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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!


jays_audio_lab

Showing 6 responses by pindac

pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
I've visited this thread on and off for a good period of time.
I've used it to gain knowledge of SS Power Amp's

The recent Support from Video Footage to present a Brand has been very well received by myself,
a extension for many to take a seat in a audition room, and a great way to allow a person to experience a Reputable Brand delivering a well thought out presentation. 

I stopped using dealerships many years in the past, and used HiFi Events more often to gather information about particular Brands.
To be able to listen to a Presentation in a Purpose Produced Room with a careful matching of interfaces between devices, is the added benefit to making the time to enjoy the experience.     
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
I've visited the Tekton ULF Youtube Demonstration, and am very pleased to have done so.
The Tekton ULF has a delivery that was very satisfying to my personal tastes.
If the Youtube set up was in a Room at a HiFi event, I would be making  dedicated return visits to such a room, to use it as a benchmark for other auditions being listened to.
 
Without putting too much emphasis on the Purchase Price, there does seem to be a lot of attractors on offer from these speakers performance, for the required outlay.   
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
In the past presentations I have not been familiar in any way with the equipment being presented very generously by Jay.

I have listened to your latest youtube presentations and am left with the usual good impressions that you are regularly creating, left with the wish to hear the System in the Room. 

With the Soulution Amplifier now used within Jay's System, I can now say I am familiar with this 'Brand' as a Pre Amp' and Mono Block Power Amp' arrangement and have Auditioned them with both CD and Vinyl Sources through Maxonic TW1100 Mk II Speakers.

I can't say how the Amp' Set Up I have very much enjoyed when heard, compares to Jay's own Set Up.
One is heard via Youtube and the other in a Dedicated Listening Room 
I would like to think I have a impression in mind of what is on offer,
due to my experience of being present when auditioning one of the
Systems .

I have heard the Soulution Amp's used to audition a variety of devices,
some owned by myself, more so, I have heard them compared to a selection of Power Amplification from Commercial 211 Valves through to OTL Valve and Kit Built DIY Solid State.

The Soulution Amp's are the Resident Amps in use at a HiFi Club Event
I periodically visit, where members assemble from throughout the UK
to present their projects they are working with.
For me to attend this Event is a 400 Mile Round Trip, so it has to considered as to when a attendance can be arranged.
It is a very good venue to meet and receive assessment from Professionals, i.e, HiFi Production Company Directors,
Hi End HiFi Equipment Sales Representatives, Media Journalists through to very adept Enthusiast Builders.  

The Soulution Amp's I have heard are, as said, very impressive and can captivate a audience when the Source and Speakers in use is a match for their performance capabilities. 

I know Jay is only interested in off the shelf products, even though some are obscure and not easy to source.
As a result the following might not appeal to his plans for presentations.

A few years past I have heard a Neurochrome Monoblock Power Amplication used at the HiFi Club Event used as a Demonstration.

The Neurochrome Demonstration was also a comparison to the
Soulution Monoblock Power Amp's, as these were in use prior to the Amp exchange..
For the Short Duration of the presentation, the performance qualities between the Soulution / Neurochrome were almost indistinguishable, the two separate performances were extremely close.
How this would be reported on as a extended comparison in a Home System might effect the outcome of the report.
I know one thing, that is assured the cost of a Neurochrome and how it delivers is very attractive. 

The cost differences between the Neurochrome and other reputable Branded Power Amp's is broad.
The Bang for Buck,  VFM, element attached to the Neurochrome is a much wanted commodity.

Since the Event referred to above, there has been a number of reports sent out by different individuals about the experience, with the result being,  that a run on Neurochrome Builds has been taking place within the UK.
I have been fortunate to have been able to hear a couple of different build versions ( prior to Covid ) in a few different systems.
When compared to other Power Amplification that has been in use, 
each version auditioned leaves a positive impression and good memory.

I would encourage a Neurochrome Audition, 'if possible to create' ,
as it might just prove a valuable offering as a option to your site visitors that can't extend their budgets to the limits of the usual equipment under review.  
    
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
I would have to make further enquiries to be accurate on reporting if the 
500 or 700 Soulution Model was used as the Main Amplification on the day.

The Soulution Mono Block Amp's in use on this day were only one set of Monoblock Power Amp's, Soulution equipment was not being compared to each other, as this was a enthusiasts day out, at a venue that belongs to a Purveyor of HiFi Devices.
The Resident System on the premises has very desirable Hi End Devices in use.
Additionally I know the System in use has a multiple Thousand ££££'s 
IC Cable and Mains Power supporting the interfaces.    

Because of the Quantity of Devices brought along for the day.
The Turnover of Devices undergoing a review on one of these days,
usually has a play time / audition,  limited to Three Tracks of the
Device owners choice.

