So the DC-1 to XSP-1 Balanced makes a great combo but the addition of the XPR-1's have taken it to a whole new level. After having them in for almost a week and listening a lot here are some of my thoughts:
1. The amps have more power than I can use as now I can't put the XSP-1 volume above -20db. Simply too loud. However, it brings out amazing details and a three dimensional soundstage on good recordings that just feels good to listen to.
2. The amps have a huge amount of headroom so subtle nuances decay to a faint whisper, but when there is an instant loud note in a passage it attacks with full force out of nowhere.
3. The details are absolutely gorgeous in well recorded material. I'm hearing many instruments in songs that were previously homogenized during playback. Crappy recordings sound even worse. Garbage in - gArbage out. No coloration or bias that I'm able to hear on tracks I'm very familiar with.
4. The bass coming from my speakers (no subs in this system) is astounding. Sometimes on tracks where there isn't much bass the highs and mids are enjoyable but when a deep bass note is hit its deeper and tighter than I've heard on my speakers (I bought my speakers new 18 years ago. I know them well). Bass seems to be much more controlled by the XPR-1s than I've ever heard on any other amplifier in my system ever.
5. The way it reproduces highs and lows gets a lot of attention on the forums. That isn't what I'm most impressed with. Actually it is how silky smooth the midrange is. On Elton John and Tony Bennett CDs you can hear when they take a breath of air. It's like they are in the room with me. The voices are so realistic and the mids are so fluid and enjoyable I'm listening to a ton of vocal tracks I haven't heard in years.
6. The amps run hot. The part of the room where they are is about 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the area. To solve this I put a quiet small room fan which keeps them very cool to the touch.
7. Overall I'm very satisfied with my purchase and frankly didn't expect this level of performance considering the total amount of $ spent. Actually I didn't think it would sound half as good as it does.
I hope that this is useful if someone is thinking of purchasing these items. Overall my only complaint is thAt now I feel a speaker upgrade is essential. The gear is pushing my speakers to their inherant limits and of course I am still chasing the dragon in search of the elusive audio nirvana. From what I understand there is no cure for audiophillia so I will remain an audiophile.
