Anyone using Michi M8’s with their ML Electrostats?

[christopherf]

Thank you very much. For some reason I assumed all replies would come to my email as notifications; some are & some are not. I am in Wisconsin; Michi dealers are almost non existent. Buying an audio product without an audition is crazy. Yes some online stores offer in-home trials for 30 days but that is IMHO clunky. Where did you go for your Michi?

 

[christopherf]

@christopherf the X-5 is a big thumbs up. I have a pair of 15a so the 13a should be great.

I forgot to ask you what does the rest of your system consist of? We have 1,500 LP’s and are not into streaming at all; how is the phono stage? I sent this below to the marketing manager but as yet have not heard back

Since the phono section in the P5 is the same as in the X5 reading this from Part Time Audiophile was not what we wanted to see, which is why I am asking if any attention/improvements have been made in the Series 2 version of the X5:

“The phono stage on the P5 was fine. It was slightly better than my inexpensive reference phono preamp, the Schiit Audio Mani, but for hard core vinyl lovers you will probably want something a bit better. If you just want to spin some LPs and follow the vintage band wagon the Rotel Michi is probably not your jam.
In my opinion, the Michi P5 is really setup for digital…”
Thank you in advance for your help.

So why are we looking at the X-5 Version 2? We are seeking more oomph for our Martin Logan 13A ESL which we love, and although there are a total of 4 powered 10” woofers each cabinet having its own amplifier, the reviews I read of the previous X-5 said it excelled in extracting more:

Of the integrated amplifiers I have recently reviewed, the Technics SU-R1000 is much like the Rotel Michi X5 ($6999) in terms of functionality. The Technics amp does cost quite a bit more, but both are top-notch integrated amps that accept digital signals and have built-in phono stages. However, the sound of the Michi was brawnier with more low-end grunt and a slight warmth. As mentioned, the Technics had no issue driving the ML ESL 9 loudspeakers to very high levels, but the Michi was still able to coax slightly more of the lower frequencies out of the ML’s dual 8″ woofers.