chapsjon
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Hello again Leroy,
I hope to get back someday and will definitely check out Haarlem if I do. I was stationed in Japan for 3 and a half years, but am now back in the States.
Some mistakenly think the SL-1200 is a DJ table because it was adopted by so many DJs in the 80's and 90's thanks to its beefy design. The DD drive is no joke as they even have an SL-1200 in the London Museum of Technology as an example of innovative and proven design. The VPI was fabulous, but by selling it I was able to pick up several vintage Japanese tables. The SL-1200 is my primary right now.
It would be nice to try the UFO on your 88db speakers. You may be surprised. Efficiency is not the last word in synergy with an amp, so I can't say a UFO would drive them to your satisfaction, but I suspect it would do better than you'd assume.
I have tried my SE84C+ and my Mini Torii with multiple speakers ranging on the extremes from 81db (Kef 101 Ref) to 94db (Decware 945.) In between are my Sony SS-AL3 (86db), Yamaha NS-1000M (90db) and Sony SS-5050 (91db.) In the past I also tried Elac Debut 2 B6.2 (86db.) In every case, including my KEF, the result was less about tone and more about volume. Probably the only pairing I would caution against is the KEF because at this efficiency with these amps, they only work for near-field listening. All others will work, depending on how much volume you need.
I love my KEF 101 Refs so much I have two pair. You may know, they are closely related to an LS3/5a. I use one pair with my SE84C+ in my bedroom for near field. In that space at low volume, they sound amazing. This pairing would likely NOT work for most people. In that space, I generally want more relaxing and ambient music.
The other pair is hooked up to my Accuphase, where they sound way bigger than they should. 101s are not supposed to do bass. They are known for gorgeous midrange. I'm not a bassheads, but on my Accuphase, somehow it is there. This is especially true with acoustic music and jazz. To anyone interested in hearing an LS3/5a, find some 101s. They are half the price or less and highly rated.
I understand with the wait and desire to get the right thing the first time, you'd want to opt for something more powerful than the UFO. I would likely do the same thing. Unfortunately, I can't tell you first hand how the Decware PP amps sound. They get great reviews and will certainly remove the question of whether they'll work with your speakers. They may be the better option for you.
As you can see, I went a different route. SE for listening at lower volumes, quality SS when I want more volume. This solution doesn't work for all, but it might be a consideration.
Take care, Jon.
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LR:Mini Torii+Wright WPP100 phono, CSP2+SE84UFO, Pioneer Exclusive M4, Accuphase E-303,Graham Slee Jazz Club, Technics SL-1200MK3D Grace F-8 & Nagaoka MP-110, Yamaha NS-1000M, KEF Reference 101, Sony SS-5050 BR: SE84C+, ZP1 phono, Decware 945 JVC QL-7 Shure V15
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