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
 
Ladies and gentleman:
i had to post this... So i just said "screw it" i am going to connect the lampizator into the preamp and do an a/b comparison with the oppo 205 and lampizator.
Anyhow. the difference is MASSIVE in terms of sound. The lampizator is killing the oppo 205 even though the oppo has the expensive nordost odin pc connected to it along with the expensive platinum 7 xlrs (the lampizator has a wireworld 7 speaker cable and silver eclipse 7 xlrs).
I am just BAFFLED, IMPRESSED, STARTLED with what i am hearing. it is sublime what i am hearing. i am just unable to put this into words right now.
i have much more to share with you all so stay tuned. i gotta put my thoughts down on paper, but for now, THIS IS THE BEST SOUND i have ever had in my room and yet i still have to more cables to try over the weekend! 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
If there’s a better sounding song than Tin Pan Alley or similar, please share it. That song is INSANE 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I’ve added every single song you all have suggested. I can’t wait to hear them all tomorrow night. Keep them coming if you have anymore please ! 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I can certainly give some feedback as to what happened last time in regards to me finding the oppo 205 and the lampizator sounding the same through the ref10.
My take? Well it can be either of these 2 things:
1. The ref10 simply does not pass the signal as pristine as possible. It “sugar coats it” with whatever sound the engineering team at arc wanted out of it.
2. The tubes were at 2k hours. Maybe the tubes were just not performing right anymore and this took away the qualities from each source I connected to it.

i can certainly say that the solid state preamp I use now (Virgo 3) seems to be more appropriate for my neoltihs. 

One last thing and a surprise to you all:
i am going to be trying a set of tube amplifiers very soon. :) 

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I want to thank everyone here who has been proactive about all the music suggestions and also getting back on track on what you all enjoy about my crazy journey. i feel a bigger participation is certainly taking place now and that’s a great thing. 

Coming up next:
SYSTEM 1 

Nordost Odin 1 speaker cables 
Nordost Valhalla 2 xlr (from the source to the preamp)
wireworld platinum 8 xlr from preamp to amp
nordost Odin 1 powercord on the dac and preamp

VERSUS 

System 2

wireworld platinum 8 speaker cables 
wireworld platinum 7 xlr (from the source to the preamp)
wireworld platinum 8 xlr from preamp to amp
nordost Odin 1 powercord on the dac and preamp. 



Which system do you have winning??? Let me hear your thoughts ! I am going to do this experiment tonight so let me get your opinions !

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Constellation = luxman on steroids. Best way to describe it. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Sorry guys,
i was super tired last night and I attempted to do cable swaps, but I just couldn’t gauge things  so I can’t give a real assessment yet. I try to never do any sort of analysis when I’m tired because my hearing just doesn’t help. I’ve set aside a few hours this afternoon to evaluate the systems above. I will post my impressions later on. That said, I left the entire system #1 running all night long in order to really hear everything fully warmed up today. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
System 1:
excellent clarity
cristal clear highs
accurate, tight bass

system 2:
bigger soundstage
Extended highs
full bass

I can say that THIS IS THE HARDEST A/B comparison I’ve done. The nordost set up has good sound but lacks the massive sound from the wireworld. The Valhalla 2 xlr isn’t really opening up the sound wall to wall the way the platinum 7 does. I tried the Valhalla 2 with wireworld platinum 8 and Odin 1 speaker cables. I simply didn’t not like what it did to the sound and preferred the Platinum 7 xlr with either speaker cable. It just sounded much better with my set up.
As far as the speaker cable comparison... guys this is very difficult to do. My wife preferred the Odin over the wireworld. She said she felt “ more air and tighter bass” than with the platinum 8 speaker cable.
I felt that the wireworld 8 has a bigger soundstage with excellent mids and extended highs. The Odin has a tighter bass rather than a fuller bass. It has a soundstage that isn’t as wide but it is still big. i Can probably say that the wireworld also sounds excellent at any volume level but I am starting to think that it also “erases” the tube sound from the dac by imposing its own sound which is excellent sound by the way.
For example, There are certain songs that have certain hiss to them because that’s how they were recorded back in the day. With the wireworld this hissing is almost non existent but with the Odin the hissing is there. The bass from the wireworld is big and bold like a ported subwoofer and with the Odin it sounds as if it was a sealed subwoofer. That’s what I’ve gathered so far. Again, there’s NOTHING wrong with either sound. They just do things differently and go about their business in different fashion. In some songs I love the clean presentation of the wireworld and in some others I love the Odin. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Well I’m not sure if the Valhalla 2 is broken in. I’m not sure how much use it is. As far as the rest of the cables, yes they are all broken in 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Oppo is not in the league of the lampi. I just did this a/b test today and it’s a drastic
difference. The oppo sounds rolled off and dull in comparison. The Virgo 3 preamp has shown me their differences much easier than the ref10 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
@slowe2020...   
hi, 
this question is one PERFECT EXAMPLE of the typical questions i get via private messages or email. It is always important to know this:

