Proac D38 - What Amp? *Updated*

[unique72]

Hi,
I'm Demoing some D38's Next week what amp's do you suggest
I Try? Looking at the forums its been suggested that the EAR 834T
is worth a listen - any others?

budget is £3000ish (S/H or New)

Thanks for you time

Unique72

[Stereo Mic]

D38 pretty much works with everything - I've heard it sounding superb driven by 3.5wpc SET's and by larger Audio Research.

I'd definately have a listen to an Audio Research integrated if you can - either the Vsi55 or even better the old CA50 if you can find one They make a really good match for well below your budget.

Stay clear of some of the new Class D amps - they really don't work that well with the Response series IME.

[unique72]

excellent - i'll see if I can demo that amp with them ;)
and let you know next week :)

Anyone any other suggestions?

Thanks for your time

Unique72

[anubisgrau]

I'd definately have a listen to an Audio Research integrated if you can - either the Vsi55 or even better the old CA50 if you can find one They make a really good match for well below your budget.


you really think that the old CA50 is that good? a friend bought it to go with his JBL 2Ki (or whatever is called that small 2-way with a rounded cabinet).

it sounds sooooo tubey - soft, euphonic, coloured - it's a great fun to listen 70s US west coast rock but strictly over a limited time. tends to make everything way too syrupy IMHO.

if interested in 834T, i've had a nice offer recently for a 6 month old mint unit, i think the price was around 1600 quid.

[Stereo Mic]

System matching. It's not the last word in transparency but works very well with most of the Proacs - there's one sitting in the dem room at Brackley for that very reason. The D38 sounds great with 2a3's powering them - even if that limits the volume somewhat. Those JBL's you mentioned needed loads of current to get up and running otherwise they sounded soft euphonic and slow.

[Tim F]

I use Audio Research V140 monoblocks... worth seeking out if you can find them. Avoid the slightly later ones that are wired in Ultralinear, they're not as good.

[unique72]

hi all,
Had my demo of the D38's...
(i'm no 'reviewer' but heres my take on things :D)

Music throughout demo :
Goldfrapp - Supernature
Prince - 'best of'
Suzanne Vega - best of
Pink Floyd - Wish you where here
Keane - hopes and fears
Kanye West - Diamonds song
Various Other Songs

First amp Unison Research s8 Nice 'big' Valve amp with 2 huge tubes :D
using as source Cyrus Transport and DAC-X
in a word, horrible :( - Separation was there but it was bright,
harsh and quite lacking in low end..
i was very surprised just how much the components
hated each other! unfortunately the guy didn't have anything
better as a source as the 'densen' was been shopped as was
a copland - he tried a £1000 Arcam he had (I forget the model)
and that lacked deffintion and and was just a mess :(
My girlfriend and I were seriously disillusioned at this point..
(Complete with the (womens tone) 'so these are the speakers
you were going on about? - they're not very good... :rolleyes: )
we then tried my old Marantz 63 KI sig that was a little better than the Arcam,
but again bright and separation was leagues away from the Dac-x

not great so far ...

next amp

Pathos INPOL2
to say this amp is big is an understatement!
serious build quality and it looks great (if a little OTT)
somehow he managed to lift the amp from the back of the demo room..
after connecting it all up he turned up the volume,
I was surprised to hear 'clicking' through the speakers as the volume was increased
(a 'feature' one click per each percent of volume the number on the dial showed between 20odd and
40ish throughout the demo) anyway... the amp was cold
but we continued anyway, next we tried keane a nice album
if not fantastically produced - sounded much better I thought it would, the
low-end was a little bleak but put this down to the amp not being warmed up (more on that later)
separation was great! if a little harsh and slightly forward - I put this down to the cyrus gear,
as you could really hear the character of the amp fighting though :D
next we left if for a good 10 mins before we tried the next song..
a kanye west song called 'diamonds' ( i'm not a great fan of his but remember my home setup
struggling with the bass/timing) anyway these speakers (and amp) digg DEEP! the bass really did
extend Right down under the floor, very nice!
his lyrics were 'in your face' as he'd want them :rolleyes: and the timing was spot on
(the song was a little Rough Production wise but you could hear what he wanted to do originally, bless :D )
next up was Suzanne Vega - first song Caramel - nice very nice Separation was Excellent
you could really pinpoint the instruments and follow every note through the frequencies - nice..

Next was some of the girlfiends stuff :rolleyes:
she had brought here favorite jazz comp and played a few songs
I'm not a great jazz fan but what she played sounded very nice,
Good Separation and Excellent Depth..
next was her fav pop CD The Feeling - 12 stops and home,
oh dear :( this is one of the 'Mastered Loud' Modern CD's
it lasted about 2 minutes - Extremely forward are not the words...

We then spent the next hour trying different songs mostly
80's stuff (Cure, Thompson twins, Prince (Especially nice), Iron Maiden :D Etc.)

By now the pathos had really started to show what it could do,
Bass had extended the slight hardness at the top was easing
and the speakers where smiling back at it :D

next up was goldfrapp supernature album...

Erm, WOW! Deep Wide With Depth and detail this album
really shows off the speakers and amp I finally started to
'see' the 3D depth within the music when i closed my eyes
the soundstage was just there as wall front of me -
this is the sound i'm looking for I could follow every instrument through
all the frequences up into the highs.. really superb the
song 'you never know' has these 'orchestral hits' which really felt
as they where dragging you into the speakers then throwing you out...
(yeah I was really starting to like this system)
We Ended up listening to 6 songs off this album

Getting lost with the tunes :D - back to the speakers...

Build Quality is great (as You'd Expect) they're biggest than
I Imagined Especially the Depth of them

BTW. thought I mention the 'demo room' it wasn't good at all :(
you could hear buses through the single pained window..
it hadn't been acoustically treated at all had an office style suspended
ceiling with tiles that vibrated with deep bass :rolleyes:

But the lad who took us through the demo was great, Very Helpful and honest
and even gave us a great price should we wish
to purchase the speakers after a home demo.

the home demo will be happening it 2 weeks or so
they're lending me the pathos ipol2 with the D38's
where I will be able to compare it to an EAR 834T
(Which i'll be able to get for a demo)
and my Icon 40i Classic KT88 :D

If the Home demo is a Success i'll be buying the speakers in the ebony finish (Really looks nice)
also I'll be messing with a few DACs over that week and and any CD players I can get
There was Mention of a pathos Endorphin That they could lend
me.... hmmm... :D

Picture of D38's in Ebony (http://www.noteworthyaudio.co.uk/Heathrow0406.html)

Anyway if anyone get this far, thanks for reading, I'll
Update this thread During the Home Demo, and let you all
Know what the EAR 834T and Pathos Sound Like in my Home.
With a little luck an endorphin... (all of which i'll take photos of
Connections transport etc - as no in depth pics of this equipment on the
net that i've seen)

Unique72

[Stereo Mic]

Glad to hear you enjoyed them - I know they are one of the most neutral and flexible speakers Proac have launched in a long time and possibly the stars of the range. And yes they look lovely in Ebony.