Engstrom Eric

Does anyone have experience with this piece? They look lovely but I can't really tell what they sound like based on the only review i can find on Mono & Stereo.

https://www.monoandstereo.com/2018/11/engstrom-eric-tube-power-amplifiers.html

I believe they powered the Gobel Divin Noblesse without any trouble but has anyone had experience with a less sensitive speaker?

Thanks

Howie

 

Kondo never gave me flow nor live, in any system. Usually just stayed colored and tried to be pretty.

I think you have a listening bias that is getting in the way of what you are hearing, wrt Kondo. On medium sensitivity speakers I would agree with you but on high sensitivity there is a living breathing reality to the sound...that you don't hear this is frankly surprising. You rave about the best of the Western Electric rooms, which by most accounts (including my own) is tonally colored but still transparent and alive...given the level of coloration in that room and your positive overall views...it is really surprising that you prefer the LVs with Engstrom and not with Kondo. IMO, the kondo on LV is not "colored" in the old fashioned way of the WE room (where a lot is probably coming from the antique horns) it is rich and full bodied but in a way that I hear when I go to live, unamplified performances...up close. Many recordings are made up close and that is more like what you should hear. Engstrom with LV lacked this to a large degree and sounded quite "hifi", in a way that the LV/Kondo and this year's WE room (which I really liked) and this year's Palladian/kondo rooms did not.

 

Still haven't heard a Marten system I liked...heard many models and with all kinds of amps...bright is the what I consistently hear...

Bright is better than dead to me

 

Still haven't heard a Marten system I liked...heard many models and with all kinds of amps...bright is the what I consistently hear...

I quite liked my Coltrane 2s. I used them with various amps including Goldmund, Soulution and Kondo Ongaku. They were never too bright to me and believe me I hate bright sounding gear.

 

I quite liked my Coltrane 2s. I used them with various amps including Goldmund, Soulution and Kondo Ongaku. They were never too bright to me and believe me I hate bright sounding gear.

One of the best medium sized systems I know off is jazzhead's, with marten Coltrane 2 and the. Vitus. It is not bright at all, brightness is usually due to bad set ups at shows

 

I quite liked my Coltrane 2s. I used them with various amps including Goldmund, Soulution and Kondo Ongaku. They were never too bright to me and believe me I hate bright sounding gear.

Your amps choices could IMHO possibly not be more polar than Soulution and Kondo...

 

One of the best medium sized systems I know off is jazzhead's, with marten Coltrane 2 and the. Vitus. It is not bright at all, brightness is usually due to bad set ups at shows

Oh I forgot I tried them with Vitus Monoblocks too

 

Oh I forgot I tried them with Virus Monoblocks too

Ha.yes I agree. I did't like the Soulution much.

 

Ha.yes I agree. I did't like the Soulution much.

 

Oh I forgot I tried them with Vitus Monoblocks too

Interestingly I found the Vitus Monoblocks were better sounding with a Kondo M77 than with Vitus's own preamp.

 

Interestingly I found the Vitus Monoblocks were better sounding with a Kondo M77 than with Vitus's own preamp.

I have tried both on the Vitus at Rhapsody's. With the Kondo pre it sounds better on simple music but to keep control on complex music better to have Vitus. That said Vitus pre is not as good as the power, so better to have an alternate pre. I heard jazzhead's with trinity pre, he is now using Koda. Will hear it this December

 

Bright is better than dead to me

Neither is really acceptable to me...

 

I quite liked my Coltrane 2s. I used them with various amps including Goldmund, Soulution and Kondo Ongaku. They were never too bright to me and believe me I hate bright sounding gear.

With Ongaku I believe you...heard the early version with Pass and Nagra and both were bright to me...neither of those amps would I normally call bright (the Nagra was actually the 845 tube one).

 

With Ongaku I believe you...heard the early version with Pass and Nagra and both were bright to me...neither of those amps would I normally call bright (the Nagra was actually the 845 tube one).

The proliferation of diamond tweeters and even diamond mid ranges does worry me somewhat as though simply having diamond is a recipe for success. It is not and just like any material it has to be done well.

 

One of the best medium sized systems I know off is jazzhead's, with marten Coltrane 2 and the. Vitus. It is not bright at all, brightness is usually due to bad set ups at shows

And what about dealers?? I have heard more Marten at dealers than at shows...even heard one of the lower floorstanding models (can't recall the name) with the Ayon Crossfire III when I was deciding to buy that amp...and I bought it even though the Martens brightened up the sound (and I was right as now Christoph can confirm...the Ayon is not a bright amp) considerably.

 

And what about dealers?? I have heard more Marten at dealers than at shows...even heard one of the lower floorstanding models (can't recall the name) with the Ayon Crossfire III when I was deciding to buy that amp...and I bought it even though the Martens brightened up the sound (and I was right as now Christoph can confirm...the Ayon is not a bright amp) considerably.

I have heard another marten with absolare. Again, not bright

 

I have heard another marten with absolare. Again, not bright

To each his own...you also think the LV + kondo is more colored tonally than the WE room...

 

Back to the Engstroms. Does anyone know if they could drive something that might present a challenging load, say Magico M6?

 

Back to the Engstroms. Does anyone know if they could drive something that might present a challenging load, say Magico M6?

Never heard them on a challenging speaker, sorry.

 

Never heard them on a challenging speaker, sorry.

Thanks. I guess the Gobel Divin Noblesse are not a challenging load?

 

Kondo never gave me flow nor live, in any system. Usually just stayed colored and tried to be pretty.

Then all these set ups must have been really bad or something is ... with your ears

In the end it is a matter of taste but no flow with any of the Kondo’s? You must be kidding