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Proprius

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Ash View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2017 at 9:21pm
The temperature of the Proprius fluctuates between quite cool and quite warm. One can be a different temperature to the other too. This is all independent of playing any music through them. The Majestic temperature oscillates in a similar way; can get quite warm but never hot.

I have considered planar magnetic and electrostatic speakers in the past but have rejected both for various reasons such as high expense, complexity, safety, physical size/weight et al. Electrostatic designs must be in a fully energised state (powered on for a long time) before they'll sound their best. I decided to opt for low moving mass, wide dispersion single dynamic emitters for simplicity and for a more consistent sound.

Edited by Ash - 04 Mar 2017 at 9:23pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Apr 2021 at 11:05am
I currently have the proprius mono-blocks from the loaner programme for a couple of weeks and thankfully they arrived before the Easter break giving me the luxury of a reasonable amount of listening time with lockdown restrictions thrown in.

Being a loaner programme pair it's difficult to know what sort of condition they are in and how much they will improve in the next week or so.  I simply plugged them in and left them for 24 hours before commencing listening.

Sources are vinyl mm and CD.  I have two pairs of floor standing speakers, a valve friendly pair which I use for serious listening and a pair of more power hungry missions for home office use.

I listen to a lot of live music so hifi for me is a substitute for the real thing. Sound staging, details and a good flat tonal balance with good bass control and extended treble are all important to me.  However, dynamics are the most important.  If your music tastes are electronica then dynamics won't be important to you, but if strings, cymbals and orchestral or big band dynamics are important to you, then dynamics are a must.

Now you know what my yardstick looks like here are my measurements...

With the valve friendly speaker load, the proprius doesn't sound like hifi in a good way.  They remind me of a stereo 20 with an even handedness which isn't immediately impressive, but then deeply so.  They have that elusive equanimity which should be there in hifi but so rarely is.  Whatever you play sounds like it ought to sound and that's a whole lot rarer than it should be!

One reason for the lack of immediate impressiveness is the lack of overblown bass or a forward midband.  If your listening is mainly 'popular' both those 'faults' can be an advantage provided they are well controlled. Voices project out of the mix more strongly, bass drives a track better.  Unfortunately, orchestras just sound wrong as does small group jazz.  So, if realism is what you are after the proprius is great, but that may not be what you really want.

On CD the proprius managed to sound less digital in a good way than many transistor amps.

On well recorded pop (think Steely Dan or ABC) they continue the ruthless exposure of the construction of the track in sometimes unflattering ways. Sometimes less is more.

When grunt is required, be that of the Led Zep or Mahler variety, the proprius has both the welly and the speed to be convincing.

Having said all that, swapping to the mission speakers which are a more difficult load, the proprius seemed slightly off the pace.  They just didn't seem to have the power to be quite as convincing as with the more efficient speakers.  That may be down to a number of factors including the age and condition of the loan amps.  That said, they were such a good match for the efficient speakers that they had 'set a very high bar.'

In summary then, very impressed so far, but system matching and your own tastes will be an issue (as with any amp.) That's why the loaner scheme is such a fine thing.






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Sylvain View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sylvain Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Apr 2021 at 5:01am
However, dynamics are the most important....  strings, cymbals and orchestral or big band dynamics are important to you, then dynamics are a must.

With the valve friendly speaker load, the proprius doesn't sound like hifi in a good way. ,,,,,with an even handedness which isn't immediately impressive, but then deeply so.  They have that elusive equanimity which should be there in hifi but so rarely is.  Whatever you play sounds like it ought to sound and that's a whole lot rarer than it should be!
...... Voices project out of the mix more strongly, bass drives a track better.  Unfortunately, orchestras just sound wrong as does small group jazz......  So, if realism is what you are after the proprius is great, but that may not be what you really want.

On CD the proprius managed to sound less digital in a good way than many transistor amps.

I can help but to add my 4 year experience with Proprius and YES you write exactly what I could not articulate .......Focal ARIA 936 @92 db 110cms tall with Two tune port and One slot opening underneath control bass and dedicated Mid band driver allows the musical flow AND Yes very ' balance' and I too look for '' live good with 20 bit French recording or French ballads and Jazz and nothing else compares after my 66 years listening to live or pipe music .....And I shall not replace the 300B Triode valves this time to assist Thorens and Genera ......Proprius does the job wonderfully and I spent 'Lock down'' knotting(25 Cms speaker cable with dedicated 1mmBass/.5mm mid/.25mm strand silver cable  to hook from Proprus to Aria and silver cable even the 25cms length contribute to improve dynamics But the listening room acoustics also needs some work....But yes .....Proprius is for keep NOW that I cannot attend Jazz clubs or see the Edith Piat or Sarah Vaughn of today, Proprius provide  'emotion content' of the lyrics to my satisfaction. 
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Bags View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bags Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2021 at 12:05pm
Your system sounds like one  I'd like to listen to Sylvain!

I have a question for Proprius users.

I'm thinking about a minimalist setup with 2 sources and I'm happy to unplug and plug in cables to switch sources if need be.

Is there a problem doing so without powering the amps down?

Does anyone have a simple, cheap and slightly more elegant solution that is a little more wife friendly, and doesn't degrade the sound rather than using a passive or powered preamp?

I don't have the budget for a majestic but would consider a good cheap passive preamp if such a thing exists.  Recommendations?



Edited by Bags - 09 Apr 2021 at 12:06pm
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Sylvain View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sylvain Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2021 at 2:23pm
Proprius is neat and attached with an aluminium plate to back of FOCAL ARIA 936. Have no need OF TARGET huge heavy sand filled sand stand.

Thorens 160B and 350 sits on VERY NEATLY to IKEA coffee table as if made to order with exact room for Proprius and Power supply, a diy cheap but value for money.

Yes, Majesty caused my dilemma in 2015. Good but needs to be proportionate to finance expend.  After many I opted for the AUDIOLAB Mplus. Small enough to be portable BUT it has an electronic pre AMP as majesty. I opted to a 10ohm pot @£7 and and an aluminium ex MAPLIN at £5. But E -Bay has many already drilled for Output and Input and even a Ground post. Allow me to attenuate the 2.8 to 3 Volts of the DAC output even Passive Pre amp pot creates problem .....so as advised by  a G A P use 10ohm pot and very short 4 inch cable. Do not expect much but the improvement is there and very noticeable to some CDs and more evident to others.
Now, I am investing in a 10 ohm  double isolating transformers and they say or write it will add more Analogue tone of digital tone CD's and there is sufficient validating report of research to convince ....

Wife friendly ...well play some Perry Como or Jim Reeves or Abba and they soon accept the DAC as a Flower pot.

   
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Ash View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2021 at 7:50pm
Bitzie is a great alternative to the Majestic if you are using a USB source.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Help with bass Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2022 at 10:46am
apologies for cross-posting.
Question: is the power supply for the Proprius ‘balanced’.?
I don’t own one but it is my next power amp.
I am looking at a ‘audio balanced power supply’ for around £250 retail, and wondering what this might do in the context of my whole system, which includes Accession MM with psu1.
Thank you,
Daniel
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