Topic: Portal Panache

[BobW]

Has anyone given this thing a listen ?
It seems to get a lot of good press.

A "tubey" transistor amp      what a concept !

[Daryan]

"It sounds like all the other $4000 amps I listed to except it costs just 1459"

I have seen there ad so many times I have it memorized

[BobW]

No kidding !
But either John Akinson and Wes Phillips have been immorally swayed, or they like the way it sounds.

American made, over-designed, clean, but not sterile.  Tempting.

[jpschust]

"It sounds like all the other $4000 amps I listed to except it costs just 1459"

I have seen there ad so many times I have it memorized

isn't that virtually every add nowadays for anything under 3k?  it sounds like all the other xxx but it just costs xxx

oh and for what its worth, i've only found one unit that sounds to me significantly like a 4k unit, but is under 2k- the vpi scout. 

on that note, who wants to help me lift my mcintosh amp to take it over to my dealer to replace a light bulb

[carlbeck]

"It sounds like all the other $4000 amps I listed to except it costs just 1459"

I have seen there ad so many times I have it memorized

isn't that virtually every add nowadays for anything under 3k?  it sounds like all the other xxx but it just costs xxx

oh and for what its worth, i've only found one unit that sounds to me significantly like a 4k unit, but is under 2k- the vpi scout. 

on that note, who wants to help me lift my mcintosh amp to take it over to my dealer to replace a light bulb

I could not agree with you more. I am so sick of hearing how everything sounds like or compares to units costing many times more. Jesus, so everything new sounds better than the more expensive stuff? Please, give me a break! Might as well tell all those older companies to pack it in 

[BobW]

They don't seem to be sucking up to the Buddhist market, do they ?
The amp sounds pretty damn good.
I can't say how many dollars good. Nor would I.

It is very taught in the bass region, and I find it to have solid presence, with top end better than acceptable for anything solid-state.

I might hang onto it for a few weeks.
Still need to put a few more speakers on it.

The Mission M52s love it. I'd keep them, but they bottom out around 60 Hz   

I'm dragging it to hear on a set of Paradigm Studio Ref 100s.
Will report back, if anyone cares...

[carlbeck]

I would love to hear how it works out for you, I like products that work & sound good don't get me wrong. I am just sick of all the flashy BS advertising.

[Nick's Picks]

well..there is sometimes truth to BS marketing.  we've all owned products that cost less than they sound like they should.

remember how that crappy little $300 smART DIO comparred to the Benchmark?


Remember the Symphonies?  $400.  what did that CJ cost?  remember the one that the Symph reduced to a paper weight.

so these guys dont pay big bucks to advertise, and it keeps costs down.
same for the CIAudio products.  they are only for sale direct. 
same for Magnepan.  and look at the MMG.  those fuckers sound waaaayyyy better than $500.

[BobW]

Quick update.
The Portal sounded very articulate and controlled with the Paradigms.
I found them to be a nice match in the right(large) space.
I did not get the Paradigms due to an upcoming move (they're big and heavy)
So, I deceided to compare the Panache to a modded Jolida502B running KT-90s on my little Mission towers.

The Missions and the Jolida matched so well, I bought the amp and kept the speakers.

Bottom line, with the right speakers and space, the Panache can be a very formidable amp.
My old ears still like tubes best.

Now I'm back to relistening to nearly everything in my library !
This Jolida is very nice.