Any other High End Audiophiles out there in DU land?

[MN ChimpH8R]

Just wondering if there are.....

[DancingBear]

1. I run a set of Avantgarde Duos

through a pair of Audiopax SET tubed monoblocks.

Preamplification is Audiopax as well, but soon may be Balanced Audio Technology -I'm auditioning.

Digital section is Naim, analog section is Clearaudio.

Does that answer your question?? :) :)

P.S. I used to work for Mark Levinson Audio Systems when it first started up, and Mark would come in every day.

[MN ChimpH8R]

5. Nice bit of kit!

I've heard the Duos sound wonderful at CES on BAT amplification VK-65s, I think. An audiobuddy has Trios, but he had then in too small a room. They yelled at you pretty relentlessly. Haven't heard his new, mammoth, custom built room yet, but friends have said that the speakers sound fabulous now that they have enough room to breathe and cohere.

I've heard good things about the Audiopax, but haven't heard them yet.

I just got a set of Wilson Audio MAXX 2s to review. They are freaking awesome on Lamm M1.2 Reference amps.

[DancingBear]

10. The Audiopax stuff is really finicky

The nice thing is when there is a problem, the designer will call you directly from Brazil.

The not nice thing is the Model 5 pre-amp I'm using has a fault that we can't find yet - it causes a 60 cycle (I think) "motorboating" which does not make the ridiculously efficient Duos very happy. We've tried to bridge the inputs with a cap, we've tried clamping the line voltage, etc. , but so far no luck.

Before I bought the monoblocks, a reviewer from 6moons lent me an Audiopax stereo amp, which in all honesty I like more than the monoblocks. I think maybe they came out a bit too soon.

For anyone who says the Duos/Trios don't need breathing room, well, they're wrong. They will "yell" pretty loudly (and exhibit all the brightness and lack of soundstage) of conventional horns if they don't have proper spacing.

I've been "invited" by a dealer here in northern VA to hear the Maxx 2's, but I don't know what he is driving them with. If I recall, the Puppys hated low power tube amps so I''m curious if these guys need real heavy power as well, although you said the Lamm's make them happy.

Fess up -how'd you get a set to review?

[MN ChimpH8R]

11. Two things

1. Check your PM re my access to the Wilsons

2. The Lamms I am using are hybrids - 110 WPC pure Class A monoblocks. They handle the big Wilsons' woofers quite nicely. Marc Mickelson of Soundstage reviewed both the MAXX and Alexandria in part with Lamm's 18 WPC SET monoblocks and said they worked like a charm. Doubt the little Lamms could handle the big orchestral and power techno I like to play, though.

[Call Me Wesley]

2. I'm not a real audiophile, to be honest.

But my best friend is; he makes Piega loudspeakers.

[MN ChimpH8R]

6. The Piegas are sweet speakers

Never owned or reviewed them, but they have impressed me plenty at shows.

[Call Me Wesley]

7. Yes, but somewhat, they're too small

for the US audience I guess. They have a new set out right now.

I don't have any, but I've heard them plenty.

[Loonman]

3. When I can afford it

Which isn't now.

[mainegreen]

4. Closest thing I come to high end is a Thorens turn table.

Which while nice, isn't super high end. I go with high end only in the world of computers.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. I was thirty years ago

I still use the same stereo I bought then when prices were out of this world, but I've had no reason since to upgrade.

Sansui AU5500 integrated amp (No tuner, just 100W per channel)
Pioneer tuner
Dual turntable (It plays an old format called "albums")
Pioneer reverb (Antique?)
Sony Minidisc recorder (OK that's kinda new)
Bose 901 speakers (series II)

[seemunkee]

9. Wish I had the bucks for it.

Music Hall MMF-1 TT
Rotel CD
Rotel phone amp
Nakamichi amp
some old RTR 3way speakers that I rewired.

[Metta]

12. Quad ESL-63's and a Naim Nait 2 integrated amp.

Lovely, matched stuff from some years back. The speakers sat in this doctor's house for years without much play. He had four sets. I bought the NN2 new in 1989 and only this year had it recapped. I'm also running a Creek 40 tuner which was the one Naim recommended at the time and a two year old Njoe Tjoeb cd player with a pair of nos Valvo E288CC tubes, having swapped them out for a pair of Valvo Cca's which I just love. I'm willing to part with the tubes for less than cost of one new one if anyone's interested.