If I’m not mistaken, you have the 552/Sugden Class A amp with the Duke 2s. Still looking?
I would be interested in your thoughts if you happen to try the INT-25 or INT-60 with the Duke 2. I have read about the INT-250 having the best of both worlds, combining the delicacy of the 25 and power of the 60.
I no longer have the 552. I have the Sugden Sapphire DAP 800 pre with the Sugden Sapphire FBA 800 power amp. Both are excellent although I think the FBA 800 is really a special amp.
I also bought a preloved Sugden 21a SE for a second system and I’m amazed how well it drives the Duke 2s. It’s more forward sounding than the Sapphires which I really love, although it lacks the finesse and bass quality of the FBA 800.
I’m really keen to listen to Pass Labs integrated. I’m looking for a simpler setup, retaining Class A sound with a more forward presentation. I’m interested to hear the INT 60 or INT 250. I think both could be a great potential match with the Duke 2s. As you say, the INT-250 maybe the best of both worlds of the 25 & 60.
I’ve been reading a lot lately although I don’t have plans to make any big changes at the moment. The Pass Labs house sound is generally smooth and midrange focused, and I’m afraid it may be too much of a good thing when matched with the Duke 2s which are equally smooth sounding speakers. The Gryphon Diablo 300 on the other hand is said to be full of life and drama.
The Pass Labs may sound smoother than the Luxman L-590AXII but some people prefer the more detailed and uncoloured sound of the Luxman. I read these comments on another forum where there are users who have compared both.
I think we may have the same intention, to retain the smoothness of Class A and have a more forward presentation which translates to more dynamic and better bass. The Luxman may very well be my endgame integrated but I keep wondering about the other options. The Pass Labs is a good candidate and I suspect it will have better midbass or low bass punch than the Luxman but I"m not sure about the overall clarity and detail of it. The Gryphon Diablo 300 also looks attractive (to me) but it’s too big and heavy for my back… Apart from the high price, I am unable to carry it alone. One of the prerequisites for the consideration of an amp is I will need to be able to carry it alone, unaided.
The Gryphon Diablo 300 was another contender for me too. Both the INT 250 and Diablo are beasts but I could fit them in my room at a pinch (with some help!).
I’ve found Pass Labs & Gryphon dealers not too far from me. I’ll arrange a demo in the next couple of months with the Duke 2s. I’m intrigued to hear how well both amps pair with the Marten sound.
@ryder just read the specs for the Gryphon - it runs 600W into 4 ohms!! The Duke 2’s are very efficient so may prove too much for my listening room. I already have great low listening levels with my Sugdens. I’m not sure how things could pan with out with that level of gain from the Gryphon?!
@bongoman yes, the Gryphon Diablo 300 may be too much for the Duke 2. There’s the smaller Diablo 120 which may be more suitable but there are remarks that it sounds slightly dark in the treble in comparison to the 300. I’m not sure if that will be a positive or negative for the Duke 2.
@bongoman and @ryder I have still under my ownership a Gryphon Diablo 300. In my opinion Pass Labs match better with Marten Parker speakers in terms of sound. In my room, the Diablo 300 made the Parker Trio sound too boomy. On the other hand the Trio reveals the Gryphon house sound in an amazing manner.
Thanks for the response which is appreciated. Your experience coincides with most impressions made by people who have heard the Pass Labs and Gryphon amps. The Pass Labs INT-25 is a sweet sounding amp but will not have the dynamics and big powerful bass of larger amps such as INT-250 or in your case the Gryphon Diablo 300. Hence the INT-25 has matched your Parker Trio beautifully while the Diablo 300 has caused too much bass with the same speakers in the same room. A note is large floor standers such as Parker Trio or Quintet will tend to produce too much bass in smaller rooms so careful matching is required.
FWIW Terry Ellis of Pursuit Perfect System has reviewed the Gryphon Diablo 120 and 300 with Marten Parker full range of speakers, also available on YouTube. He felt that the Marten Parker sounded better with the Diablo 300 than 120. The warmer and darker sounding Diablo 120 was said to sound better on brighter and more forward B&W speakers. He didn’t manage to try the Pass Labs integrateds so he could not comment on the differences between the Pass and Gryphon.
It looks like you already have a nice selection to choose from…
Just a little update. I’m not looking at a new amp anymore. It all started when I got the Lumin U2 mini into the system about a month ago. Although there was improvement mainly in refinement and detail, the sound got a little dull and 2-dimensional. I then swapped the Luxman DA-06 for the Chord QBD76 and it was the best move I’ve made. The Duke 2 is now singing more beautifully than ever.
Having said that, the Lumin introduced a slight glare to piano recordings and I’ll get down to it soon.
Flachead ,
I will listen to the Marten Parker Duo Diamond Edition next Saturday.
