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!


jays_audio_lab
20,890 responses 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I’ll say it here first:
I just paid for wilson Audio Chronosonic and  relentless monoblocks. Stay tuned for more
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
denon1:
Which speakers have you seen be really good with Luxman L590axii and which if any were not?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Thanks for the added context Ron17. 

Dave:
I am still running synergistic research (i typically list the components playing as seen on the latest comparisons)


thezaks
712 posts
 
WC,
Do you still use the SR ground products and platform products, or are those completely gone now? 

Dave
ron17
607 posts
 
@techno

Not sure what you are accusing Jay and Mike of doing here. In the video Mike clearly said he stopped by to drop off some 'toys'....a world class amp that he delivered and was going to help set up. It sounded to me like Jay caught him off guard and decided to conduct an impromptu video and get his impression of what he heard. Sounded like Mike was being honest about what he heard with the Pass and Soulution gear....Also whether you are in the Wilson or Magico camp, the M6's have created quite a buzz....a positive buzz.

Seems like you wait just to find something to blow way out of context. If you're not happy with the way Jay conducts this thread and his YouTube channel why waste your time with it? I think you need to find more things to occupy your time.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Wow. That is impressive. First I’ve heard a first-person ownership account that rates the Luxman L590axii as better than Gryphon Diablo 300 based on actual ownereship and living with both.
Impressive for Luxman indeed.

this is why we need that 8-way integrated survivor shootout
denon1
349 posts
 
To me luxman 590axii class A is better than pass int-250. And I had pass int-250 twice in my system. Pass may be a little more dynamic, but luxman is more organic with great bass and details. It does not have that harshness/hardness that many class AB (with exception of megabuck amplifiers) have. A while ago I made a comment that out of many integrated I had in my house (accuphase e-800, e-470, plinius hiato, gamut 150 le, pass int-60 and plass int-250, luxman 509x, gryphon diablo 300 and some others) I rated accuphase e-800 as number one followed by luxman 590axii and Gryphon. After many hours of listening in my system to me now the luxman 590axii takes number one spot (again for me) on that list followed by Gryphon 300 and pass int-250. Of course speaker matching/synergy is a must.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
WC had an Accuphase integrated and didn’t like it at all is my recollection. You can find the video on his YT channel. Don’t recall the Accuphase model.

By contrast, WC said the Luxman L590AXII is the best amplifier (integrated or otherwise) available that he has had under $12k msrp, and he said that right after reviewing the Pass Labs $12k msrp integrated, whichever one that is (Pass int-250 I think).

You can see his video where WC declares the 590AXII one of his top 3 amps for bang for buck (along with m900u and Gryphon Constellation), and his comment on L590AXII being better than anything at $12k or lower msrp came in direct response to me asking him that question on this thread, maybe 80 pages back, haha
denon1
349 posts
 
Inna, you said "I will take used Accuphase class A integrated over new Luxman every day" Can you please elaborate on this? Did you hear latest Luxman 590axII?. Currently I have accuphase e-800 and luxman 590axII. And I would say that it depends on the speakers. On my Sonus Faber I prefer Luxman. More involving with bigger sounstage, better dynamics and the same level of details. Accuphase has great synergy with B&W speakers. Overall (to me) it possess great tonality but more suitable for more near field, intimate listening. It generates very delicate, refined sound, but its less involving than Luxman. The Accuphase class A separates like A-75 and A-250 monos and their top models pre-amps are the different ball game so.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
I’m dropping my mbl prediction - now kinda doubting that those would make sense (ya, I know this is confusing to follow).

I actually now think it could be possible that the mystery amps already in WC’s room could already be Gryphon Solo Mephisto (which was part of my initial guess but was targeted for June, not now), either that or my real initial guess of Audio Research.

Stay chill, WC. Easier said than done but you’re usually pretty good at it.