  • how much are you wanting to spend?
  • what do you listen to? hardcore rock? metal? jazz? pop?
  • what are you lacking with your current speakers? 
  • what would you like to achieve with the new speakers?

it is nearly impossible for me to tell you what will make each person happy because this is all about flavors. I have my own desires and wants with audio, but they might not appeal to some of you. 
I value the following:

  • Big soundstage 
  • Depth 
  • Clarity (can't deal with warm speakers)
  • Tight bass (not necessary for it to be super deep)
  • Not Bright
  • Last but not least, has to have resolution

If a speaker fails to give me  the first 3 bullet points above, it is automatically leaving my room. This happens to be one thing i love about Wilson speakers by the way (3 top bullets). 
I will probably put together a video of the top speakers i have owned in the past and the top 2-3 worst speakers as well. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
The 535 amp I own here does not come within striking distance of the centaur 2. This whole conversation of waiting 3 years of playtime for a component to sound better means TO ME that your hearing got used to the sounds and not the component sounding better. I said it before, the 535 is a about 5 months old so if 5 months isnt enough break in time then I don’t know what to tell you.
The 535 was never meant to compete with the centaur 2 monos. That’s an amp I bought to evaluate and to see the kind of bang for the money it provides.
As far as the constellation’s detail, it’s some of the best detail behind detail that I’ve ever heard. I am trying to find something wrong with it and I can’t find a thing wrong with it.
Is it better than the block audios? I can’t really make that comparison because I used a ref10 on the block audios that I think wasn’t working 100%. They both are extremely good sounding amps.
What do I prefer? I prefer this constellation set up over any of my previous front ends.
It has pretty much everything I want in terms of sound.
That said, NO, let’s off get off the cloud and think that a baby 6500 dollar amp can compete against the top amplifiers.
You can’t make a corvette z06 be a Lamborghini aventador. I’ve been in both cars and even if the z06 were faster (which it is not), it STILL isn’t an aventador in terms of the driving experience. I’ve been on both ends of the amplifier chain; affordable and expensive and there’s a reason why some amps are more expensive.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
535 amplifier is taking a back seat for now. I don’t have any intentions of dismantling what I have put together. Everything right now is singing better than ever and I am in fear of undoing what I’ve done. I lack nothing right now and yesterday I listened to music for about an hour and I still can’t believe how amazing things are. 
Clarity - check
detail - check
bass - check
3d - check 
imaging - check 
transparency - check 
musicality- more than I could ask for 
fatigue - zero 
slam - check 
resolution - check 
expensive - check 

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
My findings are with either cables. Both sound exceptional but different. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Ok guys,
I’m going to put out a list of the top amps based on retail prices. Let me look at my list and then I’ll get back to you all. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Ok I’m putting together a list. I’ll have it loaded tonight. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 

Top Amplifiers By Retail Price

This is a list of the top amplifiers that i have experience with. If you don’t see an amp make my list, it might be because I haven’t owned it or I personally did not feel it was a strong candidate to make the cut.