This is enough time to understand if similarities are to be noticed or differences are perceived.
It is not enough of a Time Allowance for a person with a keen interest 
to be Analytical in a assessment during the comparison. 

pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
I have watched the latest Youtube.
It makes sense that Jay has chosen to request a assessment and second opinion of his present 'in use' system.
It makes more sense that he has chosen a individual with a known history in being familiar with some of the Brands being auditioned, as well as being familiar with some of the Brands that have been superseded. 

To get the type of experience that Jay has wanted to represent him in a third party assessment of his latest guise of system and presentations offered to the Public.
He has obviously chosen a person whose Professional Views are trusted by himself.
In this case a Guy called Mike who is affiliated with South Coast Audio.
During his career he has obviously developed a ear for various presentations on offer from Hi End Devices and experienced the Devices in a variety of environments. 

Mike has made a claim on one of his perceptions of the replay,
that has stuck with me more than his other descriptions. 
The reference made to the 'Transparency' that he has perceived in the Performance of the 'M6'.

My HiFi experience has been evolving, so very similar to most enthusiasts experiences.
During the times of exposure to new experiences and investigations undertaken, a individual finds a direction they wish to pursue.

The Road Divide's for most Enthusiasts, this is not because they have found their Holy Grail System.
It is most commonly down to, 'how much colour' they like to perceive in their System..
The range of colour a individual is willing to tolerate is a unique condition, and only the individual can select the perceivable intrusion of noticeable colour they are satisfied with.

Mike also made the statement that the Pre>Power Combo with the Pass Power Amp was exceptional.
I am making the assumption this Combo was responsible for the Transparency that he had perceived.
He also shared that a Valve device used as a alternative might add to a perception of added colour.

I myself have heard another Brand of Speakers known for their Transparency, used with SS Pre > Power Amp's and Valve Pre > Amp's as well as other configurations.
I myself prefer a perceived Transparency in a presentation from a system, and have worked with maintaining this for many years.

Varying the Configurations of the above Amplification have always maintained the perception of Transparency,
even though there are noticeable changes when devices are exchanged.
As Mike claimed there are ways to change the Flavour/Seasoning. 

From a personal View,  when a Transparent Presentation is Wed to,
the created system offers a presentation that is difficult to detract from.    
         
pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 
Visiting this thread during 2020 due to having time on ones hands and having been exposed to limited interaction outside of the home has been a good time spent, it certainly served a purpose to see and hear a few off the beated track equipmment choices.
During the 2020 December Holidays and since, the time taken to drop in to watch a Video presentation has been another good time spent.

Making assessments of audible qualities of a device through a Laptop has been a stumbling block, but the method has been great for seeing the equipment, picking up on songs worth pursuing and listening to discussions and presentations from guests.

I have again, as a result of COVID restrictions being eased, began to visit the homes of others and share in HiFi related social gatherings where a HiFi System is at the centre of the meeting.

At one arranged visit just recently attended,  I was preparing the music to be brought to the meeting by listening to CD's played in the Car on my daily journies.
Out of Four CD's selected,  two were new to my collection with tracks not too familiar to myself.
When these tracks were played on the HiFi system during the visit,            I did not recognise the Tracks and thought the choices were incorrect,  not that that mattered too much.

What really struck home is what a person can forget.
I like the car audio system, it is great for catching up on owned music,
I also enjoy Alexa, so much selection on a voice command.
None of these are a Dedicated HiFi System as I know it.

A HiFi system listened to in the dedicated environment, will produce a presentation that can not be replicated through other types of listening,
and definitely not through a recording using a standard type microphone.
Any methods used will be way off, unless it is a professional sound recording, with certain file type is produced to be replayed. 
To try and Mimic the presentation of the system without such support,
will be quite deficient in delivering the fullness of the HiFi Systems capabilities.

There is very expensive equipment on these video demonstrations, to assess it for its audible qualities without the correct recording information being made available to be assessed,  can prove to be damaging to the equipmemts reputation, when the commentry is non complimentary.

There are a lot of observers looking in on the content of the videos.
Because of this popularity the commentary that follows goes far afield. 
 
To be very fair to the equipment producers, the follow up discussions should be clearly defined that all commentry are limited to the perceptions about the audio quality having been replayed through a Laptop, where the sound content of the video has not been produced professionally.

I don't see how any commentary can be taken too seriously about the audio quality of the equipment, and any commentary that discredits a piece of equipment, as a result of the video being the evidence to justify the discredit, is very quite unfair to the producer.
Any subjective commentary on the Aesthetics or Guests Discussions will have more substantiation as the videos demonstrate the appearance of items and the narration quite sufficiently.
  
    
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