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
20,890 responses 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
greyhound, all good my friend. We are all bad sometimes ( actually, I am bad with many other things, audio, not so much. It is part of my sickness, lol ). WC, are you saying that if those Utopia III were close by, and they accepted paypal, you would consider them ? Enjoy ! MrD. 
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Hello WC, throughout M535 break-in, you can expect "muscularity" and authority to increase gradually... And the sound stage will expand in width and depth... Expect also to hear more detail of individual instruments and human voices, as well as pitched clarity in the bass region. The current behavior of your pair matches pretty well what I have experienced in the verry early break-in stages of my own pair.


BTW, have you contacted the factory about getting the slip-on output capacitors for bridged mode?


Saluti, G.



mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
Right here in Tampa....An original pair of AG Trio, with a pair of 225 subs. Auction is at 15 K with 4 days left. Man o man. If I felt my room was large enough, as I could not seat myself further back from them, I would cash out an IRA for them. Yes, an upgrade from my fabulous Lascalas. Just wanted to vent. Thank you all, for listening.....
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
On my way home with the constellation amps and preamp. 
bigddesign3
237 posts
 
Here's to the possibility of opening a new door into your music.
klh007
621 posts
 
I'm sorry the 535(s) didn't get more system exposure. I know when you get home the Constellation kit is going right into your system to warm up. Were you using the 535 as a stereo or mono configuration? Will you pursue the cap upgrade for using them as monos? Now we'll know how the under-reported Blocks fare against the widely reviewed Constellation gear, and the Blocks were WCSS' best amp he's had driving the Neoliths, let the fun begin!
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
I really think at the level of WCs gear, and, what he is listening for, Class D is still not it. Too dry and analytical ( my own interpretation of Class D ). Exciting about the Constellation, as WC really found synergy between them and ML. Waiting for reports, at warmup, during warmup, and...………………..Enjoy ! WC, and everyone. 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
The constellation Taurus amps look sooooo small next to the centaur. Pictures don’t do justice.
I plan to fire things up later tonight but I will not be using the pacific dac. I will use the simaudio 650d to gauge the sound of these components. 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
You have a pair of both the Centaur and the Taurus amps ?
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Hello MRD, I concur with you that historically a lot of class D amplifiers did sound "dry and analytical", and that is using kind words for what they did.


If M535 were even remotely dry, analytical, Hi-fFiish, and emotionally sterile, I would not have kept them in my system for the last six months, and waxed poetic on these pages about the music they produce.


Granted, I do not listen to the same genre as WC does, my preference being more towards classical, ranging from the very large orchestral works of Mahler and Stravinsky with their huge dynamic swings, all the way down to single acoustic instruments and solo voices.


What I seek is both extreme subtlety and huge dynamics... Ability to expose minute harmonics from deep bass to high treble, tiny fluctuations in microdynamics as well as supreme authority in macrodynamics without ever breaking a sweat... Give me goose-bumps during the interplay of female voice and flugelhorn in Cohen’s Aleluia as well as during the firy end of Stravinsky’s rite Of Spring.


I have no idea what kind of decibel levl I achieve... I typically keep the volume at levels that I deem commensurate to what I would perceive in concert hall from a sitting position consistent with the virtual stage and images being produced... And all of this without M535 ever introducing the jarring destructive effect of audible intermodulation.



In my system, M535 do create pure efforteless magic driving the Vienna Die Muzik speakers... 900W per channel with a peak current of 30A that never fail to transport me into the music, emotions and brain alike... I can’t resist toe-tapping, subvocalizing bass llines, "conducting", seeing the kaleydoscopic images produced by synesthesia, and all of this while sinking in my listening couch and forgetting where I am.


Will WC like M535 at all? No idea... But I am confident that he will evaluate them without the tainting of preconceived biases that often accompany class of operation, physical size, or retail price.


