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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Are Any Powerful Amps Worth Using?

Post Subject: Unravelling the MixPosted by Paul S on: 4/15/2012

OK, I have one foot back in the water again, a hand-me-down monoblock from a "well-respected movie sound producer", to whom I am connected through dear friends. Like most "sound professionals", he is fairly dismissive of the way "we" hi-fi nerds go about sound reproduction, and I have to confess that his $200k system actually confuses me. FWIW, his present "hobby" is recording large swing bands live and mixing them down - at home. Not a promising lead, on the face of it. Still, I think I may have something.

Let me begin by saying - emphatically - that I am NOT "recommending" anything at this time. I have not worked with this amp enough yet that the sound I am getting from my speakers is the sound I am after. That said (and I hope it is well understood), this candidate for my main, center channel is the Marantz MA-9S2.

With my present speakers, this amp has no trouble unravelling any "mix". It's all there, warts and all. In this respect, it is much "better" than the ML2s -with my present speakers. Bass is MUCH stronger, and it is better sorted out, as well; but it still does not have the LF "gestalt" of the best SET bass. Go figure, but pitch and timbre are excellent, as good (in a little different way) as the ML2s. Along with "sorting out the mix", this amp also lets me clearly listen to thermal noise and drift from the tubes in my hybrid phono stage. Otherwise, this amp is DEAD silent. Oh, yeah... it easily and cleanly drives both DEBZs, at once...

Now begins the real work, to train the amp and my growing pile of drivers to make Music together in my listening room.

Paul S

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