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
Techno,
The problem with Be tweeters in most speakers is not the tweeter, but the fact that the lower freq drivers are slower with more distortion than the tweeter, so the overall sound could be discontinuous and incoherent.  But that's why I like the design of the Paradigm Persona model B, which uses a Be driver for midrange and bass down to about 50 Hz.  It also makes the tweeter array concept for the Tektons very appealing.  Those tweeters handle the midrange down to 300 Hz for the double array, and 600 Hz for the single array.  Listeners to Tektons note their coherence.  I imagine that the coherence will be just as good with the Be tweeters, but with even better resolution across the whole freq range above 300 or 600 Hz.  Many people are eagerly awaiting the experiences of people who have compared Be and stock tweeters on Tektons.
Many people are eagerly awaiting the experiences of people who have compared Be and stock tweeters on Tektons.
I thought so myself, and then realized I was wrong.
6v wins for me on every speaker or amp I've ever owned. The rest sounded anemic. Lacked body and fullness in my trials. 
Viber, beryllium is a metal and it resonates as any metal. I hear that « sheen » everytime I listen to Focal speakers.

Magico thin coats their beryllium tweeters with the same diamond very thin spayed layer that B&W uses. Explain to me , technically and scientifically as you usually can , why they do so if the metal that is beryllium is not the culprit in its own atoms...

That aside , every midwoofer will be slower than any good tweeter. It’s far from being the reason of the slight glare a beryllium tweeter produces.
Techno,
Reasonable point that Be is a metal and resonates.  Ribbons are usually aluminum, also a metal.  But the Maggie ribbon is one of the top HF tweeters around, and mostly everyone regards it as smooth and detailed. An electrostatic membrane is plastic mylar tightly controlled by the metal stators on both sides of the mylar.  Ceramic tweeters are also excellent.  I think all materials resonate in different modes.  The issue is how good the diaphragm is controlled by magnetic or electric fields.  

Most tweeters are excellent performers, even cheap ones with inferior designs.  Glare is caused by integration problems with midrange drivers, crossover electronics, box resonances, etc.
Jetter,
You said, "I thought so myself, and then realized I was wrong." About what regarding Tektons?
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WC,
OK, but was 2V better for clarity/detail while being anemic and less full than 6V?  The differences were probably slight, right?  

I wish all serious DAC's would dispense with the volume control, which is flawed as goodsource explained.  In principle, taking a microphone signal which is analog, converting it to digital, and then back again to analog should not have any gain.  A DAC could be dedicated to just the D/A, as in the Esoteric I believe.  Then let the dedicated analog preamp do the best job of amplifying, with the analog volume control.  

It is bad enough that the microphone needs its own preamp, and the mixing board is a nest of electronics.  All this circuitry is a big reason why there is a big gap between live sound and recordings.
Dennis Palmer2 hours agoTubes sound more REAL!!! I love it !!!
2REPLYWilliam Pearson2 hours agoMAC & ALEXIA makes for a very good more "smoother" musical presentation which to my ears is enjoyable. Thanks Jay!
1REPLYNick Pantazi51 minutes agoThis sounds pretty much all around beautiful and natural. Definitely a departure from the usual, but I still dug it. .
1REPLYDavid Rivera2 hours agoYes, Yes, Yes! Alexias with MC Integrated tube amp. Now play some serious Jazz, and we’ll be into serious warmth and rich sound. Great tinkering Jay, thanks
1REPLYhector alvarez1 hour agoThe sound of tubes .......🤩
1REPLYRobert Sorg2 hours agoWould you do a music review for content that actually sounds good on your system that is rock or electronica?
REPLYView replyAlex Rosa1 hour agoLove it ❤️ smooooth
REPLYRéjean Samson2 minutes agoAgain, wonderful Wilson
REPLYjslim49 S1 hour agoMan I envy you . High end amps and pre amp that’s my jam .
REPLYView reply from Jay’s Audio Labshadyoptics2 hours agoNice set up!
REPLYtarichar82 hours agoSo musically satisfying!
REPLYDavid Rivera2 hours agoJay is taking us to school, boys! Amps are very important, but the speakers and the quality of the recorded material is 80% of the equation for any great system. The Alexias are simply world class speakers.
1REPLYView reply from Jay’s Audio LabSkip26 minutes agoWhat a cool treat to have a McIntosh tossed into the mix Jay - it sounds excellent -

