|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
I own (old model) Cary 300B SE monoblocks for a few years now and like them a lot. My dealer is offering an almost new Cary 300B SE Signature at an attractive price. Except for a better 300B tube (WE as opposed to Cetron, I was going to upgrade to WE anyhow), how big is the sonic difference? Will biamping make any sense? (The speakers are Proac Response 1SC with REL Strata II sub)
Are your ProAcs running full range or through the high pass filter from your subwoofer?
This will make a difference. You might not hear an improvement with four power amps depending on your set up.
ProAcs are running full range and the sub is fed from the amps' speakers' terminals.
You could always just use the Signature by themselves. This will most probably tighten up the Res1s' warmish mid-bass, which might give you a tighter sense of the music's swing and probably also a greater perception of transparency and soundstage precision.The 300SE Sig's are 15 watters as compared with the earlier 300SE's 12 watt output.
I ve heard them both. The Sig's are really more powerful, with greater bass control and depth...and more effortless dynamically. IMHO.
:)
I had the 300SE's for 5 years and the Sig's have different tranny's,
the bass was weak on the 300SE's. Don't see why you would want to biamp. Audition the Sig's and if you don't like them, look elsewhere.
Why not take the Sig's home for an audition and listen? Then put the WE's in your amps and listen. JMHO
Les offers very good advice. Take it.
Sam,I was planning to do the comparison this upcoming weekend anyhow.
One reason for the posting was that your 1998 review of the Cary 300B SE Sig, while being excellent on changes in finish, tubes, and trasformers, did not mention any sonic differences with the old Carys. This got me suspicious ...
BTW, I still enjoyed the review.
Maxim
I know you have the AES-SE. Have you listened to either the Fi X
or Doc B's amps? If so, any impressions? Thanks.
Hi, and hello to Maxim, too. To answer Maxim's question, I heard the original Cary SE300B and the Signature too far apart in time to say anything definitively. (System changed, etc.) I auditioned the Fi-X (standard version) and loved the sound, although I found that the power was quite limited. It is a very small amp, after all. Beautiful design, though, and Don Garber is a true gentleman. Great buy for the money, but I would ask Don's advice about appropriate speakers, which I am pretty sure I didn't have at the time. I also auditioned Don's larger, more expensive 2A3 amp at Art Dudley's place with his Lowther Medallions and was, as we say, "blown away" -- more powerful, more dynamic than the Fi-X.
.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: