PhilNYC Wrote: > Mike...what does the rest of your system look like? When I tried the > Benchmark in my reference system, which is very transparent and fast, I > found it to be very edgy and analytical; but when I tried it in a system > that was more lush, I found the Benchmark to be a far better fit... There's a good chance that my system is faster than yours. <wink> It's a Naim 52 with Super-Cap power supply, two NAP135 power amps, and Royd RR3 speakers. About six years ago, during my massive speaker hunt, I listened to every speaker that I could. The Thiels that I heard (which I think included the CS2.0) weren't anywhere near as quick as Royd's offerings. As for Krell, what can I say? Krell amps usually have lots of power, yet tend to sound pretty cold and lifeless.
But hey, that's just my opinion! <grin> In general, people in the Naim world tend to accuse everyone else's systems of being slow, while everyone else accuses the Naim of being agressive and edgy. Therefore, if the Benchmark could sound "edgy", then it should sound that way in my system. As for "analytical", it's certainly very detailed, but definitely not in a bad way. If you prefer it a bit warmer and can live without the extra detail, then a Scott Nixon DAC has a nicely balanced persona. Ultimately, you'll never know for sure until you try it in your own system. Everyone has different expectations, and system + stand + room variations will cause everyone's setup to sound different. For example, the coldness of your Krell may make the Benchmark unlistenable (to you). Do your best to try each of the options, or you'll be second-guessing yourself forever. -=> Mike Hanson <=- -- Mike Hanson _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
