"But will they be music to my ears?"
December
21, 2021
Roy,
I've
read through a number of your reviews. Of particular interest to me were your Stenheim Alumine 5 review and any of those on CH Precision.
My
question stems more from budgetary concerns than anything to do with audio -- a fact of
life, I'm afraid.
I've
listened to and own some CH Precision products and have listened to various Stenheim
speakers. Based upon your experience, which is far greater than mine, would a pair of CH
Precision A1.5 amps (passive, vertical biamped) have enough power or "oomph" to
get everything out of the Alumine 5 speakers? I've listened to M1.1's and there's no
problem there whatsoever, other than the budgetary one mentioned at the outset.
So,
in short, the M1.1's at $100,000 per pair are killing my budget, whereas a pair of A1.5's
at just under $80,000 per pair are music to my budget. But will they be music to my ears?
Peter
Clarkson
You ask a particularly interesting question.
The
short answer to your question is, yes, the A1.5s will do a great job on the Alumine 5s.
The more involved, reasoned response goes something like this.
In many important respects the M1.1 and A1.5 are essentially identical (input
stage, operation, output topology, overall circuit design) differing mainly in terms of
the number of output devices, the size of the transformer and the power supply it
supports. Within their respective operating envelopes the two amplifiers should be almost
indistinguishable. Of course, in reality things are never quite that simple…
Sonically,
the two units have much in common, majoring on natural clarity and tonality, an
uncluttered sense of pace and timing, space and instrumental shape, treading a seemingly
impossible sonic line that is neither tube nor solid-state but manages to combine the best
of both. Where the two amps diverge is in two significant areas: the M1.1 offers more
headroom (hardly surprising) and a more planted, authoritative bottom-end (resulting in
even more explicit dynamics, more positive timing and a more developed soundstage with
full-range speakers). Yes, the extra $20,000 is far from wasted. But -- and it’s a
big "but' -- the performance gap will depend on the choice of speaker and, in this
case, the Alumine 5 gives the A1.5 every chance to impress.
The
Stenheim speaker is an efficient and dynamically ebullient design. It is musically
generous and dynamically enthusiastic - and it loves to be bi-amped. In fact, the biamping
option is so effective that it overcomes the dynamic limitations of far less capable amps
than the A1.5. I have achieved really great results from the smaller Simaudio Moon, Nagra
and VTL amps -- but only when biamped. That answers a couple of questions, but
especially it puts to bed the 1xM1.1 vs 2x A1.5 debate, at least in this instance.
More important is the nature of the Stenheim itself. Despite the thin-wall
cabinet (and corresponding increase in internal volume) it cannot escape the physical
trade-off between bandwidth and efficiency. It succeeds not by having the deepest bass but
by having bass that’s fast, responsive and projects energy. This also acts to
minimize the M1.1’s advantage at the bottom end. In many ways, the Alumine 5
doesn’t run deep enough to really take advantage of what the M1.1 can do. Yes,
compare the two amps and you’ll hear a difference in terms of scale and dimensional
development, but that difference is going to be far narrower with the Alumine 5 than with
a speaker like the Wilson Sasha DAW, while at the same time the Stenheim’s
sensitivity and quick, responsive midrange will make the most of the quicker, more agile
mid-band of the smaller amp.
Conclusion.
Except in the largest spaces or with the most demanding material, the pair of A1.5s will
compare very effectively with M1.1s when driving Alumine 5s. The bigger amp will always
reach slightly deeper and offer a more physically planted, rhythmically and dynamically
explicit presentation, but the A1.5 can counter with the immediacy, separation, clarity
and transparency of its broad mid-band. If cost is no object, then ultimately the M1.1
will win out, but if M1.1s are a financial stretch, they will have trouble justifying
their inclusion. CH electronics are definitely the best available pairing for the Stenheim
speakers (as well as many others). In the case of the Alumine 5 and in ultimate terms, the
combination with the M1.1 might be better, but the A1.5 gets awfully close for a lot less
money and is definitely the next best option.
Move
up a size in speaker to the new Ultime 2 and the M1.1 stretches away, but the A1.5/Alumine
5 pairing is without doubt the sweet spot for value (and musical returns) across the
entire set of pairings. -Roy Gregory
Reader
list
December
1, 2021
Marc,
Please
add me to The Audio Beat's reader e-mail list.
Jeff
Smith
You've
been added. To join TAB's reader e-mail list and find out about new articles
first, send e-mail to rl@theaudiobeat.com.
-Marc Mickelson