Without further due, here we go:

TOP AMPLIFIERS UNDER $12K

1. Jeff Rowland 535: Excellent clarity, bass control, dynamics and speed. Soundstage could be wider (but remember I have power hungry Martin Logan Neoliths). Nothing is lacking, but it does not have the “finesse” which is expected since that is what the model 935 has in spades. This amp takes the number 1 spot because it is the cheapest amplifier of the bunch which means it gives you the greatest bang for the buck plus It can also be bridged to add more power. I think this is perhaps the best Class D amplifier i have ever heard. 

2. Plinius SA 103: Excellent Class A power amplifier. It has detail, clarity, and never fatigues. Its bass is not at the level of the Jeff Rowland 535 (can sound a little bloated when pushed) but it has the highs you’d expect from a Class A power amp (liquid, pour out of the speaker). This has the highs that the SB301 MK2 does not have. It is the amp that would shine if you love musicality over bass control.

3. Plinius SB301 MK2: Awesome bottom end. It just slams each note with grace and authority. I think this amp takes the 3rd place because the highs are not at the level of the Plinius SA103. If you were to compare it to the best amps out there, you would notice right away that it has a little grain without the last ounce of refinement that can be expected from a Class A amp for example. I personally value highs over lows. This has the lows that the Plinius SA103 does not have. If you want bass control for your speakers, this sucker is it. 

TOP AMPLIFIERS UNDER $20K

1. Luxman 900u: This amp easily beats the rest on this category list. Incredible musicality, smoothness, very quiet, insane build quality, easy to pair it with any preamp and it just sounds awesome with every speaker I have owned. When used in mono, everything is just bigger, more enhanced and the bass becomes tighter. The very best 150 watts per channel I have ever heard. The highs are sparkly, mids very tube-like, but the one negative would be that you could end up listening to music until 3am like I did. No other amp beats it for the money (that I have owned)

2. Simaudio 860a: Awesome 200 watt per channel amp. It runs cool (unlike the 900u Luxman), incredible highs, mids, bass. One thing, this amp is designed to always be left on because it needs a few days of warm up before it begins to shine. It drove my Revel Salon 2s with ease which was totally unexpected because they are not an easy load. Very beautiful presentation with a big soundstage that opens almost wall to wall. Lovely amp. Why is it behind the Luxman? because the luxman  has that lovely sweetness that is lethal for many including me.

3. Hegel H30: Very neutral, monstrous punch, visceral bass attack. That said, it does not have the musicality of my top 2 picks above. It is just a neutral amp that will give you what you put in it. Construction is a little suspect in my opinion. Does not seem as well built as the Luxman or Simaudio, but besides that this amp is really a powerful amp that will take on any speaker without breaking a sweat.

TOP AMPLIFIERS UNDER $30K

1. Luxman 900u Monos: Incredible soundstage width and depth. Clean, liquid, smooth, musical, and a hell of a lot of fun. For the money, NOTHING BEATS IT. It really sets a benchmark for the money. 

2. Musical Fidelity Titan: Can power an entire nightclub with ease. This amp has perhaps the LARGEST soundstage I have ever heard out of my Neolith. Incredible bass control (easily beating any amp above ). I believe this amp kills the Mcintosh 1.2kw at all levels. NO CONTEST. If you want sheer power, control, huge soundstage, this is the king. The only downfall is it is heavy and it is not easy to find on the used market. It has been a silent killer on my list

3. Mcintosh 2301: Shocker huh? I believe this amp is an incredible amplifier and perhaps the best amplifier that Mcintosh has ever built. It is very engaging, musical, fun. It has great mids and highs, but the bass could use a little more control (which is expected from a tube amp). Every time i turned this amp on, i was happy with what i was hearing

TOP AMPLIFIERS OVER $30K

1. Constellation Centaur 2: This was a tough call. I could see the Block Audio as #1, but because the Centaur 2 is so musical and very LUXMAN-LIKE in terms of sound, it is just easy on the ears and listening sessions become long. Downfalls? Expensive and very big…

2. Block Audio SE: This could be #1, but I prefer the Centaur’s presentation. That said, Block audio is a race car in terms of speed, monster bass control with its 5,000 damping factor and a level of Class A liquidity that Pass Labs only wishes to duplicate. I see this amp as an improved Pass Labs. In my opinion, THIS IS THE BEST BUILT AMPLIFIER I HAVE EVER OWNED. Downfalls? HEAVY @ 98kgs.

