My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!


So I have been in a long journey looking to find the best amplifiers for my martin logan montis. As you know, the match between an amplifier and speakers has to be a good "marriage" and needs to be blend exquisitely. Right now, I think I might have found the best sounding amplifier for martin logan. I have gone through approximately 34-36 amplifiers in the past 12 months. Some of these are:

Bryston ST, SST, SST2 series
NAD M25
PARASOUND HALO
PARASOUND CLASSIC
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
KRELL CHORUS
ROTEL RMB 1095
CLASSE CT 5300
CLASSE CA 2200
CLASSE CA 5200
MCINTOSH MC 205
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
OUTLAW AUDIO 755
LEXICON RX7
PASS LABS XA 30.8
BUTLER AUDIO 5150
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005

With all that said, the amplifiers I mentioned above are the ones that in my opinion are worth mentioning. To make a long story short, there is NO 5 CHANNEL POWER AMP that sounds as good as a 3ch and 2ch amplifier combination. i have done both experiments and the truth is that YOU DO lose details and more channel separation,etc when you select a 5 channel power amplifier of any manufacturer.
My recollection of what each amp sounded like is as follows:

ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 (great power and amazing soundstage. Very low noise floor, BUT this amplifiers NEEDS TO BE cranked up in order to fully enjoy it. If you like listening at low volume levels or somewhat moderate, you are wasting your time here. This amp won’t sound any different than many other brands out there at this volume. The bass is great, good highs although they are a bit bright for my taste)

NAD M25 (very smooth, powerful, but somewhat thin sounding as far as bass goes)
Bryston sst2(detailed, good soundstage, good power, but can be a little forward with certain speakers which could make them ear fatiguing at loud volumes)

Krell (fast sounding, nice bass attack, nice highs, but some detail does get lost with certain speakers)

rotel (good amp for the money, but too bright in my opinion)

cary audio (good sound overall, very musical, but it didn’t have enough oomph)

parasound halo (good detail, great bass, but it still holds back some background detail that i can hear in others)

lexicon (very laid back and smooth. huge power, but if you like more detail or crisper highs, this amp will disappoint you)

McIntosh mc205 (probably the worst multichannel amp given its price point. it was too thin sounding, had detail but lacked bass.

butler audio (good amplifier. very warm and smooth sweet sounding. i think for the money, this is a better amp than the parasound a51)

pass labs (very VERY musical with excellent bass control. You can listen to this for hours and hours without getting ear fatigue. however, it DOES NOT do well in home theater applications if all you have is a 2 channel set up for movies. The midrange gets somewhat "muddy" or very weak sounding that you find yourself trying to turn it up.

classe audio (best amplifier for multi channel applications. i simply COULDNT FIND a better multi channel amplifier PERIOD. IT has amazing smoothness, amazing power and good bass control although i would say krell has much better bass control)

Update: The reviews above were done in January 2015. Below is my newest update as of October 2016:



PS AUDIO BHK 300 MONOBLOCKS: Amazing amps. Tons of detail and really amazing midrange. the bass is amazing too, but the one thing i will say is that those of you with speakers efficiency of 87db and below you will not have all the "loudness" that you may want from time to time. These amps go into protection mode when using a speaker such as the Salon, but only at very loud levels. Maybe 97db and above. If you don’t listen to extreme crazy levels, these amps will please you in every way.

Plinius Odeon 7 channel amp: This is THE BEST multichannel amp i have ever owned. Far , but FAR SUPERIOR to any other multichannel amp i have owned. In my opinion it destroyed all of the multichannel amps i mentioned above and below. The Odeon is an amp that is in a different tier group and it is in a league of its own. Amazing bass, treble and it made my center channel sound more articulate than ever before. The voices where never scrambled with the action scenes. It just separated everything very nicely.

Theta Dreadnaught D: Good detailed amp. Looks very elegant, has a pleasant sound, but i found it a tad too bright for my taste. I thought it was also somewhat "thin" sounding lacking body to the music. could be that it is because it is class d?

