I am so so chuffed.... It took me two years but I finally cracked the Kappa 9.2 enigma.
Let me start and say this:
If any person remotely believes that ANY AVR can compete with a dedicated power amp. Your ears are fu...ed. Fact, and I wont back down. We tries 3 AVR Amplifiers on the Kappas. Onkyo NR5008 - yeah the big daddy, the older daddy Pioneer VSX4SXi, VSX5 and a Sony I just cant remember now. If you do not know what is possible to get out of your speakers 50% of people will stop here and be happy. A well know visitor to this forum has has indeed done that. :vsad:
So we throw in a 200W into 8Ohm Rotel power amplifier, driven by the same said AVR's. Yeah ok, its better. The bass comes out but the top end screeches. Johan had his tweeters turned down to minimum. We were about to drill little holes in them to tone it down. The AVR's still sounded tinny, bright, forward, DETAILED....hear DETAILED The Rowland has a sweet warmth, almost between a Quad Valve and my Krell. It punches the bass but sweetens the extended treble. So so nice. Less detailed than the Krell, a tad yes, Than the Halcro - yes. Reminds me of those VA Genesis amps!
The Kappa 9.2's - Bloody hell they are POWER with so much finesse. Those 6 drivers for the mids and tops integrate so well! The is a lot of detail, uncomprimising (though AVR's) and a real good midrange. The bass can catch you out. With a Krell in that 8x5 room it might be too much. The Kappas fill the room with ease, every corner filled with sound. It feels the room might burst! :groovy:
So I start searching. I knew what I wanted. A dedicated stereo set and seeing that I constantly blow his budget why not again. >
Enter Jeff Rowland Model 5 - 150W into 8Ohm of properly designed 50kg huge power supply and vastly under specified power and just a touch of valve magic via a Audio Research LS-5.
Fffff me!! You dial it up and it rocks you, thos 4x12" drivers moves the air, and you dial it up more! Even Freddy Mercury on some songs with his nuts in a vice sounds bearable!! DO NOT try Yello, you will die in pleasure. The Rowland is like un unfulfilled valve banshee, cry more more more (Oooh billy Idol will sound WOW).
So to make things difficult I put the Wadia 860SE in and Johan has to bath to get rid of the goosebumps! :BWAHAHAH:
There is one AVR bigger than the Onkyo/Z9/Pioneer - The Denon AV1 - and I can warn you now.... wil sound :cr@p: compared to the Valve/SS combo.
I KNOW its a massive expense, but EVERY person I help to just ADD a descent power amp to their AVR, let alone dedicated stereo was blown away.
You want to see top of the range AVR :cr@p: off against a "lesser" powered PROPER amp, please visit.... Ill carry your AVR down and up....
Please understand, I love what AVR's can do, I just think a lot of systems are underutilized, begging for the sweet caress of valves or proper SS.
Let me start and say this:
If any person remotely believes that ANY AVR can compete with a dedicated power amp. Your ears are fu...ed. Fact, and I wont back down. We tries 3 AVR Amplifiers on the Kappas. Onkyo NR5008 - yeah the big daddy, the older daddy Pioneer VSX4SXi, VSX5 and a Sony I just cant remember now. If you do not know what is possible to get out of your speakers 50% of people will stop here and be happy. A well know visitor to this forum has has indeed done that. :vsad:
So we throw in a 200W into 8Ohm Rotel power amplifier, driven by the same said AVR's. Yeah ok, its better. The bass comes out but the top end screeches. Johan had his tweeters turned down to minimum. We were about to drill little holes in them to tone it down. The AVR's still sounded tinny, bright, forward, DETAILED....hear DETAILED The Rowland has a sweet warmth, almost between a Quad Valve and my Krell. It punches the bass but sweetens the extended treble. So so nice. Less detailed than the Krell, a tad yes, Than the Halcro - yes. Reminds me of those VA Genesis amps!
The Kappa 9.2's - Bloody hell they are POWER with so much finesse. Those 6 drivers for the mids and tops integrate so well! The is a lot of detail, uncomprimising (though AVR's) and a real good midrange. The bass can catch you out. With a Krell in that 8x5 room it might be too much. The Kappas fill the room with ease, every corner filled with sound. It feels the room might burst! :groovy:
So I start searching. I knew what I wanted. A dedicated stereo set and seeing that I constantly blow his budget why not again. >
Enter Jeff Rowland Model 5 - 150W into 8Ohm of properly designed 50kg huge power supply and vastly under specified power and just a touch of valve magic via a Audio Research LS-5.
Fffff me!! You dial it up and it rocks you, thos 4x12" drivers moves the air, and you dial it up more! Even Freddy Mercury on some songs with his nuts in a vice sounds bearable!! DO NOT try Yello, you will die in pleasure. The Rowland is like un unfulfilled valve banshee, cry more more more (Oooh billy Idol will sound WOW).
So to make things difficult I put the Wadia 860SE in and Johan has to bath to get rid of the goosebumps! :BWAHAHAH:
There is one AVR bigger than the Onkyo/Z9/Pioneer - The Denon AV1 - and I can warn you now.... wil sound :cr@p: compared to the Valve/SS combo.
I KNOW its a massive expense, but EVERY person I help to just ADD a descent power amp to their AVR, let alone dedicated stereo was blown away.
You want to see top of the range AVR :cr@p: off against a "lesser" powered PROPER amp, please visit.... Ill carry your AVR down and up....
Please understand, I love what AVR's can do, I just think a lot of systems are underutilized, begging for the sweet caress of valves or proper SS.
