Einstein The Final Cut vs. Graaf GM20 Mono

My uncle had the Einstein amp, he thought it was ok, he also had the Graaf Modena, which I bought from him. He never mentions the Einstein, but wishes he had not sold the Modena. Hope that helps. I am looking for a another Modena so I can bridge them.

Thanks a lot Audiofun. The Modena is the same amp as GM20 (just an other color) so this is nice to know.

You say "the Einstein amp". Was it The Final Cut? OTL mono amplifiers?

Not that there is anything wrong with the Einstein, and I never heard it, but isn't the Atma-sphere M60s (or Joules) on your short list for the Merlin's? Nothing I have tried has worked better with the Merlins - they do seem to be designed as a good match for OTLs in general.

Sure Pubul57, the problem is that I'm living in Norway and there is no dealer for Joule og Atmasphere here. I can buy from outside Norway but then I have now chance to hear the equipment at home before buying. I have decided to try the Einsteins at home, they are coming next week. Thanks a lot.

I heard Einsteins quite few times and I also know the Graafs 20 ... but I never had the opportunity to hear them with Mewrlins. So, no direct answer to your question - and anyway, fairly soon you will be able to find it for yourself ....

My guess though is that you will not get big improvement with Einstein over the Graafs. I do not believe that there will be any improvement at all. It will sound differently though ...

I find Graafs excellent amps and I wouldn't be keen to replace them.

Fosse, I understand. Not knowing the Einstein's, I would say that if it has the magic of the OTLs I am familiar with, that it should work very well. For my taste, OTLs are the best sounding approach to amplifier design, IF you have speakers that can match well with them, the Merlins work very well with OTLs so I suspect you will be happy with your decision. Good luck.

Fosse, I understand. Not knowing the Einstein's, I would say that if it has the magic of the OTLs I am familiar with (Joule, Atma - not that familiar with the Graaf), that it should work very well. For my taste, and apparently yours, OTLs are the best sounding approach to amplifier design, IF you have speakers that can match well with them, the Merlins work very well with OTLs so I suspect you will be happy with your decision. Now, if you will like it better than your Graaf's, I think you will have to tell us that. Good luck.

If you live in Norway, try out the awesome Hegel H10.

Fosse: It was in fact the Final Cut OTL amp. Sorry about the HUGE delay in getting back to you, I had forgotten about this thread and have been deep into DAC comparisons and reviews.

I ended up not buying the Einsteins, the Graafs simply outperformed them in my setup. The Einsteins sounds thin compared to the Graafs.

To Fosse: What was a defference between you Graafs mono and Einstein mono ? Thanks

I know this is an OLD thread LOL but I still have my Graaf Modena. It is still the second finest sounding amplifier I’ve yet to hear. I just compared a broken in Pass Labs XA 25 in my system to the Modena. It was no contest, the Modena walked all over the XA 25.

So whatvamp bettered the Modena? It’s big brother, the GM 200. I have two of them LOL and yes they are sublime! They do require a bit of effort but once setup they are very stable.