I have used several sizes and brands of bi-polar and MOSFET amps over the past 20 years. Smallest being 60wpc and the largest being 500wpc. I find that I prefer the clarity and speed my ears hear in a good MOSFET amp. The only bi-polar amp that has that clarity and speed that I've owned and listend to for some time (still a record in my system at 6 years) was a Bryston 2B-LP. I attribute this to the fact that it only has one pair of output devices per channel. So no parallel matching of devices is required. I also think that the biggest contributing factor to the MOSFET sound is not the output device, but that most MOSFET designs use only two stages of gain and very little feedback. Fewer devices in the 2B-LP and two gain stages in MOSFET designs. Fewer devices seem to provide the best clarity and speed. Tops in these categories has been the BAT VK-200. Again, two gain stages, no global feedback and a MOSFET design. Am going to have to listen to the new VK-250 to see if the Russkies at BAT have been able to maintain these attributes in their newest design. Will also have to search out a Belles 350A to listen to after the good things I read about it.
Mosfet vs. Bipolar revisited and the Belles 350A
I have always favored bipolar outputs with mosfet drivers until I ran into the Belles 350A. I stated this preference in a thread sometime ago. After listening to the 350A, I have to do an about face (at least with this amp.) The 350A uses 3 gain stages and operates almost entirely in class "B" with a very little of class "A."
I have heard a lot of amps but never one so neutral, transparent, reveiling and most any other attribute. It also has unbelievable bass control, pitch definition and lower transparency. No Mosfet haze here.
I have been using a Theta Dreadnaught 4-ch amp biwired. I must say, this amp IS better with my Vandersteen 3A Signatures. You can actually not use the subs(pair of 2wq's) and not really miss anything. I have not found this level of performance in this price range before($3495) I finally get to really hear these speakers do their thing.
I have adopted opinions over the 35+ years I have been playing with this stuff but I have never run across an amp that totally changed my way of thinking like this one. This is the overall best amp I have found (so far) driving the Vandersteen's.
I have heard a lot of amps but never one so neutral, transparent, reveiling and most any other attribute. It also has unbelievable bass control, pitch definition and lower transparency. No Mosfet haze here.
I have been using a Theta Dreadnaught 4-ch amp biwired. I must say, this amp IS better with my Vandersteen 3A Signatures. You can actually not use the subs(pair of 2wq's) and not really miss anything. I have not found this level of performance in this price range before($3495) I finally get to really hear these speakers do their thing.
I have adopted opinions over the 35+ years I have been playing with this stuff but I have never run across an amp that totally changed my way of thinking like this one. This is the overall best amp I have found (so far) driving the Vandersteen's.