2. amps-preamps
  3. 126624-10101

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

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
The new cables are plugged in as of 3 minutes ago.  Stay tuned for impressions. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Sounds good techno. I will use one on the preamp. Unfortunately, these cables won’t work on my dac because they are a 20a connector on the end that plugs into the equipment. 


Spinaker01,
If I’ve learned anything through my journey is to not pass judgment so quickly and for me not to do too much critical listening when I’m tired. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that some break in period is important but when we are talking a ridiculous amount of time then I think at that point it’s more psychological than anything. Your ears just get used to the sound and you are probably thinking tbr sound improved. If manufacturers believe that their product is best after 1,000 hours of use then they burn it in before they package the product so that the consumer gets a product nearly ready to be enjoyed. Hell, at the prices we are talking about here they should come with a gorgeous girl packed inside the box. Let’s be real. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Guido:
all companies at this price level only build product once it’s been ordered. This means that the inventory they are burning in has already been sold. It should be part of the final finished product. WHY WOULD ANYONE want their product to leave their factory working half @ss? Would you buy a Ferrari if you can’t feel the 800hp the moment you leave the dealer? How many Ferrari’s would sell if you were told you need to wait 36,000 miles before it gives you 800hp so in the meantime just drive around in 200 hp. Here’s your receipt for $300k sir. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Initial impressions:
more decay with instruments, things sound a tad cleaner with less floor noise. That said, I haven’t been like “wow let me run to the bank to pay for these cables”
i will continue to play with them over the next few days. I will also go back to stock powercords on the amps and will try one on the preamp and see what happens. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Although I’d love to try them for 600 hours, that’s not an option here. I have them for about 3-5 days max. It’s either sink or swim here. My amps are turned on the entire time and making the powercords work. They are drawing 1200 watts through these cables. If 1200 watts doesn’t do it then I’ll hsve to move on to wireworld platinum 7 powercords next time. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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I take everyone’s feedback here with great pleasure. Nobody is wrong or right unless they give input on gear they’ve got no hands on experience with. I don’t doubt that you all can hear changes as you put 1,000 hours on gear but personally speaking I just haven’t heard any major changes. I can say I’ve heard changes within like the first 100 hours of use on some gear but after that I I don’t really hear much of a change.
Again, keep bringing me your feedback and tips. I’m glad to apply it if applicable.
Tonight I’m doing the powercord on the ref10 and go from there. 

On a a different note, I’m itching to bring back a solid state preamp. I’m curious about the ayre kxr twenty since I got compared as just as good as the ref10. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Understood techno. I will see if I can get hands on one. See my issue is that I feel somewhat embarrassed by not buying something when someone does the good deed of letting me demo 15k worth of cables. It’s not any dealer that will just hand you this type of cable and not ask you for a dime. I was told to just break the seal and take them home with me. No money needed. This is why I’ve spent a ton of money to try stuff out. However, I’m not gonna gamble with cables since they are harder to move. I must find ways of demoing cables until one convinces and then I pull the trigger on the spot. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Of course I would. I know it’s hard to find. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Ok, one full redbull on ice. Not as tired as last night, amplifiers baked the powercords all day and night since yesterday so HERE WE GO. Let’s try these cords again. I’ll report back. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Karurravi: I don’t personally like vandersteen. They are too warm for my taste and lack that sizzle that I love.  However, I’ve never owned them and I speak only based on me listening at a dealer. That said, Wilson audios gave me the same warm tonality at a dealer but I liked them alot when I had them in my home.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Impressions with the sigma NR on the block audios:
-vocals have less “muffling” effect
-more music is retrieved from the background
-at times I sense a little more depth in the presentation. Almost like an “echo” effect

what am I trying to achieve? I’m trying to elevate the amplifiers which in turn means I elevate the neoltihs. What am I missing? I don’t think Im missing anything really. I’m just now on a mission to see how much better these speakers can get and since my Monos are here to stay, I will either get the matching preamp or try a different source at some point.

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Stock powercords 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
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Techno: 
i have gotten very far with the Neoliths. They sound fantastic now. Actually I’d be afraid to move them out of here because I don’t know how shocking it will be if I put a smaller speaker here that doesn’t give me the immense wall of sound I’ve been hearing over the past few weeks. It’s like driving a Yukon Denali for a month and then you are forced to go into a Chevy Malibu in terms of comfort.... 

