fenderbender Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Hey Guys I'm moving up the chain...just got a very nice deal on a BBX w/ lomc , standard tubes unused and a full complement of NOS tubes...it's on the way to Mark D at JM who very graciously will service it and I'll have him upgrade to the BBX II linestage ....so for all intents a BBXII minus remote... Mark is an unbelievably nice guy!!!!!! I already have a very sweet tube set up for my vintage rig....so at this moment I'm not interested in any of the wonderful tube power amp options out there. Anyone here using a Pass Labs Aleph 3 with a BBX? how about a Bryston? I'm not interested in Mac ...been down that road...very nice gear but I liken it to a ceasar salad....the rest of the meal tastes like garlic and anchovy...... I'm looking for something light and transparent and no need for mega watts Any input would be great, thanks guys..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 If you want "transparent" Bryston amps do not change the signal. Just make sure that this is OK with horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 6, 2008 Author Share Posted November 6, 2008 Oh, I did forget to mention that I will be using this with my Klipschorns w/ ALK Xslopes... TWK...do you think that the bryston may sound harsh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veloceleste Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 6, 2008 Author Share Posted November 6, 2008 Thanks velo! I have heard that the Bryston company is awesome !!!! I was leaning towards Bryston but Mark D HAD to go and tell me how wonderful the Pass Labs Class A amps sound with the BBX...so I'm trying to flush out someone with the combo to get their take on it. I know I can't rely on anyone elses ears to tell me what sounds good to me, And I need to ultimately like it....but I find even though there are several differing opinions on gear, most of the folks here all have good stories to tell......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lwhaples Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Congrats on the BBX ! Mark sells a great product and is super to deal with. Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hifi jim Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 I vote for the Pass Labs fenderbender. I appreciate your view on Mac and can agree to some extent. After selling my MC2505 and moving on to a Pass designed Nakamichi PA-5, I've begun to think about possibly buying a BBX/Pass combo for my horns. Pass likes to design simple circuits that have a very transparent (but never harsh) sound. After listening to the Mac amp for a while, the PA-5 was a real change... for the better. Incredible soundstage and delicate but detailed highs were the most noticeable differences. Bass seemed somewhat lacking compared to the 2505, but after hours of listening I feel the Mac was simply warmer and fuller sounding but not nearly as detailed or refined in some areas. I'm selling my PA-5 soon ($450+ship) if you are interested, but I'd say go for the Pass... but be warned, they run hot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 I also had a 2505 that I liked in my office set up with Heresy II's, but it was overly bloomy/warm and did not like it with my corns or Khorns I would love to sample a new 402 in my system but it's out my budget and probably overkill any way I'll keep my eye's peeled for a pass labs X or x.5 series..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Oh, I did forget to mention that I will be using this with my Klipschorns w/ ALK Xslopes... TWK...do you think that the bryston may sound harsh? I had Bryston amps. They were outstanding. I paired them with a Musical Fidelity preamp and the treble was great on B&W 801's. Come to think of it, the Brystons were smoother than the QSC PLX amps, which work very well with Klipsch speakers, so they shoudl work great. Let me muddy the water more, What do you think of Classe? 100 to 200 wpc should be plenty for your speakers. Not sure of your budget, but about the same price as the Bryston 4B. But Bryston has that warranty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Bryston does have the great warranty .......Classe is another big contender ........the pass labs, I'm afraid the Aleph 3 won't do it for me in the Bass dept...there newer model X, X.5, Xa are supposed to be incredible but very pricy... I need to go up to Audio Advisors in West Palm and audition both the bryston and the Classe on klipsch to try to get a handle on what does what better......I'm sure they are both very nice in the meanwhile I'll sit back patiently and wait to see what comes up for a great price on the used market.....and armed with knowledge, I'll plunder another poor unsuspecting victim [][][][][] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Did you check with Mark about the BBX driving the lower impedance of the SS amps? Most have a 15 to 20K Ohm impedance, which is too low. That will cause the bass to roll off. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Did you check with Mark about the BBX driving the lower impedance of the SS amps? Most have a 15 to 20K Ohm impedance, which is too low. That will cause the bass to roll off. Bruce Actually it was Mark D that suggested the Pass Labs and Bryston to me. He say's he has several clients using pass labs class A amps with astonishing results..... Before I actually put money down on a particular model I would give Mark a call and run it by him first....thanks for the heads up Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPower Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hey fenderbender, I can mention a few things that I hope may help. Mark also recommended to me the Pass, First Watts... He said if you have to go SS, First Watt would 1 of the best options. About 4 weeks ago I sold my Jolida 300B integrated and bought a Tim Rawson "First Watt" F3 clone and a JM Peach II. It is not a bad combo, but after the 300B I found myself missing the tube sound. The F3 does a lot of things much better than the Jolida... faster, more dynamic, more detailed, more powerful, and more importantly to me, much more quite, DEAD quite. The part that was missing... the