What's a good amplifier match with Wilson Benesch? Without arguing

What's a good amplifier match with Wilson Benesch?

Do you guys know of synergetic amplifier matches with Wilson Benesch speakers in general and Wilson Benesch Arc speakers in particular?

For WB owners: what do you use with your speakers and are you satisfied with the match?

Thanks!

 

I think Music Matters at the Heathrow show had 'Lamb' amps with their Arcs. They sounded very nice though a little nasal. I think a warm amp with good bass control would go well with them. Belcanto maybe?

 

wow, that was my initial thought....not because I've heard that combo, but because I recall someone talking about them (on here) and that it looks fab!

 

have a listen to audionet amps 'wobbly bench' distribute them and always demo at shows with them usually sounding pretty good. i've heard arcs with lamm (very expensive) and with some renaisance audio solid state amps which were also very good but not as expensive as the audionet or lamm options iirc.
cheers

julian.

 

imho BC & Wilsons not a good match

 

WAD were using them with their kit amps and NA TT at the Bristol show

 

Hi Garmt,

I've had a pair of WB Arcs for about 18 months now; they're driven by a BOW Walrus that I picked-up half-price from Audio Salon. I won't be changing anytime in the future.

Can't comment on whether the combination would be to other people's tastes but it works for me.

 

What DO you think is a good match wadia-miester?

 

Having owned Act 1's for a wee while, I would suggest decent Valve power maybe AR, big Bat's possibly Belles 250 mono's or a pass labs X-250/350 something to counter-balance their natural character.
My brother had the Bishops for a while owwwwwwww nuff said. Wm

 

I seem to remember an article about Audionet gear going well with the ARC's. In fact it was Audionet who found them the best speakers for showing off what their electronics could do.
Worth a punt hearing them i have heard the Audionet ART CDP and AMP a couple of years back and they are quite dark broody sounding in nature and the ARC's are quite dry so prob a fair partnership.

HTH's

Curtis

 

Why would you try to counter-balance a 'natural' character? Wouldn't it be logical to match with a just as natural amplifier?

Most big class A amps I find too dark and slow sounding, including Pass Labs and push-pull tube amps.

And what do you mean exactly with: "My brother had the Bishops for a while owwwwwwww nuff said"?

 

Thanks julian and curt for the Audionet suggestion! I also have heard similar comments. LAMM is also a nice suggestion, but a big expensive for me...

 

What are these abbreviations??

 

Garmt,
Personally I've never found them (Act's) engauging or entertaining (The arc's are different though), a little cold and hard edged, ( the front end has a major say here), neutral? humm not totally (carbon fibre drivers maybe?).
What I meant was, & It didn't come across after re-reading it sorry (Their Natural character, their sound isn't how I would describe Natural, I meant their inheirent sound)
IF you want neutrally compare them to the merlins, thats an ear opener.
You found a Pass X 350 Dark & slow?, I'm surprised at that, can I enquire as to what system it was in at the time?
Also the bigger A/R mono blocks are A-Typical valve sound.
I used my Belcanto Evo 4 with the Acts, the B/c being as close to transparent as it gets. Drove them effortlessly, but didn't gel.
Tried with Wadia 861/Audio Aero Cap MK II, Buremester 001, MSB Platinum Dac, Teac D70/P70 combo also with Spectral Dc30/Bat VK50se/Hovland HP 100?/Mcormack Pre plus a grounded grid valve pre kit (tweaked) good too
I've found the WB stuff difficult to partner, find the right combo and it gels very well.
Lamm I find totally over rated as I do with Halcrow gear.
The Bishops, I've had privilidge of listening to twice once with those big Chord monoblox I think? (Warning not a chord fan either, owned spm 1200c/e's), pure pants (thats my own personal view and I'm sure will not be shared by others)

 

Thanks for your reply!

No, they have PP fibre drivers. Maybe at the time they were carbon fibre? Did you listen to the ACT1, ACT2 or new ACT? Why are the Arc's different?

That's o.k. I know what you mean now...

Will investigate!

Sure! Mark Levinson No.390S source into X.250 (NOT 350) into Tannoy TD12. A Lavardin IT had a MUCH quicker sound with more life to it. The Pass sounded like 'hifi' compared to the Lavardin.

