Help me decide what new Integrated amplifier to buy!

[Esra]

Vladimir I did demo the Kandy2 chain with Roksan Darius Speakers (89db) at the dealer,sound is very sweet and nice and looks certainly special.If you can go floorstander demo Dali Epicon6.

Todays lineup

 

[Vladimir]

Nice crib Esra. That Peachtree is so gorgeous to my eyes, I like it even better with rosewood finish. Delicious.

Have you auditioned the Kandy K2 or the K2 BT as well? There is also a MkII of the K2BT that came out after the magazine reviews of the MkI.

 

[Esra]

Thank you Vladimir,no I didn´t demo K2 BT. If interested in BT I would go rather with that

http://www.advance-acoustic.com/en/produits/index/detail/id/92/sec/6

it´s cheaper than upgrade K2 to K2 BT and more flexible (you can take it with you to friends) and sounds good.

 

[Vladimir]

Aha but the trick is the K2 and K2 BT are not the same amp. Roksan sells both in parallel and the non-BT cannot be upgraded to BT because it is a bit different in the amplifier topology, parts and line inputs.

http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/K2BTAmplifier-p1270

http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/K2Amp-p552

 

[Esra]

I know Vladimir,they are not the same.But I guess sonics are similar although whf would prefer K2 without BT as I understood.Can´t say as I didn´t demo K2 BT ever.

 

[Vladimir]

I had an oportunity in the hi-fi showroom to choose between both K2 and K2BT and the later one had better control over the speakers and more grunt to my ears. Otherwise the sonic character felt the same.

How does the Peach compare to the Kandy in their flavor?

 

[Esra]

I think the flavour is mostly similar without tube turned on in the peachtree,with tube the peachtree gets a little darker and more rounded (good for low bandwith internetstreams).K2 presentation is more forward (agressive) in the bass (overwhelming with my speakers and room) and more exciting in general, both on the warm side,K2 pronounce treble a little more but without getting bright,peachtree has better resolution.

After a lot of demo...

I Speak for my speakers (RX6) and my room

On it´s own I am most impressed by the peachtree (that´s why I bought it and give away my Audiolab 8200A),which seems to be a fantastic allround amp (it works with the Focal Aria also very good),followed by Roksan K2 which could have worked better maybe in a bigger room (bass too much) with similar sonic flavour as the peachtree and then Creek Evo 50 which is also a fine amp but it is for my ears too bright and it has not the fine resolution/refinement as the other two ones which provide better live feeling and the Evo 50 has less bass with good resolution which I liked most of all.It is a lot more involving with the peachtree acting as Pre in front of the Evo 50 providing better bass and better resolution but less live feeling in comparison when the peachtree is on it´s own and nearly on par with the K2.

All three amps are great and worth to demo imo.

 

[empacher]

I'd be tempted to try the Sphinx. Apparently quite impressive for the money. Better yet is the Cronus magnum but it is a full tube amp

 

[james_LR90]

Not sure if you are aware of the company but also take a look at NVA.

 

[iQ Speakers]

reply from Abrahamsen below.

Hi Colin,

Sorry for the late reply.

It has been really chaos her for the last weeks with the campaign and moving into new offices at the same time.

Anyway,

Shipping to the UK is no problem.

The products are manufactured and shipped from Sweden so it`s already inside the EU.

Shipping cost inside EU is as follows:

V1.0 380 NOK (aprox. 47 EUR)

V2.0 510 NOK (aprox. 62 EUR)

V3.0 290 NOK (aprox. 35 EUR)

V4.0 510 NOK (aprox. 62 EUR)

In 2004 Electrocompaniet was bought and moved to the south west of Norway.

None of the people in the developing department would move with them, so they are all with Abrahamsen Audio now. (include the founder of EC, Per Abrahamsen) So, yes it sounds very much like EC.(new brand, same philosophy) The never EC products sound much lighter and thinner than the older ones.

The V2.0 is 2x70 Watt`s, same as the ECI-3 but it has almost 3 times bigger power supply.