Techno, I’m no angel either but no need to be difficult just for the sake of it. As I said previously, you should be giddy (or did I say "jolly?") now given your disdain for Wilson Audio and it’s now-3-week absence from the room. Cheer up, dude! You don’t know how long it’ll be until a new Wilson returns, as it inevitably will given that WC likes Wilson so much better than anything else : ) (see, I try to tweak him too sometimes : ), can’t help it) Save your crabiness for when the Wilson returns dude!
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.    
         
inna
7,919 posts
 
I heard a few interviews with Flemming Rasmussen and liked him enough. He likes large scale music, and for that I think his amps and big speakers should be great. Boulder might still do better but I don't know that.
I think, it makes sense to keep posting here, Audiogon is widely read. Some people sometimes say unpleasant things in a not very polite manner, true, so what ?
I didn't exactly enjoy the appearance of a dealer either, though, but what he says won't influence my impressions. And one of them is that Pass sucks, including with M6. Another is that there is nothing "glassy" about the Soulution 530. There is something in that direction because the speakers and maybe the amp too are not fully burnt in yet. And yet another is, I'll repeat, there is not enough bass there. I would appreciate more weight to the music as well, but that's my preference, Wilson direction.
henry201
145 posts
 
@Techno
Now you are being rude and delusional. Do you always refer to yourself as ’"majoritary"?
Watch out, so the whopper’s ketchup does not mess up the vinyl seats.

jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Lovely sh!t talk from you... I bought a few pieces from Suncoast and he was nice enough to deliver them to me. Do you need me to email you the invoice too ?
This is why I just opened an account over at audioshark about one hour ago so that i can begin to transition out once i feel it’s non sense to keep posting here due to the stupid narratives created.
Maybe instead of defending myself here from the bs you present, i should be reading what Flemming Rasmussen is saying about me over there.
In case you don’t know who he is then just Google it and you’ll know.
Makes no sense for me to prove anything here when I am actually being greeted elsewhere. Maybe you should continue the show here techno with your rig. Plenty of peeps would love for you to step in.


"Well i think we can learn a lot from Jay , all of us who can’t afford swapping gear like he can, and prior to Youtube hw was on a forum ( Audiogon ) telling about his findings , so going youtube just makes things more easy to understand what he mean / thinks about different combinations of gear. One can always try to explain in written words but it will never be the same as to listen to youtube.....and yes youtube is not perfect as one has to be in the actual room with the actual gear at that moment , to hear and understand what’s really going on. I at least think its great to have someone like Jay doing this stuff.


Flemming"


techno__dude
511 posts
 
Something here just happened that never happened before.

The priciest speakers to come in WC’s room and that he played on YouTube, were majoritary juged by his audience and readers as « wtf is it just me but this sound just sux the artificial » .

And then well something else happened that had never happened before. All suddenly a DEALER appeared and came on video and just made a speach about just all perfect they sound and how perfect the Pass Labs can make them sound...

Huge first here.

And then WC said that the DCS Rossini, be prepared, sounds digital. Those two where litteraly saying it’s everything around the speakers which is the culprit.

Ok now, thats another huge first..

Sometime « panic » makes us, our goal, and the ones behind us and that goal intervene big time. You know the comforting sellers voice tone and perfect words that ressuscitate the believing..
inna
7,919 posts
 
Since Jay completely spoiled me with his electronics, I can no longer accept anything but the top level. Which in my reality means that if thinking new equipment I will have to stick to integrated amps. The least expensive is I think Gryphon Diablo 120 and maybe some Accuphase. But with Accuphase I would only go with class A. No idea about Boulder integrated. I will take used Accuphase over new Luxman integrated any day.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Cool thx
suncoast_audio's avatar
suncoast_audio
23 posts
 
Great question.  What we see generally, is the $10k price point for sonics.  At $10k and below, space not being an issue, folks opt for an integrated.  Above $10k, they start talking separates.  There are of course exceptions like the Diablo 300 at $16k.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Alright I’ll quit screwing around.

Serious question for the dealer: At what $$ level do you feel the sonic performance baton passes from integrated amp to separates (let’s say a separate preamp and stereo power amp, not monos)?

Assume space not a concern. Just want best SQ for the money.
$5k $8k? $10k? $15k? $20k? $30k?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Wcss said i don’t like the sound based on what i heard ..too warm 🥵... Almost like the old sonus faber sound.....
Ok I'm about to get hosed by harbeth owners...
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Wait, but WC says Harbeth sucks???  What gives?