Saluti, G.








pokey77
1,267 posts
 
@guidocorona 

X2 to your observations with emphasis on the last paragraph.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
Guido, I am sure the JR 535s are excellent through your Vienna Acoustics, and I did not mean to stir you up, nor to put any thoughts into WCs head. WC has been focused throughout this journey, and have made decisions, with very little outside influence. My limited time with 1/2 dozen Class D amps ( listened through my modified and updated Klipsch Lascalas, in my home ), had me wanting more. I made the statement, as well, considering wc has had a pair of Blocks there, for a rather long time ( probably longer than any others during his journey ), and I suspect they are very special. I do believe in product break in, but 200 hours would be enough time for me to determine if I like something or not. I have suggested horns to wc a few times, and he continues with his MLs, so I do not think I will influence him, negatively, in any way. I have owned a few Rowland products in my time ( a long time ago ), but, they weren’t for me. But they were great, well made, well engineered products. I appreciate your response, and hope we can all be friends. Enjoy ! MrD.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Ladies and gentlemen,
as I sit here waiting for some help to get the Monos off my truck, I decided to plug in the preamp into the Rowland 535 and the oppo 205 as a source and it is just incredible sounding. I really feel like the smoothness is very LUXMAN like but with a bit better focus. Wow. It’s incredible what I hear through this preamp. More to come !
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
My initial impressions of a single Rowland 535 is quite good actually. However, please note that this is a subjective hobby. I find kinks in the armor as far as the sound quality of the 535. It’s no doubt a special amp for the money. It’s actually an insane bang for the buck. That said, we have to put both feet on the ground and realize that to compare a 80k pair of Monos to a 535 rowland is not fair. The outcome is quite predictable.
The tremendous power reserves of the block audios resulted in soundstages extremely big and deep. This is something that a single 535 can’t capture. Don’t get me wrong, it throws a nice soundstage which would easily satisfy most of you. That said, doing a real a/b tells the real story and that’s how I’m able to talk about it at length. 
This amp is an excellent bang for the buck. Easily competing with the simaudios, parasounds, Krell, Mark Levinsons, Brystons, etc. Once you move up the ladder to the likes of the momentum, soulution, block audio, constellation, dartzeel, Rowland 925s then you’re talking about an entire different ball game. 
What do I find about class d that differs than class a? It’s actually not that hard to explain it. Let me give you an analogy:
ever notice how a machine can administer medication to you when you’re in the hospital? It can shoot insulin, pain killers, etc right through the IV line connected to you based on how it is programmed by doctors. 
Ok, but do you see how this machine doesn’t know if you are uncomfortable on the bed? Or if you are thirsty? Or if you are hungry, etc ? That’s only something that a nurse can do right? To provide you with care and attention that pretty much helps your mood. 
Well, that’s the difference between class d and class a. Class a has that “care or affection or touch” that penetrates your emotions. Class d is more “artificial “ although it’s come a long way. It does the job extremely well BUT it is not designed to “comfort you”. It lacks the palpability, emotion and soothing feeling that class a gives you.   That’s the very best way I can put it. 
klh007
621 posts
 
WCSS, Just a single stereo M535? Once again a great preamp elevates an entire system.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
WC, my suggestion would be to use the 535s in mono, and let them burn in for a few hundred hours, as to give then the better chance that Guido feels they deserve. Unless, you know already. However, your last few statements ( descriptive words ) are just what I predicted, mainly because you have been listening to the Blocks for so long. I am sure the 535s are wonderful at the price, but...……..not for everyone. WC, you, and your ears, have definitely been spoiled. Enjoy ! 
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Just posted some pics for those of you who want to see the amps in place. 
Post removed 
bigddesign3
237 posts
 
Looks like you will still have great power reserves with the new Constellation gear. Centaur II is supposed to have the Transformer of the Hercules in there. Congrats on all these nice new Toys to play with. Wish I could come and play.
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,666 posts
 
whitecamaross
Nice pics- what brand are those black Amp stands?  Happy Listening!
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I left music playing through the amps and preamp:
heres a Quick 5 min update:
Right now, I’m using all stock powercords on everything and using wireworld platinum 8 xlr and speaker cables. My source is the oppo 205. I find the block audio far more muscular, fuller, more 3d sounding. However, this set up digs deeper and brings forward a bunch of detail not so easily found in my previous set up. 
Still to come:
- begin to introduce nordost PCs and speaker cables in the system
- use lampizator as a source AND as a preamp
- replace silver xlrs with copper?


mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
Keep in mind, wc, when using the Blocks, there were other items that were different in your audio chain, so some of what you are now hearing, are not only the Blocks.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
WC, sorry, just a side bar. Guido, if you would like to discuss dynamics, infinite details, and all the other attributes in music you listen for, I will be happy to oblige, as we both are looking for the same things in our systems. With completely different systems and set ups, I, too, feel I have accomplished every characteristic you mentioned, and I do know the decibel levels I reach. You can PM me anytime. Good day my friend, and never hard feelings. Life is good ! Enjoy ! MrD.
alexbpm's avatar
alexbpm
37 posts
 
I was actually surprised that WCSS went for the constellation monoblocks, I would have assumed he’d be looking at other amps in that price range that are more in line with his preferred sound signature and musical taste.  My prediction was that the constellation monoblocks were going to be more detailed and forward, but at the cost of warmth.  This should be interesting
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
the set up played music all night long and i have been listening today. So far it has an excellent level of smoothness, good bass control that is very even with the rest of the presentation (meaning it does not take over the rest of the frequency range). Things that i can call out thus far:
Pros:
Imaging is excellent
Mids are clear and smooth
You can blast the music at 100db without it ever getting in your face
Big soundstage

Cons:
Very transparent which makes old music sound dull and some recordings that sounded good before are now just "ok"
I could use a little more detail or "sharpness" if that makes sense?

That said, i still need to introduce the nordost odin cables in the system and use a better source than the oppo 205. If you are asking WHY i am using the oppo when i have the lampizator, well because i want to gauge the system's sound with the most basic cables & source and THEN begin to tweak cables and sources and perhaps use the lampizator as a preamp rather than a source. The monos are using their stock cheap powercords and so is the preamp too. I will begin first by adding a nordost pc to the oppo and then i will add a second nordost pc to the preamp. Once that is done, i will top it off with the nordost speaker cables. At this point, i will see what these cables did to the oppo and the entire system and then i will add the lampizator towards the end. i want to gradually see how or what happens each step of the way. 


jafant's avatar
jafant
19,666 posts
 
whitecamaross
Much Thanks! for initial impressions and thoughts. At this performance / price level, Cabling,  is more critical than many think. Careful trial-and-error and  synergy of system matching is paramount. I am looking forward to your next cabling evolution.
Happy Listening!
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Hello WC, sorry... I thought you were going to use a pair of M535 in bridged mode instead of a single unit in Stereo mode.


My enthusiastic comments about M535 behavior pertain to a bridged pair with at least 700 hours on them, and the additional capacitors slipped onto the output terminals.


There is a very marked difference in performance between a single M535 and a well broken in pair.


For one thing, even after complete break-in, a single chassis in my system produces a stage which does not exceed the outer edges of my speakers (about 9.5 feet)... Conversely, a bridged pair under the same condition appears to generate a stage which reaches beyond the width of my entire listening room (19.5 feet). In terms of power/authority, while a bridged pair seems to yield endless power/authority, a single chassis approaches its limits on very complex and demanding passages, such as Mahler symphonies, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, or Rachmaninof's Symphonic Dances performed on two pianos by Ax and Bromfman.

.


The difference extends to all other parameters.... Resolution, transparency, harmonic detail, image sizes, authority, and that very subjective feeling of being immersed in a musical nirvana.


 And if a stereo unit is still into its break-in infancy... Well, you can just imagine how restricted/congested everything still is. As usual, patience is golden, if admittedly tedious.


Hello MRD, yes of course... Would love to chat about sound, music, "the universe, and everything" *Grins!* I'll send you a PM!


Saluti, G.



jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Nordost Odin 1 PCs are now connected into the oppo and in the preamp:
1. Clarity is remarkable
2. More oomph through the amps
3. Transparency has increased even more which forces you to use even better recordings
4. It will disappoint those of you who don’t own well recorded music, but if you own great music, you’ll need your wife to pry you out of the chair.

As as far as the direct connection on the amps (constellation connection) , I have mixed feelings about it. There’s less volume through it too which means you have to push the preamp harder to get the volume louder.

