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!


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The Valhalla 2 is just to warm and soft on top to be a good match unless the system is bright to begin with. I wanted to love it but it wasn’t at all what I expected. Personally I believe that AQ silver will be hard to beat for detail and musicality. It’s very good. I don’t want to trash anyone but I feel that Nordost is grossly overpriced for the results it provides and I should know. 
Nordost never was and is not an interconnect master. Nordost is king at speaker cables though, this is where this company products shines... Their spade and banana connectors are low mass and simply the best in the business. Their separate solid core silver plated copper conductors surrounded by mostly air are just stellar...They excell at speed, fullness, air and resolution.

Just remember that too much Nordost in the loom is not recommended.



Hi @4425,
Sounds like you have experience with multiple Nordost cables within their hierarchy to come to your conclusion. Would definitely like to hear more about your comparisons within their line as well as to other manufacturers. 
ZPRR... the only other brand that i’ve used extensively is AQ. I changed from AQ Fire ic’s to Valhalla 2 ic’s and power cords on an expensive lark that has me happily back to AQ silver interconnects. Wel Signature.
With no opportunity to try before purchasing I was offered a deal on two V2 ic’s and pc’s. I was quite happy with AQ fire ic’s but my research(reviews etc) had me thinking that I’d be making a big jump in sound quality. I frankly made the mistake of convincing myself that V2 would be the end(for a while),
 My findings were that the V2’s are good cables with a large and somewhat forward midrange much like some tube components i’ve used. It was warm and full but did not have the clarity and high end sheen that I expected. I really wanted them to be nirvana given the monetary outlay but couldn’t get there. No doubt in the right system they’ll be fine but i found them to colored for me.
The system used was the Luxman 900 series combo with Aurender server and DCS dac. 
4425's findings are consistent with reviews I have read that Nordost series 2 cables are warmer than the series 1 versions.  Too bad I have had no comparative experience in this area.  When series 1 came out, many people criticized them for leanness and brightness, so Nordost gave them what they wanted in the series 2.
It is all relative. I think i have lived with Odin 1 speaker cables, xlr and pcs long enough to understand what this cable does:

1. Tons of detail and resolution
2. Leaner than valhalla 2
3. can be bright IF you choose to mix and match cables from other manufacturers. (big no no)
4. sounds stage on the odin 1 xlr is not as wide as valhalla 2

I want you to all to understand something, Nordost odin is all about resolution and clarity. That said, IF YOU USE OTHER BRANDS of xlr's, PC's, etc then you might be facing some brightness issues. For instance, if you use an Odin 1 speaker cable with a high capacitance xlr, that is a recipe for disaster. Nordost odin 1 cables don't play nice with many other brands of cables (xlr, pcs,etc). I realize this now that i have valhalla 2 and odin 1 xlr. 
Also, they are not sweet- sounding cables like Audiomica, wireworld platinum. They are about detail retrieval, liveliness, speed, dynamics. They are not trying to add creamer to your coffee. This is WHY i tell many people that having 2 separate types of cables is just as important as having 2 different types of amplifiers. 
For example: my Gryphon sounds NOTHING like the Momentum S250. They couldn't be more different, but this does not mean the momentum loses. It means it goes about its business differently and it is not about speed, but rather engaging you with sweetness and beauty even if it does not have the speed and impact of the Gryphon. 
sounds like odin would fit me well. it appears to be what i was looking for. regardless i’m very happy where i am now. WEL Signature pushing my buttons quite well. 
WC, regardless of price, do you think Accuphase E-800 is not as good as Luxman 590AXII? 
Thanks.
@speedbump enjoy - my reference system is wired with Wild Blue Yonder including 128 v DBS on the biwire speaker cables and IC from preamp to amps. I believe WEL and WBY have both been discontinued. Good score !!!! Hope you enjoy them
jim
Thanks @4425
Running a full Odin1 (pcs, xlrs and scs) loom, I agree with WCs observations although I have never compared V2 to O1 xlrs in my system. I have had the chance to compare the O1 vs V2 pcs and scs as well as recently an O2 pc. I would definitely not characterize my sound currently as bright having heard such systems and WC makes a good point re: mix and matching. Glad you have found the right combo for you!
I'm planning to get full loom Ansuz C2 for my new rig, hope this will pair well with Ghyphon Mephisto stereo or perhaps Dag S250.
And what happened to the post (gone in last few minutes) where you say the Gryphon Colosseum beats everything?

Anyway, the Mephisto is said to be mucho better......review here:

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/twbas-menu/399-sonic-sorcery-gryphon-audio-designs-mephisto-stereo-amplifier

If you can find one used and you can lift it.....he he....this might be your end game amp......or at least reference while you cycle other lesser amps in and out for fun.
i think i need to begin to separate the different kinds of amplifiers into different groups. I don't believe there is an amplifier that does EVERYTHING right. 
Anyhow, video is being uploaded right now. 
Ricevs that Mephisto sounds like my kind of amp. May have to keep my eyes open for one on the used market
Im leaning to IC #2 but also wanting to hear your follow up on the Shunyata Sigma ethernet cable you got some weeks back.
#3 best, all-rounder
#2 second best, but too forward sounding for me
#1 last, kinda dull tho not horrible 
The response couldn't be more different. The feedback is all over the place. This will be very interesting
Regarding video segmenting, I think the two videos per episode makes sense for the monetizing reason.

