This my system as of March 2025. I got bored with the usual drivers-in-a-box type of speakers and wanted to try something different. Briefly flirted with Magnepans (1.7i and 3.7i), which led me to my final speaker -- the single-driver, omni-directional German Physiks Unicorn II driven by Accuphase A80. This is a the best system I have owned so far.
Hi @charles007100 Given that your speakers are very efficient, you can get away with a lot less power. If you like the overall signature of Pass Labs, I think you'll appreciate the Accuphase sound even more. It has a similar approach to prioritizing musicality, harmonics, tonality, and timbre before anything else. Having owned a Pass Labs INT-60 in the past, I prefer the Accuphase sound overall. I feel that Accuphase has better tonal balance with a bit of sparkle at the top end (not be confused with bright or overly detailed). I found Pass Labs to be slightly darker in character. But, as always, it all depends on personal preferences, etc.
If you go down the Accuphase route, I'd wager that an A48S will be more than sufficient for your speakers. Good luck!
I just read your post on amplifiers you have had and now ended with the Accuphase, I am looking to try something different. I recently sold off a lot of gear after getting the Meitner MA3i dac even sold my Preamp the Pass Labs XP-12. now the Meitner is hooked directly to a amplifier and boy I love it this way and hooked it directly to my amp, either the First Watt Sit-4 or the Pass Labs XA-25 to my Volti Audio Lucera speakers 99 efficient a hybrid horn..now all I want is the Meitner hooked directly a amp…what do you think of the Accuphase as a contender?..
Thank you for your kind words, @mgrif104. I have heard the Ohm Walsh drivers a number of times. They sound quite good, but of course, they're built to a price point. The GS unicorns with a single driver, horn loaded bass, and extremely well built cabinets is a different beast altogether. So far, my favorite speakers and I've owned a few.
Beautiful! Quite the journey with the changes you’ve documented, but I can only imagine how fabulous it sounds in there.
I’ve never heard the German Physiks though I’d like to. Decades ago, I owned Ohm Fs which had serious shortcomings, but sounded incredibly musical. A bitch to drive and flabby in the bass, but the omnidirectional nature of the Walsh driver filled a room so differently than a box or planar driver. I’m guessing the GS Unicorns have no such deficiencies.
Delighted to find another who appreciates no crossover in the midrange and the value of room treatments. Along those lines, if your listening position is the couch against the wall, theory says that you should be 5-6 feet from a quadratic diffuser :(https://duckduckgo.com/?q=DISTANCE+FROM+QUADRATIC+DIFFUSER&t=osx&ia=web&assist=true).
Regarding the hideous expense of quality interconnects, I got a guy. Karl Schuster has been in the industry for over forty years, has sold high-end stereo gear, designed speakers, and is friends with many a reviewer. He combines a scientific approach with a keen ear. I have a complete loom, including interconnect and speaker cables along with power cords. He solders everything so they are truly a lifetime purchase. I am not one who can necessarily hear the difference between cables, but with his I have definitely experienced the phenomenon of break-in. His work isn't cheap, but it's not sky-high. Mention my name and you might get a break on price. His company is Empirical Design (https://www.empiricaldesign.net/interconnect-cables.html)
@tcutter Thanks for the kind words. In fact, it was your listening room which motivated me to improve mine. I wish mine was as gorgeous, spacious, and well laid out as yours. One of these days, I will invest in long XLR cables and move my equipment to one of the side walls. But boy are those longer XLR cables expensive.
@mclinnguy The Maggies were great in the sense that it gave me a perspective on what music can sound like with speakers that are not the typical drivers-in-a-box variety. However, I could not live with their deficiencies, especially in the areas of dynamics and life-like imaging. The German Physiks build on the strengths of planar speakers but addresses the weaknesses brilliantly.
I am truly enamored with your room. I could hang there. While dissimilar in design from mine, your speakers also honor the midrange. And your room Rx shows you care. Bravo!
Hey Arafiq looking good and what a nice change I can imagine how good those German Physics Unicorns sound with those Accuphase monsters. And really lovely elegant room too.
@faustuss Thank you for stopping by and providing feedback. You are absolutely right about the distance from the back wall. The day I took the picture I was stowing away my Magnepan 3.7i's (you can see them in the picture) to the side of couch and had to push it all the way back. I forgot to pull it out when I took the pictures. I usually sit about 3 feet from the back wall. I can assure there's not a hint of boom or muddiness in my system, so not sure why you're assuming I do :)
Thanks, @milpai Both the Vitus and Accuphase are wonderful amplifiers. Vitus, being more on the neutral side, was a great match with the Harbeths which are warmer and midrange centric. Accuphase, of course, has the famous golden glow that they're known for. It is more harmonically rich and tonally dense compared to almost every other amp I've owned -- including tube amps.
The German Physiks are very neutral and revealing and make a great pairing with Accuphase A80. There's something about the purity of a single driver that is addictive.
The worst thing you can do is have your listening position right up against the back wall! Move your sofa three to four feet forward and everything will sound better; your soundstage will snap into focus and the muddy bass jumble you've been listening to will go away. Based on your room dimensions you have plenty of room to do so. You could even move your speakers closer to front wall and you still won't get the boom and muddiness you've been trying to avoid.
Wow @arafiq that's quite a change from your previous speakers and amplifier. I don't know, why, but I am starting to think about Accuphase amps, though not the pure class A ones. System looks amazing and overall room looks very impressive. I am sure you are thrilled listening to the music every time you come into your zen space!
BTW, what was the upgrade when you went from the Vitus to the Accuphase?
