Integrated amp for 802Ds

[VictorHRS]

Hi there,

If you were to choose an integrated amplifier for the 802D, which one would it be and why?

I own an Accuphase E-308, which is amazing, but I feel it doesn´t do justice to the 802Ds, it´s not quite up there. But the good separates that I feel would be on par with the 802Ds (Classé CA-M400+CP700, Levinson 432+326S, etc.) are too expensive in my country, at least four 8O times the price of my amp.

So I turned my eyes back to the integrated amps, which seem to deliver a better cost-benefit ratio. Levinson 383, GamuT DI-150, Accuphase E-408, Mudical Fidelity kW550 are some that I´ve taken a look.

Where would you go?

Thanks,

Victor

[Kal Rubinson]

Consider the Sim Moon i-7.

Kal

[VictorHRS]

Thanks Kal, I´ve read about it on What Hi-fi, it received a "Best for Sound" award in October 2006.

[Joey_V]

MF KW500 or 550.

Joey

[ChrisssB]

A great integraded is also the Gryphon Diablo. It got rave reviews.
Here in Greece in crazy-audiophile circles gryphons products are considered extremely
fine bargains! Mind you tho... it costs about 9200 euros.

[VictorHRS]

Thanks Joey and Chris :T !

Chris, before buying the Accuphase, I had an opportunity to test both predescessors to the Gryphon Diablo at my system, the Callisto 2100 and the 2200. Both were amazing, specially the 2200, but I didn't keep (the 2200) it because Gryphon no longer had a distributor in Brasil and the amp was not new. But very impressive indeed. And despite it's Darth Vader's head looks, which some might like but I don't, if the Diablo was available it would certainly be at the top of my list.

Joey, the MF kWs surely interests me. The only letdown is that they don't have a pre-bypass input. Can you tell me if the 550 is considered by MF an upgrade over the 500? And why there are so many (5) 500s being sold at Audiogon? It might just be a coincidence, but I usually don't se as many items of a such exclusive product being sold at once.

Thanks!

[worldys]

I ran a pair of Nautilus 802s with an MF Trivista Int. and thought they sounded great together. You can find them reasonably cheap on Audiogon these days.

[VictorHRS]

And what about the ASR Emitter I and Emitter I Exclusive? (The Emitter II is out of my range) Has anyone heard it with D B&Ws?

[Joey_V]

Thanks Joey and Chris :T !


Joey, the MF kWs surely interests me. The only letdown is that they don't have a pre-bypass input. Can you tell me if the 550 is considered by MF an upgrade over the 500? And why there are so many (5) 500s being sold at Audiogon? It might just be a coincidence, but I usually don't se as many items of a such exclusive product being sold at once.

Thanks!

The upgrade, according to MF is mostly in the power supply, which we all know is a big part of the sound.... so the 550 is considerably going to be better in that sense vs the 500.

I was about to buy the 500 from the 'gon a few months back since the guy I bought my Martin Logan Summits from was powering them with the 500 and I heard it, and it sounded real nice.

However, I didnt and ended up with a Cary tube pre and a Plinius Class A SS amp.... your question regarding why there are 5 on the gon is probably because the 550 is coming out.

Joey

[ChrisssB]

I havent heard it with b&ws .....but check this out:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1164735033&read&3&4&

It looks like some people think that ASR Emitter I Exclusive is astually better.

Chris

[VictorHRS]

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the info. I have a friend testing the ASR Emitter I exclusive in his system, and he's loving it. But he has Dynaudio Contour 3.0s. The only time I heard the Emitter for a long time was at a Hifi show here in my country. It was the II Exclusive playing small Opera tower speakers. It was very very good... Maybe the Emitter I will do it for me, but it's quite a bit out of my range, at around 15k dollars.

Joey, thanks for the clarifications.

:T