joemcten

Randy, interesting reply. I have never had a problem finding power ratings for Perreaux amps. You said you heard they did not sound that good, was that with your own ears in a unbiased setting or did someone tell you that? In the last 6-7 years, I have had a ton of different amplifiers both tube and solid state, ranging from Threshold,CJ, Cary,Plinius,Aragon,Audio analogue,ASL,Krell etc... I have had great examples of both and very mediocre ones as well. To my ears they can both be excellent.I am not interested in stating one is better than another. The best set up as we all know, is whatever sounds good to you. If you are actually interested in knowing how this Perreaux equipment sounds, here is a decent description and comparison. It comapres in smoothness and warmth to the SA series from Threshold. Plinius also has a similar sound(I have owned both) Soundstage is wide,deep, and it is free of any grain. Midrange is clear and defined, with a lot of air. Bass is very extended and it is extremely quick. There is nothing artificial to the sound. The treble region is smooth and as extended as one would want. The big Mac amps like the 500 mono's also have these musical qualities. Randy, when I want tubes, I pull out my modified ST-70 that has been changed to Class A and utilizes a directly heated 6b4g as the output tube. It has about 12 wpc and I enjoy this amp very much as well. I am one of those guys who unfortunately likes to try just about anything I can get my hands on(As long as my wallet is willing)Joe

Shock, as a LaScala owner I must concur with every one else that has posted so far. Get rid of the Technics, use it as a door stop, book end or a boat anchor, but please do not let it ruin your enjoyment of an amazing speaker. I have had excellent results with both tube and solid state pre's on my Scala's. I usually prefer tubes but just purchased a phenomenal SS pre-power. I just hooked up a Perreaux PMF5550 power amp with a Perreaux SM-3 pre and the results are breathtaking. The amp is extreme overkill at 500 wpc. The first 20 wpc are class A and it gently slides into a/b. It is smooth and very easy to listen to. I paid very little for this gear considering the extremely high build and sound quality. The amp is a beast at 105 lbs.Let us know how you make out. Joe

Beverly, I own LaScala's and for a while my amplification was a CJ MV-55 and PV-10 combo. The CAV-50 is essentially those two products partnered together. I have to say the results were very special. The smooth, musical properties of the CJ are a very good match for the LaScala's. Unfortunately I am one of the afflicted that never keeps gear for an extended period of time. I miss the CJ sound in my system and one day may buy the same gear again. Keep us posted. Joe

Hey guys a little info would be appreciated. I have an apportunity to purchase a lightly used Audio Electronics Supply SE-1 SIG with 300B's for a very, very low price. It was designed and assembled by the boys at Cary Audio. It has all the upgrades and fairly new tubes. If any one has heard this little beasty, let me know your thoughts. I have Scala's in a 14' by 28' room. I listen mainly to blues and jazz guitar with some jazz vocal thrown in. Thanks Joe

Shock, the old Proton stuff sounds pretty decent. My first decent piece of gear was the Proton integrated that I purchased in summer '86. IT was very dynamic because of the insane amount of dynamic headroom. I used it for many years and then sold it for more than I originally paid for it. I have always wanted to get one of the aa 1150's because I thought they looked great. The sound of this amp reminds me of the power envelope designs that NAD was selling at the time. Joe

If the price is right you should snap up the LaScala's. I have not owned Snell's but, have auditioned them in the past. I have '80 LaScala's that have pemanently replaced all of the previous audiophile speakers I have owned. To me one of the differences will be the speed of the LaScala's. I found them to be unbelievably fast compared to any of my other speakers. They do require some fiddling around to get the bass right. To my ears, the bass response is just fine. I have used the ASL MGsi15dt with my Lascala's and the sound was fantastic. I found that in the 5wpc setting, it was fairly easy to get the little bugger past it's limits. I had much better results in the 15wpc setting. I felt that the dynamics were less compressed with the extra headroom. I also have a modified Dynaco st-70 that is wired for triode and puts out 12 wpc. That has proven to be enough power for most situations. Good luck and keep us posted. Joe