Sitting on this level of gear  is indeed surreal... now it becomes more like an art where you need to mix colors the way you like them to be. Each ingredient here is top notch but it is also EASY to create an awful meal if you don’t know how to cook. I mean, cables, powercords, usb cables, etc. EVERYTHING is heard here and it forces you to look at every single aspect of your set up. NOTHING can be overlooked here. 


zprr
306 posts
 
Awesome WC. 
With your experience with the Odin 1 PCs so far, are you generally seeing the most upshot when connected to sources/DAC vs preamp vs amps? Or, maybe it is hard to compare, as the upshot for each brings out different qualities?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Very hard to tell. I’m going to say it’s probably the dac where most of the improvement happens. 

Coming up next Friday:
audioquest hurricane PCs for the amps
nordost Valhalla 2 xlr
nordost Odin speaker cables 

I still don’t want to introduce the lampizator yet. 
thezaks
712 posts
 
@guidocorona - I believe WC mentioned that the 535 is fully broken in and is a few months old. 

Dave
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
I had a buddy of mine take the 535 home with him since he’s been curious about its sound and he said he played blues, jazz, etc and to him the amp isn’t a bad amp but he finds it a bit artificial sounding. He said he likes how far class d has come but to his ears it’s not there yet. Lovely amp for the money but it is for made for those people looking for a strong amp under the 10k price point. Again, this is just a single stereo amp and not bridged. I did tell him that I was told the amp needs a break in although as I stated earlier, this amp is a few months old so I gotta believe it’s close to being broken in by now. 
I will revisit the amp in a few days and give more feedback on it. 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
WC, did you not have a pair of 535s ?....According to the data, and the benefits of the " constellation connection ", the 1st gain stage ( gain module ) in the power amplifiers are bypassed from the signal, which, although is lowering gain, and requiring the volume on the preamp to be turned up higher, creates a dramatic increase in resolution. Constellations " Dream Team ", the group of engineers who designed all of it, supposedly worked very long and hard to get this hook up scheme perfected. Some excellent and well know engineers are part of this dream team, including the unfortunately passed James Bongiorno, who did much of the power supply designs with Constellation. I have been doing my readings, and my homework. Excellent company and equipment, for sure. Enjoy ! MrD.
keoliphant
86 posts
 
WC, thanks for the great info.

Are you plugging everything into the wall or a power conditioner? I recall a PS20 being in the mix. If you're using the PS20, what cord from the wall to PS20?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Mrdecibel,
i was going to buy a second 535 but after buying the constellation gear I don’t think I’ll buy a second 535. 
as far as the direct connection, I think this is really dependent on the source. If the source doesn’t have enough juice, I don’t think it will make much of a different using that connection. That said, I’ve not given up on it and will do more serious listening to determine if it is indeed superior to the regular xlr connection. 

Keoliphant: everything is plugged Into the wall. The p20 is long gone. 
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Thank you for the additional feedback WC... M535 sounding a little artificial points to the device not being broken in yet... There is nothing artificial or weak with my bridged pair... After some 60 years of acoustic music making and listening live, I have grown pretty demanding on equipment performance... Granted, I am also unhurriedly patient in nursing components to full bloom.


BTW, I power my system with Cardas Clear Beyond XL PCS, including M925 and M535. XLRs and speaker wires are Cardas Clear Reflection, and digital coax is Cardas Clear (Cardas's top of the line for digital coax).... Amazing set of wires. Incredibly synergistic with my electronics and my speakers... The whole generates the musical magic that I seek, and am happily experiencing.


PS. Hello MrD, I sent you a PM... Check your inbox.