Sound wise it is more of an competitor to the ECI-5 to a fraction of the price

The V-series products have been in sales in Scandinavia, and the reviews have been done here.

The V2.0 has awards for product of the year in Scandinavia's most High-End magazine, Fidelity.

The products In the V-series comes in two versions, standard and upgraded versions.

So far it is only the standard version that is available in our store.

We will be adding the upgraded versions within a couple of weeks.

Could you send me a link for the thread on What HiFi ?

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Best Regards

Thomas Abrahamsen

ECS Holding AS

www.ecsholding.com

www.abrahamsenaudio.com

 

[Esra]

Thank you very much for sharing .

It sounds all good and I would like to try Abrahamsen.After doing some research on their side I am sure you will get good hardware for a more than reasonable price.Two things hold me back to pull the trigger.

1)Upgraded version?Can we get more info about that?

2)Return policy is not customer friendly.You are not allowed to power up the devices in order to decide you weather like them with your speakers or not.That doesn´t make sence.You have 14 days to do return,which is ok.That´s at least what I understood in their return policy.

Not sure... maybe we will get more info.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Thomas asked for the link to the thread, so hopfully he will drop by and can answer your questions.

I must admit im very tempted.

 

[Electro]

Go on you know it makes sense

Hopefully he will joint the forum , it would be good to have easy contact so that people can ask questions and learn about the Abrahamsen products design and philosophy .

 

[Vladimir]

I think you are all mad. If I had the extra cash I would buy the V20 NOW!

 

[Happy_Listner]

I am really intrigued by Abrahamsen Audio. The V2.0 integrated amp looks amazing for the price they are selling it for. I saw a picture of the inside of the amp and the quality is almost on par with the Electro amps but selling for 1/3 the price right now. I also saw a picture of the back of one of them and they are not made in China either. The sticker said made in the E.U.. Perhaps designed in Norway and made in Eastern Europe to keep costs down? I would assume if it's made in Norway it would just say Norway.

The V2.0 is only 70 watts like the older Electro ECI3. Similar in design I think too. It weighs in at 16kg! Not that weight is everything but that's two more kilograms than the twice as powerful Roksan BT. The V2.0 is selling right now at NOK 5400, USD 906, and GBP 539. That's crazy cheap. I would attach a picture I have of the inside of the amp to show you the quality but I'm not sure how to here.

Anyways, I emailed them almost a week ago now and have not received a reply back. Perhaps they don't ship to the USA? I am very serious about possibly buying without hearing one first because the price is right, the quality is there, and I trust the designer.

 

[Electro]

I am really intrigued by Abrahamsen Audio. The V2.0 integrated amp looks amazing for the price they are selling it for. I saw a picture of the inside of the amp and the quality is almost on par with the Electro amps but selling for 1/3 the price right now. I also saw a picture of the back of one of them and they are not made in China either. The sticker said made in the E.U.. Perhaps designed in Norway and made in Eastern Europe to keep costs down? I would assume if it's made in Norway it would just say Norway.

The V2.0 is only 70 watts like the older Electro ECI3. Similar in design I think too. It weighs in at 16kg! Not that weight is everything but that's two more kilograms than the twice as powerful Roksan BT. The V2.0 is selling right now at NOK 5400, USD 906, and GBP 539. That's crazy cheap. I would attach a picture I have of the inside of the amp to show you the quality but I'm not sure how to here.

Anyways, I emailed them almost a week ago now and have not received a reply back. Perhaps they don't ship to the USA? I am very serious about possibly buying without hearing one first because the price is right, the quality is there, and I trust the designer.

Thomas Abrahamsen in a previous post said they are made in Sweden .

reply from Abrahamsen below.

Hi Colin,

Sorry for the late reply.

It has been really chaos her for the last weeks with the campaign and moving into new offices at the same time.

Anyway,

Shipping to the UK is no problem.

The products are manufactured and shipped from Sweden so it`s already inside the EU.