Seems like most people Agree with techno_dude




WC,
I will listen for myself.  It is not an issue of money.  Tube lovers or euphonic SS lovers who like soft sound will prefer those amps to the Mephisto, whether cheap or expensive.  The lover of that type of sound won't think he/she is stupid.  Tube lovers of that type of sound will say that SS lovers who don't hear the "magic or naturalness of tubes" are stupid.
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Seems like WC suddenly despises his yt channel opinions.
Like I always said. You don’t agree with him price / ratio wise, he gets ironical and nasty.

Who wants to buy a Mephisto now ?
As a true professional, I would never laugh at those who would not agree with me, who sought a different sound as mine, or who would think that a more expensive piece, had to be better. This....is not professional.....this, is not a consultant....a true consultant, is one who helps others, with the sound that is best for them, rather then what is best for him.
Tecno, that’s not what he said. I seek high end and low end products in my store. I don’t think anyone is offended if I tell them a product that is ten times the cost of what they are looking at would be a better quality, longer life potentially, and way outperform it. And if they were offended, I think it would be better for them to find a big box store to do biz with, because they will think their low prices product should perform like a top of the line, and there’s no way I could satisfy them. It’s there a place and need for lower priced products? Of course there is. Not everyone can afford the Bentley, but most would be interested in knowing what’s the best for their budget. Also it could be that they want a secondary system for a bedroom, and already spent for the Bentley in the main listening area. 
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The way  WC acts is insanely unprofessional and childish, have been reading this thread from time to time and never though i would see anything of this level..
These comments by WCSS just proves what i said before .
He thinks that cost = performance . Well, he wants us to believe that anyway.
I think we all know price does not equal performance .
Tell me how Mephisto is so much better ?
Ok so performance and preference are two different things. However I will agree that performance doesn’t necessarily translate to preference. This is why there is such contention here. When you say performance what does that mean? Better bass, more detail bigger soundstage better focus, less distortion, better frequency extremes etc. the Mephisto may very well be have better performance in many areas but some will still prefer the McIntosh even if it has lower “performance“ as evidenced by XYZ. I have heard some ridiculously expensive speakers and amps and I can appreciate what they do. However I can sit down with a pair of old Quad 57s and prefer them in many ways to the more expensive stuff. It depends on what you value in in the musical presentation . Some prefer tubes some Prefer solid state. I may like the less dynamic rolled off sound. Doesn’t mean it outperforms the expensive speaker it just means I prefer it. Stating one is “Better” will alway receive opposition. No one can argue with your preference, it’s yours. If you say you prefer the McIntosh then you prefer it and that is fine. McIntosh is famous for their sound drawing a lot of people in. Also there is something to be said for price, this business of cost no object is BS. Cost always enters into it period. I thought the McIntosh was very nice sounding. Do I prefer it long term probably not. I prefer more detail and neutrality because I think I’d get bored after a while because I know how I am.  However without Hearing it more or owning it I wouldn’t know for sure. 
WCSS
I think most of us here are Music fans. We like Music. I think the McIntosh pre-amp/amp with this setup is better for the Music. After all, isn’t that what this is all about.. what makes the best Music ...or not ?
I think that you are more of an equipment junkie and not necessarily a Music fan.
@grey9hound
I think that you are more of an equipment junkie and not necessarily a Music fan.
Hi, I have read this entire thread and I can’t recall anyone even once wondering what you or that dudey guy "think". Maybe I missed it, will have to go back and reread it.




