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!
I know back problems very well. My real job in life and what paid the bills was that i was in the Army for 34yrs, SF in Viet Naim, then the DOD and what ever US agency that needed my talents until i retired.
I made 214 jumps many with 80lb packs depending on the mission. I cannot count how many times i landed in trees and had to cut myself free and free fall to the ground i also did a lot of smoke jumping. It all has taken it's toll mostly in my back.
Jay is correct there is no cure, i have even been to specialist in Europe and there is nothing that can be done but to keep moving. I cannot even use a Chiropractor as i could be paralyzed. What helps me is riding my dirt bike i feel so much better after a day of riding.
I'm 68yrs old and even with my back problems i do a lot more than most my age. It helps to think young and to stay active it's all you can do.
zprr, You're right about focusing on audio equipment, but this digression about Jay's health shows that we care about his and others' well being. The greatest sound is not too enjoyable when someone is in pain. I sit in my chair with my neck flexed forward to hear the best sound, but if I had a neck operation which limited my mobility, I wouldn't hear the optimal sound.
rh67, I salute your service, courage, and determined will to make the best of your life, including enjoying audio. Look into holistic treatments like prolozone, platelet rich plasma, stem cells. Frank Shallenberger, MD in Nevada is a great resource. Listen to Dr. Christopher Calapai of NY, drcal.net. Read Dr. David Brownstein's book, "Ozone, the miracle therapy." He describes his success for some types of back pain--sciatica, spinal stenosis--with carefully placed ozone injections.
Dr. Watkins Jr. performed a 2 level spinal fusion on me 6 years ago. I had a very physical job, lots of weight lifting and non stop sports. I still weight train, swim and love sports....just a fraction of what I used to do.
So, to return to the primary subject at hand, I am now actively in the evaluation stage of what I should do to upgrade my system, the amplifiers and speakers of which are around 20 years old. As some here have noted (sagely), one's audio system is synergistic. Consequently, while I am eager to own and employ some of the "latest and greatest" new components, since the whole is greater than the sum of its parts in this case, I am conversely quite hesitant, too. The largest aspect of the problem is that it is nigh onto impossible to audition new components where I live. For example, I am intrigued by Rockport's latest speakers. The nearest dealer is 350 miles from my home. I would like to try out the new McIntosh 611 mono amplifiers -- same problem. Jay's videos are very helpful in that they provide us with some comparative differentiation. On the other hand, most are so high-end that -- for me, at least -- they are also unaffordable. I am sure I am not alone in facing with this problem, and so I am interested in learning how other deal with it. And, since this is an amplifier/preamplifier thread, particularly in auditioning better amplifiers.
jmeyers Make a list of what your interested in then find a dealer who sells the brands that interest you and see if they offer a home trial. Just off the top of my head Reno Audio, GTT Audio and AGD offer home trials on what they sell and i'm sure many more do.
I wish i could help everyone, but that is impossible. My primary focus for the most part has been the ultra high-end although occasionally i might bring a mid-fi product. The top brands dominate my thoughts and it is not by coincidence. The reality is that most of them perform and do things that the more pieces just don't provide. The Mcintosh 611 were in my head at some point and i was days away from bringing a set here for the whole world to see/hear, but i had some difficulties that did not allow me to do so. I wish i could add more brands to the list of amplifiers that have impressed me:
Constellation Gryphon Boulder Block Audio Dan Agostino (i am sure there might be another one i can't remember)
However, that is simply not the case guys. Soulution and CH precision amps will happen at some point i am sure - it is just a matter of time and patience. Am i running out of high- end amps? yep - i have said this before. This has lead me to choose my reference amps which i will probably do in front of the camera at some point. Once i do that, i will crown this amp the king and it will be the one that will help me judge other sources, preamps, cables, etc.
Am I contemplating a preamplifier journey? Hmm... you will have to sit tight and find out.
Fantastic, and on that note, hopefully with luck, Audionet and/or Pilium might enter the room as well at some point. easier said than done. (And don’t get me wrong, I care about your health and back). Take good care
"It helps to think young and to stay active it's all you can do." Couldn't agree with you more.
Jay, you missed Luxman, though that doesn't fit in the ultra-high end gear.
It is hard to hear many of these brands unless you live in a large metro area, and then still hard because they are interspersed at many different dealers. I've heard a lot of what Jay has had, but still have never heard Gryphon, Constellation, or Solution. Would like to, but I've basically stopped auditioning since I purchased my current system around three years ago. BTW, brand I thought very good is DarTZeel - I heard it at the 2017 LA Show. Absolutely fabulous, but also very expensive.