Shipping cost inside EU is as follows:

V1.0 380 NOK (aprox. 47 EUR)

V2.0 510 NOK (aprox. 62 EUR)

V3.0 290 NOK (aprox. 35 EUR)

V4.0 510 NOK (aprox. 62 EUR)

In 2004 Electrocompaniet was bought and moved to the south west of Norway.

None of the people in the developing department would move with them, so they are all with Abrahamsen Audio now. (include the founder of EC, Per Abrahamsen) So, yes it sounds very much like EC.(new brand, same philosophy) The never EC products sound much lighter and thinner than the older ones.

The V2.0 is 2x70 Watt`s, same as the ECI-3 but it has almost 3 times bigger power supply.

Sound wise it is more of an competitor to the ECI-5 to a fraction of the price

The V-series products have been in sales in Scandinavia, and the reviews have been done here.

The V2.0 has awards for product of the year in Scandinavia's most High-End magazine, Fidelity.

The products In the V-series comes in two versions, standard and upgraded versions.

So far it is only the standard version that is available in our store.

We will be adding the upgraded versions within a couple of weeks.

Could you send me a link for the thread on What HiFi ?

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Best Regards

Thomas Abrahamsen

ECS Holding AS

www.ecsholding.com

www.abrahamsenaudio.com

 

[Vladimir]

It has a 1000VA transformer and 50,000uF for a 70W rating FFS!

 

[Electro]

It has a 1000VA transformer and 50,000uF for a 70W rating FFS!

You can lead a horse to water but .............

 

[iQ Speakers]

OK so I’ve tracked down the publication in Norway Fidelity 2008 Jan edition all downloadable but PDF and in Norwegian, my translation skills are a bit limited, but I can tell you they have some beautiful products and forsterker is Norwegian for amplifier!!

If any body is interested here is a rough translation!

Utklassing! This modest-sized the amplifier from Abrahamsen is

adventurous good with surprising

large sound stage, wide and deep, and with the

pin-point holographic focus. It's like

If you look through the lens of a camera

and turning around the last millimeter

on the lens so that the picture goes from easy

Misty to a crisp focus all over the fjæla.

The amazing thing is not that this amplifier

sounds better than Xindak, but that

the distance to the combination DP/Nemo

from with the reference forsterkeriet is scary

small at moderate volume levels. I

am very surprised that it should be

such a big kvalitetesforskjell between two of

the best purchases on the market, but

Here there is no doubt about it at all

I was the one who was going to go a few dollars over

your budget:

I had eaten oatmeal for weeks for the

advice to the black box to the old

Abe!

Knut Vadseth:

Nor does yours truly had heard

This integrated amplifier Abrahamsen

before this group test. Despite

a long familiarity with both the constructor

and his products, I was

pleasantly surprised by the sound quality

from this box with acrylic front

and gold buttons that have more than one

random like the older EC-constructions.

Also, the sound quality is a

modern 2008-version of the EC-the sound

with its holographic depth, rich

bass and basic tonal range. As well as the

very clean, but at the same time easily

laid-back treble with particularly

krispe details without hardness and gnell in

presensområdet.

It will be exciting to see if the rest

of the world will be just as pleasantly shocked

like us in Fidelity, but I have no

problems with adding the head on

block to say that this is relatively speaking it

best product from Per Abrahamsen

page 25 watteren! Just as astounding

is it that the forforsterkerdelen is enough

good, and that given the 70 watts, in fact, is

enough to power most speakers in the

such a large living room as our testing room.

This is hardly any sensation, the expectations

were very high, but it

is gratifying that we here at home now

get a modern version of The Two

Channel with built-in pre to the

up adjusted 1980-the price of a NAD

3020! It is perhaps a small sensation,

After all?

Anders Rosness:

Fun to get confirmed previous impressions

at home with me with what we now hear

in the reference plant. This is the best

integrated amplifier I've ever heard

in the vicinity of the recommended price.

And with significant sonically margin

rather than less expensive products. Even

with the seemingly much more powers from the

Xindak, experienced Abrahamsen strange

probably just as great sonically, and with a

far more virilt sound that at the same time

both can be calm and relaxed. But

never boring! The smile is in place for the

I mean is one of the most important Hi-Fi products

from the recent years A high-end

3020 for 2008!

