I am new to these forums, so please point me in the right direction if there is already another discussion on this topic.
I have been using my Creek 5350SE's pre-amp output to an Anthem Statement A2, which is connected to Paradigm Reference Studio 100s. Cabling is all Blue Jeans Cable. On a whim I decided to remind myself what the Creek's amp sounded like. I was surprised to find it as powerful and perhaps even better overall. My source material was Murray Perahia playing Chopin's Op. 10 - Etude No. 7 in C Major. It takes some time to switch between the two, and its difficult for me to be very objective when the Anthem was quieter than the Creek (leaving the Creek's volume knob in one position and switching from its internal amp to the Anthem's).
Could this be the result of a (impedance?) mismatch between the Creek's pre-amp outputs and the Anthem's inputs? Or is the Creek really that good and if so, what is my upgrade path? The guys at my Paradigm dealer had a chuckle when I told them I was going to use my Creek to power the Studio 100s. (I picked them up a few months before the Anthem.)
Note: I am using a Xitel HiFi-Link USB device, it's cheap but I can't afford a Benchmark or Bel Canto DAC just yet. Apple Lossless music files and Vista.
I am new to these forums, so please point me in the right direction if there is already another discussion on this topic.
I have been using my Creek 5350SE's pre-amp output to an Anthem Statement A2, which is connected to Paradigm Reference Studio 100s. Cabling is all Blue Jeans Cable. On a whim I decided to remind myself what the Creek's amp sounded like. I was surprised to find it as powerful and perhaps even better overall. My source material was Murray Perahia playing Chopin's Op. 10 - Etude No. 7 in C Major. It takes some time to switch between the two, and its difficult for me to be very objective when the Anthem was quieter than the Creek (leaving the Creek's volume knob in one position and switching from its internal amp to the Anthem's).
Could this be the result of a (impedance?) mismatch between the Creek's pre-amp outputs and the Anthem's inputs? Or is the Creek really that good and if so, what is my upgrade path? The guys at my Paradigm dealer had a chuckle when I told them I was going to use my Creek to power the Studio 100s. (I picked them up a few months before the Anthem.)
Note: I am using a Xitel HiFi-Link USB device, it's cheap but I can't afford a Benchmark or Bel Canto DAC just yet. Apple Lossless music files and Vista.