2. amps-preamps
  3. 183898-20855

Can we create a consensus list of the TONALITY of different amps/preamps/brands?

Greetings to any and all,

I am shopping for a new amp and preamp, but stuck abroad so unable to purchase anything right now. I have thus been reading lots and lots of reviews.
One thing that is very important to many of us is finding the right balance of Tonalities (warm versus cool, musical versus analytical, smooth versus detailed, etcetera).

Somewhere in all that research, I came upon a reviewer who started a comparative list of different brands, trying to get a handle of the general Tonality of various audio brands or individual products.  Since then I have been adding to that list, sometimes extrapolating from the adjectives used (e.g. clean, neutral, etched, sweet, etc.).

One thing I should admit right off the bat is that I have personally listened to very few of these products. (I am just the collector of comparative adjectives, just a compiler. In no way do I consider this present list to be definitive or perfectly correct.) Of course, all this is completely subjective.

So I wonder if there is a way we can created a consensus compilation of opinions of the general tonality of various audio products. I am obviously soliciting input and opinions. Please feel free to disagree or suggest changes or refinements. The model I started with was of a clock face: 12:00 midnight being perfectly neutral. Anything after 12:00 is more analytical or clinical; anything before 12:00 is smoother or warmer.
(Thanks for any responses or contributions.)

 

Here is that list:

Halcro: 1:30 (hyperdetailed solid-state)

Simaudio amplifiers: 1:00 (even more clinical, analytical)

Audio Research Ref10 pre: slightly less cool than Simaudio 850p; maybe 12:30

Esoteric integrated: 12:30 (slightly to the cold, clinical side)

Boulder 1160/1161/2060 amps: 12:00 dead neutral (adding or subtracting nothing, no added tonal saturation, "sterile")

Rotel Michi M8: 11:45 ("kiss of midband lush")

Simaudio pre: 11:45 ("closest sounding amp to the Luxman")

Luxman 900 series: 11:30 (very slightly warmish)

Plinius SA-103: 11:30 ("natural, neutral tonal balance")

Pass X150.5: 11:15

Accuphase: 11:00 (warmer than Luxman)

Pass X250.8: 11:00

Pass x 260.8: 10:45

Pass XA 60.8/200.8: 10:30 (warm or saturated side)

Pass XS Pre: 10:30

VAC i170 tube amp: 9:30 (warmish)

PrimaLuna EVO 400 tube amp: 9:00 (warmer still)

hoodjem
wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 

"Tonality" is relatively unspecific as it's in the ears of the listener, and except for tonal extremes due to bad design there's not much to hang your hat on that's useful. "Tube-like" without tubes is overused often (tubes are also claimed to be NOT tube-like here and there), and I've read reviews of items I'm personally familiar with that are dead wrong to my ears. 

clearthinker's avatar
clearthinker
1,582 posts
 

No.  There is no consensus here even on straightforward issues.

rmpetrop
7 posts
 

What…No McIntosh…conversation done!

muaythai's avatar
muaythai
44 posts
 

No consensus but still a good conversation.

bigkidz
3,381 posts
 

I am not agreeing to or disagreeing to your evaluations of the components you mention. BUT the sound impact can be from the source and preamps that you also have paired them with. Not sure what the ultimate goals is but you also need to understand the design of the components and what parts make them sound they way they do. We can alter the sound of any component typically with changing the power supply capacitors, output capacitors, resistors in specific areas, adding filter chokes, etc. By doing this, people do not have to "chase" the sound they are looking for. We can tailor to a persons sound requirements. Plus you do not need to spend large dollars to achieve this.

Happy Evaluating!

 

More to discover