Aries Cerat Ianus Essentia Owners thread
- Thread starter Willgolf
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they are. and they are fabulous!
till you hear the QuintEssence Amplifiers. they are GEN3 and the most advanced in AC range of amplification.
its the NEXT step IMHO of anything i heard to date.
While I haven't had the opportunity to compare the Essentia amplifiers in my rooms for extended periods, from what I recall, distinguishing between them (Quint vs Essentia) can be challenging unless you're engaged in critical listening. However, contrasting them with other amplifiers is much simpler.
Regardless, you can't go wrong with either choice. I believe these are currently some of the most underrated amplifiers available. They're largely undervalued and underappreciated, primarily because Aries Cerat Amplifiers haven't yet been reviewed in major publications. Furthermore, without the usual industry hype, they're somewhat flying under the radar.
I've experienced the CH, Gryphon, Audionet, and several others in the solid-state category, but they never particularly resonated with me. While they're decent amplifiers, they're not ones I'd choose for long-term personal use. Initially, many of these amplifiers sound impressive, but the crucial element of forming an emotional connection with the music is often lacking.
Setting personal preferences aside, my keen interest in the Aries Cerat TriodeFet Amplifiers was primarily driven by considerations of maintenance costs and convenience. I was in search of an amplifier that didn't exhibit the typical sound of a solid-state device, yet I was weary of the continual upkeep of tubes (including buying and selling). The struggle to keep tubes in the chain due to noise issues, among other things, was becoming tiresome.
Achieving the merits of a tube amplifier's midrange and engagement with a solid-state amplifier seems near impossible. Granted, a few companies in the solid-state market, such as Dartzeel, are attempting this, and Goldmund, to my ears, also outperforms CH and Gryphon. However, getting these amplifiers to truly resonate like a well-crafted tube amplifier remains an elusive goal.
I would second Phantom's comments above. I have the Essentia. Prior to that, I had the Canary Audio Grand Reference 300B amps with 16 Western Electric 300B tubes. TBH, I was tired of dialing in the 300B tubes every month and they ran super hot. I also had a few tubes go out and this was just a nuisance for me. I do not have this issue with the Essentia. The only thing I can do on the Essentia is just increase or decrease the bias which is a very slight turn of a knob. This is a much simpler, easier, and less expensive way of rolling tubes.
Regarding the sound, there is a difference in sound characteristics between the 300B vs the Essentia. I would categorize the 300B as musical and definitely on the warmer side. The Essentia, I would say is a cross between a tube and SS amp. I have the detail, bass, and soundstage with a touch of tube warmth. The Essentias are my last amplifier. They are built like a tanks but are cool to the touch. My music preference is to hear as much detail at all decibel levels as I can. The Essentia does that and more.
Regarding the sound, there is a difference in sound characteristics between the 300B vs the Essentia. I would categorize the 300B as musical and definitely on the warmer side. The Essentia, I would say is a cross between a tube and SS amp. I have the detail, bass, and soundstage with a touch of tube warmth. The Essentias are my last amplifier. They are built like a tanks but are cool to the touch. My music preference is to hear as much detail at all decibel levels as I can. The Essentia does that and more.
Utilizing precise tuning with the Ageto pre-amplifier and the Quintessence bias controls, alongside a well-chosen selection of tubes, I've managed to strike an optimal balance in my setup. The midrange now boasts the tonality and density of the finest single-ended triode (SET) amplifiers, with just a hint of warmth, yet without any loss of dynamics or microdynamics. The transparency rivals that of the best output transformerless (OTL) amplifiers I've experienced to date. The speed and bass controls, combined with the weight, yield a musical landscape you can easily lose yourself in.
I'm eager to see how these amplifiers perform with speakers that have lower efficiency and present more challenging loads. I've already been impressed by how it's managed to control four 12-inch woofers better than both Class D amps in my room, even though I'm using a 60-watt Quintessence against 400 watts of Class D power.
I wonder as well. Are Essentia going to be enough for Clarisys Studio plus to drive them to concert levels if nedeed????
If you think about it…it did …It did not answer my question.
I would recommend, in the first instance , that you contact the designer Stavros Danos , either here via pm or via the AC website … who better to advise you upon the load capabilities of the Essentia amplification .It did not answer my question.
Hello guys
Driving capabilities of an amp is one thing (not falling apart in dynamic passages, behavior in non-resistive speakers, impedance drops etc) and max spl is another aspect alltogether.
For max spl, there are a number of calculators, one of which here:
where you can input your power and speaker sensitivity, distance, number of speakers etc and calculate the max spl. Pretty handy for those not familiar with the equations of power/spl .
Best
Stavros
Driving capabilities of an amp is one thing (not falling apart in dynamic passages, behavior in non-resistive speakers, impedance drops etc) and max spl is another aspect alltogether.
For max spl, there are a number of calculators, one of which here:
where you can input your power and speaker sensitivity, distance, number of speakers etc and calculate the max spl. Pretty handy for those not familiar with the equations of power/spl .
Best
Stavros
i was wondering this for myself a few month ago, when i had the "studio plus" in , and made an order from AC .
initially i was in to the Essentia but i couldn't be sure it will be enough for me, im listening a lot of classical music and need the dynamic range and headroom. im pretty sure they will do the work, but the Quint' will get it a lot better i assumed. so, i was ordering the next level to be 1000% it will be perfect in any case.
Btw - im not listening very loud in a regular basis... around 90db with some higher picks are the "fun" spot for me in my room... and sometimes when i want to have a blast i will crank it a little more.
so also the Essentia and the Quint will do that, but the Quint' will have more reserve i think and i will psychologic feel they are giving me more at all time. now that i have the AUDITORIUM more so.
now we just need to wait and try when the AC order will actually come.... and compare it to my full CH PRECISION electronics.
mmm for classic music in a 50m2 room for full dynamics, its really fun spot. you can do even more no problem with the Clarisys auditorium, and i guess the Essentia or best of- the Quint' wont break a sweat.
but i was saying around 90 avr is "FUN" place not my average day to day listening volume. i am listening over 10 hours a day, so no chance to hear that loud all that time.
but, i will test it (hopfully) soon. and gladly report back.
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Spl meters can vary, particularly the phone app ones. I’ve run into apps that read 10 db higher than my dependable meter.
For most of the music I listen to an avg of 90 db would have a lot of peaks up to 105 db. Maybe fun for 15 min, but a recipe for permanent hearing loss over extended periods.
I was just struck by this being described as not very loud.
you are right. i was checking with two different meters, they are vary 3-4db not 10... but i get your point,
Regarding what I wrote, I'm sorry I didn't clarify, as I tried after, the 90avg and peaks beyond is for "fun" time...
my many hours of listening is lower than that of course.
so,
"I'm not listening very loud on a regular basis... around 90db with some higher picks are the "fun" spot for me in my room... and sometimes when I want to have a blast I will crank it a little more."
means around 3 volume spots.
* not so loud
* fun spot
* have a blast
I asked but Stavros is not answering and I do understand. We are making him busy and ordering quiet few components lately.
As you say , a very busy guy.I asked but Stavros is not answering and I do understand. We are making him busy and ordering quiet few components lately.