@jetter
It is obvious you are a WCSS fanboy, we all can see that . I did not know that you deemed yourself "all knowing" and "Almighty". And that we should listen to what YOU think. Excuse Me !
So its not about the Music ? I guess I did miss the bus, but unlike you ,I do not ride the Short Bus.
I think people Here are into gear and music both. Some are more into the music some into gear. My wife loves music but it makes no difference to her if it’s on her Bose radio or my high end system. If she likes a song she likes it. She is into music. When you prefer a particular quality of Music reproduction now the gear comes into play and you become an audiophile . WC loves the gear and he will tell you that but not one without the other. Maybe he leans towards the gear more than some but that’s what this thread and his videos are about, the differences in gear. If it was total music we’d be discussing specific performers and concerts, musicians, talents etc. The “gear” interests everyone here, music preferences are different but gear is more what we can relate to each other through.  Some like led zeppelin others Mozart But most here like It if it’s played through a good music system. That’s why we discuss the gear not the music. However I feel a good system allows you the music and the gear disappears. Then it’s hard not to discuss the music. 
What i mean is The equipment is for one purpose ......Music .
We all want to hear the best possible reproduction of the Music through the equipment. right ?
It just seems to me that some people here are more hung-up on the equipment (cost-specs ..etc) rather than the sound of the Music through it. I think some stay with certain equipment because of its cost .
An example is the Nordost Odin. I think that a lot of times it sounded lean, etched ,hyper detailed , and over analytical with  most of the equipment used here but, because of its cost and stature, it stayed here for quite a while.

"After all if it costs mega buck it has to sound good " seems to be the opinion of many..
Whitecamaross = understanding gear and what each component does.

Greyhound = music

Techno= who knows

This thread? Reviewing and giving my personal opinion on ultra high end as well as cheap (such as McIntosh ma252, 13a, magnepan, etc) gear that some people might want.
What I WILL NOT do is go into an argument of cheap vs expensive especially when I am the one who owns all this equipment. Oh and it ain’t bragging when it is a fact.
If you are the world champ of the heavy weight division and your next component is talking trash about you and constantly keeps saying stuff to get into your head and piss you off etc etc leading into the fight and you walk into the ring and just slaughter your opponent making him look like a punk, I feel like you deserve to grab the mic and talk garbage to him and anyone else who doubted you.
If you would like to see examples of this, please go to you tube and type ufc 253 and watch the main event. That kid Ismael Adesanaya talks trash even to the media but guess what? He backs it up by shutting up doubters and those who talk garbage about him not being worthy of the championship belt. He bashed the hell out of any doubter and yes even the press addressing everyone face to face and I RESPECT that BECAUSE HE BACKS IT UP. When you back up what you claim, I will be the first person who will shut up.
You knock your opponent out with actions and then you can talk all the garbage to him afterwards. 
This is no different than saying "oh people who went to the military are lazy or don't work hard". Try saying that and see how that works out for you. See how many people will begin to post and come out of the woods looking for you. 
The thing is that there are people here such as the greyhounds and technos who get a kick out of getting a reaction from me. Mrdecibel was another person but he actually said he would just tune out of this channel for good  and it appears he has finally done just that.  
This begs the question, why is it cool to get a reaction from me but when I do come out with my punching gloves to knock you all out then all of a sudden I look like the bad guy ? Can anyone explain that ? 