Krell Duo 300: Good amp. Nice and detailed with enough power to handle most speakers out there. I found that it does have a very nice "3d" sound through my electrostatics. Nothing to fault here on this amp.
Mark Levinson 532H: Great 2 channel amp. Lots of detail, amazing midrange which is what Mark Levinson is known for. It sounds very holographic and will please those of you looking for more detail and a better midrange. As far as bass, it is there, but it is not going to give you the slam of a pass labs 350.5 or JC1s for example. It is great for those that appreciate classical music, instrumental, etc, but not those of you who love tons of deep bass.

 It is articulate sounding too
Krell 7200: Plenty of detail and enough power for most people. i found that my rear speakers contained more information after installed this amp. One thing that i hated is that you must use xlr cables with this amp or else you lose most of its sound performance when using RCA’s.

Krell 402e: Great amp. Very powerful and will handle any speaker you wish. Power is incredible and with great detail. That said, i didn’t get all the bass that most reviewers mentioned. I thought it was "ok" in regards to bass. It was there, but it didn’t slam me to my listening chair.

Bryston 4B3: Good amp with a complete sound. I think this amp is more laid back than the SST2 version. I think those of you who found the SST2 version of this amp a little too forward with your speakers will definitely benefit from this amp’s warmth. Bryston has gone towards the "warm" side in my opinion with their new SST3 series. As always, they are built like tanks. I wouldn’t call this amp tube-like, but rather closer to what the classe audio delta 2 series sound like which is on the warm side of things.

Parasound JC1s: Good powerful amps. Amazing low end punch (far superior bass than the 402e). This amp is the amp that i consider complete from top to bottom in regards to sound. Nothing is lacking other than perhaps a nicer chassis. Parasound needs to rework their external appearance when they introduce new amps. This amp would sell much more if it had a revised external appearance because the sound is a great bang for the money. It made my 800 Nautilus scream and slam. Again, amazing low end punch.

Simaudio W7: Good detailed amp. This amp reminds me a lot of the Mark Levinson 532h. Great detail and very articulate. I think this amp will go well with bookshelves that are ported in order to compensate for what it lacks when it comes to the bass. That doesn’t mean it has no bass, but when it is no Parasound JC1 either.
Pass labs 350.5: Wow, where do i begin? maybe my first time around with the xa30.8 wasn’t as special as it was with this monster 350.5. It is just SPECTACULAR sounding with my electrostatics. The bass was THE BEST BASS i have ever heard from ANY amp period. The only amp that comes close would be the jC1s. It made me check my settings to make sure the bass was not boosted and kept making my jaw drop each time i heard it. It totally destroyed the krell 402e in every regard. The krell sounded too "flat" when compared to this amp. This amp had amazing mirange with great detail up top. In my opinion, this amp is the best bang for the money. i loved this amp so much that i ended up buying the amp that follows below.

Pass labs 250.8: What can i say here. This is THE BEST STEREO AMP i have ever heard. This amp destroys all the amps i have listed above today to include the pass labs 350.5. It is a refined 350.5 amp. It has more 3d sound which is something the 350.5 lacked. It has a level of detail that i really have never experienced before and the bass was amazing as well. I really thought it was the most complete power amplifier i have ever heard HANDS DOWN. To me, this is a benchmark of an amplifier. This is the amp that others should be judged by. NOTHING is lacking and right now it is the #1 amplifier that i have ever owned.

My current amps are Mcintosh MC601s: i decided to give these 601s a try and they don’t disappoint. They have great detail, HUGE soundstage, MASSIVE power and great midrange/highs. The bass is great, but it is no pass labs 250.8 or 350.5. As far as looks, these are the best looking amps i have ever owned. No contest there. i gotta be honest with you all, i never bought mcintosh monos before because i wasn’t really "wowed" by the mc452, but it could have been also because at that time i was using a processor as a preamp which i no longer do. Today, i own the Mcintosh C1100 2 chassis tube preamp which sounds unbelievable. All the amps i just described above have been amps that i auditioned with the C1100 as a preamp. The MC601s sound great without a doubt, but i will say that if you are looking for THE BEST sound for the money, these would not be it. However, Mcintosh remains UNMATCHED when it comes to looks and also resale value. Every other amp above depreciates much faster than Mcintosh.