But as to the non- music video, I think you should also bifurcate that into two parts. Use one of the two parts (suggest first) to clean up any loose ends from prior videos, like naming what stuff was and what your impressions were that you had promised. For example, we are two are three videos on from the blind Audience Front Row vs Valhalla and you still haven’t even told us which was which or given thoughts. That’s kinda frustrating and should be done at beginning of each subsequent video. 

Then for second part of non-music video tee up what is coming in that episodes shootout, talk about changes to system, other things on your mind, etc.


That would be an improved format I submit, just to have reliable way to give closure to previous video
If we buy all the cables, or components he’s blind testing, then we too can be assured that we can replicate what we hear, lol
BTW, I had trouble hearing/deciding/liking any playing through my computer. So I Apple TV’d into my stereo, and all of a sudden things became much more definitive.  At first it was just high frequency extension, Bass, voice quality;  Into the stereo I could differentiate soundstage and depth.  Having said all that I hope someone agrees, and since I am an Audience fan (I have AU 24 SX power cords, XLR’s and speaker cables) I hope the Front Row is one I chose!!!
Ken
I had trouble with this one.  The recording is muddy.  I much prefer the recording, Keith Don't Go, on the previous video, Valhalla 2/Audience Front Row.  That recording is brilliant, with lots of guitar jangling in the beginning that is most useful for midrange and HF comparisons.  Try to use the same recording for successive videos, which makes all comparisons easier and provides some reference point.  When someone gets tired of the same recording, use another one that is brilliant in midrange/HF.  Since youtube and computer audio are rolled off in HF, it is important to use brilliant recordings to compensate for these deficiencies.
@whitecamaross,

What happened to E-800 video? I was looking forward to hear E-800 in your system..... 
Hi @lalitk,
I think you will find the video you are looking for and the commentary back on 6/18 of this thread...ah, now I see that it shows up as ‘private’...
Let's hear a shootout between Gryphon and Merrill 118, using DCS Rossini direct into either amp, with your favorite single XLR.  Use the brilliant recording, Keith Don't Go.
Thanks for your thoughts.  However, I feel that while listeners may have different subjective preferences, they should all agree on objective things, like X sounds more muffled than Y, or has less detail than Y.  If listeners disagree about the objective facts, then the video is not revealing enough when heard through mediocre computer audio.  If differences are not significant, then random, all over the map findings may occur.  Since 4425 found the Valhalla 2 to be warm, and you found that Valhalla 2 softens the brightness of the Odin 1, both of your observations are consistent. Also, you first said that the ansuz was mind blowing, but I didn't hear much difference in your latest video--probably again due to the dull recording and mediocre computer audio I am using.  So I suggest using the more brilliant recordings for future comparisons.
Viber, I am not sure that you will find many consistencies because everyone likes something different. What may be obvious to you, sounds different to someone else. 
When i raved about the Ansuz, i used the momentum hd preamp which is not what i did during the last shootout. The momentum HD allows for more to be heard from each cable swap. Also, i don't believe the Ansuz is fully broken in as the Vahalla 2 is. Out of the 3 cables, the Ansuz has the least amount of hours. 

In the video you said it was easiest to hear a cable when only one is used between the DAC and amp (which might be true if using the Vivaldi straight to amp).  Here you say using the Momentum HD allows more to be heard.  Which is it?  if the output stage in the DAC is not that great....like in the Rosinni.....then it makes sense to do the cable testing after the Momentum.  Why didn't you do that?
Because I wanted you all to hear the Rossini as a preamp. It is the first time I let you all hear it as a preamp. Also, it's not like I won't play it with the Preamp...one step at a time...I'm not going anywhere :) 
I think we would all be surprised of the result that could be achieved with the Gryphon amp beiing driven directly by a Benchmark DAC 3 with a flagship powercord. 

Dacs have a way of deceiving us price wise these days. They are the gear that plays the most with our minds...
@viber6 are you referring to Nils Lofgren's "Keith Don't Go" from the Acoustic Live album?
mikey8811,
Yes, I like the snap of Keith Don't Go, although I don't know where it came from.
WC,
Continuing ricev's point about preamps, technically if you use the Dag HD preamp, you are using 2 preamps in the system.  The 1st is the preamp/volume control of the DCS, the 2nd is the Dag preamp/vol control.  I could be wrong if the DCS has an option for a fixed output that bypasses its own preamp stage, so then you are just using 1 preamp--the Dag.  You seem to like the inclusion of the Dag for its extra volume, which enables more dynamics, but realize that for purity and detail, there is nothing as good as eliminating the distortion of an added electronics stage, even if you like that distortion.  A young mastering engineer who worked with famed Bob Ludwig, told me that everyone likes a particular type of distortion. Still, I liked the Dag HD preamp best of all the preamps you demonstrated.  It would be nice to hear the comparison between DCS direct into Gryphon, and DCS + Dag + Gryphon.
If I have to hear “Keith Don’t Go” or “Peel me a Grape” again I may give up hifi altogether.
@ghasley I didn't even know Nils Lofgren's "Keith Don't Go" was a hi fi test tune until you blokes mentioned it here. Perhaps you would prefer the version from his self titled album. That certainly will never qualify as a hi fi test tune.
@ghasley Amen. I'll add that Nils Lofgren is the new Diana Krall of hifi. 
I enjoyed both videos WC and I really like the format.  And, you gave away what's hiding underneath the cover.  Will be fun to get your impressions.
Dave