I am glad you made your decision wisely. I purchased a very nice pair of one owner LaScala's about 9 months ago and have not looked back since. I still remember my first K-Horn experience. It was around 87-88, I was in college and very broke. I had a decent system for a guy with no money. I went with my best friend to a now defunct High-end store, to do some dreaming. We went into the largest sound room and there were the largest, most unusual looking speakers either of us had ever seen. Neither of us could figure out quite how the drivers worked until they were explained. The salesman invited us to listen. I asked him to play a favorite track from Stevie Ray Vaughn called Tin Pan Alley. He put it in the player and we were both blown away. The dynamics and speed were frightening. His guitar was presented with a clarity I had not heard before. Hearing the K-Horns for the first time is still clearly etched in my mind. My friend and I still talk about it with a sense of awe. One day when I have a room with proper dimensions and corners, I will retire the trusty Scala's and in there place will go the mighty K-Horn. Joe

Is your local dealer Rowe audio on Mt. Hope? I used to live in Roch. on East ave., near the Eastman House. It is too bad they do no have them set up so people can hear how fantastic they are. Joe

I must agree with Mark and his comments about Dyna's in Triode mode. I too have a ST-70 running triode at about 12 wpc. It simply makes music on my Scala's. I had the mod done years ago using high quality parts,(caps,resistors,inputs,binding posts,etc). I have had many amps come and go in the last 6 years, but this is one little gem that is not going to get away from me. I can only imagine what your mono's are going to sound like on your K-horns. The anticipation must be killing you. I promise it will be worth the wait. Joe

Frans, they are beautiful. What output tube do they use? What vintage are they? I love to have unique gear and as long as the tubes are easy to find, I would dive right in. Joe

I have a room that is slightly wider and longer than yours and I too have LaScala's. I recently demoed several antique sound lab products and one of them was an 8wpc 300B set amp. It had plenty of drive and what seemed like adequate headroom to me. I tend to listen at fairly loud playback levels. I also frequently use my modified Dyna st-70 that is 11-12wpc and have never had any complaints volume wise Can you try before you buy? Are they tube or solid state. Joe

Blklab, purchase w/out fear. I have a 15' by 30' room with LaScala's. I listen to everything from Blues, rock,jazz etc. When I break out the Third Eye Blind,Pearl Jam or Cake, my entire house boogies. I have had tons of speakers and nothing comes close to the impact and emotion these babies bring to the music. Your only gripe will probably be " why didn't I do this sooner?". Joe

Morg, I have demoed a Coda/Continuum 200wpc power amp on my LaScala's for several days. It is definitely a "high end" piece. I, however found it to be to detailed and maybe a bit to bright or forward with my speakers. It sounded great on my friends Maggies, but a bit relentless on my rig. I found the new McIntosh to be a nice match. A little more forgiving on the top. I am currently using a great little Italian Integrated that is only 40wpc. It is the Audio Analouge Puccini. For my system it is a nice combo. It has a nice tube like quality, which is part of its design philosophy. It has a great MM/MC phono stage and a beautiful remote for under $900 bucks. I have had many of the big buck high powered amps, this little gem more than holds its own. It is very musical and less analytical than the Coda piece. I would reccomend trying before buying. Keep us posted. Joe

Stormin, Have you purchased a pre yet? If so, what,and how does it sound in your rig? Joe

spfrss, you do not give a budget. Are you looking at tube or solid state or either? New or used? Since you are in Italy you should try out some of your own countries marvelous electronics. I would reccommend looking at the Audio Analouge Puccini integrated. It is wonderfully full bodied and musically involving. It also has a phono stage and it is relatively cheap! Pathos and Unison Research are also well made products and they are beautiful to boot. They are more expensive but not too expensive. Give us a better idea of what you are looking to spend and whether you are going with tubes or solid state. With more info you will get more responses. Joe

