28SST2 and Mcintosh c1000c/t/p preamp
 

Is this a good match? Many have told me no.

Mike

I tried my C1000P with various power amps, tubes and SS, and the results were always good. I mean that I was able to hear the differences between power amps very precisely.
My belief is that the C1000 is a very universal low impedance output preamplifier.

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Thanks Jerome.

You welcome.
And I forgot to mention that not only the C1000 is very universal, but it also sounds wonderful.

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I have owned the 28 SST2's. They do need a warm pre to equalize the resolution and dynamics you gain from such a great amp. They are a big amp with a big statement in terms of it's sound. I used the BP26 and the Ayre KXR. I used the amps on XRT1ks and ML Quests.

Mike you keep asking interactive results questions. Projecting the answer without hard data is really easy because you simply shrug your shoulders and say Oops if it isn't what you expect/wanted to hear. Then you go back and ask the same question with different parameters and expect different results. More speculation and assumptions follow but little hard data. And so you can drive yourself crazy!

In this thread, Jerome gives you the closest answer to reality, even though he has never played the combinations on Strads. His answer won't tell you how the combo works with Strads but it will tell you how they work together. It is based on proper matching of two components not synergistically equalizing components to color each other in the direction that pleases him.

Bravo Jerome! :tresbon:

Bill - unfortunately I don't live in an area with many respectable dealers. Therefore, I need to rely on others who may or may not have tried various combinations. Its fine for you and writers in magazines to say "go listen" or "you owe it to yourself to listen to X" (hard data). Sure, sure....assume that we are all surrounded by dealers with every product on the planet. For me, it's Best Buy - and one without a Magnolia component I might add. I'm 4 to 5 hours away from any decent dealers.

So, I am not driving myself crazy. I am gathering opinions and views and digesting all of them. If I was driving myself crazy, I would get out of this hobby. Life is too short. I enjoy the mixing and matching to no end. We have some brilliant folks on this site and their input and views are invaluable. Given the logistic challenges of what I previously mentioned, we need to use the power of the collective (the Borg!). Yes, yes, we don't hear the same. I agree. But I certainly value the opinions of the folks on AA a lot more than some idiot teenager listening to his MP3's on his ipod (I was in the Apple Store trying to buy a connector and when I enquired into the new "Mastered for iTunes (24/96 recordings)" which has been rumored, he informed me that MP3's were the highest quality of music you could buy). I didn't have the time (or patience) to educate him.

That being said, I DID have a chance to demo the Pass xa series yesterday. I was completely floored by what I heard. Grabbing my checkbook now....

Mike

Just found this review.... https://passlabs.com/pdfs/reviews/Pa...tone_audio.pdf

I read that. Jeff says the Pass XA160.5's give my 911's a run for the money. :)

He also wrote that about the Simaudio W-7Ms. Not that he was wrong on either count, but ....