Firstly thank you in advance for reading;
I have a Roksan Caspian Mk1 and am looking to upgrade to a M1 or M2. There's a lot on the net about them individually but very little comparing the two despite seeing many post where owners have/have had both. I'm aware that with the M1's you could buy as dedicated pre / power but that has since changed.
The only downsides I'm aware of is that the Caspians need cranking to get the best which isn't always the most appropriate listening level - I find my current amp needs to get to 11 o'clock and beyond to sing whereas 10 o'lock is the general listening level. Also, there's a suggestion that the amps have got more clinical and less warm.
Question: What are the key differences between the M1 & M2 integrated / against the Mk1?
My set up is currently as follows:
- Roksan Caspian Mk 1 Integrated
- Arcam irDac (potentially being replaced by the Chord Qutest)
- Monitor Audio Silver S8 (will eventually be upgraded, maybe even downgraded to the S6 as their size would probably suit the room better)
The room size is approx 4m x 3.9m, no solid walls : (
Lastly, (ironically) <this all started with wanting to upgrade the irDAC, its been great and full of energy and musical but it's not the last word in resolution and has also developed a clip on one of the inputs.
I have a Roksan Caspian Mk1 and am looking to upgrade to a M1 or M2. There's a lot on the net about them individually but very little comparing the two despite seeing many post where owners have/have had both. I'm aware that with the M1's you could buy as dedicated pre / power but that has since changed.
The only downsides I'm aware of is that the Caspians need cranking to get the best which isn't always the most appropriate listening level - I find my current amp needs to get to 11 o'clock and beyond to sing whereas 10 o'lock is the general listening level. Also, there's a suggestion that the amps have got more clinical and less warm.
Question: What are the key differences between the M1 & M2 integrated / against the Mk1?
My set up is currently as follows:
- Roksan Caspian Mk 1 Integrated
- Arcam irDac (potentially being replaced by the Chord Qutest)
- Monitor Audio Silver S8 (will eventually be upgraded, maybe even downgraded to the S6 as their size would probably suit the room better)
The room size is approx 4m x 3.9m, no solid walls : (
Lastly, (ironically) <this all started with wanting to upgrade the irDAC, its been great and full of energy and musical but it's not the last word in resolution and has also developed a clip on one of the inputs.
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What does it matter at what clock position does the amp starts playing loud enough? That could simply be a matter of input sensitivity or something else. What matters is that amplifier is able to output large enough voltage swing and current to drive the loudspeaker without going into destructive mode of operation. Can you find technical specs? Can you measure yourself the amp output voltage under a dummy load just before clipping?
Ok, makes sense. The reference to clock position was about the amp performing at its best at a volume which isn't tolerable to listen to for long periods. I don't have the kit to measure the output voltages and, I know this sounds stupid to say, but the loudest I've listened to it before clipping is just insanely loud and I feel its the amp that gives out first. I'm guessing this makes sense as the amp can drive 4ohms at 100w and the speakers are ok to 200w at 4ohms.
Hope this helps...
P.s, do you have any experience with the Caspian M1 / M2 / Chord Qutest etc?
What I've found spec-wise;
System Format: 3 Way
Frequency Response: 32Hz - 35kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1M): 90dB
Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms
Maximum SPL (dBA): 116.8 (pair)
Power Handling (RMS): 200W
Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS): 80 - 200W
Amplifier;
Input Impedance: 47 kΩ
Input Sensitivity: (70W) Line 240mV
Output Power:
>70 Watts continuous, into 8Ω (both channels driven)
>100 Watts continuous, into 4Ω (both channels driven)
Power Supply: 330VA Ultra Low Noise Toroidal Transformer4 Regulated Supply Rails
Current Output: 50 Amps Peak to Peak
Damping Factor: 140 (8Ω)
Frequency response: -3dB, 2.5Hz – 80kHz
Gain:
40dB Overall (Pre & Power)
9.3dB Preamplifier
30.7dB Power Amplifier
Signal to Noise Ratio:
Line 108dBa (ref 500mV)
85dBa (ref 1W, 8Ω)
Dac (for sake of completeness):
DAC: TI PCM1796
Inputs: USB, SPDIF, optical, iPod
Frequency response: 10Hz — 20kHz, ±0.1dB
Total Harmonic Distortion: + Noise 0.002%
Signal-to-noise ratio (A –Weighted): 112dB (24-bit)
Line output level: 2.2Vrms
Hope this helps...
P.s, do you have any experience with the Caspian M1 / M2 / Chord Qutest etc?
What I've found spec-wise;
System Format: 3 Way
Frequency Response: 32Hz - 35kHz
Sensitivity (1W@1M): 90dB
Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms
Maximum SPL (dBA): 116.8 (pair)
Power Handling (RMS): 200W
Recommended Amplifier Requirements (RMS): 80 - 200W
Amplifier;
Input Impedance: 47 kΩ
Input Sensitivity: (70W) Line 240mV
Output Power:
>70 Watts continuous, into 8Ω (both channels driven)
>100 Watts continuous, into 4Ω (both channels driven)
Power Supply: 330VA Ultra Low Noise Toroidal Transformer4 Regulated Supply Rails
Current Output: 50 Amps Peak to Peak
Damping Factor: 140 (8Ω)
Frequency response: -3dB, 2.5Hz – 80kHz
Gain:
40dB Overall (Pre & Power)
9.3dB Preamplifier
30.7dB Power Amplifier
Signal to Noise Ratio:
Line 108dBa (ref 500mV)
85dBa (ref 1W, 8Ω)
Dac (for sake of completeness):
DAC: TI PCM1796
Inputs: USB, SPDIF, optical, iPod
Frequency response: 10Hz — 20kHz, ±0.1dB
Total Harmonic Distortion: + Noise 0.002%
Signal-to-noise ratio (A –Weighted): 112dB (24-bit)
Line output level: 2.2Vrms
Mk1 has got all the typical decent specs one could expect of such a product. Assuming it is not faulty in any way, it should perform pretty well in regard to power delivery. Input sensitivity is high and because of it, feeding amp with large enough input voltage (2Vrms) will cause is to clip sooner than one would think ( usually people expect full power at full throttle, in this case much before, at 12 o'clock or sooner).
If you feel there is something wrong with the way the system sounds, assuming no amp faults, the speakers could be also considered potentially faulty.
If you feel there is something wrong with the way the system sounds, assuming no amp faults, the speakers could be also considered potentially faulty.
Just for closure if anyone finds themselves asking a similar question to what I did;
I ended up blind buying a Caspian M2 Integrated in good faith after not being able to find a bad word written about it.
It.sounds.amazing! With aforementioned set up its a massive upgrade, bass is solid not not overstated, attack is superb yet its also delightfully musical with a good sound stage. Conversely the mk1 Caspian is less fussy, but obviously its because its not as accomplished.
AND, it drives the Silver S8's waaaay easier and I don't feel I need to turn it up so much to get the most out of them as much as the mk1.
I ended up blind buying a Caspian M2 Integrated in good faith after not being able to find a bad word written about it.
It.sounds.amazing! With aforementioned set up its a massive upgrade, bass is solid not not overstated, attack is superb yet its also delightfully musical with a good sound stage. Conversely the mk1 Caspian is less fussy, but obviously its because its not as accomplished.
AND, it drives the Silver S8's waaaay easier and I don't feel I need to turn it up so much to get the most out of them as much as the mk1.