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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So of course some people are always going to critique me for doing what i do. Some say I’m never happy or that i buy and sell gear (which have to do if i want to keep trying stuff out) and other dealers who just love me because i am liquid and capable of buying stuff on the spot without wasting their time. Yes i know there are quite a few dealers that follow my thread with whom i have done business with multiple times and some dealers have reached out to me to offer me some of their trades for good deals. Why? because i don’t have to get on the phone for 3 hours talking about a product and waste their time. If i am looking for an item and that dealer has it, all he needs to do is throw me a deal and i am paying for the item on the spot.
Some manufacturers (more than one) have a problem with people like me because i go through a lot of gear which means that their product will most likely be sold online (not always the case) when i am done with it and they just hate that.
Well, guess what? everybody’s gotta eat right? yes, dealers gotta eat as well. How about if some of these manufacturers buy back their own gear so it doesn’t end up here on audiogon? ohh that is not feasible right ? then why complain ? So do you actually think Jay Leno pays full retail on his cars? how many cars do you think he buys and then sells? He clearly enjoys cars so what is the big deal? i am a little guy here who enjoys the this ride and as long as the used market exists, i will continue to try more gear. I can only IMAGINE the heat i would take if i were to create a youtube channel giving my real input on everything i buy. I’d probably get sued for all i know.

Anyhow, what am i missing? i could not tell you what i am missing right now. I am curious to find out what is it that i am missing out by adding more pieces. So far, i love the progress i have made with the Neoliths and by the way i dialed them in more last night. i played with withe position even more and i am getting more holographic imaging than before. By the time i am done with the Neoliths, i will be able to talk about how to set up such a big speaker in a small-medium size room. i have learned A LOT with them. They have made me much more proficient at understanding the challenges with the room and speakers.
Interestingly enough, i have someone who wants to trade me his YG Sonja 1.3 plus cash on top for my Neoliths (he owns the Martin Logan statement system as well). I don’t really feel comfortable spending this kind of money on any speaker. The reason why i selected the Neoliths was because i am a fan of panels (i have owned all their current electrostatics) plus i knew this speaker is highly controlled on the used market. It is not the speaker that shows up used (only one pair listed in Europe in the last 4 years) so i know i won’t have to be competing with others to sell once i decide to part ways with them.


jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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i am too close to the speakers. the YG 1.3 have high soundstage. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Mrdecibel,
i didn’t take anything personal from
what you said above. Don’t worry :)  
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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I will try to hear them next time I can. I have spent very little time with yg. Can’t really comment on what they do good or bad. I’ve been told they are like magico in terms of construction (aluminum)
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Thanks mike. You couldn’t have said it
better. I AM trying to squeeze more  out of it. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Bigddesign,
Unfortuntately there is zero chance of me auditioning the block audio preamp. I have to pretty much buy it blind folded and hope that it has more synergy than the ref10. 
As far as block audios, they are not going anywhere unless there is another pair of monos that can come in here and do a better job with my neoliths. 

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@jafant  right now i am to keep going with the Neoliths. i really would like to try the focal Utopia line, maybe a wilson alexia 2 or Sasha DAW. 

@thieliste I agree with your statement in regards to block audio. 

@ricred1  i can totally see why you feel this way about the system you heard. Vivid audio is impressive and it sounded pretty balanced throughout. i remember hearing my G1s with the diablo 300 and it was just so amazing and complete top to bottom. I really did not hear anything lacking.

@atownkeep i like your potential future amps. The pass xs300 amps run brutally hot. i had the xs150 and the heat was just unbearable so i can only imagine the xs300s. Let's not forget that you will need  another preamp because the c900u wont work with the xs300. 

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@mrdecibel yes the block audios give off heat but they are nowhere near as hot as the pass amps. Not even close. 
The Neoliths are indeed big but the vivid audios projected the sound very wide just like the Neolith but let’s keep in mind that they don’t really interact with the side walls as much. Plus, these are panels so it’s like comparing apples to oranges. Very different presentation. 