3. Jeff Rowland 925: Beautiful, clean sounding. Very SMOOOOOOTH, non-fatiguing, excellent construction and an incredible level of transparency. Only CON? Soundstage is not exactly the widest I have heard and it needs too long of a break-in. Incredible build quality that looks like a ROLEX. 

4. Pass labs XS150: Amazing Class A clarity with bass control. Mids, lows, highs are all there in spades. Why #4? HEAT… they will make you sweat like you are in a sauna and they need just too much space. They also don’t have the extra ounce of finesse in terms of highs and mids as my top choices from this category. 

TOP DISSAPOINTMENTS:

1. Pass labs 350.8: I liked this amp at first, but once I tried the luxman 900u it was rather apparent it is so far behind from its direct competitors. It is a huge amp that really makes you wonder WHY something is so huge and not sound as good as it looks. It has a decent presentation, but it does not grab you or make you sit and listen the same way the Simaudio 860a, Luxman or Plinus SA103 would. They must go back to the drawing board with their .8 series.

2. Classe Audio CAM600: These amps are lifeless. No soul, warmish, nothing really jumps at you and those fans on the back can be annoying at times. I would much rather own the old CAM400s over these.

3. Mcintosh 601s: I just don’t know WHY would anyone buy these amps over a single Luxman 900u. Is it the gauges? The look? I am not sure because it sure isn’t the sound. Nothing about these amps grab you at all. Nothing jumps at you so this is just a good purchase in terms of investing your money in something that won’t depreciate as fast as some other amps on this list

4. Boulder 2060: Excellent construction that just doesn’t deliver any sort of WOW factor. It sounds NOTHING like Class A. Very cold, sterile, boring, lifeless, etc.

5. New Line of Krell Amplifiers: They have fallen behind in so many ways. I’ve owned some of their new stuff and the highs are just not there anymore. I don’t know why, but I don’t like how their design creates so much class A, yet it does not sound like pure class a to me. They lack emotion, soul, etc.

BEST AMPS OVERALL FOR THE MONEY:

1. Luxman 900u: This amp simply wins the overall category due to its sound and price. It really is number one because it brings SO MUCH performance for the money and easily shows you the kinks in the armor of other manufacturers.

2. Plinius SA 103: Given how much this amp can be had for on the used market, it is a steal what you get for the money. I love Class A and THIS IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE CLASS A amplification you can get. I prefer this amp over any Krell amplifier I’ve owned. I prefer Class A over Class D

3. Jeff Rowland 535: This is a steal for the asking price. Extremely clear sounding amplifier that might sound even clearer than my top picks here, but it is Class D and it won’t engage you as much as a Luxman 900u. However, it has thunderous control, speed and dynamics in spades and some of you might totally appreciate that over the heat of a Class A design.

That is it folks, if I you don’t see a certain amp here, it probably did not leave me with a long lasting impression. Enjoy!


jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Viber:
please take conversations that have to do with live events or anything related to it  to a private conversation. Let’s keep the thread on track please. 
I also ask everyone to PLEASE not have your own thread inserted in my thread. A few posts is fine but when it keeps going on and on then it’s best to create a thread or begin private conversations with each other. 


jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Let the battle begin 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
hi, 
yes, the Christine is listed. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Boulder 1160 or Luxman 900u monos? 
That's a tough one...I'd have to hear both again to really advise. My gut tells me boulder 1160 but the m900u mono is no joke...
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Time to unveil the secret...
Enjoy !

