Don’t forget the Digital Director!
I heard it while listening to speakers (S3 mkII and Alexia II) I snapped a pic, not a good one, of the Premier, Power Base and Director
Just adding a little more fuel to the fire…
Best,
-JP
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JP, I’m really interested in what you thought of the Alexia II compared to the Magico.
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Hey John, I think Vince is enough for me at the moment!
Thanks for the advice, this would really be too much but a possible long long term upgrade. Have you tried with and within the Director to get an idea of this component? It seems a Digital Director or Reference of Select line.
Did you have an audition with that stereo Luxman amp? Totally different system and speakers but curious to know your thoughts.
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I enjoyed them both, full disclosure I own Magico’s and while not everyone’s taste, I adore them so there’s that
I feel the Wilson’s were smoother overall with a midrange to die for, I could listen to them for hours on end without tiring
The Magico’s reached a bit higher and sounded a bit more “punchy” very neutral and detailed, not to say the Wilson’s lacked detail, they didn’t they were just smoother overall
I will also be listening to a pair of S5ii this week (my dealer has a demo pair with a very attractive price) Also heard the Alex V they are ridiculously good but alas at 145K waaay above what I would spend
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I did not do serious listening with the MSB gear (I fell in love with the Clear Audio table with graham III and Lyra Atlas) I did listen to the MSB stack, it was wonderful but did not ab with and without the director so I cannot speak to that
The Luxman was nice but I felt both speakers sounded better when driven by the Classe Mono’s, they are fantastic
Hopes this answers the question
Best,
-JP
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TAS covered their response with the typical caveat:
As always, borrowing a Grimm and trying it is the real proof of its value.
As we know listening is ultimate arbitrar. Opinions are…
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Luca, thank you for the CDs vs streaming feedback with MSB! When the MK2 arrived I always felt the improvements on streaming is more than CDs in my system. You confirmed that the DAC is the most important link of a digital system.
A MSB or a TSS is now firmly moving up in my dream list now. With the generous trade-in and a I2S connection the TSS maybe a more logical choice; that is if I could wait for that long 
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Drool worthy.
I like there’s some reasonably priced amplification driving the Wilsons. Did you hear both the Luxman and Classe?
Edit… I suppose I should have read the rest of the topic before asking. Thanks for your review John!
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The big Luxman stereo amp at $20k is not exactly cheap!
It has an excellent review on Stereophile. A straight wire with gain amp, no discernible characteristics except complete honesty.
Agreed. That said I do like their Substack service and their newfound enthusiasm for YouTube reviews. I hope this doesn’t mean a decline in the print magazine.
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Especially if you config them as Mono.
That said, it is a fantastic very long term purchase. I believe @luca.pelliccioli would enjoy it!
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Though secretly I hope @luca.pelliccioli gets a pair of Audio Research 160M’s. The ghost meters alone are worth it 
.
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In black especially!
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Yes, but he’d get something else before it was run in!
I think we should get him on to Soulution. He can be there in 3 hours from his home. A quick flight to Zurich and a train hop. Nothing like a factory visit.
My little Luxman is proving to be quite delicious. After a couple of days streaming radio from the Lumin T3 it’s settling in, it takes about as long to warm up as my coffee machine, and if you switch it off it stays ready to go for several hours.
I bought mine partly because Honest Dave, the dealer I’ve known for years and bought all my Harbeth from, always goes on about them, they are the only brand he has sold above the $5,000 mark, and he started his dealership 50 years ago. Plus he sold it to me at cost + a bit.
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My dealer sells Audio Research and was telling me yesterday that getting the required and desired Russian tubes is proving a bit of a nightmare. He uses Takatsuki, that cost a King’s Ransom.
I have a recuring 5 PM alarm on my phone labeled “Turn on Stereo”. If I am not in the house, I turn it on remotely with Control4.
The Luxman you bought is a fantastic piece of gear, I hope you enjoy it for years.
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The Classe Delta mono,s are 10K each as well
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When I spoke to ARC they suggested to plan ahead and have a spare set of KT150 on hand. The availability has been around four months after ordering for a while now, so predicting from ordering to delivery is more of a calendar challenge then anything else.
I agree about Soulution, but oh man are they expensive.
I see them settling around $7K or so for 9/10 on the used market.
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I fell like the first day in a new classroom! Lessons to learn. Wonderful! Thanks all! I’m continuously taking notes.
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