[eruilluvitar]

I find it absurd to put down 8K and then wait for 6 months based on few reviews taken from show condition. But that's just me.

I said the same... Until I heard it. I figure with how rare it is, I can try it at home and then sell it pretty easily, and probably at a mark-up, if I decide I don't like it.

 

[Raidersfan8118]

Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like the overwhelming majority prefer tubes. I must be missing something.

 

[Monsterzero]

Enleum is commercially available and can work as speaker amp for efficient speakers. Also available for home demo. HM1 is owned by very few and all those who have heard it and experienced it have done so in show condition. I find it absurd to put down 8K and then wait for 6 months based on few reviews taken from show condition. But that's just me.

Yeah...the 23r doesnt have a sub out, so that eliminates my interest in it for speaker duty.
On the other hand, the Zahl has all of these extra features that seem to be catered towards sound engineers, stuff that I'd never use, but still end up paying for.

 

[eruilluvitar]

Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like the overwhelming majority prefer tubes. I must be missing something.

I love mine off of pretty much everything I've listened to it on, so long as they have a bit of power. Even the Topping G5 does quite well by the Atrium. It was just that I found something magic in the combination of the Atrium with the WA23.

 

[Failed Engineer]

Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like the overwhelming majority prefer tubes. I must be missing something.

No you're not. I way prefer the Atrium from my SS amp, and I have the SW51+ too (although my SS amp is about 10x cost of SW51+). I've tried it through several kilobuck tube amps of all types, SET, OTL, etc and none had the magic of my SS.

I find that SS fans are less represented on these forums because once you find one you like there's not much to do with it except listen. No tube rolling to discuss ad nauseam on the forums.

If you prefer the Atrium through SS, believe your ears. I'm just posting to lend you some support and say it's okay, there's at least one like you.

 

[kumar402]

Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like the overwhelming majority prefer tubes. I must be missing something.

Well ZMF works well with ECP Ravenswood DSHA-3F but the amp is not easy to find and is not in production. Few have suggested Enelum 23r but I haven't heard that combo if you want SS route.

 

[kumar402]

No you're not. I way prefer the Atrium from my SS amp, and I have the SW51+ too (although my SS amp is about 10x cost of SW51+). I've tried it through several kilobuck tube amps of all types, SET, OTL, etc and none had the magic of my SS.

I find that SS fans are less represented on these forums because once you find one you like there's not much to do with it except listen. No tube rolling to discuss ad nauseam on the forums.

If you prefer the Atrium through SS, believe your ears. I'm just posting to lend you some support and say it's okay, there's at least one like you.

That's so true when I got ECP amp I was not visiting these forums and since I'm away from my amp and hence venturing into the thread of HM-1 or 23r. I should just wait to get back to it.

 

[Raidersfan8118]

No you're not. I way prefer the Atrium from my SS amp, and I have the SW51+ too (although my SS amp is about 10x cost of SW51+). I've tried it through several kilobuck tube amps of all types, SET, OTL, etc and none had the magic of my SS.

I find that SS fans are less represented on these forums because once you find one you like there's not much to do with it except listen. No tube rolling to discuss ad nauseam on the forums.

If you prefer the Atrium through SS, believe your ears. I'm just posting to lend you some support and say it's okay, there's at least one like you.

When you tried the other tube amps were they a lot better than sw51? Also on the enelum that is a bit out of my price range.

 

[buke9]

did you get a chance to compare it to Enleum 23r? Both are supposedly quite special amps, and specially expensive too

No I did not.

 

[Failed Engineer]

When you tried the other tube amps were they a lot better than sw51? Also on the enelum that is a bit out of my price range.

No, but the SW51+ is voiced very much like a SS amp, with strengths in transients, driver control, and overall dynamic ability (especially with RFTs rolled in). The SW51+ is very unique sound and it's not easy to get a similar sound by spending a lot more. I like the SW51+ because it doesn't sound like a tube amp and as I tried the amps generally recommended in this thread for the Atrium I felt the sound trended away from the neutral, hard hitting, precise sound I like. It became more warm, romantic, rounded off transients, and a slightly diffuse image field, and depending on the amp a less controlled bass. What one considers "musical" of those two sounds I think will inform the SS/Tube decision. Neither is wrong and is a my ear/your ears.

I think this upcoming amp will be great for the Atrium. I have the original with silver transformers instead (which added a lot of cost). Cannot swap transformers on this one so not a possibility anyways.

https://nitschsound.com/products/dsha-3fn

 

[Raidersfan8118]

No, but the SW51+ is voiced very much like a SS amp, with strengths in transients, driver control, and overall dynamic ability (especially with RFTs rolled in). The SW51+ is very unique sound and it's not easy to get a similar sound by spending a lot more. I like the SW51+ because it doesn't sound like a tube amp and as I tried the amps generally recommended in this thread for the Atrium I felt the sound trended away from the neutral, hard hitting, precise sound I like. It became more warm, romantic, rounded off transients, and a slightly diffuse image field, and depending on the amp a less controlled bass. What one considers "musical" of those two sounds I think will inform the SS/Tube decision. Neither is wrong and is a my ear/your ears.

I think this upcoming amp will be great for the Atrium. I have the original with silver transformers instead (which added a lot of cost). Cannot swap transformers on this one so not a possibility anyways.

https://nitschsound.com/products/dsha-3fn

What are the rft ones? I think I’m gonna try to keep budget for ss amp $1500 max. Also hoping it’ll work for caldera.

 

[Failed Engineer]

What are the rft ones? I think I’m gonna try to keep budget for ss amp $1500 max. Also hoping it’ll work for caldera.

EF184 RFT. I'm not sure how to source them as I bought them with the SW51+ but they are quite a bit better than stock and as I understand not expensive. Very good with the Atrium too. Emphasized the innate holographic nature and glorious mids of the Atrium. Definitely worth trying to find them.

 

[eTHE2]

Well ZMF works well with ECP Ravenswood DSHA-3F but the amp is not easy to find and is not in production. Few have suggested Enelum 23r but I haven't heard that combo if you want SS route.

My audition of the Caldera at CanJam was with the ECP Ravenswood and an Yggy. Pure magic! OMG!!

 

[Failed Engineer]

My audition of the Caldera at CanJam was with the ECP Ravenswood and an Yggy. Pure magic! OMG!!

The Ravenswood has a few different iterations. The most commonly circulated is the 3F, which was originally designed for the Focal Utopia. but the original was only built to order and there are far far fewer of them. Do you happen to know which Ravenswood it was?

I'd be a little surprised if it was the 3F, as I don't find it to be well suited for most planars. It's 5ohm output impedance doesn't work with a lot of the lower impedance planars (unde 40ohm) and it's not a particularly powerful amp so it needs a fairly sensitive headphone in conjunction with a higher impedance for a planar. I only found the D8000Pro to work well on it. But it does seem that the Caldera is the combination of high impedance and high sensitivity so maybe a good match.

 

[eruilluvitar]

believe your ears

Always.
I wrote like the Atrium on my SS stuff, too. It's really nice on the Singxer SA-1.