Mike, the main thing you are hearing is twleve years of advancement in the digital field. I am sure your new DVD will sound superior to what you are used to in areas of detail,freedom from grain etc. I am not convinced that standard DVD players sound better that a high quality cd player. My good friend and I have a/b my cd player that has Burr Browns best dual 20 bit dac's along side with his new sony dvd. In this instance the DVD was not as musical or as clearly defined as the CD playback. I think you need to do some comparison listening and also need to decide what you are going to use it for most. Is it going to be in audio only system,or home theater also. Let your ears be the final judge, not the published specs, as they do not tell the whole story. A final note, I have tried my DVD player from my home theater system in my audio only system and it was nice, but it was still a step down from my current cd player. Maybe if DVD audio takes hold we could have some drastic improvement. Until then I am staying with what I have. Joe

Stormin, both Guy and Mdeneen have valid points. If you do have your little heart set on tubes, you can not go wrong with a Conrad Johnson. They are warm and musical which is a natural match for horns. Older Audio Research pre's are also nice choices. Joe

Relic, I have tested several ASL amps and they have all been spectacular with my Lascala's. I agree with Randy, 30 wpc with Cornwalls will part your hair! I would buy with complete confidence.Joe

Congrats on the Cornwalls and welcome to the fold. What do you think of your Bottlehead pre? I will be interested in hearing the report on your Bottlehead mono's. Keep us posted. Joe

I must agree with Al. I have been buying from my friend Mike at Audio Classics for years. He has great product,good demo period,and a liberal trade back policy. I havae had just about one of everything from him over the last 6 years. This place has been in business forever. They must be doing something right. There toll free number is 1-800-321-2834 est. Tell Mike I said hi. Joe

Tom, you should call the importer DIvertech in Canada and speak to Mr. Goka. They should be able to set your amp up with the switch quite easily, as they are the ones that install it to begin with. I feel it is worth having and it adds versatility to the piece. I did not feel there was any appreciable difference between the 2 settings as far as sound quality goes. It is definitely more dynamic in the 15 wpc mode. The soundstage was fuller and dynamic passages had much more heft. With my speakers, I could get away with the 5wpc setting 90% of the time. I think it is a great idea to be able to hit a switch and have the extra headroom available for the extra 10%. Joe

Doug, I agree with the gentlemen above. My best friend had Fortes for years and they were always easy to listen to. I have listened extensively to KLF series and still feel that to my ears the classic Klipsch sound more musical. Beware of the shipping as stated above. I was fortunate that when I bought my Lascala's I was able to drive to get them. I would not have purchased them if I had to pay the significant shipping. I have seen many go on audiogon in the 500 range. Good luck Joe

I agree with Colin if your budget is tight any of the above mentioned are excellent choices. One of the downsides to the older Modified gear is that it is hard to tell if it is a good or a bad mod. The old stuff can be fantastic, but for your first,it is my feeling that you want to make it as hassle free as possible. Joe

Mark, They are getting around $1700 for one of the improved 8b's at my friends place. His claim to me is that none have been returned, and most people have come back to buy another one for a second system. They call theirs the ACL 8c. For those that can swing the price of entry, it is a great amp. Tom, did your ASL have the triode,pentode switch? IF so did you have a preference for one over the other? It has more than enough power with Scala's. Joe

Mark, you are right it was a moment of weakness to sell the 8b. I have a friend who is the VP of audioclassics.com. They sell under there own name an improvement on teh original design. Several years back when Marantz decided to reissue the 8B,there head designer set out to improve the original in several key areas with better quality parts and several other small things that would make the classic sound better. The big wigs said no. They wanted an exact replica of the original. My friend Mike being a bright fellow heard this redesign and was floored. They bought up all the parts and the guys improvements and they now build them right at there shop. I have heard them both in an A/B utilizing the mighty Tannoy Chirchhill's. I know I will upset the apple cart here but teh improved version is exactly that. There is not one area where the original was as good. It is definitely worth exploring for someone interested in the old Marantz sound who wants modern parts and a warranty. On there web site is is labeled under the ACL brand. It is a dead ringer for the original. Joe