Just kidding it’s a joke. I joke around a lot. Some get it, some don’t 
suncoast_audio's avatar
suncoast_audio
23 posts
 
Kren0006, don’t read too much into what I said. I said Harbeth’s add some flavor to the music. I’m a big fan of Harbeth and especially the 30’s. But that BBC tuning of the cabinets is a flavor. Some like the flavor, some don’t. A totally different philosophy than Magico’s, YG and Wilson (X material). One is trying to eliminate resonances and any cabinet impact on the sound. The other is embracing it and tuning the cabinet accordingly to 1960’s BBC findings and subsequent refinements.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
I’ll buy that. He did make a less than glowing comment about Harbeth which appears to be a line he carries. Cool to find dealers that share your preferences and are willing to give honest advice 
ron17
607 posts
 
@inna 
haha...I will agree with you on that.
henry201
145 posts
 
A port is basically a bass EQ. Can be fun on some cuts, but typically a major annoyance. It has other flaws, like messing up the time domain. Ported speakers sound a bit confused. The further thing from reality, for sure.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I wont forget @suncoast_audio face when the bass hit during the "poem of Chinese drum" song. It was as if a sledge hammer was hitting the wall behind the speakers.
Mike stands behind magico (as he should) but he isn’t all about mágico all the time. He also loves the sonus faber aida 2 just like i do.
The one thing i can say about Mike is that him and i have very similar taste buds when it comes to tonality.
We both have always said Gryphon and Boulder are killer components and this was way before him and i met a few years back. He’s always respected my journey.
I’ll actually share something with you which is that i have been the one telling him for quite sometime about Nordost cables and he finally listened to me and is now a Nordost dealer after he had a chance to hear their valhalla 2 series.
Yes, at the end of the day he’s a business and has to make money but i can say one thing about him which is that i have not seen him take on lines he doesn’t like sonically speaking. We’ve had many conversations about all sorts of brands that he doesn’t even carry but he really likes so he doesn’t only love what he sells.( He likes Martin logan, sonus faber, revel salon 2, etc and he isn’t a dealer for those brands).
inna
7,919 posts
 
He doesn't know but I think I do. Bring Boulder/Gryphon in there.
ron17
607 posts
 
Actually talking about the M6's Mike said "the bass outstanding, world class in here it's phenomenal...it's full it's tight it's fast...I'll give it a 10/10. I don't know how we could improve the bass in here."

"Quite right. So if sealed speakers give you that then they are always wrong."
Wow inna....sounds like we have completely different views on how bass should sound.
inna
7,919 posts
 
Tight bass..that's what Mike said. Well, as Ralph of Atma-Sphere said once or twice - there is no such thing in reality as tight bass. Quite right. So if sealed speakers give you that then they are always wrong.
Soulution is an excellent match for the Magico, no doubt, they just need bigger Soulution amps.

joecasey
484 posts
 
Thanks for the correction Mike.  Yep, shot happens and glad differences were ironed out.     Current 5 and 7 series are fantastic and NO comparison to predecessor.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
I have no problem with the opposing beryllium opinion. Everyone can have their own opinion. The only person my own opinion is definitely correct for is me. Wouldn’t ever try to tell others they’re wrong in what they like so long as they aren’t likewise trying to impose.

No absolutes in this game. Would be boring if there were
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Your ownership track record pretty much says it all. Not a big mystery. Even if you actually prefer the M6 to Alexx (which I have a guess as to the answer), the only way you’d be able to say you like Magico better is if M6 beat a higher priced Wilson for you, which you haven’t had, or if an equal or lower priced than Alexx Magico was better than Alexx for you. 
Well I guess you could say anything you want but if we want to be logical about it would need one of those scenarios 
suncoast_audio's avatar
suncoast_audio
23 posts
 
Joecassey - point of clarification:  I didn’t loose the line in 2018, I had a disagreement with the distributor and I dropped the line.  It happens.  Nothing personal, just business.  We have since made amends.  As you will see, I am carrying Franco Serblin speakers which are distributed by the same distributor.  When I can muster together some pennies, we will bring in a 711 and 725 for demo.  We continue to support our numerous Soulution customers to this day.

IMO, the 7 series is a completely different animal from the 5 series.