@jmeyers
As I mentioned above, I live in a metro area that has allowed me to hear many different brands. Yet I've heard more at the Newport Beach and LA shows over the years and I'd advise you go to a show so you can get an idea of what different brands sound like - that is how I decided on the many trips I made to audition gear. Just understand that some brands may not be well presented (lack luster sound in a hotel room), but I've heard plenty of rooms sing; it is possible to get good sound in a hotel, very possible. And for you, sounds like you maybe aren't in a metro area. So the costs to go to a show would offset all of your long drives and hotel rooms. My focus was on speakers and the amps/preamps/integrateds that made the speakers I loved sing. If you don't have a good speaker/amp interface, your system will never sing. Good luck in your journey.
"this digression about Jay's health shows that we care about his and others' well being." I agree with that and think that those who have posted did so out of their hearts. I thank and admire them for that.
pokey77, I heard the Luxman M600A at home. It had good clarity with only a little euphonics. It was remarkable how well this 30 watt/8, 60/4, 120/2, 240/1 drove my very inefficient speakers. It may have clipped gently so I didn't hear that. At way less than $10K, I thought it was good value for sound quality. I never heard D'ag at home, but from what Jay describes, I would rank this particular Luxman higher than D'ag for clarity/neutrality. Steve rated Luxman higher than Pass for clarity/neutrality. I just got my Rouge Audio IceEdge 1200 amp for way under $2K, and will report on it honestly after some break in. No customs charges from Italy--amps are duty-free, nice.
Ultra high end to Jay means expensive, mainly. There ARE expensive amps that I would probably like, such as Soulution, but there are many more that I wouldn't like. Same goes for cheap stuff. Money has only a small correlation with sound quality. I don't like the term, "ultra" high end. To me, "high end" means the designer listens to his product in a well set up room with different speakers and other components, as we do. "Low end" is just a quick design according to specs and budget, without the listening evaluation, but with the bells and whistles to appeal to the masses. There are high end audiophiles like students who care about music and sound. They assemble nice systems on a low budget.
I think it's both interesting and indicative that WC did not include Pass Labs in his list of amplifier brands that have impressed him. Ironic also, because he's currently doing a few videos on Pass Labs. I think we already know the bottom line, before even watching the videos (I have not watched Part 1 as of yet), because Pass Labs did not make his list.
I understand that WC might not like the heat, not sure how he feels about the form factor (2 blocks per side in some cases), and he's mentioned how it takes a long while for them to sound their best. Still, I am surprised that the Xs amps did not make it in the list. It would be interesting to drop in the Xs amps with the current set of speakers, cabling, etc. Probably won't happen, but it would be interesting. Dave
Just a quick note - I guess I'm not surprised based upon all factors considered with amplifiers that Pass Labs Xs did not make the list. However, if sonics was the only criteria, then I wonder if it would have made the list. Dave
Part 1 is useful advice in general. Even if talking about your experience is appreciated, please don't stop doing A/B videos. On the video, you were vague about how the XS amps are better than the point 8 series. You say Pass is tubelike in general, but at the start you said that the XS series is strong in clarity and detail. When you owned the XS300 and XS150, this was before you did YT videos. Now that you do music videos, this would help listeners hear the differences for themselves to see whether they agree with your findings.
The legendary dac shootout between MSB and DCS Rossini was more informative for me than your descriptions of your findings. You and I mostly agreed on the objective differences, but sometimes I was confused about your descriptions. When many people posted their findings, I found the collective wisdom more useful than any one person. That was because we all listened to the actual music A/B's, going back and forth. So even if your more authoritative descriptions of what you heard in your room were informative, people could hear the actual music videos on various computer systems, headphones or speakers.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," and for music, the proof is in the listening.