That said, my future purchase (when i can find a steal of a deal) will be the Pass labs 350.8. I am tempted to make a preliminary statement which is that i feel this amp could be THE BEST stereo amp under 30k dollars. Again, i will be able to say more and confirm once i own it. I hope this update can help you all in your buying decisions!


128x128jays_audio_lab

Showing 50 responses by jays_audio_lab

@logydoghan 

I have not compared them directly so I can only go by memory. Anyone who is dismissing Focal Maestros for Wilson Alexia is probably not in their right mind. 

You all know I like Wilson, but Focal Maestro EVO has completely blown me away on all counts: Clarity, detail, huge soundstage, deep bass and looks. 

My wife continues to say that FOCAL is the most gorgeous speaker I have had in here (she is a graphic designer) and actually 3 of her friends echoed the same thing. Europeans just know how to make things pretty and America is so far behind that it is not even funny. 

Guys, all the music i play is found on my tidal playlist which I’ve shared with you all in the past. Please, save this playlist and refer to this when you are trying to figure out what song is playing.

 

Search for "Jay’s Audio Lab" on tidal to locate my playlist

 

edia objectedia object widget

Thank you for the feedback back.  Apparently nobody else cared  gave theirs on here. Here's mine so far:

  1. Eye ball rattling tight bass 
  2. Football field sized soundstage
  3. Electrostatic-like definition
  4. HARD AS HELL TO DRIVE 
  5. Does not tolerate cheap electronics
  6. Not "plug and play" like focal Maestro Utopia EVO

I’m waiting for those who hide in the bushes to come out and begin to dismantle Mágico 😂

Only kidding... I am however, waiting to hear from you all about the speaker I unveiled today. 

Thanks everyone for the comments above. I understand I’m not really appealing to everyone but how doesn’t someone do that?

The big channels certainly don’t appeal to the ultra high end either so many folks won’t watch reviews on 599 dollar bookshelf speakers. I think it’s important to identify what floats your boat but not be close minded. I think I’ve had flexibility by adding brands like tekton, Martin Logan, Amazon prime cables and the krell integrated which i haven’t reviewed yet.

I can’t afford a 2000HP Calvo Dodge Viper but I LOVE WATCHING videos about that monster.

Some people don’t want to watch or follow things they can’t afford and others simply enjoy watching and touching things they may never be able to afford. That said, we are all different and i respect that 100%.

Folks, pretty soon I’ll do a comparison of QOBUZ VS Tidal. I need to find songs that can show the differences and let you all hear these.

Lastly, this weekend I’ll host a private LIVESTREAM for those who want to donate to the channel. The purpose of this is to talk about products that i have never showcased on my channel or talked about openly plus answer questions. I will have no more than 25 seats available for this in order to dedicate my attention to those folks who want to be part of this experience. If you are interested in being part of this, send me a private message. The link will be sent via email and the livestream will not be available after it ends.

Thanks for the support!

In my room, no Wilson speaker went as deep as my S7 Magico.

I’ve said it before, to get most out of a ported speaker design, speaker placement is KEY. It is painful at times to find the perfect spot with ported speakers. It’s not easy get a balanced presentation where the bass doesn’t overpower the mids or highs and sometimes you gotta be willing to change your listening position if moving the speakers isn’t doing the magic.

That said, yes ported speakers hit deep DEEP, but they don’t exactly articulate bass frequencies as sealed cabinets do although I'm not saying they don't articulate bass frequencies. 

I think the bigger factor here is THE ROOM. Finding the right speaker design for your room is KEY. 