You have already listened to them. Someone said on another forum that at low volumes they don’t sound well at all. And that they don’t go positioned close to the wall.
How do these speakers sound at low volume?
Thank you
I don’t think I can be much help as at the time I didn’t pay any attention to low volume listening and the speakers were comfortably 1m or more from the back wall. FWIW, I can see why they might need plenty of space given the passive radiator design firing out from the back but no doubt it will depend on all the room interactions to determine exactly how it sounds like for you.
For the volume question, I haven’t seen any other views specifically expressing low volume issues and anyway it depends what low volume actually means and as always, will be highly dependent on the overall system synergy. I think one should treat sweeping statements with care as whilst it suggests that low level listening might be a problem, I’d be surprised if it were a common trait with all combinations.
The Dukes certainly don’t exhibit any such issues (for me) but the only way to be sure will be to home trial.
Let us know how you get on…
Please update impressions thanks. It is difficult to form an accurate judgment based on showroom listening conditions as the room and equipment are all different. Nevertheless, if you happen to replace the Duke 2 with the Parker Duo in your system, I would appreciate if you can describe on the differences between the two speakers. Particularly in areas of clarity, treble smoothness, extension and detail and lastly bass extension where I would expect the Parker Duo to exhibit fuller, deeper and more defined bass.
The Duke 2 sounds very good already and I’m curious how the Parker Duo would compare.
I’ll keep you up to date
I run Marten Parker Duo (ceramic edition) with my NDX 2 and an Accuphase E 650. Absolutely stunnig speakers. Mind blowing quality of sound. Love them.
Finally, last week I was able to compare the Duke 2 with the Parker Duo Diamond Editionn.
I went to the dealer with my speakers and for 5 hours I made comparisons.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take my amplifier - Luxman L 590 AX II -, so I listened on Accuphase E-800 - class A and Accuphase E-5000, class A/B.
What can I say…Parker Duo Diamond Edition are exceptional speakers. Unmatched, from my point of view.
They are more airy than the Duke 2 and the bass is much better.
I would say the Parker Duo Diamonds are 10-15% better in the highs and mids and 20-25% in the bass.
Is it worth the price? No. Of course not. The differences aren’t that big compared to the Duke 2 to justify the huge price tag.
Duke 2 are very close to them…
But… I still ordered them… they will be my last speakers. It wasn’t a wise decision, but… you know how it is… I would have thought about them all the time… 
Of the two amplifiers, I preferred the E-800.
I don’t know why, but the Marten sounds sweet… and very melodic with class A amps.
But the E-5000 was also impressive. The sound had more vigor, power…but it lacked the details and finesse of a class A amplifier.
Of course, these are just my subjective opinions.
Congratulations! Too bad you didn’t listen to the Parker Duo ceramic edition. Nevertheless, it won’t matter since you already ordered them.
I won’t be listening to the Parker Duo unless I can afford them, so I’ll continue to enjoy the Duke 2s for many years to come. I can’t imagine settling for another speaker other than the Marten now. The clarity, detail and musicality are some of the best I’ve experienced up to this point. The better bass performance of the Parker Duo is already expected but if it has higher levels of clarity and airiness in the treble and midrange than the Duke 2, it must be a winner already.
No idea how the Accuphase E-800 and E-5000 would compare with the Luxman L-590 AXII but they are top level amps. I believe the prices are also much higher than the Luxman.
Congratulations @emilian67 ! I am sure the result will be impressive in your home too! And we are looking forward to your impressions when your Duo’s are at their place!
Earlier today I had the chance to listen to the Parker Quintet driven by the Pass Labs INT-250 and the XP12+XA30.8, at my dealer. I mainly wanted to listen those two specific ones with a Parker series speaker in A/B.
The INT-250 drives them with very high authority and big bass dynamics. The XA30.8, full class A, is warmer and not far in terms of dynamism.
To my tastes, as I have written before, class A is the preferred match for the Parker series.
@emilian67 may I ask when will you be able to try the Parker Duo Diamond edition in your system with the Luxman L-590AXII? Would appreciate if you can post your impressions once you’ve managed to listen to the new speakers in your system and a brief comparison to the Duke 2.
I just checked on the Parker Duo Diamond and at £19,250 they cost nearly 3 times higher than the Duke 2. At the price, they surely qualify as an endgame or retirement speaker to many. The optional Marten stands which come with Marten’s own isolators would have added quite a bit more to the final price of the speakers. I wouldn’t be surprised if the optional Marten stands for the Parker Duo cost up to £2k if not more.
I wonder where does the Parker Duo Ceramic position themselves as at £10k they are significantly cheaper than the Diamond edition and rather close to the £7k Duke 2. Having said that, I do think it’s wise to go with the best to avoid any regrets later on should one settle for 2nd best.