Amps Suggestions please for Klipsch Forte

[greatestprateek]

Hello people. Its my first post here although I keep tabs with intense intrigue about your DAC, Headphone & Headamp measurements and suggestions. Honestly I get swayed both ways and am confused. But the thing that brought me to register here was the disappointment at some TOTL headphones and Dac/Amps which provided no subjective improvement to my ears.

I am looking to buy either Klipsch Forte 3 or 4 along with an amp or Kef LS60 all in one. Both look great and yes aesthetics matter to me, after sound that is.

I need your approval or suggestions for speakers but mostly the Amplifiers. Is Class D inferior to Class AB. Which measurements to look at in amplifiers? I am considering 1) Cambridge AXR 100 which doesn’t to me look like it has great numbers. 2) Cambridge Evo 150.
3) EAM labs Musica 102i 4) Some Rotel
5) Some Marantz

Please suggest preferably out of these brands. Upto $4000 for the amp.

For reference - I own KEF LSX and mostly love them. Cost me $1200 but I am in India. They lack volume though, and bass and a bit of Midrange punch. Their high end is optimal to me, don’t want any more or less brightness just better bass and a touch of midrange.
I am not looking to EQ the speakers.

The LSX are so good but contain so many components like a DAC and I can’t get my head round that why do DACs cost so much more than these brilliant speakers. Also headphones and amplifers and headamps. I went after TOTL audiophile stuff for headphone listening and have wasted some serious moolah on numerous devices. Some of my blunders - Ifi Pro iDSD Signature (pointless, Ifi Neo iDSD was more than enough), Hifiman HE1000SE (plasticky fraudulent sound), Abyss Diana TC (treble cannon) among others. I have just ordered Audeze MM-500 after seeing Crinacle’s graphs realising that they sound close to my Stellia which I liked overall but not the closed back muddle they created.

I have also bought ASR approved RME ADI 2 which was for me subjectively inferior to Neo iDSD because it just made the sound too thin & bright & brought out the plastic timbre of HE1000SE even more. Chord Hugo 2 was similar. I guess I am more of a musical/midrange sound pursuer than treble seeker. I loved Neo iDSD but like the eternal audioFOOL wanted even better. I am beginning to think that was already the pinnacle and I needed not pursue any more. Indeed clean recordings sounded as good as I could ever want with that DAC/Amp

 

[PatentLawyer]

If you go with the Klipsch, consider a MiniDSP SHD or other solution with Dirac correction (e.g., some of the higher end NAD integrateds--some even have excellent Purifi amplifcation). The Klipsch add a lot of character of their own, which isn't ideal if your objective is accuracy. I am running Dirac on my desktop system and it is a wonder.

Good luck and wishing you happy listening.

 

[Chrispy]

Pretty much any decent amp should work well with those speakers....or are you thinking of some obscure tube amp or ?

 

[rwortman]

Those speakers don’t require much power to drive. Notwithstanding the measurement approach this forum espouses, I would pair them with a relatively inexpensive low powered tube amp. Many have reported this to produce great sound. In fact, I wouldn’t buy them unless I was going to do so. There are design compromises inherent in high sensitivity designs. If you‘re going to use the speakers with conventional amplification, why bother?

 

[NiagaraPete]

I’ve read your post a couple times. It sounds to me that you’re after coloured / highly coloured sound.

If you decide on the Klipsch an amp that this https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA252 will be a delight.

However I’d suggest you get the RME back and pair it with a pair of Genelec 8351’s / 61’s and you actually have something great.

 

[greatestprateek]

i thank you guys for your consideration & suggestions!!!