@thezaks the xs150s were hot just idling. All 4 chassis run hot as hell. Go to your kitchen, turn on all 4 burners on your stove and come back in 30 min. That’s how the xs amps run. They are furnaces. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Mikepaul,  pass is known to run hot. It’s part of their design. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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The Plinius 103 has sparkle and nice control on the woofers. It has awesome attributes BUT the moment you play the block audios you’ll be able to expose the kinks in the Plinius armor. You hear how much less floor noise the blocks have, how much more information the Plinius doesn’t deliver. Lastly, the bass control is unmatched. The only amp I want to throw up against these block audios are the momentum m400s. I want to play torture tracks through them. Basstronics for the bass shootout, Diana Krall/ Karen Souza for the battle of the midrange and for highs there are many many songs I can choose from. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@bill_k You are correct about class a. That’s how these amps work. That said, man I don’t remember the xs pass amps ever getting cooler by playing them. They were just insane and my living room would get toasty to the point that your lower legs would begin to sweat and I sat about 12 feet away from them !
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@ron17 wow man....  I appreciate the stats you gave me there. I didn’t plan for this to go so far and pretty much catching up to threads that started way before mine. 
I suspect we will be at page 200 by 2020. Let me tell you, block audio is amplifier #375 on my list. Insane to say the least. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@almarg Thanks for your post above 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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hey hey.... i want more dacs too alright!! lol.. BUT seriously i don’t think i will go into another dac anytime soon. i plan to roll with the rossini and the clock and try to maximize its performance using powercords, bnc cables etc.
Well, i found the luxman separates a new home so i have finalized my rounds with luxman 900u components. I hope my review and conversation of luxman has served you all well and that you can find enjoyment and fun as much as i did. RIP Luxman 900u and i will be sitting anxiously waiting to see what else will come from them in the near future!
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Watch it lol. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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@maplegrovemusic I am planning to try a solid state preamp with my amps and then bring a few more high caliber amps such as the m400 momentum, gryphon, etc. 
Lasty, I may introduce a new dac such as a msb select or dcs Vivaldi. At this time I’m just trying to let my new amps settle while I’m playing around with powercords. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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My 900u monos and gryphon Diablo 300 drove the vivid audios g1 with ease. 
My block audio amps are far more powerful than a single colosseum. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
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Not sure I want to fool around with brands that I won’t  be able to sell once I’m done with them.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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I’d love do to more shootouts guys but as you all know, I’m doing this all alone financially speaking. I might be able to bring another high caliber amp while I have my block audios but I certainly can’t have 3 ultra expensive amps here at once.
I wish some of you lived near me so we can do shootouts here or in your home while we sip on some liquor. I’m pretty much in the middle of nowhere here in terms of audiophiles. South Florida has amazing cars, gorgeous women from all over the world and plenty of night life but that’s it. I wouldn’t be shocked if I’m the youngest audiophile in my area. This kinda sucks because if it weren’t because of YOU ALL here, I wouldn’t have kept this going. YOU ALL make me continue here day in day out, night in night out. At some point it would be awesome to create some kind of “virtual audiophile club” where we can all meet face to face, gain trust, and be able to borrow each other’s stuff without being concerned that someone is going to pull a fast one. To me that would be the best thing ever for all of us. Hell, imagine how many amps you would have tried by now just from me alone ?!!! 


jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Block audio: I briefly connected the Plinius and the difference in bass oomph is incredible. The Plinius blends the bass together while providing awesome bass but the block audio separates all layers of the bottom end. You can almost “taste” each hz in your chest. I would say that in terms of bottom end control, I haven’t owned anything like it. I want to bring a gryphon amp right now. I feel like I got mike Tyson in the ring in his prime right now ready to knock anyone out. 
There is talks of the boulder 2060 making an appearance here... hmmm. That would be an incredible test 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Yes it makes sense what you are saying technodude. The Neolith won’t really wake up with little baby amps or integrateds. I guess it is all relevant in many ways. I have a buddy who owns the expensive rockports and he tried so many amps until he finally settled with boulder. He punished so many amps throughout his journey such as ayre Monos, 350.8, 28b3, deviolet, etc etc and none of them could push those bass drivers. They made his speakers sound good but never gave you a wow factor. He then tried boulder Monos and he hasn’t changed ever since. There’s definitely something that manufacturers do to speakers of this price point that forces you to spend big money on amps. 
As far as class d, I am thinking of bringing back the black system to see how it does here, but man I just don’t think there’s any class d amp that can give you this sledgehammer bottom end from the blocks. 5,000 damping factor is almost 25 times more than a pass labs amp. Think about that. 
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Viber- remember that it is not that I don’t value resolution. With magico I was happy with all the resolution but the bass wasn’t anything to write about. Of course I wish I had them so I can use these amps with them. That said, it would be a total waste to have a speaker as big as the Neolith and not having an amp that can mangle those woofers. You see, block audio has one thing I truely like which is that it can show me what a speaker can or can’t do in terms of bass. It will show me how much deeper a speaker can go in addition to the rest of its attributes. 
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Greyhound:
my apologies I didn’t meant not to respond to you. I did say what I use at times to test. Go a few pages back. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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So i have been getting a few questions in regards to integrateds and i figure i rather answer it here.
Someone had mentioned that they own the pass int 250 and also the gryphon diablo 300, but they preferred the pass integrated for their sonus faber speakers. They wanted me to recommend an integrated that can add more resolution. I am going to pretty much make a general recommendation which is to first buy the pass labs int 250. If that is lacking something such as muscle or detail then you can go to the gryphon diablo 300 which will certainly add muscle and some more refinement. If you want more mids with sweeter highs than the gryphon has then go to the luxman 509X. If those still disappoint you then go to the Dan Agostino Momentum intregrated. Lastly, if you STILL feel that this momentum lacks synergy or magic then it is time to begin buying separates. Thats my .02 cts
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Ok boys:
I’m doing a shootout right now of the esoteric k1 vs Luxman d08u. Really interesting to say the least. Synergy is the word... 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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There’s nothing that says that the block audios can’t be used with efficient speakers... 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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I’ll leave my impressions on the dac shootout later on. Viber, I’ll get back to you on the highs and mids of the block audio but  I’ll leave you with this: non fatiguing, clean and clear mids. 



jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
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Ok guys, 
I’ve just bought my first contender for my block audios. 
Monstrous, 1,000 watts into 8ohms, 2,000 into 4ohms and almost 4,000 watts into 2 ohms. Word is that it has some serious slam and very neutral. Total weight of 250 lbs for both chassis. Dual 3kva transformers. It will be an interesting battle that I hope to do before the end of the year!  
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Man oh man... is it fair for me to say that I like the Luxman d08u at times more than the esoteric k1? That sometimes it blows me away with certain music ? Yes this has been the effect from this dac. However,  before some of you begin to say “oh I can’t believe Luxman beats the 31k esoteric” I want to say that I am not saying that. What I am saying is that I find it REALLY AWESOME for the money. If I had not tried the esoteric, I would be behind happy with this Luxman dac. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Again.... synergy is what I’m hearing more of... remember I had tbr esoteric ahead of the Luxman when I owned Wilson Sasha’s and mágicos and now I find the results the other way when I’m using block audio and neoltihs. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Ron lol. You’re killing me brother. Owning neoltihs, magico m3, block audios, Rowland, etc lol. I might as well become a dealer. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Ok men,
just so you all know, the new amp arriving in 10 days is the monster musical fidelity titan power amp. Some say it sounds like class a but with incredible bass control.
I picked out this amp based on these attributes and also the fact that it is supposed to have tremendous control. I feel like it is an amp worthy of me putting it in the ring with the block audios. First battle to come soon for the block audios!
next, gryphon but that’s if they have the courage to send me one... they are well aware of block audio and their tremendous sound quality. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Techno lol. Man I knew you would say this.. Synergy man.... remember that’s what I’m trying assemble here. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
WHY I SOLD THE ESOTERIC K1 LAST NIGHT:
so I was experimenting with the Luxman d08u dac yesterday and after hours of listening to it, I found it more appealing and with better synergy than my esoteric. What I hear is more “sparkle” and a little smaller soundstage which I really like with my Neoliths. See, the Neoliths already sound huge without any help but the esoteric added a larger presentation that diffused the sound a little too much for my taste and my room. I found the esoteric k1 excellent with my mágicos because they presented a more laid pack presentation from which the mágicos tweeter benefited from. The Luxman d08u throws the sound a bit more forward which I totally dig with these speakers. There’s also an element of sweetness that the d08u adds to the presentation as well. The esoteric is very VERY analog sounding with a monstrous soundstage m, but for my immediate need it just wasn’t what I needed. 
Estoeric K1 will be missed RIP. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Get the ref6 for the pass amps of your choice. Proven combination that I can vouch for. 
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jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
@audiothunder
my experience with pass labs as been pretty deep over the past few years. My initial impressions were that it was a great power amplifier, but that all changed as i moved on and tried other amps such as the luxman 900u, simaudio 860a, plinius sa103 and so on.
I find the .8 series good, but i just don’t feel like it ever made me be like wow. I actually was wowed alot more by the .5 series. The pass 350.5 is an awesome amp and even though it does not have the deepest bass, it rewards you with better mids and highs. The .8 is just not as exciting. Some call it more "transparent" but i am sorry that just does not register in my head after you hear the 350.5. In short, i prefer the .5 series overall over the .8. It actually feels like a backwards move to be honest.
The 250.8 is a great amp, but i don’t have as much experience with it as i did with the 350.8. i know it is supposed to be the "sweetspot" of the class ab amps from pass. i remember it being great when i first owned it, but i honestly would much rather own a simaudio 860a over the 250.8.
If you are simply beginning to test the waters with good amps, you can’t go wrong with pass labs at all. Just remember, i am miles ahead of pass labs at this time and i don’t have any intentions of looking for a pass amp unless of course i am offered a nice deal on the 160.8 with a matching xs preamp or xp30 preamp (might try this at some point)
i don’t have any experience with the x260.8, but i was told that they were amps designed for home theater applications rather than true 2 channel listening.
If you are thinking of a 250.8, you might as well consider the simaudio 860a. I am telling you, that amp was one hell of an amp for the money. Lastly, the luxman 900u remains the champ for the money. i still CAN NOT take the tittle away from it.  
Thanks for following my thread!
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