Viber I won’t be embarking on the same amount of shootouts. It doesn’t pay my bills (i don’t get many views ). It seems to me that you benefit from them quite a bit, but my YouTube audience is not receiving the same "benefit" you are. No offense, but if it ain’t paying ANY SORT of dividends to me then WHY do it? It’s a boat load of work and i am not getting the same level of returns. It is views that GET ME a small check each month. I didn’t do the YouTube channel " just because" i don’t have anything better to do. I need it to return SOMETHING back to me. It’s been 19 months of work on YouTube. People - YouTube people- want my insights or opinion. They don’t give a damn about shootouts. Maybe it’s time you differentiate YouTube from the forum? When i started the channel i had a vision: I wanted to put in work and monetize at some point. If i take the time to set up shootouts, match dbs, buy a microphone, edit, record songs multiple times, etc etc i gotta get something in return. Not sure where I’m wrong here? It’s not like i am asking for handouts or money from anyone. I’m moving the channel in the best direction i see fit for my audience and my pocket. As you said, "proof is in the listening". I’m already doing plenty of that here. I have to keep rolling forward and it takes a tremendous amount of work. 6k subscribers now - it’s still NOTHING in comparison to other channels but I’ll get there. I actually ran into someone today at the gym who recognized me from the channel. His feedback was: " If you keep doing what you’re doing, it will pay you big time. Why? Because everyone keeps reviewing the same thing... You don’t... And i don’t want to watch videos about things i see at best buy or can afford. I want to see the stuff that might be out of my reach because that’s what entertainment is all about" This is another reason why i plan to go to Axpona this year. I need to get my face out there and those plane tickets, hotel room, meals, transportation, etc cost money. Something has to help me offset these costs; this would be YouTube and consultation service.
Well said. At the end of the day, hearing your views on a specific component in the context of your prior views and systems gives great guidance. Your language/adjectives, and likely ours, have evolved over the past 4 years listening to folks here - naturally. Your reflections often have provided universal guidance as well. One of your observations (I am a week or two behind on videos) was I’ll call it the ’15 minute rule’. Things can sound great for those 15 but if it doesn’t keep you in your chair and make you want to listen more... that is a critical threshold/point. I am very much trying to be honest with myself on that point and retrace my steps if something leads to fatigue after that 15 or 30 minutes. Especially trying to not add on bandages on top of one another to try to get past that 15 minute threshold - costly rabbit hole.
You nailed it... Sometimes what doesn't sound impressive in the first minutes might actually be the component that leads to long listening sessions. I've had amazing 15 min gear that never turned into one full hour of enjoyment. It's no different than cars. Some cars you love to drive in short distances ,but you don't want to drive them on long trips. (Dodge viper comes to mind)
Yes, that makes sense although it was you that articulated the observation. For me, in my system, it was an upgrade in preamp that, for the first time, made me hear what lack of fatigue sounded like - or considerably less fatigue that got me past the 15/30 minute threshold. Before then, being honest with myself in hindsight, I became fatigued and either had to keep turning up the volume which is not a good sign or just turn off and step away. Your comments on the 725 resonated.
Jay, I totally understand and respect your need to monetize your work, and you have the right strategy for doing that--more talking, fewer shootouts. In my medical office, I often give a patient extra time for the same amount of money for a visit, because they need more time, or because I am personally interested in them. The patient may be a body builder, and I relate my experiences with that. The extra time is like I'm with a friend enjoying myself, so I don't mind giving him extra time. But then he thanks me for the extra time, tells his acquaintances and friends what I offer, and that helps my total business.
Suppose you totally stopped doing shootouts from a pure "maximize your income, minimize your time" point of view. Viewers would not know what your system sounds like, to support your verbal claims, although they could always go back to the past record on YT. After some time, your insights would merely be one man's opinion, and wouldn't carry the same clout. Remember that you got your YT reputation based on your music videos. An example is the rapid increase in numbers of subscribers AFTER you did the MSB/DCS shootout.
Perhaps a good compromise would be to present ONE video doing a shootout for a major component change, such as an A/B between preamps on your choice of power amp. For this one video, choose brief 1-2 minutes of 1-3 well recorded songs with voices, brilliant percussion and other instruments. I believe that a preamp has its basic character no matter what the amp, so you don't have to waste time doing it again with other amps to come to much the same conclusions. Cables have much less differences, so it isn't worth your time to do shootouts between cables. Your verbal report would be good enough for that.
I didn't say i wasn't going to do more shootouts. I am simply going to not keep doing the same amount of these types of videos. Also, remember that most people don't care to hear it because it's YouTube anyway. They rather have me show the component on my floor to validate my claim of ownership. They know that when i give out my opinion it is because i have actually owned it and not just read about it on a magazine.
Right. There are pictures of the product being reviewed in the magazines, and some sincere competent reviewers like Mike Fremer who claim they have lived with the product for months. For all the thorough testing they do, backed up by measurements by John Atkinson and manufacturer's comments, they have never demonstrated that they actually get great sound to corroborate their claims. There's where you have the advantage, which is showing the great sound you get from music videos.
I have seen eminent elderly violin masters give advice by talking, but if they are out of practice and cannot demonstrate by playing, they are not as useful as the masters who can talk and play. You can do both, according to your time, which I appreciate.
Disclaimer: This video is about my personal opinion on the product. This might not reflect your personal views and/or experience with it. As we all know, this hobby is subjective and YOU - the end user - is the only person that can decide what best suits your particular needs.
