Letters • September 2018

Allnic and Berning

September 24, 2018

Roy,

I found the article on the Allnic H-3000V phono EQ curve published a few years ago useful. I also share a love for Neodio Origine and Berning Quadrature Z monoblocks.

I have a question about the Berning amps. Apart from Berning's own preamp, I would like to know which other preamps you found suitable with the amps -- ones that have remote control. Also, I am aware that valve preamps, like those from Audio Research and Conrad-Johnson, into the Bernings are not a good idea. Were there any passives or other solid-state amps with remote that worked?

Also, I normally find that the Quadrature Zs have an excellent top half, but the speaker matching depends on how the amps match the speakers' midbass and control. Sometimes the amps can sound too lean on the wrong speakers. Was this not an issue with MartinLogans? How did you address this?

Additionally, I also have a phono question. If there were a good phono with EQ curves and a better phono stage without EQ curves, for old non-RIAA LPs, especially monos, would the EQ capability of the lesser phono stage trump the other phono stage for playback of such LPs? Do you you have any perspective on AMR PH-77 versus the Allnic H-3000V?

Kedar Desai

I am surprised that you suggest that the Berning amps won’t work with tube preamps. I have achieved memorable results with units from Audio Research (Reference 3 and Reference 10), VTL (TL-6.5 and TL-7.5) and Conrad-Johnson (ACT 2, ET5 and GAT 2), while Berning’s own ZOTL Pre One is also a tube unit. As to solid-state units, I would certainly recommend the CH Precision L1 and Tom Evans Audio Design Vibe, both of which have worked beautifully with the Quadrature Zs (although the Vibe doesn't have remote control). There are no passive control units that I would recommend (auto transformer or otherwise) and they really have no place in a high-end (and definitely not a wide-bandwidth) system.

The match between power amp and speakers is possibly the most critical junction in any system, and using the Quadrature Zs does nothing to diminish that. Indeed, despite their healthy output power and the fact that it actually increases slightly into a decreasing load (unlike most OTLs, where their power halves with the load impedance), they are definitely not powerhouses and need to be matched with care and respect for their abilities. Ironically, electrostats are one instance where OTLs really thrive -- precisely because the amplifier, with no output transformer, is paired with a speaker that uses an input transformer. The pairing of Quadrature Z with the MartinLogan CLX was spectacularly successful, and I’ve had good results from the hybrid designs too.

Finally, I have no experience with the AMR PH-77, so I cannot comment on that. However, anybody with a large record collection that contains early pressings should certainly take the issue of replay EQ extremely seriously. Using the correct EQ, as opposed to the default RIAA standard, on appropriate records has a profound musical impact, opening up often unsuspected musical riches. In this instance, switchable EQ will often trump superior basic performance -- simply because it transforms a disc from not worth playing into a musically valid experience. As long as the gulf in performance is manageable, then switchable EQ could easily tip that balance. -Roy Gregory

Daughter's system

September 10, 2018

Marc,

I'm going to upgrade my daughter's system. I have good speaker stands and a pair of Paradigm (Studio 20s, I think) bookshelf speakers, which cost about $500 in their day. And I'll give her my nice, if old, champagne-gold Marantz Reference DV-18 CD/DVD player.

I need to replace the Marantz surround receiver that she has now. It runs hot and is very inefficient. I want a stereo integrated amp or receiver. Can I find something good but used and cheap, along the lines of the Pioneer DV-79AVi you recommended to me, but in a stereo amp?

Jeff Levine

Instead of an integrated, I would find a decent stereo preamp -- an NAD or AR Remote Control (which is actually a remote-control stereo line-stage preamp) -- and a Sonance Sonamp 260. Sonance has made mostly multi-room and home-theater products, but I've used the stereo Sonamp 260 with many higher-end speakers, and it always performs well. It's 60Wpc and able to handle relatively tough loads. It has adjustable output and a neat auto-on/off circuit. Best of all, the Sonamp 260 is reasonably plentiful used and you can generally find it for around $50. The AR Remote Control will be harder to find but does show up on eBay. It should cost around $100.

Beyond this combination, you can also look for a used Adcom preamp and amp that fit the overall system budget. There are also many older Japanese integrateds for sale used, but you have to keep in mind their age and any repairs that might be necessary. -Marc Mickelson

Joining

September 1, 2018

Marc,

I'd like to join your reader e-mail list.

Jack Rausch

You're on the list. To join TAB's reader list and find out about new articles first, send e-mail to rl@theaudiobeat.com. -Marc Mickelson

 

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