Abrahamsen v 2.0

integrated amplifier

This amplifier extends the budget

to over the limit of $ 20,000 in total,

but after several ekstrarunder we need to just

recognize that it is a crystal clear choice to

This plant. The like of vitality and

gaming is not heard from the integrated

amplifiers for under $ 10,000 so far.

There's Chinese rivals from Xindak

and the Cayin as can save you some

a thousand patches, but as of yet have to bite

in the grass when it comes to sound reproduction.

Abrahamsen v 2.0 will be heated well up

before use, but honorerer the patient

with a natural and juicy rendering

you're never going to get tired. Here it is

the disc's content that is presented, and the

with genuine enthusiasm and lots of details.

The amplifier seems stable and mechanical

solid and have a browse of possibilities for the use of

balanced CD player and hook-up

with the multi-channel scheme. A superior

piece of work from a master of the hi-fi the subject!

 

[nima]

Seriously I don't understand why you would keep up/downgrading your amps while clearly you have issues with your digital sources?

 

[Happy_Listner]

I just sold my Cambridge Audio 840c CD player. Actually shipped it out to the buyer today. So now I am looking for a new CD player as well. I am using my old Marantz CD63SE in the meantime and I am enjoying it!.

It was made in October of 1995 so it's older digital technology. I thought I was in for a big disappointment in sound quality as I have not heard it in years but I was actually shocked at just how good it sounds. Not all, but in many ways I prefer the sound of the Marantz to the CA 840c I had. Crazy huh?

 

[drummerman]

I just sold my Cambridge Audio 840c CD player. Actually shipped it out to the buyer today. So now I am looking for a new CD player as well. I am using my old Marantz CD63SE in the meantime and I am enjoying it!.

It was made in October of 1995 so it's older digital technology. I thought I was in for a big disappointment in sound quality as I have not heard it in years but I was actually shocked at just how good it sounds. Not all, but in many ways I prefer the sound of the Marantz to the CA 840c I had. Crazy huh?

Not really though the 63 did suffer from high jitter which may explain the more 'etheral' less hifi sound.. If it makes you feel better I prefer the sound of the DAD3 to the CD8X (cyrus).

The Marantz can be 'upgraded' by addition of a DAC ... perhaps a way to consider but if you like the 63 as is I can't really see the point.

regards

 

[nima]

I've found Marantz CD63SE pretty much awful and I never understood the hype.

Hi-Fi Choice was probably the only HF mag in the world that never gave it any rave review or award and this was one of the reasons HFC was the best HF mag in my book. CD63SE is punchy and everything but it is way too sharp and unforgiving. Much more expansive CD17 was much better in this respect, but it was way too slow.

I prefered even budget Sony players of the era to the CD63SE, they may have lacked some bass and details, but were much more listenable. For me best almost budget CD players of the 1990s were Arcam Alpha 7 or the very first Rega CD player - Planet (1997). But things have moved much forward in the last 15-20 years so I believe you would be very pleased with a recent player or DAC, e.g. from Rega or Arcam. Probably even GBP200 Musical Fidelity V90 DAC is worth a listen too.

This can save you very much money you would spend for probably unnecessary amp up-/downgrades.

 

[Esra]

Having auditioned few amps max.1000GBP at home I ended ordering a " new " demo Peachtree,my 2.nd,the former Nova with 2x80W and HT bypass,because I wanted to integrate to the HT.I would have gone to the Nova 125 or even the 220SE if I did not need the HT bypass.Unfortunately only the former Nova has this bypass in.If it should lack power in HT i can hook up monos to pre out.It´s pretty,has an excellent Dac with USB,easy usuability and I guess it sounds fantastic (as my decco2 already do) at this price and above.Hope it arrives soon, :bounce: Highly recommend to demo Nova 125 (1400US) or bigger ones and not to pass by.It has also a very good Dac which could do the trick to the OP.

 

[obiwan kenobi]

Which amp is finaly choosen?