Yep, not to my liking I must add...

O.k.

Which of these gelled the best?

Couldn't tell, as I have only heard these brands in systems that I didn't know well.

Hahaha! O.k. then... I have Chord SPM 1200E myself for my home theater (along with SPM 1900). Good amps for neutral, clean, fast power.

 

Garmt, I owned the Acts for approx 4 months, the were the MKI's and at the time 18 months old, so maybe 4/5 years old now.
The were clean, reasonably open, detail was good on certain programmes, though I found them thin sounding (even with an 861), texture & presence weren't (imho) in the right league for the outlay. Construction on the whole was very good, easy on the eye, however they just didn't deliver the goods.
Pairing them with Chord amp (imho) isn't the way to go, I found the 1200 E exentuated the traits above. (Personal experiance)
Many combinations of cables (from Cardas to Z-Squared and)
speaker postions were tried.
I have a client with the New Acts and some pretty fair equipment in his system, which I've heard recently.
Rather handsome speakers, though I will not be changing my own personal units.
The arc's seem to work better with a lot of lot more equipment, I even used them on Bedroom system for a while, a great little stand mount (imho)

I can see why you came to that conclusion
I'm a music guy not hifi, the Levvy's is about as polished as it gets (for stock), and has great music removing abilities, though its presentational skills are second to none.
The TD12's are a pretty straight up and down speaker.
Was the levvy running direct?, they don't really do that well, they do prefer pre's (again imho).
The X-350 I owned a few years back, they only reason I parted with it, was purely the heat & the space it took up, not as quick as the B/c it was most certainly dynamic and playful
This may purely be a system synergy issue and unless your've heard one in your system for a period of time, please don;t dismiss.

Well this is purely personal taste here .
My musical goals are tight, totally coherent, dynamic and flowing sound, with rich textures. I'm not an air and space man, or wish to hear the piccolo in the top right hand corner 2 miles away, while the triangle is tinging in the top right dimetrical opposite.
Timing is very important to me, I wish here syncronicty of the bass in complete alighnment with the rest of the band. Something which no hifi system can do (or at least I've yet to hear that does).
The Audio Areo Cap II, Hovland and Belles 250 (I think) made sweet sounds.
For me personally the best combo was 861 direct evo 4 modded-> Acts.
I play in a band, and I try and create that 'on stage feeling' which is not to everyones tastes, hence why I'm rather narrow minded with sounds. Though I can & do appreicate different equipments skills and quality.

Chord amps, as you say. Swopping to the B/C quite a revolation, especially in the bass control dept and natural mid range, with sweeter more open top end & thats before you get to disect them.

Garmt I hope that clarifies a few things for you

 

Certainly helpful, thanks a lot for your time!

The ML was indeed playing right into the amp, like it once did into my CHord SPM1200E. In both occasions, it resulted in a 'dead', 'slow' sound, so you might well be right there! In fact, I think you are right with most other comments as well...

This sounds incredilbly like the sound of my Lavardin IT. Have you ever heard it?

And you do seem to like the Bel Canto, right? Is it your current amplifier?

Thanks again for your insightful comments!

 

I would take WM's comments with a pinch.

 

I take anyone's comments with a pinch, even yours...

 

Garmt,

I've owned Both Lavvy's, very nice sounds, I wouldn't say they were like the B/C's in every respect though.
The sound is sweeter with the Lavvy's and slower too, bass is a touch fuller, but not as extended or anyway near the control offered by the B/c's.
Paired correctly the Lavvy's offer some beautiful music making capabilities which very few can achieve at its price and quite a lot above too.
Slight digrestion, the Gamats are nice lumps, open air & dynamic, owned a D200 MKII for a while, worth an earwig for sure
Garmt, I have one of 2 amps about the place, MY main listening partners are Custom built Tripath units inside Evo 2 cases (A serious upgrade over the B/c's).
A new design I've been working on of switching amp, sounding currently rather pleasing a smaller power unit.
A Perruex 350w power amp in tastful ferrari red
Belles 350 Ref & custom 50 watt valve unit. Wm