fullness and ease to listen to. I am sure to some ears the F3 would be an easy choice to go with, my cousin was over just before I shipped out he Jolida and we played both set ups and he much preferred the F3, saying it had a much better bass response. He is a die-hard SS guy. Yesterday I just bought a pair of Welborne DRD 45s which will be here this coming Tuesday. This will be an interesting switch. If you would be considering a brand new "real" First Watt, I would suggest getting a hold of Mark at Reno HiFi and ask him about his limited time Demo offer... no restocking charge if this amp doesn't fit well into your system. I would recommend trying either the F3 or F5... all you would have to lose is round trip shipping if it didn't work out. Footnote: Over the last week or so that I have been researching and ultimately buying a new SET amp, I have been playing the F3 /Peach and the sound seems to becoming more fun to listen to. Either the F3 clone is burning in a little more, or my ears are getting more climate-ized to the new sound. Again, it will be interesting when I drop the 45s into the system. As for Bryston, I am a big fan. Before I got into Klipsch a couple of years ago, I had a high powered Bryston system. Musical Fidelity CDP> Modwright SWL 9.0 Pre> Bryston 14B amp> PMC OB1 speakers. This was an outstanding sounding system, but only after I added the Modwirght, put $300 worth of NOS tubes into it, and put $$$ worth of Cardas Golden Ref cables into the system. Up until then I was battling an over aggressive upper end with a fair bit of sibilance. I have got to think with horns, it would be a worse result... just a guess. The F3 is very detailed in the upper end, but in no way harsh or bright. Never owned any Classe but it is suppose to lean away from how I just described the Bryston and to a warmer SS sound. Well, there's my 2 and a half cents worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Hey fenderbender, I can mention a few things that I hope may help. Mark also recommended to me the Pass, First Watts... He said if you have to go SS, First Watt would 1 of the best options. About 4 weeks ago I sold my Jolida 300B integrated and bought a Tim Rawson "First Watt" F3 clone and a JM Peach II. It is not a bad combo, but after the 300B I found myself missing the tube sound. The F3 does a lot of things much better than the Jolida... faster, more dynamic, more detailed, more powerful, and more importantly to me, much more quite, DEAD quite. The part that was missing... the fullness and ease to listen to. I am sure to some ears the F3 would be an easy choice to go with, my cousin was over just before I shipped out he Jolida and we played both set ups and he much preferred the F3, saying it had a much better bass response. He is a die-hard SS guy. Yesterday I just bought a pair of Welborne DRD 45s which will be here this coming Tuesday. This will be an interesting switch. If you would be considering a brand new "real" First Watt, I would suggest getting a hold of Mark at Reno HiFi and ask him about his limited time Demo offer... no restocking charge if this amp doesn't fit well into your system. I would recommend trying either the F3 or F5... all you would have to lose is round trip shipping if it didn't work out. Footnote: Over the last week or so that I have been researching and ultimately buying a new SET amp, I have been playing the F3 /Peach and the sound seems to becoming more fun to listen to. Either the F3 clone is burning in a little more, or my ears are getting more climate-ized to the new sound. Again, it will be interesting when I drop the 45s into the system. As for Bryston, I am a big fan. Before I got into Klipsch a couple of years ago, I had a high powered Bryston system. Musical Fidelity CDP> Modwright SWL 9.0 Pre> Bryston 14B amp> PMC OB1 speakers. This was an outstanding sounding system, but only after I added the Modwirght, put $300 worth of NOS tubes into it, and put $$$ worth of Cardas Golden Ref cables into the system. Up until then I was battling an over aggressive upper end with a fair bit of sibilance. I have got to think with horns, it would be a worse result... just a guess. The F3 is very detailed in the upper end, but in no way harsh or bright. Never owned any Classe but it is suppose to lean away from how I just described the Bryston and to a warmer SS sound. Well, there's my 2 and a half cents worth. Thanks for the wonderful review.....I certainly have a lot to consider...thanks for the tip on Reno Gear...I'll at least call and pick his brain.. I really love My rebuilt Sansui Au-111 (6L6GC) ...the power section is awesome and dead quite...the pre section is the problem...don't get me wrong it's a wonderful amp, just 40 years old and no way to get to the scratchy pots because they are sealed. the pre also has that (what some would call that wonder vintage flavor) I prefer a more neutral approach. I will play with the power section and the BBX for a while to see how like it...but the AU-111 will eventually go into a 100% vintage set-up complete with thorens td-124 and cornwall I's Like I said before I need to test drive some of these SS amps with klipshorns before I make a commitment ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nu2toobs Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1229736555&/Pass-Labs-Aleph-30-Volksamp- Mark Deneen recommended the Pass Labs Aleph 30 Volksamp to me last year. All I've heard about these is that they're great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Mark Deneen recommended the Pass Labs Aleph 30 Volksamp to me last year. All I've heard about these is that they're great. I've read good things about them also except that they run VERY hot....and some have said that they are lacking in the bass department hence the improvements in the X, XA, and the XA.5 series.....If I can find one of the lower wattage newer models at a decent price I may just jump on it Mark D said several of his clients took the advice on the Aleph 30 and were very happy....I was just hoping to speak with someone who actually has one in their system with a BBX and Khorns...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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