BTW i'm 69.
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!
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!
Showing 50 responses by rh67
This hobby should be fun but unlike other hobby's what one gets out of it is personal, just by it's nature not everyone is going to be in total agreement. Bottom line should be about the music and not trying to be right or convince others that you are. Personally i have other hobby's i like cars and collect vintage race motorcycles. I have a C8 Corvette coming next month and today i just ordered a Ram TRX. For me having more than one hobby keeps me from getting obsessed in one. This could work for others. I bring this up because i did not log on all day and when i did this evening all i read is three pages of bickering. I read this thread to hopefully learn something and to read what might be coming next from Jay, opinions are fine but it seems some are beyond that. Lets all take a deep breath and get back to having some fun. |
whitecamaross I have to applaud you for what your doing, in many respects it`s a service for many. Keep up the good work. |
I love this thread and the videos. It`s a bummer that at my age i know that i will never be able to afford what`s being presented here but it`s still fun and most of this equipment never shows up at the audio shows so thank you WC. For me i much preferred the sound of the Gryphon over the Pass, reminded me of the best 300B amps but with drive, power and control. |
Here is my vote for Jay's next speaker. https://oceanwayaudio.com/hra/ |
My brother has owned these speakers for over 5 years. They produce a sound that is real life not sugar coated or warmed over, if you want colored sound these are not your speakers it's plain and simple. Listening to these speakers in person is an experience that can only be appreciated in person the air in the room becomes music an event that you can hear and feel develop into instruments and a performance. Thinking that you know what they sound like via youtube you are mistaken. It takes months and a lot of music to fully realize how great they are. |
I have had my AGD Audion's powering my brothers XLF's and the sound was amazing, to the extent that my brother is considering selling his two month old Boulder amps. AGD offers a trial period. I will be attending THE SHOW this weekend and i will have a chance to get a taste of their more expensive amps which might not be a good thing for my wallet. But to be honest the AGD Audions do everything i could ask. |
Well i seem to differ from most. Demo 1 was more natural with a laid back feeling. Demo 2 at first grabbed my attention with a touch of fireworks thrown in, a little forward with some pizzazz, very life like but is it true to the recording? Demo 2 was fun but not sure for how long i could listen. Right now via my homemade headphones i believe Demo 1 is the MSB DAC and it's my preference. |
chazzzy007 I agree with you and why i mentioned is Demo 2 true to the recording? Demo 1 is clear and articulate, Demo 2 not quite as clear with maybe a touch of distortion which can give the impression of extended highs and crispness. The comparison between these DAC's is very unique the sound is so different between the two. |
In the recording industry Demo 2 DAC i believe would be called a little dirty a trait sought after for rock to hard rock. This is not a bad thing. Each DAC with a cable change could have a different personality from what we hear in the videos. Demo 2 could sound like Demo 1 with a cable change and vice versa. With DAC's at these performance levels it's so important that each component is matched to another component to get the desired results one desires. |
My 10 yr. old Lampazator DAC still to me sounds as good as anything i have heard in the 3-10k price range. Every year i try the so called latest and greatest within the price range given and not one DAC has sounded better. I can afford to pay more than 10k but honestly can not justify paying more than 10k for a DAC. |
Jay Interesting that what you describe between both DAC's is what i heard via YT. What is interesting is that your YT videos are that good that i'am able to evaluate the DAC's to such a level. Maybe i had an edge as i'm familiar with the Wilson speakers and MSB DAC and together they produce a sound that i enjoy and there was a familiarity and comfort to the sound. The sound must have been amazing in the room to feel and hear air turn into music. I would like the Wilsons to stay for awhile we know the sound and it would benefit us in evaluating new electronics brought into the room, it would give us a baseline. Great work! |
Sometimes keeping it simple is better. My Wilson's to me in my room sound better with the casters as opposed to the supplied spikes. Two weeks ago at the audio show i was talking to a DAC manufacture after i noticed he just had a cable from the router to the server and just a Shunyata Omega USB from server to DAC, no switch box and no filters or clocks, he told me that after thousands of hours of listening keeping it simple and the tech employed in the DAC provided the best SQ. This seemed to be the current theme as most of the other vendors had similar set ups. |
