I had a whiff or two at Munich, rationalising why the Luxman rooms have sounded very good with really relatively modest speakers for the show but expensive (for Luxman but cheap for the show) amps.
It became pretty obvious the amps were a cut above.
It gave me the confidence to take a punt on the amp.
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New amps chez-Jerry.
The Vincent SV-234 is my main amp now. Very impressed so far. Power with grace and subtlety.
I've had a biggish Vincent amp on my Want List for years. It's finally here.
And, unlike Justin's new baby, I can actually lift it!
And also a re-furbed Cambridge Audio P110, a Stan Curtis design from the early days. I bought it as a bit of fun to stand-in during the period between main amps.
It sounds remarkably clean, transparent and detailed when the tape input is used - that bypasses the preamp section and really clarifies and opens things up.
But no, it doesn't have the sheer whump of Vinnie or match its tonal richness. I suspect the new components are still bedding in, I shall leave it "cooking" with a spare output from the Benchmark DAC and I shall return to it now and then.
A useful spare to have around.
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And I have a P80. It too sounds very good.
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!
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Yeah where to put my new amp is a bit of a problem given I want to keep it.
Vinnie sounds a bit gangsta...
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Turned Vinnie on this morning (wonderful to have a front mounted power switch!!), sounded cold and clinical and a bit grainy. .
Over the next 10 minutes I heard it gradually warm up and get into its stride.
I've never heard such an obvious warm-up period before.
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