Berkel

Yes, I've thought about it. I quite like the B&Ws, but I'm not " married " to them.

Yes, Andy is correct. His monoblocs made the speakers and the music come " alive ". Not that the Class D has any major flaws. I don't know enough to work out why I'm not quite getting the full audio and musical satisfaction. Is it BECAUSE the power amp is Class D or there is a lack of synergy between the amp and my speakers ? Dennis

Thanks Andy. I'll look into the Harbeths .... dependent on price ! Dennis

Thanks Andy, that's a very generous offer, which I would gratefully accept. I'm in Briar Hill, and being retired am around most of the time. Just let me know when it's convenient for you. Cheers, Dennis

Thank you. I love the " natural " sound of tube amps, and I've had a few in the past. However, I went off them because of the size and weight of the power amps. That's why I thought Mark's combination would be satisfactory. Regards, Dennis

" Driving issue " ..... very droll. I think you're right about the speakers. The amps are : " Retrothermionics " made by Mark Houston here in Melb. You may know him ? He's an audio " guru " and electronics engineer of 40 years experience. I mentioned in one of my posts that I thought my older NAD amp had more " dynamics " at lower levels, but the Retrothermionics are more refined. The pre amp is valve. What do you mean by " change the flavour " of the amp ? Cheers, Dennis

You've hit the proverbial nail right on the head. The B&Ws sound pretty damn good at higher volume levels. However I prefer to listen at a moderate level .... 9 - 10. I guess I'm looking for speakers that can work well at this level while still sounding " dynamic " ..... a bit like the dreaded " loudness " switch, without its drawbacks. At this stage I'm unsure whether I should be looking at different speakers or change amplifiers ? Cheers, Dennis

Thanks for the suggestions, with which I agree. I've contacted the gentleman who has the Concept 20s for sale and am considering them. Also I've had valve amps in the past, the sound of which I loved, but " went off " them because of their bulk and weight. Still, something to consider. Cheers, Dennis

Thanks for the suggestions. I've contacted the gentleman who has

Do you know anything about the HE 560 ? There's a pair for sale for $600. Thanks, Dennis

Thanks for that. I'm nearly 70, but still have good, acute hearing. I've been to Addicted to Audio before, but they don't have any CD players, consequently I couldn't listen to " my " music. The fellow there had lots of music stored on a device which looked like a mobile phone .... ? However, your suggestion of visiting and trying out headphones makes sense, so I'll follow up on it soon. Cheers, Dennis

Great ...... thanks very much. I sometimes use my Sennheiser HD 598 with a Schiit amp, which gives a reasonably good sound. The planars sound like a better alternative. Very useful information. Cheers, Dennis

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I will investigate headphone alternatives and see what's available on the used market. while at the same time keeping an open mind about speaker change. Does anyone think that I should look at alternative amplification ? Mr. Houston's amps are very good, no doubt, but I seem to recall when I had older NADs, they " appeared " to sound more " impressive "( but not as refined ) although only 50 wpc. There was certainly more bass. The Retrothermionics Class D power amp I now have is 100 wpc. Any other advice / opinions would be welcomed. Dennis

Which planar could you suggest ? I heard Stax many years ago in Encel's and was amazed.

Thanks for the article. I'll read it more thoroughly tomorrow, but I'm surprised by the inclusion of Bose 201s !