I know it can be difficult on YT but i would like to hear a larger selection of music. Most on YT seem to have the same cherry picked playlist same genre ect. Even none audiophile recordings can have Easter eggs in them. I was at the audio show a couple weeks ago and it was amazing and boring at how many rooms were playing the same music. |
I know back problems very well. My real job in life and what paid the bills was that i was in the Army for 34yrs, SF in Viet Naim, then the DOD and what ever US agency that needed my talents until i retired. I made 214 jumps many with 80lb packs depending on the mission. I cannot count how many times i landed in trees and had to cut myself free and free fall to the ground i also did a lot of smoke jumping. It all has taken it's toll mostly in my back. Jay is correct there is no cure, i have even been to specialist in Europe and there is nothing that can be done but to keep moving. I cannot even use a Chiropractor as i could be paralyzed. What helps me is riding my dirt bike i feel so much better after a day of riding. I'm 68yrs old and even with my back problems i do a lot more than most my age. It helps to think young and to stay active it's all you can do. |
jmeyers Make a list of what your interested in then find a dealer who sells the brands that interest you and see if they offer a home trial. Just off the top of my head Reno Audio, GTT Audio and AGD offer home trials on what they sell and i'm sure many more do. |
I agree, i have spent a lot of time (months) listening to the XA25 with the XLF and i found it to be the best Pass amp with the XLF. More money spent does not always equal better SQ either. My AGD amps paired with the XLF produces some of the best music i have heard at 1/4 the cost of some of the amps reviewed here. |
Regarding Pass i believe most who are in an uproar it's not so much about the equipment but the man behind the equipment that they feel they are protecting. I have owned some of the amps you have reviewed and own Wilson's, what people have to realize is that in my experience differences are not night and day and on any given day an amp can sound slightly different. I do not think at this level there is a right or wrong get what you like regardless of another's opinion, sure we all like a little direction but from there one should be on their own. |
rices There is truth in some of what you say. I was able to compare my AGD amps against my brothers Boulder 3050 amps for a month driving Wilson XLF's. The Boulder edged out the AGD Audion's slightly but considering the AGD Audion is the entry level amp for AGD it did spectacular. |
jetter It's the one product that in decades that has made a significant impact in my experience regarding audio. It's worth posting about and many here have taken my advice and concur as i do. I do not post just to post as it seems many here do. I have owned many of the brands mentioned here but none have given me the motivation as the AGD's have. Now if i posted about every product i have owned and gave it a thumbs up then you would have reason to question a post from me. |
ricevs I’m lucky that my brother own’s the Boulder amps and pre-amp and i had the opportunity to hear for myself. I made it clear that the Boulder amp edged out the Audion. I had my brothers equipment for 40 day’s he was nice enough to drive it out fro AZ to Ca. He was also curious as he knows it takes a lot for me to get excited about a product, needless to say he was more than impressed with the little AGD amps. The big difference for me between the amps is that the Boulder amps provided a presence within the mid-range that was special it is something that i cannot put into words but something that can be felt on an emotional level, like i said hard to explain but beautiful to experience. Considering the Boulders price at over 20 times the price of the Audion it should be special. Is the Boulder 20 times better NO! How would the Boulder compare to the top of the line AGD amps i can only speculate. When the Boulders left my house did i miss them? Yes, but only for a couple of days. One has to decide how much better something is in relation to price. A year ago the wife gave me the go ahead to buy a McLaren, i had been doing a lot of reading about the new C8 Corvette, i was lucky enough to drive both for several days. The McLaren is a spectacular car but for me it was not four times better than the C8 Corvette so i opted to buy the C8 even though i had the green light for the McLaren. Besides bragging rights the performance was not there to justify the huge difference in price. |