https://youtu.be/s1Hirx0V_Us
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
There are two  key qualities that I look for in an amplifier which are:
-musicality 
-ability to provide detail and imaging even at low volumes

if those reside in an amp, it immediately grabs my attention. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
As good as the 535 rowland is, the luxman is on another level. If people by now have not understood how good the luxman 900u is with as much praise as I give it AND I don’t even own it, then I don’t know what else to say to that. Hell, I might go back to to a pair of 900u Monos down the road again 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
@blumartini 
RIP My man. I wish you the best of luck in your new journey up above. 
Sad news for me. We never know when our last day will be. We are all certainly on borrowed time. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Not at this time. I have bigger plans and I can't strap money on other components. That is all I'll say for now. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Hi guys,
ive decided to hold off from taking delivery of the tube amps I wanted to try because I’m right now having contractors come over to give me estimates in order to build a dedicated room in my garage. I am now more about that than ever before and well the few quotes I’ve received are ballpark with what I’ve expected. That said, I’m thinking that something will need to be sacrificed from my equipment in order to free up cash that can be put towards the room. Neoliths, Lampizator etc. I’m brainstorming with what I want to part ways with for now if I do decide to do this.
i also plan to make this room a home theater room to share with the family so there will be a full 11.2 set up at some point. I don’t personally like electrostatics too much for surround sound so maybe a focal, Wilson or a new brand is coming? Not sure, too much up in the air. 
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Based on what I was told, the room would be about 16 X 22
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@ron.
yep, that is why i said some categories might work their way out. This is all the beginning and adjustments will be made as time passes when it comes to categories.
I personally have decided that i want to keep one sweet amp and one dynamic/explosive amp (momentum s250 and gryphon respectively).
i don’t believe one can compare a sweet amp to an amp that isn’t -such as soulution. I have tried in the past and i noticed it is too difficult to do. If you like luxman then you will love constellation, momentum. If you like Simaudio then you will love gryphon. 
Now, let me just say that OF COURSE you can help an amp become "sweeter" by way of cabling, sources and obviously using a tube preamp. 
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Ok so you guys are now going the opposite way from what I was told at first about my crappy room. Lol. Now that I’m planning on a separate space, people are now sounding like I might actually be in a worse position than what I’m currently in. 
Make up your minds ! :) 
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I think the luxman 900u is about a 7-8 on sweetness and a 6 with dynamics /slam
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Keep something in mind guys,
Let’s say I had given the simaudio a 98% overall score, WHERE would I place the simaudio 888 MONOS if I got them ? Where would I place a pair of gryphon mephisto Monos ? 150% ??
Gotta keep things in perspective for today and the future amps that will come.
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I’m not moving out of my house to find a better room for my speakers lol. I just moved in here a year ago... 
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Same size as above. But it’s got openings. It’s a living room. 
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Unfortunately, in SOUTH FLORIDA, as in Miami Beach, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, big rooms for dedicated sound aren’t a thing. Those that are lucky enough to have a huge room for just music tend to have names likes Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Celine Dion, Tiger Woods, etc. Average joes like myself can’t afford to buy a huge home with enough real state to have a huge room for just music. South Florida isn’t Texas where you can move in the middle of nowhere and buy acres of land for nothing and land your own plane too. There are cities where you simply can’t have all this room that some of you have. New York City - mostly apartments
Miami- small property for a lot of $
Los Angeles, San Francisco’s - probably the same thing.
Big cities just don’t bless you with extra space for you just to do your thing with.
NOBODY in south Florida looks for a house with a dedicated media room. That doesn’t exist here. People pay more attention to a garage, or ocean view or a backyard. Those are the things that are most important here for most buyers.
Sure I can sell off all my gear and buy a bigger home and then buy  AirPods so I can jam out to bob marley in the extra dedicated room. 
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The actual usable  space inside the room will be 16x22x9.  
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I am still playing with cables. I’ve experienced some interesting things which I’ll share. 
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Yes, the d agostino hd Preamp is spectacular. 
I know what to do to turn the simaudio 860 into a sweeter presentation. I'll share this later. 
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It is easier to turn a slam/dynamic neutral amp Into a sweet amp by adding a tube preamp than the other way around; It’s hard to turn a sweet amp (tuned to sound this way) into an explosive machine...
Think of it as this: it is easy to make your "plain" tasting food taste sweet by adding honey or sugar to it ,but can you make sweet tasting food taste plain again?? Once it’s sweet, it’s hard to go back to being "plain" again .. 
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Guys,
please keep back and forth conversations about other subjects outside my thread. 
Thanks 
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Contributing is all good. That said, am I the only person that is going through equipment in the last 3 years? I gotta believe some of you have swapped amplifiers throughout  the last 3 years. Why not post your thoughts here? I know I’m not the only one here who goes through amps. Why don’t some of you put paper to pen and share your personal experience????
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Hi,
im still thinking I will be doing a home theater with a 110-120 inch screen. I don’t know yet of the configuration I’ll be using.
most likely JL Audio subs, marantz processor, and class d amps for all surround speakers. I’m not quite sure yet.

