Cafad Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 This Plinius 9200 has taught me a few things, and I have to say that I've enjoyed the lessons. I started out learning that having both the outputs of the Halcro cd player hooked up made a bit of a mess of my bass and then I continued to learn because after I removed the second interconnect the bass, while it had deepened did not return to 'normal'. Instead it (while remaining very smooth, strong and just plain delicious) seemed to be shifted out to the side and it lacked initial impact. Now this was pretty strange and it took a visitor to help me work through what was happening. The top end was just great, best cymbal taps, triangles and metal strings I've heard but somewhere in the lower mids (or maybe upper bass) that impact disappeared and was replaced with bass notes that just gave you the middle of the note and not the leading edge (think of a bell curve and that's the form of each bass note, there is no leading edge there is only the middle of each note). And I wasn't really impressed with the vocals, they were a bit bland. So... eventually... because I can be a bit slow when I'm trying to work things out... I changed cd players. Then everything* changed. *(OK, almost everything) With the Consonance cd120 on duty the top end wasn't as extended or as clear as it had been (but it was still damn good) but the vocals improved dramatically and while the bass still felt just a touch smoothed over on the leading edge of each note at least it now had a leading edge that you were able to notice as being smooth. (why oh why did I only bring two disc spinners with me? I could really use the Thule and the Redgum at this point but they're still up north waiting for me to pick them up) So I have some to a few conclusions. 1. The Halcro and the Plinius are both quite detailed and where they aren't (notably bass and vocals) they are very neutral so when you combine them you get a brilliant top end and great instrumentals but ho-hum-ish vocals and overly controlled bass. 2. In the mid range the Plinius is the most neutral amp I've encountered so far, that often quoted "straight wire with gain" phrase comes to mind. It will give you the amplified source material without adding any personal colouration of any kind. When I listen to the mid range I am hearing either the Consonance or the Halcro and not the Plinius. 3. The two personality aspects that the Plinius does possess are beautiful, clear and extended highs and strong, clean and smooooooooth bass. Highs that are free of any and all of those pesky aspects that sound bad and bass that, while strong and present is kept out of the way of the rest of the frequency range so it does not smear any higher frequencies that it is sharing the soundstage with at the time. And both of these seem to be good, nay, desirable traits in an amp. Now, while all the info above has me thinking very highly of Plinius and their Integrated amp range it does make this review a little difficult, since in many ways I'm actually reviewing the sonic characteristics of the cd players and not the amp. I'm going to forge ahead anyway and give scores, where possible, for both cd players, but I'll lead with this warning: Beware, if you buy a Plinius 9200 and find it has some sort of sonic trait that you dislike be sure to listen with a different source before you move it on as the odds are 50:50 that the trait that you dislike is not the fault of the amp at all and is due to the personality of the source unit. Integrated Amp #64. Plinius 9200 The hardware in use is: One Halcro EC800 disc spinner and one Consonance cd120 disc spinner (with Burson discrete opamp modules installed) feeding the Plinius 9200 via Aurealis R1 ICs. The Plinius feeds my Lenehan/ETI S2R stand mount speakers via Redgum "Expressive Line" speaker cable. And the power for everything is fed through two consonance PW3 power boards, one for sources and one for the components that need serious wattage. Highs: The Plinius is capable of greatness here if the source component is up to the task, the cd120 doesn't extend as far up as the Halcro does but even on it the cymbal taps, triangle, trumpets and piano are just superb. I give it a 9.0 with the Halcro and an 8.0 with the cd120. Mids: Very, very neutral. You really get the impression that you are listening to the source without any "Plinius personality" added. Many will say that this is what an amp should be, and in an ideal world they would be right, but I'm finding it is difficult to feel strongly about neutrality so I'm going to go with my mind on this one (whereas I usually rate on "likeability" which is a very emotional trait) and call it a 9.0. Bass: string sourced bass is damn near perfect, smooth, clear and kept separated from the upper frequencies to avoid interfering with them. It does smooth off the bass impact a little so the bass can feel a little less dynamic than an ME or Redgum amp, the Plinius won't kick you in the chest like the ME or Redgum will either however it also won't cause you listening fatigue anywhere near as quickly. Some amps can put out so much bass they can make the room feel claustrophobic (again on certain songs at certain volumes both ME and Redgum do this, but they are far from the only ones), the Plinius does not do this, at all, it fills the room with a nice, smooth presence but it doesn't force that presence on you. That's its musical personality anyway, if you use it for movies then watch