Perfect match, IMnsHO.
Here's a speaker review from a user on audioreview.com, who has his fancy newforms hooked up to a Panasonic receiver ... dunno the guy but he sounds like he knows what he's listening to:
Reviewed by: John Thomson, AudioPhile
Price Paid: $2100 at Newform Research
Product Model Year:
2003
Summary:
This review is of the 645 with the new digital amp package that John Meyer has put together. This consists of a Beringer Ultra-Drive Pro 2496 professional digital crossover. Input is analogue or digital. I am using it in digital mode driven from a Musical Fidelity X-Ray player used as a CD transport only. The Ultra-Drive feeds a Panasonic XR45 Home Theatre 6 x 100watt/ channel digital amp(probably more like a real world 70 watts) which is run as a 4 channel amp, biamping the 645's. Total cost is around $1k US. This equipment replaces a tube integrated amp from a very reputable firm. I won't mention it because it is a truly wonderful sounding amp and they don't need the agro. It started out as an experiment to see what the fuss was about digital amps, an easy step to take at the price. If I didn't like it, sell it on ebay for minimal loss.
One of the big benefits would likely be the removal of the passive crossover parts as well as fine tuning phase, time alignment and gain, all in the digital domain.
So what does it sound like? Quite remarkable. A cheap Japanese amp(American TI amp chip)blowing the doors off a $4k+ tube amp. I expected the bottom to be much tighter a al Bryston or other SS amp and was not disappointed. Deep, deep and under iron control. What I did not expect was the VERY large increase in resolution. The proverbial "I'm hearing things I've never heard before". Voices especially have way more presence. And loud - Neil Young got to 107db c weighted at 10feet before my ears and the room cried uncle. The speakers and amp however seemed happy and able to keep going louder. Maybe I'll get some ear defenders and see what the limit is.
As you would expect, it lacks the 'romantic' quality that a good tube amp conveys and some CDs do sound worse with this rig than with the tubes. ButI believe this is largely due to the fact that they were bad to begin with and the tubes were glossing over the imperfections. With the digital amp and John Meyers wonderful ribbons, there is just no hiding. But if, that which is there is good, the hairs on the back of your neck will be rising and you will have goosebumps.
And all this without playing around with fancy cables, connectors, minimal breakin, etc. This is only going to get better.
And I should make a nice profit from selling the tube amp!
Strengths:
Resolution, detail, soundstage, great bass control, volume, speed.
Weaknesses:
Cheap speaker connectors on Panasonic XR45.Complicated control system on Beringer if you decide to modify the settings - proceed only after becoming familiar with the instrution manual, but very flexible once you know your way around.
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anyway,
I saw the XR25 on discountjungle.com for $145. How can you go wrong? What I would do (and probably will do) is get one, upgrade the power cord (do I hear laughter?) google the XR 25/45/50/70 and see what folks have done to tweak them (replace caps and output jacks, probably) and give it a ride with a pair of M3s and a little sub.
My experience with the utterly weird Sonic Impact T-Amp has my palps atwiddle as to digital amps.
Last edited by 2x6spds; 07/10/05 04:58 AM.
