Blue Circle amplifiers

seattle mike:

Are you sure you compared the Kandy and the CS directly? No doubt, the Kandy is the more powerful amp of the two, but it is most definitely not better than the CS. I had the CS, Kandy and Unico at my place at the same time. The Unico was notably the smoothest of the bunch - a really high quality, sweet and smooth sounding amp. The CS was next in line and, while the Kandy was definitely not bad, it was not in the same league as the other two, suffering from a bit of 'raggedness' in comparison to the others.

I heard the Katlas at RMAF this year. Since I am very fond of the FtTH, I can't say that i liked it nearly as much. It doesn't have the smoothness or authority of the FtTH. I own a pair of BC SBM monos. I like them a lot. They are all SS, and I am all tube, except for the custom BC SBH head amp i have.

I couldn't disagree more about the MF suggestion. But these differences are what makes the world go round.

All - thanks for the responses thus far. I may get a chance to audition an FtTH in a few weeks and will report back when I do. In the meantime, I'm still appreciative of any input from others who have heard the more recent integrateds!

I do not have experience with BC integrated's but I do have a pair of BC 2's and they are amazing. Gilbert is among a few fine engineers in this industry who is not only innovative but also a really nice guy who will go the extra mile to help you in getting what you want out of your system and dollar.

I've owned a CS and an NSCS. It's nice, but nothing remarkable. You want a remarkable integrated get a new Musical Fidelity A1. Aside from sounding a LOT better, it's half to one third the price.

The Roksan Kandy is also a nice amp, comparable to the Blue Circle, less money, a lot less hassle.

I can certainly attest to how accommodating Gilbert will be if you want to tailor your equipment to make it more special. My recent purchases were a dramatic change from stock.

We used a Katlas in my room at the recent Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Disclosure: I sell Blue Circle gear, Departure Audio. There is a "house sound" with Blue Circle. All their gear sounds coherent, musical, smooth yet highly resolving. As in the post above, "nothing mechanical.....human" is a great description. Katlas is a more powerful version of the entry level GDC integrated, a similar circuit design is used. DAR and FtTh add a tube in the input stage for a little extra warmth and dimensionality. The Katlas is great "do it all" piece. All the Blue Circle sonic virtues are present and it's powerful enough to drive just about any speaker out there. Note: If buying new, most Blue Circle gear can be customized, e.g. cosmetics, inputs, USB, etc.

I have no experience with BC integrated amps so I'm not sure that this will be any use to you. I own the BC206 and just recently the BC208 and they are special amps indeed. The 200 series has an effortless quality about them that never make you think that the music is being forced at you. To my ears, these amps strike a wonderful balance between speed, transparency, detail, and dynamics without over emphasizing these qualities so that it becomes too hi-fi. There is absolutely nothing mechanical about their sound and it is this effortless finesse that makes the BC gear sound so human. If the Katlas gets you closer to the 200 series, I would definitely try to seek it out.

You should check out the Blue Circle forum if you have not already done so. There is usually someone there who will be able to offer their experience. Gilbert is also very accommodating whether you are buying new or used - he's very passionate about what he builds.