Greyhound- Thats a Good point and may be true that some are like that. Some will buy gear for many different reasons I guess.  Some for the music,  some for the looks, some some the pride of ownership,  etc. Some like a Rolex Watch I just use my phone to tell time. So I just take what I can use from this for my purpose and leave the rest of it alone. It does often seem the discussion gets off track I agree. It is what it is I guess. 
I am not here nor do I post here to get a reaction out of you WCSS.
I am here for the Truth. The truth about the the equipment and the sound of the Music through it.
There was an old Star Trek where they came across a guy who had somehow become immortal. He had seen everything and everyone and was so tired of it all. Immortality, it turns out, is a curse. Perhaps some threads should not be immortal.
I think the products speak for themselves.  No need to defend a champion he can do that himself. No product really needs defending either you’ll like it or you won’t. Your opinion is your vote. You cast you vote and let the pieces fall where they may. 
WC,
In your terms, viber6 = music + sonic precision without regard to price.  It just so happens that my Mytek Brooklyn Amp+ from $2500 is superior for precision to the Merrill 114 at $15K which I heard.  Since your Merrill 118 (close to the 114) is superior to most other amps you have heard for sonic precision, judging from your comments, I will extrapolate and say that the Mytek is most likely superior for precision to most of your far more expensive amps.

But the Mephisto is a possible exception, which could very well be superior in precision to my Mytek and Bryston amps.  I don't have a monolithic view that all cheap things are better than all expensive things.  Probably the average expensive amp is better than the average cheap amp.  But even you correctly said that audio myth #1 is that more expensive means better, as with the Accuphase integrated amp.  Well, the Accuphase at $22K is not what you consider in the expensive category, but this example shows that you shouldn't laugh at people who say that the $4K McIntosh is better for them than the much more expensive Mephisto.  FWIW, for me, the Mephisto would be better than any tube amp, cheap or expensive.
One day big Jay will just shut doors here and take my efforts elsewhere. I think moderators will have a hell of a lot less work if I did that because they wouldn’t have to be involved anymore with this.
My next platform will be under control. Stay tuned for more. 2021 will be EPIC.
We are near the end of 2020.
In life in general, you must reinvent yourself in order to keep pushing forward. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Very soon, very very soon...

To those of you who message me directly asking me to not go away from here and to not let "the others" stop me, I know that you all will follow me wherever I decide to go and when I do I will only be just a click away. Don’t worry.
I’m tired of burning energy on pointless conversations. Let me keep doing me and my thing. All else is irrelevant.
You all can build your own new thread and review the gear that you presently own. You all don’t need me here with the Mephistos, focals, momentums and Gryphons of the world. I’m sure you all can come up with better stuff to review for others. I’m not worried.
Those of you who private message me, just sit tight. We will ride forward soon without any inconveniences. 

WC,
Getting back to the Rossini with its choice of output settings, I read all the reviews of Rossini and Vivaldi, and company info, and couldn't find info about at what level the DCS analog circuitry attenuates or boosts the output.  The only listening comment was from Chris Thomas in Hifi Plus from 2013, where he said that the 2V setting showed "more musical integrity" (whatever that means), and the 6V setting showed "more drive."  This is consistent with your observation.  Based on my knowledge of the recording industry, 1V is the standard full scale output, perhaps 2V for XLR, I forgot.  Most CD players without volume controls have a fixed 2V analog output, which could be XLR.  Lacking further info from DCS, I am merely guessing that using the 2V max output level, there is no attenuation, but using the 6V max output level, there is an additional 9.5 dB amplification circuit used.  This is highly speculative on my part, because there is no mention of a fixed output without any attenuation or boost.  So if I am correct, then the extra circuitry for the 9.5 dB boost would explain your observations that the 6V provides more oomph and fullness, and my guess that the 2V would provide more detail by having less analog circuitry in the path.  I suspect that the 2V/6V differences are minor.
I don’t know viber. You might have to get one and test it out for yourself  That way you know what it does.
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Viber
 I own the Rossini as well.  The settings are 0.2v, 0.6v, 2v, and 6v. I was told by my dealer that I should use the 2v setting if I’m using a preamp and 6v if direct however I find  the 2v setting to be better in both applications so maybe you assumptions are correct. There is a DCS user group forum where a lot of this technical discussion takes place. You might want to check it out. 


I agree with WC. This thread has devolved to point of being not worth the time.

