Amp for marten bird2

I’m planning to build a HiFi system centered around the Marten Bird2 speakers. Due to budget considerations, I’m currently looking to drive them with an integrated amplifier. Considering the transparent and clear characteristics of Marten speakers, some of the options I have in mind are the Accuphase E5000, Orpheus i200, and Goldmund 690. Does anyone have experience or opinion on them? I’d appreciate any advice on amplifier selection(Including but not limited to the brands mentioned above.).

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A Devialet amp :joy:

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I have Marten Duke 2 speakers, as a few others here do, that use the same tweeter and mid drivers. Mine are driven by a Norma IPA140 which pairs very well with the Dukes so I’d hazard a guess they’d suit the Birds too. There is a, closed at the moment, Marten thread, if you haven’t already might be worth perusing that to see what other Marten users have.

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The Goldmund Telos 690 is £32,500.00 so I don’t think you have a budget issue. :grin:

Anyway back to the thread. As Flachead says, there is a Marten thread here worth checking out. In my experience with Marten Duke 2, they sound great when used with the following amps.

Sonneteer Orton
Luxman L-590AXII
Gryphon Diablo 300

Not so good with Naim NAC282/NAP250DR/HicapDR

The Marten’s bass sounds best with the Gryphon amp, more punchy with better presence and improved definition. The bass sounds lightweight with the other amps but all other aspects of the sound reproduction are kept intact with good clarity and detail. There are differences between the amps but most importantly the speakers still sound open with good detail and extension in the midrange and treble.

I guess there is no other way than trying the amp with the Bird2 in your own system. The Marten speakers are capable of sounding good with cheap or lesser amps, better or great with quality or costlier amps. Other options include Vitus and Gryphon if you wish to go there. Since your budget can stretch up to £32k (Goldmund Telos 690), the Vitus and Gryphon would fit in since they are cheaper.

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I’d wager the Marten’s would sound tremendous with a Dagostino integrated, Constellation , Solution or T+A HV series

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Gryphon Diablo 333 should be on your audition list. I’d also suggest the Esoteric F-01 but 30 watts of Class A might struggle.

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Thank you for your advice. I’ve already seen that thread, which mentioned using Luxman and Gryphon amplifiers to drive the Duke loudspeakers. Gryphon tends to have a grandiose and high-impact sound, and I’m a bit concerned that it might conflict with Marten’s transparent and clear character, so I haven’t considered it for now.

Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve learned that Devialet has done some optimization specifically for the Marten Bird2. However, personally, I remain cautious about Class D amplifiers for now and might consider them in the future as technology continues to advance.

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Thank you very much. I’ve already read the post you commented on, and the information in it was very enlightening to me.

Regarding the pairing of Gryphon with Marten. My impression is that Gryphon represents powerful bass, a thick midrange, slightly dark treble, and a warm sound with great dynamics. I’ve personally heard the Gryphon Commander + Apex driving the Dynaudio Evidence, and the vocal presence was remarkable. This also made me consider a more affordable combination like the Dynaudio Contour paired with a Gryphon Diablo. Pairing Gryphon with Marten, which is known for its clarity, transparency, and driver speed, creates a complementary approach. I once discussed this with a dealer, and his view was to choose a direction that maximizes the strengths. So, I’ve always leaned slightly towards amplifiers that are clear, beautifully toned, and have a bit of speed. However, just as you said, the best way to make a final decision is to audition both.

By the way, the actual transaction price of the Goldmund Telos 690 is much lower than £32,500.00.:grin:

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I too have Marten speakers, the Miles II I already owned twenty years ago and that have returned to my living room recently.
I too am looking for a proper amp for them - they sound good with a Quad 33/303 combo but they obviously would do better with something more modern and powerful.

So, as a normal human being with a normal budget of about 1/10th of the aforementioned monsters, are there opinions and suggestions for the sort of audio kindergarten I live in :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: ?
Thanks!

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Good to know that you returned to the Miles II. Sorry I don’t have any suggestions based on my limited experience. If they sound good with the Quad 33/303 and are capable of providing a great listening experience and satisfaction, perhaps stop looking? After continuously improving the fundamentals of the system and comparing all the amps that I have, I have come to realise that all amps actually sound rather good with the Marten Duke 2, There are differences but there is no bad sounding amp. The Orton sounds airy and open with a brightest and more extended treble but the bass is lightweight. The Luxman sounds cleaner and more defined with less smearing but still lightweight bass. The bass of the Luxman although lightweight is adequate and better than the Orton, more defined. The Gryphon sounds slightly darker in the treble but the overall presentation is more robust with a much more powerful and defined bass. Basically one can feel the ‘power’ in the music which contributes to dynamics, percussion also appears to sound more real.

Although there are differences between the amps, all sound good and not one amp sounds bad. I may attempt to try the Naim sometime although they failed to sound good previously. It is a never-ending process to keep looking for the best amp and I have stopped looking although there are ‘better’ out there, and for the fact that I am also a ‘normal human being’ without much funds to spend on hifi already. :grin:

Having said that, it depends on the qualities that you are seeking where the Quad 33/303 may be lacking. I don’t have experience with the 33/303 but have listened to the 66/606 driving Harbeth speakers many years ago, and the 66/606 were compared to the LFD Zero mk3 on the same day at the dealers showroom. The Quad’s sound signature is a full, warm (but still fairly detailed), big and expansive sound. The LFD is less expansive but sounds tighter and more precise, focused and less smearing. In the dealer’s room we found the Harbeth to sound better with the Quad although the LFD sounds phenomenal in several Harbeth owner’s rooms. We didn’t expect the result as we were expecting the LFD to trounce the Quad.

I am assuming the Miles II currently sounds open, expansive and lush with the 33/303. I don’t know how most current modern amps would compare but one thing I know is the speakers may have potential to sound more dynamic with a bigger punchier bass. I get that with the Gryphon Diablo 300 and also experienced an overblown bass (too much bass) with the Marten Parker Trio driven by a big Vitus amp, but that is mainly caused by the room. I don’t know if cheaper amps will provide the same bass performance as the Gryphon (or Vitus).