Very good amp for the price and far above! I have used it whit the jm lab mini utopias for a while in a 30 m2 room and it was trafic! Change the input tubes to telefunken or mullard depending your match and tastes...
If you prefer music with (female) voices like Sara K. or instrumental music like Rabih Abou-Khalil: there is no other amplifier under 10K$, which sounds better. You can hear details, which cannot be found listening with other amps.
I am using a audioquest powercord of some type but I am not a great believer of them as I tried many different brands from my friends and never found significant improvement sonically unlike IC or speaker cables.
the tubes are using are sometimes mullard cv 4003 and rca cleartops.
tried this compares to your tube set up?
thinking of selling it due to the heat the S8 produces,just gets to hot in my room despite the fans blowing (I live in hawaii/rainy mountain side).
I do agree with your comments; I owned one too and was curious to get others opinion and see if it match my thoughts.it is quite powerful with a big 3D sound,the top end seems fine to me and yes it is on the warm side of things.
also quite dynamic with good bass.
I would need to take it to my friend and compare the sonics to his smarts 845 which are very open sonically.
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