@viber6

The entire speaker is very coherent, but also more accurate.  The issue is with accuracy comes "THE TRUTH" and sometimes the truth isn't the easiest thing to accept. 

 

Folks, 

You are hearing it here first: I have just finished an interview with Greg Weaver. In case you do not know who he is, Greg has been reviewing equipment for the following publications:

  1. The Absolute Sound
  2. Soundstage
  3. Stereo Times
  4. Positive Feedback
  5. TONEAudio

During this 90 minute interview (which will be broken out in 3 parts), I had the opportunity to ask an Audio Reviewer with over 40 years of experience questions that have never been answered before by a high-profile audio reviewer, but I was fortunate enough to ask. Here are a few of the questions I asked:

  1. Why don't we ever see bad reviews published?
  2. Should print publications have dedicated YouTube channels?
  3. What does it take for a new brand to be reviewed by a magazine?
  4.  How has the landscape changed for reviewers?
  5. How long does a reviewer live with a product before it is reviewed?
  6. What is the most important component in a system?
  7. Do reviewers evaluate components with their stock powercords?
  8. Should we re-position our speakers when we change a component?
  9. Do you consider system synergy when evaluating components?
  10. How should funds be allocated in a system?

You guys DO NOT want to miss this. I promise you, there is A LOT of great information and I am the FIRST CHANNEL to interview a well-known reviewer that has been doing this longer than I have been alive. More amazing things coming your way SOON!!

 

Jay

 

Thank you everyone. More is coming and the next 2 parts will have a lot of the questions you've been waiting to get answers for. 

Interesting...hmmm. .. I’ll have to ask him next time I speak to him. You all know how I feel about footers...

or certain footers...

@keithr 

Do you own those footers?

Ok folks,

I hope you all enjoyed my 3 part video with Greg Weaver. He's been an awesome person with me so far and I'm quite happy I was able to share this content with you all. 

Now, I'm working on the comparison video of Focal & Magico. 

I managed to record 40 minutes so it will be 2 videos of 20 min each. Which speaker is for which buyer? Which speaker should you buy ? I will answer this soon. Stay tuned and thanks for the support!

Just remain seated and wait until i unveil what I am getting picked up next week. This component is THE MOST DESIRED COMPONENT (not a speaker) which I've chased for so many years. It is 6 figures and i am ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE it will be the component that will become the heart of my systems going forward. Folks, this is THE MOST DIFFICULT COMPONENT to lay eyes on because it is rarely seen even at shows let alone at a dealer. I promise you, heads will roll on the floor when you see it. There are under 10 of these units  in the U.S.

Nobody sells this stuff because there is nowhere to go but down... I have not been this excited in the last 3 years. 

Just when you thought i had nowhere else to go, guess again...

 

Michael Fremer has officially left Stereophile. He is now part of Absolute Sound... The industry is nuts right now. 

@ricevs

I find it interesting that each time i present a speaker, you take it upon yourself to point out its deficiencies..not sure if that is your way to market your business or whatever it is that you do.

I am, however, waiting to hear your criticism of the boulder 3060 , its subpar construction and cheap 350 lb chassis. When are you coming out with that episode? Or did I miss that one?

Don’t forget to also critique the rest of the system. 

Please inform us sheep how the master wants things done.

 

 

 

 

 

I have something special arriving next week... It will 1,000% elevate this system. 

Just sit and watch..

The Stromtank 2500 has a larger battery than the s1000 and it also uses dual inverters.

Everything i do with these units can be heard. I even tried an aftermarket powercord to charge the battery and proceeded to listen to the Stromtank in battery mode and it sounded different.

I thought I was going nuts but nope. The battery itself can be charged with a different flavor if you use different powercords.

This is WHY i like the Magico S7 A LOT. I can see hear everything that is happening.

The 2500 quantum Stromtank is super smooth and huge sounding. It makes things sound like a Dagostino momentum amplifier. The leading edges are polished and filed down in a way that even terrible recordings sound listenable and very acceptable through a revealing speaker like the Magico S7.

