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!
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.
@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.
@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.