Jay You last video is your best to date. It shows a maturity that your gaining. Regarding Wilson speakers you hit the nail on the head but it's not only with the XLF, what you describe holds true to other Wilson speakers going back to the Watt Puppy which with the right components can sound great. The Wilson XLF with the right equipment has girth the air pushed from the speaker has the weight to fill an illusion for our ears and mind. I have heard singers singing just inches from my ears, quite something to experience so real like someone was sitting next to me singing. Regarding power it has to be the right amp producing the right power, i have had 300 watt Class D amps that sound bad powering Wilsons, hollow watts as i call them zero weight. Sure as you mentioned they can get the Wilsons to play loud but who the Wilsons are and their personalty is lost. All Wilsons take work and dedication but once you get there your rewarded in a big way. I have had Wilsons for over forty years and even when i owned my own speaker company Delphi Speakers i owned Wilsons starting with the original Wamms. |
I have heard the Merrill 118s with the Christine pre and while they sounded very good for me they lacked soul. They get to the point and give what's being delivered from the source but i felt in an almost unfriendly manner, the AGD amps do the same but in a a friendly manner if that makes any sense. |
I hate to be negative but that sounds like recorded music coming out of a box aka equipment from the 70's. If you like Audio Note speakers these could be an option. We are all different and what's important to you might not be to me. The sound in the video is one reason i started my speaker company in the 70's Delphi which evolved into the Imager speaker. I was looking for a way to bring live into the home away from a recorded presentation so prevalent at the time. I met David Wilson at the time and we both had the same goals and to a point we would share ideas he was just better at implementing those ideas than i was. I respected his speakers so much that i owned them. So much better than the Tannoy and other British speakers that dominated at the time. The goal for me is to bring real live sound into my living environment and not the best of recorded music, there is a difference. Everything counts ones system has to be the total package. |
logydoghan I could not agree with you more. |
Layers in guitar amp distortion can sound beautiful and fantastic via a tube amp. Most notable guitar players use tube amps to produce the sounds and textures that we hear in their recordings. I'm also a big fan of surf guitar done right, it's simple but has a quite amazing signature. Great electric guitar has body and soul but most do not know what to listen for. A SS amp can be too fast with rock while a tube amp could be just right, up until the late 70's most recording studios were all tube and most guitar amps were tube also so if one is listening to classic rock for example what your listening too was born via tubes. Tube amps are just like SS some are good and some are better. What Mike Fremer means by snap i have no idea he is just a reviewer and what he says should be taken with a grain of salt just like any other professional reviewer, some of these people think that they are the real "EXPERTS" when in reality it's a side hustle to make some coin. The VAC 425iq is a fantastic amp and i have mentioned it here a few times, i have had experience with the mono blocks and not the integrated which i'am sure is also great. In their price range it's hard for me off the top of my head to think of a SS amp that can equal the 425iq. If Jay has the VAC things are going to get interesting for sure. |
Sizzle is what you hear at a burger joint. There is a big difference between sizzle and hearing the leading edge of let`'s say cymbals decaying into the sunset, there is an edge that opens a window into reality. Finding the balance of overdone and not enough is the trick, amps can and do sound different from each other but are they really moving ahead or just sounding different. I can mod any amp to sound different from the original but different does not mean better. Amp design is key more so than the sum of the parts. |
viber6 You do not understand, no disrespect but i'll leave it at that. Regarding live vs recorded i have spent decades with live sound, i was one of the sound personal for the GD and built and designed speakers for what was called the Wall Of Sound, spent decades in studios and clubs in the SoCal area, Doc Severson used to play everynight at the Vine Street Bar And Grill after The Tonight Show i was a regular there, the Pasadena Civic and Greek Theater were my other hang outs, these were not dives but venues that had great acoustics. I truly believe you need to listen to better equipment instead of mid high end equipment. It has it's place but not in this tread. If someone cannot hear a difference between lamp cord and good speaker cable it's either that persons hearing or their equipment is no as good as they think it is. |