Not to spoil part 2, but the best I have ever heard the M6’s was with Soulution 701’s and a 725.
ron17
607 posts
 
OK inna understood, but I was speaking of the brand Wilson vs Magico in general. I like sealed speakers over ported because of less room interaction. Like Mike said on the latest video, he personally owned the Alexia and tried for a year to make it work in his room but couldn't get the sound to the level he wanted due to his problem room. Some of the best systems I have heard have used Wilson speakers....in good rooms. I went through rear ported, front ported and floor ported speakers and never got the bass to sound right in my room. I now have YG's (sealed cabinet) which are way easier to place in a problem room.
inna
7,919 posts
 
We need to find a way to get big Boulders back in there, along with the Boulder preamp. Unless there is something SS even better those are top level, and I refuse to settle for anything less.

It means that usually those who can easily afford $100k speakers can also easily afford $170k speakers. We are talking about half a million dollars systems.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Haha, no worries. At the cost difference it would be surprising if most didn’t pick Magico. 
Think of it this way. If Magico can’t make a $172k current speaker sound better than a discontinued $109k Wilson what would that say about Magico?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Well... I will speak about my ownership of both speakers later on...  I plan to do a video of living with m6 and Alexx and go over pros and cons of both. Then MAYBE i might disclose which speaker brand i prefer but that is quite controversial to do so i am not sure just yet. 

ron17
607 posts
 
I didn't mention any specific models.  I just prefer Magico over Wilson.  

"But it's nothing for potential buyers, right ?"

I have no idea what that means.
inna
7,919 posts
 
Not to mention $70k difference. But it's nothing for potential buyers, right ?
ron17
607 posts
 
@kren
A couple of days ago you said. "That makes 3 favoring Wilson over Magico."
Maybe it's time for a recount. I prefer Magico also....sorry bro.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Kren 
Go ahead and take that last comment. Lol 
brewmasterdon
68 posts
 
One of my favorite lines from Alon Wolf, which I completely agree is;

Understanding a well-executed, low-distortion design will fundamentally change the way you listen to music!!

People who think that beryllium tweeters that are properly implemented are bright sounding, are simply wrong in my opinion and most likely have issues elsewhere in the system. I've been listening to some BE Bliesma's for a while now and will never turn back to silk.

My 2 cents, now back to your regular program,

Cheers,

Don
joecasey
484 posts
 
McIntosh!
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
You'll see ! 
We are a week away from finding out what power amplifier im playing with. 
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
But now looking at his dealer page now I think mbl maybe more likely what it is
joecasey
484 posts
 
As an FYI, Mike is still a Soulution dealer although he is not listed as a dealer. If you go to his youtube channel you will see soulution being displayed...
Hmm!  According to Mike on Audioshark, I thought he lost the line in 2018?

kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Oh, okay. I just looked at his website and didn’t see Soulution as a brand.

If he names a brand that he doesn’t sell then I will eat crow, sure.

I’m hoping it’s audio research so that my prediction yesterday will be correct. That would be an amazing prediction if indeed he brought you ARC stuff to test, because until this video today you had not mentioned that the amp came from him or given any hints as to what it was, other than that it was really good.  And especially since 95% or more of the amps you get are solid state, not tubes.  Maybe 99%.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
@kren:

you will be shocked in part 2 of the video. Mike will go on the record and say which amp he thinks sounds best with Magico. 
As an FYI, Mike is still a Soulution dealer although he is not listed as a dealer. If you go to his youtube channel you will see soulution being displayed...
joecasey
484 posts
 
I have and familiar with Soulution so results not surprising using old version of amp.
kren0006
1,859 posts
 
Shocking! The dealer preferred the brands he sells!

Well I said I thought the Pass paired better as well, so not trying to say he’s wrong in this case. Just predictable. Although he would not admit that the M6 sounded bright with the Soulution, and instead blamed it on the amp.

It’s to be expected, of course, I’m not naive, but just remember any dealer is VERY biased towards what they sell, so take it with a grain of salt. Now when they comment on two brands that they sell, that is where it can be interesting.

Good video though.  Interesting despite the inherent bias, which would go for any dealer generally speaking
This discussion is closed
More to discover
Goldmund Mimesis 22H NEXTGEN Preamplifier
TriangleART I-20 Tube Single-ended Integrated amplifier
Audio Research Phono PH9