out, because you'll find that it very much can kick you in the chest (I watched "The Lazarus Effect" with the Plinius and it was an entirely different beast to the musical one I was used to, if you feed it deep bass then it gives you deep bass all right) it just doesn't do it with music because music just doesn't go that deep. A 9.0 with the Consonance but only a 6.5 with the Halcro, the Plinius and the Halcro just don't combine well here. Vocals: Again, very neutral *. A bit stark and matter-of-factual through the Halcro, a 6.0 there. But nicely smooth and full bodied from the Consonance, a 7.5 on male and an 8.0 on the female vocals. * if I was prone to the use of metaphoric examples I might say something like; as neutral as a gearbox, stuck in neutral, missing it's handle, every position label except for the "N"... and sporting a "made in Switzerland" sticker. 2D Soundstaging: Very, very good in the treble, 8.0 for the Consonance and an 8.5 for the Halcro but not as distinct in the bass, back to a 7.0 for both, that smoothness seems to affect the level of expressiveness in the sound stage. The 3D sound stage was quite good, certainly decent so I'll give it a 7.0, but if felt a bit stifled, I think it would benefit greatly from a larger room, it would love my old listening room. Overall Performance Integration: I think I've covered this up above, it's really a very good 'source chameleon' so there isn't that much more to be said here as you'll be hearing a different source every time you change sources. Ability to Emote: Again, very dependent on the source. If I were to rate it only on the extended top end clarity and the bass strength and smoothness I think I'd give it an 8.0 but that score isn't as important as it usually is. Electric Guitar Test: The Halcro rates an 8.0, it does so well with instruments. The Consonance rates a 7.0, I think the Burson discrete opamps smooth out the mids a bit and while that helps the vocals it doesn't help my love of the electric guitar. Another example of not being able to have it all I guess. 80's Rock Test: And now we are the other way around, the Halcro a bit bland (while still decent) at 6.5 and the Consonance rather good at 8.0. So, if anyone wants to start comparing sources using an integrated amp then the Plinius 9200 would be a very good choice. Oh, almost forgot, Plinius recommend you leave the 9200 turned on but it does not have a standby mode, or to be more accurate it does but that standby mode is simply a position that you move the input switch to and it does not use any less power than leaving an input selected. Which means that it uses enough watts on standby to give greenies nightmares (I read 80 on a forum somewhere, but I can't remember where so take that figure with a grain of salt). However I did notice that it warms up pretty quickly and I couldn't spot any noticeable loss of sonic performance from about 20 minutes after a cold start so I won't be leaving it switched on 24/7. And now I'm off to look for a Plinius cd player because, well... just because the amp is so damn good I want to hear it the way it was intended to be heard. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crosscourt121 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Great read as per usual Cafad. I am particularly interested as I have a P8 power amp (combined with a Lightspeed attenuator) which I no longer use in my main system since getting a turntable and thus switching in a Yamaha AS1000 for both the multiple inputs and the phono stage. And my CD player is a Consonance. I did consider selling the P8 for a 9200 but it would be a step in the wrong direction - rather wait a year or two and get a pre. Can I ask - does it have a way of adjusting balance? I gather not but this feature has become important to me (ears aren't quite equal) and I need to adjust slightly to get the image centred. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm afraid there's no balance adjustment on the 9200 which is a pity but it does fit with Plinius trend of high quality builds that are short on extra functions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hope you find a CD spinner to suit Jeff, would be a very interesting union. Sounds like a keeper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 .....and now for the Plinius V Ragnarok showdown 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Hope you find a CD spinner to suit Jeff, would be a very interesting union. Sounds like a keeper. Thanks Daz, actually my bank account has already squealed in agony on that topic earlier today. Remember that Plinius CD 101 that Krispy had for sale in the Commercial section of the classifieds? Well it isn't for sale any longer. It is on its way to my lounge room right this minute. .....and now for the Plinius V Ragnarok showdown Well someone has to do these things. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 And it's here! I like this living within cooee of civilization stuff where I can order something from Victoria on Monday and have it delivered to my door on Wednesday. I'm used to waiting until the following Tuesday. I know the lighting is terrible, but I must say that I don't really care all that much. And in the rack next door. Again with the bad lighting and again with the not really being very concerned about it, there's plenty of time for better pics later. I'm giving them an hour to get used to each other and then I'm demanding perfection! And on a different note. Hey Cameron (@@Krispy Audio) you wouldn't have happened to leave a disc in the drawer of the player would you? (Yeah, it's a trick question that one.