The absolute best amp you’ve heard driving heritage speakers.

[geezin']

8 hours ago, moray james said:

do you have any documentation confirming this? I would be interested to learn about that. Thank you.

Here ya go.

[moray james]

that's great and good to know took them a long time to catch up though. I would love to have a listen and compare.

[silverfoxvtx1800]

M

[babadono]

here you go @moray james :

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-la90-discrete-amplifier-review.43756/

Oops sorry I see geezin already posted it.

[babadono]

I have 4 of them now each one driving 1 driver in bridge mode for the mids and highs in my 3 way Jube system. I am no connoisseur of amps but man are these things quiet at no signal.

Still have not spent the cost of 1 AHB2 and value is important to me.

[KT88]

Well, I am interested in the AHB2 because there is a certain relationship to my old British Quad amps. And then this Topping LA90 also comes into play. If I understand it correctly, it's very much about certain outstanding technical values such as the signal-to-noise ratio...or other parameters.

The question of this thread is "the absolute best amp" to drive Heritage Klipsch. I would think you can't pin it down to specific technical excellence values. Personally, I would say I have to hear it and it has to reach my heart and gut feeling. When people say that the AHB2 is the amp that Peter Walker could only dream of...well I have amps that Peter designed. I wouldn't naively say that because AHB2 is newer and has better specs it necessarily sounds better when I add everything together

I think the core question of the thread is on a deeper level because it's about the match with Klipsch heritage speakers where a good balance and dosage of many parameters is important. The heritage speakers are in some ways "easy" to feed and in other ways "difficult" to feed. In the end, personal taste is the most important thing. I wouldn't say that an amp suddenly appears that puts everything else in the shade. If it does, wonderful, I should be allowed to hear it. But all too often in the last 60 years we've seen a "one trick dog" being hyped in marketing. And then, a little later, the next one is brought in. My conclusion: no aversion to innovation, but never throw the baby out with the bathwater when it comes to existing good-sounding amps.

I would love to hear an AHB2 but I would also love to hear a Pass first watt. In the meantime, I'm very happy with my old Quad 606, 306 and also with the MC275.

 

To sum up, I'm open to new things but I'm very happy with what I have. If something new makes everything a little better then the question remains, is it a new listening experience or a marginal feature that I quickly get used to and what is assimilated by my hearing quickly. Then it's not worth it. I'll go further and it gets a bit philosophical. If the new stuff is actually better, ok, my 40 year old alter ego might aspire to that. The 65-year-old Heinz is perhaps happy with what he has and knows because the time of hunting is over. That's not meant to sound boring and depressing, but relaxed and sitting in the saddle.

[geezin']

Best is extremely objective in my opinion. Many (including me) say they want realistic neutral sound. We no matter how hard we try all like a certain flavor to our music. I'm finding bass is more important to me than I thought it was but nowhere near as much as others. For recreational music the Fisher 440T is preferred. Critical listening is the Topping PA3s class D. I enjoy seeing how many different sounds I can identify simultaneously.

[silverfoxvtx1800]

L

[MJada]

I have a shot at either an air tight kt-88 or a Shindo el84. I have always had solid state but would like to take a shot at tubes.

the thread wandered so I’m going to have to make a call sight unseen

[MagicMan]

On 6/30/2024 at 9:03 AM, Silverfoxvtx1800 said:

Yes they are in a different league then the Forte…it’s hard to describe more everything without being harsh…at first I would switch out the speaker cables Forte then the Razz being they sit next to each other and was easy with bananas…quit doing that because after a couple songs I would go back to the Razz…Not ever selling my Forte IVs they sound good in my home theater and with YouTube videos hooked to my A/V receiver..

Can you share a picture of the Volti Razz?

[silverfoxvtx1800]

H

[82 Cornwalls]

3 hours ago, Silverfoxvtx1800 said:

…tubes will never grace this house again…

 

So you have said before, your loss. 😀

[richieb]

@Silverfoxvtx1800 - “middle finger to tubes”.Admittedly I’ve said the same, two or three times. Yet here I am looking at three pairs of tube monoblocks, again.

I too am a fan of NP amps with FW F3 and F5 in hand and a long gone XA25.

Monoblock Benchmarks have come - and gone. While the First Watts are not leaving the building, they see little play time. Maybe the Prima Luna pushed your middle finger at tubes? Moral - never say never - - 

[silverfoxvtx1800]

L

[richieb]

2 hours ago, Silverfoxvtx1800 said:

The SIT-4 is a masterpiece 

That I do not doubt - 

[Fido]

I’ve had my EVO400 for over 3 years now and had one original tube go bad within the first month. Upscale Audio had a new tube delivered the next day and it has been flawless ever since. I love the way it sounds with my Forte IVs and Rel S812. I have rolled power tubes and preamp tubes and it always is dead quiet and soundstage is amazing. Sorry that @Silverfoxvtx1800had such a terrible experience with the EVO 400 but I have not read anywhere where others have had negative experiences with the EVO 400 like @Silverfoxvtx1800had. Glad he’s happy with his new Pass Labs and First Watt amps and his new Razz speakers.

 

this hobby can be fun 🤗

[silverfoxvtx1800]

I 

[planetwaves]

As a recently retired hifi dealer I was fortunate to be able to try a variety of amps, first on My Cornwall IV's and now on my Khorn AK6's.

 

On the CW's I had enjoyable results with a Naim 500Dr pre/power, Pass INT25, Primaluna EVO400 int, Rega Aethos, Hegel H390 and Rotel Michi X3. I switched between the Naim, Primaluna and Pass, but mostly used the INT25.

 

On the Khorn's I've settled on the Pass INT25. The Naim rig was a disaster. Way too much hiss and very bright sounding. Not surprised as it was never made with such efficient speakers in mind. The INT25 is the quietest of any of the amps I've used and is the only amp I now own.

 

I was never a Klipsch dealer so it's been a fun ride learning about the history and products from this iconic brand. Have lurked here on the forum for a while and appreciate all the knowledge shared.

[RobMarshall]

On 7/1/2024 at 6:41 PM, Silverfoxvtx1800 said:

@MJada I wish I could convince you not to go tube, my experience with tubes was awful…but that was Primaluna a China brand and it could have been  I got a lemon like a car. The wife and I would get up in the morning and cross our fingers that there wouldn’t be any loud noises at turn on..I am surprised it didn’t blow out the Forte IVs tweeters or crossovers it would be loud. So after the EVO 400 would be on for a couple hours it would make this sound like metal bending and it was so loud it scared the hell out of me. I bought some very expensive EL34 Mullards from the 1960s and luckily I stole them and sold them at a huge profit which made me even when someone bought all the Primaluna stuff..

‘Ok let’s go back a little at the end of the Primaluna, after a year  I would turn it on and a Primaluna tube would go out and blow a fuse…this happen three times at the end..so I replaced those tubes and luckily everything seemed to be ok..but I had to sell it, just to stressful…

‘Now with this Pass Labs XA-25 Aamp and Pass Preamp..there is no tweeter hiss ZERO noise..when you turn it off and on and the sound is awesome…I really have super high hopes with the Sit-4 going back and forth with the Forte and Razz …just got a notice the Sit-4 will be here Wednesday…