Audio Hungaray Qualiton A50i vs LTA Z40+ Integrated


I need help deciding between the Audio Hungaray Qualiton A50i and the LTA Z40+ Integrated Amp. Both seem to be great but I can get the Hungarian for 1k cheaper. I will be using them strictly for music. I plan on powering a pair of Focal Aria 936 K2's and a sealed sub, maybe two. Like everyone else here, I am looking for the best sound quality possible. Thanks

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Showing 2 responses by jbrrp1

Oh, so you haven't lived with the target speakers yet.  I would recommend running them awhile with what you already know, let them fully settle into their character and get their measure if they are hotter on top or not.  Guessing based on reviews is a bad practice, IMO.  As an example of the problems with this, I was just at the Munich hi end show, and reading the reviewer reactions to systems I heard in person reveals how little stock we should put in their statements, because we all hear things a bit differently, it seems.  I had completely different takes in many cases.  Get your own experience and trust your own ears, because that's what your trying to please.

I run the LTA Z40+ with the NOS Mullard EL34's and it is a stellar integrated, but it is not "warming", to echo the other comments vis-a-vis Raven amp.  It is superior for musical information, more lifelike transients, and a wonderful "lit from within" sound, but it certainly won't work if your speakers need warming, like a more traditional tube sounding amp might bring.  If your speakers are a little warm themselves, it can bring magic that the traditional tube sounding amps cannot due to OPT's.  My Stenheim Alumine 2 SE's are very neutral speakers with perhaps a hint of warmth, and that matches well for me with this amp.