dynamic sound and deepest bass response I had ever had from the 801’s. And the soundstage was equally impressive: deep, wide and holographic. None of the many solid state amplifiers had produced the same musical involvement as the tube amplifier.

But the VT100 Mk. II proved unreliable, and was exchanged for the Audio Research VT130SE, a more stable and user friendly design. The VT130SE is a classic product and is not going anywhere soon.

Arild