One of the most significant changes of the Stromtank is the purity of the midrange. It is locked-in dead center and extremely focused. You can even hear if the vocals were dead center or slightly off to the right or left. It is CRAZY 😂

The S1000 is more neutral allowing for more of your system to come through while still helping to clean up all the noise and interference that you WOULD NEVER know is there.

You guys know i own the Boulder 3060 and 2110 and both have incredible noise suppression and overbuilt power supplies that dig out an insane amount of detail that other electronics simply miss and yet adding the Stromtank has shown me that i wasn’t done and that there was more for me to extract.

I sat and listened to both units for about 3 months and tried to go back to stock outlets and each time i did that the beryllium tweeters from my Mágico and focal Maestro became aggressive and yes abrasive at times.

By the way, even the ON-GRID mode suppresses noise and gives you A LOT of clarity. You can listen to both units for 5-6 hours in battery mode and then they automatically switch to ON-GRID mode once the batteries reach 10% - no interruptions EVER.

I represent the STROMTANK because there is nothing like it. It is the only battery powered unit in the world that is specifically made for audio systems and comes "plug and play"

I also feel like this is a "add on" to an already great sounding system. I have been very strategic about only representing those brands I’m probably never going to change in the near future.

I don’t want to embark on marketing efforts for other dealers to cash in on my work. Look, I’ll be very transparent here:

It has been brought to my attention by actual buyers of some of the gear you’ve seen on my channel that dealers are using MY VIDEOS to make sales - to close deals. Dealers actually send my videos out to customers " watch this video from the dude on YouTube who’s had everything. Did you see what he said about the product you asked me about?".

Well folks, i understand that comes with the territory, but i will not be doing public service for dealers to drive a Ferraris and have 6 figure boats. You all don’t think my Gryphon videos have helped gryphon dealers sell more?

Notice, i don’t represent any products that are considered the "MACROS" of a system. I am focused on things that very few folks will buy. You really think people will be buying $9,000 stands everyday? You really think people will be blowing up my phone to spend $15k on a Stromtank? Lol...come on folks...these are pieces that maybe 10-15% of the entire audiophile community would even consider and guess what? Even the dudes that have deep pockets WANT A DISCOUNT!!

Don’t get things twisted: what i represent won’t make me pull up in a Ferrari tomorrow. I’m aware of the skepticism that some folks will have, but if I’m going to live my life worried of what others will think then am I really living my life?

These past few months have allowed me to simply accept that I can’t listen to music without a Stromtank. It’s one of those components that you shouldn’t listen to if you can’t afford it because it will be impossible to unhear it.

I have owned many different power conditioners and they all have been great and had their positive impact on my systems. I simply feel that the Stromtank is more special and FINALLY erases the need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive powercords... Yes folks, stock powercords will sound amazing when plugged into the Stromtank. Why keep buying and selling powercords? Let me be the one to keep doing that since that is what my channel is all about. For once, here you have a solution to never having to buy 6-8 powercords that cost more money than the S1000 or even the 2500 quantum.

You guys don’t get sick of buying and trying expensive powercords? You all don’t get sick of having to sell your powecords each time you change components because maybe the new components don’t have synergy with your current powercords? Hell, i get sick of it too so that is why I just keep about 5-8 different brands of powercords at my disposal.

Lastly, going forward you all will be seeing far more from the Magico S7 and Stromtank. As a matter of fact, I’ll say it here first: My focal Maestro Utopia EVO left the room a week ago. Find out on my next video why I sold them .

 

 

 

 

 

Battery life is approximately 20 years - (Tesla Battery).

Before i decided to represent the Stromtank, i did my homework and asked about servicing the unit. The unit is serviced out in the field. If there is ever an issue, they will mail you a diagnostic device that you plug into the service port. This decide will run a series of tests and essentially spit out codes that will instruct the service department what has failed and needs replacement.

The new part will then be sent to you and easily replaced by you or your dealer. No need to send your unit to Germany. That would have been a deal breaker for me.