 

G.





jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
Guido,
thanks for the feedback. That said, do you have a class A amplifier you can directly compare to your Rowland pieces? i truly think that our ears get used to all sorts of sounds and since you have been very dedicated to the Rowland brand as far as reviewing, do you think it would be a great idea to bring a contender and do a comparison?
remember, my comparisons are A/B here so it is easier to pick up the differences in amplifier technologies. I am sure if we all lived with class d for along time we wouldn’t really know any better as far as what it is not doing or lacking because our hearing gets "dialed in" to the sound that we are exposed to over the long haul.
Right now, the feedback i have received from my friend is that the amp still has a "synthetic" sound to it, but remember that this friend also has world class a amplifiers that he compared it to.
If a person only drinks diet coke, he/she won’t really know how sweet or bitter it is unless he drinks a different soda. You gotta have something else to compare it to in order to do a solid assessment. 
If you drive the same 700 hp Corvette zr1, you soon will get used to this hp and very soon you won't know how fast it is right? because again, we get used to things... 
ron17
607 posts
 
@WCSS,

Your views on cables and after market power cords have changed in the last year or so. Do you see yourself experimenting with isolation products in the near future?
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
hi Ron, 
Absolutely ! 
That said, that particular subject is very VERY unknown to me so i'd have to start educating myself before i start to spend any money. I think room treatment is next for me (i've located a company in GA that seems to be reasonable in terms of prices) and then i will do isolation. 
bigddesign3
237 posts
 
Is the "source" Oppo connected using SE inputs? If so, when you go to XLR input, you should get 6db more signal for the volume. That could be what you are seeing if you are using SE inputs.
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
i am using balanced throughout the entire system. 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
Let us keep in mind, many of us compare our systems to live, unamplified music. Once the recordings are made, with the mics, mixing consoles, compressors, equalizers ( and this is just some of the equipment ), and now we add the producers, the artists, the engineers, and all of the other people involved, you are far from live. Once we all listen at home, in our systems, we are trying to create " our nirvana ", meaning, what we think it should be. We are all " different ", in what we want and think it should be ( a point I tried to make several times to V man ). This is why I stick around here and look forward to WCs next move, and appreciate his findings. It is wc's  passion, financial and physical ( lol ) ability, and pursuance, to find his listening " bling ", that keeps me coming back, day after day. Enjoy ! MrD. Guido, I sent you an email, to start our " relationship ", lol.
zprr
306 posts
 
WC - Can you share your top 3 tracks that you listen to when making your comparisons that draw on different attributes that you are looking for?  You have mentioned a few in the past but it could be 60 pages ago...

I know we all have different music tastes, but it would be helpful to listen to those tracks on my own system to try to discern those same attributes as a point of reference when reading your reviews if you mention a particular track.  I forget if you stream from Tidal or another music service, that would be an easy way to compare, but even if you are playing them off a CD we could download or stream the track.  
jays_audio_lab's avatar
jays_audio_lab OP
5,381 posts
 
London Grammar - Hey Now
Dire Straits - You and your friend
Fink - Trouble you're in

I stream music from Tidal and i also tried Qobuz, but there is zero difference in terms of sound quality between both so i am continuing with Tidal. 

zprr
306 posts
 
awesome, thanks. love that fink song
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
zprr, although you asked wc the question, I thought I would give you a recommendation of mine. One of my go to tracks is SRV’s " Tin Pan Alley ". I am not suggesting it is his best song, because frankly, he is a genius in his playing, and I love everything by him. But, TPA, is a " simple to follow ", well recorded piece, that is wonderful for evaluating " every aspect " of a system, and / or a new addition. Tone, dynamics, spatial cues, timing, note and pitch sustainability, speed, coherence, everything ! A reason it is still used today by many ( to the point, actually, some listeners are tired of it at shows, and showrooms ). It is fabulous for " tuning " components ( footers, weights, etc. ), anyone, not just the higher echelon audiophiles and music listeners, can use it as a reference. Much more enjoyable than test tones ( which these test cds are also good for that ). So many systems fail, ime, with the note and pitch sustainability area. And this, to me, is necessary for proper musical reproduction of a system ( music in general ). Enjoy ! MrD.
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! 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
I am so glad you put the Lampi in your system. You are a strange dude, wc. Just connect the best stuff together, and enjoy !.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
BTW, I do love the 3 songs you use for system evaluation, but admittedly, they are highly processed ( so much of recorded music is, unfortunately ). Listen to Tin Pan Alley ( the studio version ), and get back to us about it. Enjoy ! MrD.
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
To you, wc, and all of your readers > I sure hope I am not becoming the new V man here. I am being serious. If I am, let me know, as I will cool down.
This discussion is closed
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