Please grade my proposed system

[Rich]

It sounds like one of those issues that lacks a clear "right" answer.

Actually, that's not true. There are lots of clear "right" answers to that issue. And the one that's right for you is the rightest one of all.

In all seriousness, though . . . Just make sure you get an amp from a reputable manufacturer that has beefy power supplies and is stable into low impedence loads and you should be fine. Studying the amps people on this forum are using is a good place to start. You will start seeing certain names recurring and that will give you an idea of what works well with Martin Logans. Ultimately, the number of watts of output is not as important as the build quality and ability to remain stable with difficult impedence loads.

 

[Spike]

2. Amp: Dussun V8i (it's an integrated, but I'll just be using the amp section).

Bahamaman,
I wonder if you've seen this 6moons's review of Dussun V8i where Wayne Zufall found that the pre-amp section is quite neutral, but the amp section is somewhat "bright" in the treble. According to this review, Wayne could not tame the brightness even with a reputable tube preamp! Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the Dussun is bad. Please note that he was able to "diminish" the brightness by swapping to different speakers! This is just a flag indicating that you'll need to be careful here when matching amplifiers with the ML Vantage for the ML speakers are ruthless in revealing ANY weakness in the upstream components, source included. You should really audition the Dussun & ML Vantage combination preferrably over an extended period to let your ears be the judges.

Good Luck
Spike

 

[ralflar]

Which Class D design or brand did the seller recommend against? ICEpower, Hypex UcD, Nuforce?

You know, they are all different. The seller was probably generalizing. For instance, the frequency response of ICEpower amps depends in the speaker impedance. Therefore this kind of amp tends to have rolled off heights at the low impedances which MLs exhibit in the upper frequency range. Yet reviewers tended to praise that as "tubey". Whether that roll off is even audible to 40+ year old ears is debatable. Other voices can be heard which call MLs "bright". Ergo such amps should be synergistic. Conversely, from that perspective of ML brightness, one should stay away from ML mated to Krells, a combination which quite a few members here own and love.

What it comes down to is, do not believe a single opinion. The seller uttered no more or no less than his opinion as an individual. Opinions are cheap; everybody has plenty of them. I would not base a decision on what one voice of unknown credentials says. Also, avoid "prophets".

Finally, the amps in our Vantages and Summits are Class D. Not that it matters.

I was seriously considering going with a Class D amp (Channel Islands, Spectron, PS Audio, Edge, NuForce, etc.), and had actually made an offer on one that was recently on Audiogon. After I told him I was going to use it to power my MLs, the seller actually wrote me back and strongly suggested I *not* buy his amp! He was a longtime ML owner and he suggested going more with Krell/Classe/Pass Labs, etc.

For those of you who own Class D amps, I'm not trying start a flame war, but you can imagine the impression it creates when a seller tells you you shouldn't buy his gear!

 

[bahamaman]

Update - Largely on the basis of the excellent advice obtained here, I decided against the Dussun.

What I will be getting is a gently used Pass Labs X-150, mated to the aforementioned Cary SLP-98P preamp!

Thanks again for all your help!!

 

[IWalker]

Good choice!

 

[DTB300]

And the biggest stat I saw---90A PER CHANNEL. Are you kidding me? That is the highest I have EVER SEEN.

Yes, an impressive spec.....but.....how did they arrive at that?? Shorted outputs with measurement for how many millionths of a second? Or was it over a short-term duration with continuous output?

The really good amps will put out high continuous amperage over a period of time, and not just for that split second before the outputs fry or the protection circuitry kicks in.

Dan