Looking at the Audio Research DS450 - once again

I've heard the 450 a few times and even considered buying one . The sound is quite good , less clinical than most class D's i've heard , bass was not on par with other good solid state designs . As much as I liked it , I just couldn't get into it , didn't have that foot taping rhythm . As much as I admired it , it wasn't on par with there tube amps , and thats coming from a guy thats not a tubie .

I bought one and still have it. It does a very nice job driving my Revel Salon 2s.

Would I buy it again? Only if I was pairing it with other ARC equipment.

Thanks,
Mike

I have had mine for a year and find it very transparent. It lets the character of one's preamp shine through. I have the AR LS-27 preamp (tube) which mates nicely with the 450. They drive my Wilson Sophias sublimely.

Hi Garebear:

Purchased a pair of the 450M Mono blocks in March of 2011.
Did the 900+ hour burn in as required.

It will depend on the rest of your system. Speakers and head end equipment.

This is only from my point of view. I own Audio Research Ref 5 Preamp, REF 2 Phono preamp, and CD-5 CD player. Have owned most of Audio Research Equipment. Speakers are Acoustat 3M's, Full range Electrostatic. Main listening is Vinyl. After the burn in period compared the Audio Research 450M'a to my Acoustat TNT200 power amps.

[However I should explain that these are no ordinary TNT Power amps. Roy Esposito, a former Electrical Engineer for Acoustat, updated these power amps, added balanced inputs and converted them to Mono Block power amps with approximately 1KW of power output.]

After serious listening comparing both amplifiers I chose the Acoustat TNT200 units over the Audio Research DS450M.
The 450's did not sound bad. They are a very fast and great sound amplifier. However, the TNT200's just sounded better to me. Sonically I would say the Acoustat Amps are smoother, especially in the upper mid range and top end. One other thing. The Audio Research 450's
do not get hot, no matter how hard you drive them.

Sold the 450M Mono Block power amps.

This is only my experience. Different Head end equipment and speakers may have given end results.

Hope is helps.

It's a delightful amp with the right speaker, and agree with one of the aboves, extremely nice with the LS-27....I do disagree with the above poster, the TNT and wonderful Acoustat 3's were made together, hence their synergy. The speakers wouldn't have existed without those amps. I have heard them many times together, and nothing else I heard matched as well. So no wonder he doesn't find the DS-450 as agreeable to his ears....mine either. And I love the DS-450.
OP, I don't see the speakers you want to use with them....that will make all the difference...
Good luck!