Hi Joe
I'm not a huge fan of MSB products, I find them a touch cold and clinical (very detailed, for me totally UN-involving and emotion less, a very good quality hifi sound if you like)
The build quality leaves something to be desired for the outlay of the product I would not expect sharp edges on the heat sinks or badly countersunk holes for the set screws, again these are my thoughts, and other individuals will welcome the sounds they make with open arms. Just not for me!
I have to say the set up in Paris had promise, however a long way from what is genuinely possible with TAD equipment.
The TAD per-amplifier they were using (IMHO) needed a least another 300 hours on that unit to bring it fully up to its full potential, I found it sounding and somewhat thin what reticent compared to another example I heard recently.
The M600 monoblocks were certainly run in
When fully on song the C600 is delightful, though for some people it will be a little to truthful I feel.
Those of you seeking pure tonal quality, with a top to bottom linearity, articulation and dynamic dexterity and utter grain free with true realism (Cables here make a significant difference) will revel in the TAD's ability to truly reproduce music in all its glory.
Also recently I visited a good friend whose system contains a pair of Grand Utopia MK III's a superb speaker in any one's book.
It have been a while since I last listened to grand statesman of audio, so it was good to be re-acquainted again.
Eighteen months is a significant time in audio, how things and technology have changed.
I found the Focal's very boxy, not as linear as I remember and with really quite 'highlighted' treble (No hardness at all, but you know it the tweeters were beaming) the TAD made them feel shut in (which by any sense they are not).
The openness and freedom form cabinet coloration is starkly obvious when comparing the Focal's to the TAD's, only the Magico Q1 gets close in my book, but they just cannot generate the sheer presence, depth and texture the CR-1's do.
The M2500 is also very open and clean amplifier, and is not a million miles away from the M600, however the 600's possess a presence and head room, very few amplifiers can match, at no point do you feel they are getting anywhere near their maximum.
Liken it to a high torque, instantaneous power on tap big V8 heavy oil motor, against a hyper tuned sub 3 litre turbo petrol tarmac monster, big flat spots until ** slam ** in the neck, power band kicks in and whoosh off you go lol!
Sorry I digress Joost asked a question reference the per-amplifier.
Personally I seek a sound most will find 'too real', other will love I make no excuses my personal preference is for REAL. Not rounded off or suggested hi end interpretation.
Though oddly, if you have enough transparency and detail retrieval in a non aggressive and grain free manner, then all but the very worse digital and vinyl becomes amazing listenable and thoroughly enjoyable.
My current pre-amplifier is a solid state design, utilising some quite unique fully discrete circuitry with an experimental power supply based around a patented ultra quiet switching circuit and separate storage devices with ultra quiet regulators.
The result is sublime depth and texture, unhindered dynamics, pure tonal quality and the ability to listen at very quiet volumes without missing a trick.
A joint venture between a US and UK company
It mates perfectly with the M600's and brings out the very best in their inherent qualities
It's all down to personal preferences, nothing more.
With regard to the observation of TAD sources being cold, not sure if anyone has listened to a D600 before, it offers one of the most genuine analogue style sounds I have personally heard from a digital source coupled with a dac input.
On a recent outing we directly compared a 111 Burmester streamer/dac/pre against the D600 just using it's digital input via a Macbook using pure music coupled to a new Belcanto usb link with an AES digital lead.
Using the same usb lead/link/ into the Burmester, same files and pre amplifier whilst level matching.
The Burmester mustered a touch more detail and had slighter deeper bottom end and being fair a bigger stage width though it was pretty damn close, the D600 just made music so much more relaxed and enjoyable, it had did possess greater stage depth and texture too a more palpable and less artificial sound to my ears. . Not bad for a just a dac inside a CD player!
David