The Mc MA252 sounded good, especially for the price. But if you cannot hear the difference in quality between it and the stuff that normally plays here then blessed are you, for you will not need to spend any more to make you happy.
To use a video analogy, the Mc compared to a nice 1080i TV picture. But in comparison to the Mephisto or Merrill or Collosseum or Luxman it was missing so much detail and texture and layers and definition and frequency extension and dynamics and ......

Again I say, if you cannot tell the difference or if you think a Mytek or inexpensive Bryston sound just as good, ....... well, ahem, then blessed are you. You are whom those products exist for. And that’s fine. Nothing in this should be read as pejorative.

But all that said, if you really believe those things, it is informative of your audio judgment to those who can hear the difference 
Jay’s YT channel is valuable in its unique way of presenting sonic differences among highly prized components. This thread has unique value in allowing people to elaborate on their views in much greater detail than YT comments can. You can search people’s comments and see some of their systems. The key to the continued success of this thread will be mutual respect from everyone here.  Also, a thread is a center of learning when there is respect.  A teacher who insults the students doesn't accomplish anything because the students don't want to listen, but the teacher who just objectively presents valuable information is much more effective.
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Why is it that if you have an opinion that differs with WCSS, the fanboys chime in. Seems that some are here only to back up WCSS.
Surely you don't expect to get total buy in or agreement in this thread do you ?
kps25sc,
You said, "Why has this thread also become a magnet for people with obvious psychological problems, if you are lonely and suffer from sleeplessness, low self esteem or OCD please join a support group."

I don't know why you continue to denigrate me and others with that statement.  I have tried to engage in dignified discussions with you, but you don't do the same with that statement you just made.  And, "mediocre low cost equipment?"  How would you know?  You haven't done the listening to the equipment I own, so your accusations are pure speculations, to put it mildly. 

My posts of this AM are reasoned discussions free of any emotional baggage.  Your last post is far from that.
It's unfortunate that a few supposedly loyal followers of this thread seem to be just waiting for a moment to jump in and call out or question the decisions or path of the OP. I think a lot of that has to do with the gear these 'loyal followers' own. If the OP doesn't think much of said gear it puts the 'loyal followers' in an aggressive defensive mode lashing out against the OP and HIS choices of gear. This thread is definitely more about gear than music...always has been. There are many threads devoted towards music that would be better suited to some posters here. I find it odd that the more expensive the piece being reviewed here the more offended and combative some posters get. This thread is definitely not for everybody...no thread is. Maybe it's time for a few unhappy followers to realize it's time to look for a more suitable thread to follow.
@ron17.
thanks for the support ron17. i concur with your assesement above in regards to some being upset about me not picking up what they own so i can give my opinion on it.  That is exactly my feeling and actually many of you have voiced this to me privately. 

@kren:
thank you and please do not stop posting here. Don’t let others make you angry. i have been dealing with such behavior for 4 years.
To the rest who seem to love to get a kick out of me, i will not go into verbal altercations with you all. I ask to refrain from attacking me directly and i will do the same. I will leave it at that.


Lastly, if you can not hear the difference between a Mcintosh integrated and the Mephisto, that is good. You do not have to spend money on ridiculously priced components. Leave that exercise for Jay. He is the stupid one burning HIS CASH. Just don’t "criticize" his practices because he is buying such equipment and not the more affordable offerings that you own. Pretty simple. I am not mad at the guys who own Ferraris and Lambos because i can not afford one. I accept that i can’t afford a Lamborghini (fact) and let those who can hop in one enjoy theirs. I am the dude that simply watches him/her pull up at the light while i check out his/her gorgeous car and maybe take a few pics with my phone. 
Ok, what is your purpose for this thread?
You just bought a McIntosh integrated, did a video with it, then list it for sale the same day you do the video.
This thread is definitely more about gear than music...always has been.
If I am not mistaken, the purpose of the "Gear" is to play Music ... Right ?
Or, Am I wrong.
From the beginning this thread has been more about equipment than music.  Automotive gear heads spend more time tinkering and working on their cars than driving them but cars are about driving...right?  

grey9hound, with all due respect, I don't think you get this thread.