Keithr: I still need to try dartzeel but my issue is that they don’t have enough juice for my Neoliths.... if they had a powerhouse of an amp that was not 160k, I’d try them.
I’ve said it before, my last 2 brands are momentum amps and gryphon amps. Granted, if Krell releases something incredible or Bryston or someone else, I’d put them in my radar.
Lastly, some of you have asked me why I don’t focus on preamps as well and the truth is that I love amplifiers. It is my favorite component and it always puts the biggest smile on my face. I also love big, huge chassis, crazy construction and just those Godzilla looking amps. Granted, they are a pain to deal with, but I have always felt like no small tiny amp has ever beaten the big amps I’ve owned. As a kid growing up, I loved taking apart my toys to see the inside, the wires, the motors, etc. I loved opening my portable CD player and trying to figure out how the hell a laser beam reads a cd. I was obsessed with graphing calculators too. Then one day I developed interest in cars and bought my first corvette z06 at 26 years old. I immediately pulled it in the garage and without any sort of experience, I managed to take apart the engine And install a bigger camshaft with new valve springs. Of course it was nerve-wrecking because I didn’t know if the car would start, but it did and all was well after I tuned it. 
The reason for the story? Amplifiers have the same effect on me as what those other things in my past did. 
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I owned Dynaudio C4 platinum, c1 platinum, evidence temptation. 
Good sound but I can't say it is better than the magicos and wilsons or focal Utopias of the world. 
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Well,
this amp just became part of my list of future amps.... as soon as it releases, I will make calls and bring it. I hope it delivers and doesn’t fail to impress me more than the 860a. Any other new amps that released in Munich?

This blows that Munich always has the newest stuff coming out to consumers. It pisses me off that most new offerings are always showcased in Munich first. 
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Watch my video on the accuphase e800. It is the worst integrated for the money. 
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Xa25 is probably an incredible amp but I im not sure it would be sufficient for my Neoliths. I have said it many times, these speakers come alive with more juice and very little amplification makes them sound somewhat rolled off and anemic. 


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I did receive it and it is gone. I also have the Rowland 535 here and it hasn’t seen action in weeks. I received a Classe amp2 Class d amp and I plan to do a shootout between this amp and the Rowland 535.
I am also mad and a little drunk right now so I might be selling off my constellation centaur 2 monos. I can’t say much more than that at this time other than I’m going to be heading to tube amps or class d amps. Yep, Rowland 925s or Belcanto black system might make a return here.
I will share with you all the reason why I am thinking of going to class d sometime in the near future. I’m just a little pissed off right now. This journey is crazy to say the least and it does get on my nerves at times. When you think you’ve got what you wanted and then sometime else pops up which totally messes with your head. Ugh... let me keep sipping on this vodka soda and blast this at 100 dbs. 
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I certainly like more thump and muscularity. I think Hegel is great but construction isn’t at the level of the luxman, gryphon etc. 

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Well folks,
it looks like the garage will be built into a 22x19 room. Im 95% sure it will happen before July. Come July, I plan to begin filming videos inside the room and hopefully creating a YouTube channel where I will be able to share this entire journey. 
Exciting to say the least since I will be able to do everything from a space that will be for me and my madness without any sort complaints from the wife. YES! 
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Wait wait riaa... when did you get the 900u? lol. I guess my constant preaching of this amp finally made you pull the trigger :) 
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