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krispy Audio Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Damn you! Now I'm racking my brain. It's very likely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 Would the album name "Christmas Interpretations" by Boyz 2 Men assist in that brain racking? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jone5y Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 hahaha, that'd be even funnier if i wasn't a mad Boyz II Men fan as a teenager. Oh dear, that's enough from me, I'll be on my way now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crosscourt121 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Would the album name "Christmas Interpretations" by Boyz 2 Men assist in that brain racking? Ouch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 I was talking to Cameron via PM last night and he skirted responsibility for the disc and insinuated that "the wife may have been to blame". He was remarkably believable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crosscourt121 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 It wouldn't be the first time one of us has blamed the wife. Looking forward to hearing how the Plini spinner performs with its brethren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted June 21, 2015 Share Posted June 21, 2015 Peachtree sold locally a day after it arrived home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted June 21, 2015 Author Share Posted June 21, 2015 Good to hear mate. Things are starting to move in the second hand market again, it must be the end of the financial year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 OK, so the CD 101 is back from its surgery (the tray now does as it is told) and the two Pliniuses are back together again. I've given the CD-101 its one hundred hour run in (because I'm convinced that it wasn't fully run in, even though it was second hand) and am eagerly waiting for my audio nirvana to arrive. They really do work well together. Both the top and bottom end of the 9200 have improved with the addition of the CD-101 and they were pretty damn good to begin with. Fast, solid sound with both a musical top and bottom end. Life is good! This may just be endgame level audio ladies and gents. I suppose only time will tell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Pliniuses? Plinii? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Pliniuses? Plinii? Beat me to it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 OK, so how do you type a word that is pronounced as Plin-eee-eye? Does the double 'i' do it in Plinii? Plinius Pluralus? Even the mighty Google is not very helpful on this one, apparently you just don't get plural versions of family names. Perhaps some sort of poll is called for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Dazza's version has my vote: Plinii. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A J Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I do miss my Plini'usses - I'm scouting for a Hautonga right now which does have remote source select, but is otherwise the same amp. I had one while in Sydney but sold it sadly, I'm having trouble finding any in the pre-loved market and they are still a bit $$$ new. Nice work, and I did match it with ha CD-101 for a while, and yes it was awesome. I have to say that I have also owned a 9200 and 8200, I always thought that the they all had legions of bass, and that this was one of the Plinius sound signatures, very controlled, to the extent that I had no problem winding the wick up to some serious SPL, without wondering of my speakers were going to loose it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krebetman Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) Dazza's version has my vote: Plinii. +1. You may wish to given them individual names to help identify them. In your case, I suspect the amp would be Pliny the Elder. Edited August 10, 2015 by krebetman 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren69 Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) Jam a big SA reference under them all Jeffro. Now THAT would be some serious Plinii. Ka Mate Ka Mate!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edited August 10, 2015 by Darren69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cafad Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 +1. You may wish to given them individual names to help identify them. In your case, I suspect the amp would be Pliny the Elder. You found those references too huh? Not much else is there? They are different colours so I could go with Silver and Stealthy (that satin/carbon black makes me think of stealth material for some reason). Or Since the amp has had a harder life than some, with a few nicks and scratches, Scarface could work. Hmmmm.... Jam a big SA reference under them all Jeffro. Now THAT would be some serious Plinii. Ka Mate Ka Mate!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think we'd need to put three "i"s on the end then Daz. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THOMO Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 (edited) Pliniuii Asking a Kiwi to pronounce that would be hilarious. Edited August 16, 2015 by THOMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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