Stereo5, sorry but your story, with the guy liking your Mcintosh/Golden Ear over his Pass isn't an endorsement for your Mcintosh setup being better than Pass it is an endorsement that your system has synergy and perhaps his does not.
The only Mcintosh setup tha we have heard that sounded quite good was the tube C22 reissue MC 275 mono block resissues.
Dont know the CJ solid state amp your tired except that is was a very late issue amp from them we sold the original CJ solid state series the 2300,2200, and they were terrific solid state amps in the time.
As per Krell not sounding good, the new sound of Krell is totally different than the older series of Krells. We have owned and sold those as well, in their day they were quite good, great bass, excellent dynamics, the midrange was a bit dry and the amplifiers didnt have an organic flow.
The new Krell XD series products sound like a tube amplifier in the midrange, the overall sound is stunning and liquid if you liked a KSA 50 you would love the new sound of Krell.
Stereo5 most people have not heard T+A audio they are not that well known in the US the sound quality of their gear is among the best in the world and are reserved for the ultimate audio brands, Gryphon, CH Precision, Ypsilon and other similar products and usally their cost of entry is much higher than Mcintosh T+A least expensive integrated amplifier costs $12,500.00 with their next model at $23k and the separate amp and preamp combo costing $40-$54k depending on if you get the additional power supply.
The T+A integrated amplifers all run to about 30 watt pure Class A and the circuits run on high voltage rails that emulate the sound of tubes the sound is open, fast, totally clean with a slightly rich midrange.
Kalali, the T+A gear sounds as good as the Dag gear for half the price.
Look at this review comparing the $23k T+A 3100HV integrated to the $50k Dag Mom integrated
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/ta-elektroakustik-3100-hv-pdp-3000-hv-sacdcd-..."
Paired with the Strads, the PA 3100 HV ($21,500) quickly reminded me of my two favorite integrated amplifiers, the D'Agostino Momentum ($45,000) and Vitus RI-100 ($13,200). Yes, I realize from a price perspective that this is not an apples to apples comparison. On the other hand, we all know that price is not always an indicator of sound quality and system compatibility. Of the dozen or so analog integrated amplifiers that I have reviewed over the last four years, these three are clearly the premier performers based on my ears and biases.
The overall tone, timbre, and performance of the PA 3100 HV fell somewhere between the Vitus and the D'Agostino. In my system, the Vitus was always very close to neutral with plenty of speed and detail along with a magnificent amount of muscle and authority in the low end. The D'Agostino was no slouch in bass performance, but what stood out for me was an additional fine layer of rich harmonics and a wonderful sense of liquidity.
The PA 3100 HV exceeded the Vitus in terms of blunt power and slam while yielding almost the same rich timbral purity of the D'Agostino. The best of both worlds? These three are so close that I would be very careful with system matching before making that final call. Needless to say, the PA 3100 HV can compete with the very best."
So yeah we would say that T+A gear is pretty special if a $23k T+A sounds as good as $50k Dag piece that is pretty impressive.
Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Krell, T+A dealers