Yea and when you go to sell the Coda Jay you will lose 50%!! LOL I bought a Coda 8 and the 7 Pre-amp from a guy...they were like 6 months old and I got the pair for a little over 6K....HALF PRICE. For the uninformed Jay doesnt buy anything that he's going to get killed on re-selling. That topic has been covered TO DEATH on this thread.
I had someone come over a few days ago to pick up the Aurender ASC10 and he told me he ordered the Coda 16.0 stereo amp and that i am more than welcomed to borrow it. Maybe we will get to hear Coda in my room after all? I will try to see if i can borrow it next month.
At 10 hours of break in, my new Rouge Audio Studio N-10DM IceEdge 1200 is excellent. Powerful, neutral, detailed. I rate it 9/10. $1700 delivered from Italy including my option of WBT speaker connectors, better XLR's. If I spend $600 for Ric's mods, that's a $2300 gamble, since resale value is questionable. Even a total loss limits total risk. If someone values clarity/neutrality, this is a no-brainer and a keeper even as a reference, even if not absolutely SOTA. More to report after 400 hours of the recommended break in.
WC, You list Dan Agostino as one of amplifier brands that impress you. Ironically, after I watched your video on the negatives of Pass Labs, the next video that played was the "Pass Labs xs 300s vs Dan D Agostino M400s verdict". Here, you clearly state that the Xs 300s are more your kind of amplifier and what you would pick between the two. I'm guessing that's more from a sonic perspective, which is why I was wondering if the Xs 300s would make the list, if it was based on sonics alone. Obviously the heat and the warm up time are annoying for you, but if just looking at sonics, they seem to rate well.
Viber, Here is a quote from someone who had me mod his three year old stereo IceEdge amp (Mivera Audio). His amp already had Furutech AC inlet and super expensive Furutech AC wire and Furutech binding posts and Furutech XLR inputs....so was already ahead of any normal implementation. This is the $350 mod that I did. If I had done the binding post bypass mod it would be even better. And it is not dual mono......like yours.
" I wanted to let you know that the amp arrived safe and sound, yesterday. I put it in the system today and it’s been playing for a couple of hours. I’m sure it’s way to early to make any valid assessments, but I can say that what I’m hearing seems much more transparent and lively than the amp I sent you. It’s quite a bit more interesting to listen to rather than the boring quality that it originally had."
Jay........excellent work on your pro's & con's for Pass. I wish everybody could be strait up, no BS review. Wouldnt it be great if some of the main audio magazines were strait up like this. Hell, everything I read (magazines) 99% of the times these reviewers never give a strait up, tell it like it is. Instead we get how glorious, and the best they've ever heard no matter what they're reviewing. It sure is nice to read your no BS reviews.....keep it up.
“AOL, So you want Jay to lose 50% of his money because you arent willing to risk losing 50% of your own money to find out?? Hmmm”
I do not want Jay to do anything that Jay does not want to do...You assume way to much and your snarky remark goes a long way in showing your true colors.I presented Jay with a simple suggestion and all of a sudden you’re Jays spokesperson? He responded nicely in concern of the Coda amp suggestion...Jay is very well capable of speaking for himself. Or maybe I have it wrong and you are Jays personal forums accountant/spokesperson... Hmmm indeed!
aolmrd1241, In previous posts, it was admitted that riaa does WC's dirty work, because WC does not want to have that kind of conflict with other posters. Dave
I don't think i will have more "music videos" for at least the next 10-12 days. I have sold my DCS, all of my synergistic research cables, aurender w20se and shunyata everest, Dragon powercords and other things. I basically have an incomplete system at this time and well I have to get all this shipped out and begin to find their replacements. For now, i have new cables on order (xlr and speaker cables) and i have to embark on the quest for a new music server to go with the MSB Reference DAC. What is coming? hmmm...Patience... You will soon find out!
ricevs, Nice quote from your happy customer. At this moment, with 20 hours of break in at only 70 dB maximum for full small orchestra and most of the time at 30-50 dB, I rate my Rouge close to a 10 for delicate detail. With clarity like this, it is actually relaxing to hear so much of the music at a low SPL. Maybe I am having a lucky day with power quality.
I entertained the idea of getting a second amp and A/B'ing your modded amp with the original. Meanwhile, maybe you can be specific with each stock amp a customer sends you, compare to your mods after break in, noting the specific sonic ways your amp is better.
rh67, You have confirmed my belief that for sound quality, lower power amps are better than higher power amps of the same company. Jay found the lowest power Gryphon Essence to be the best G. He should try to find a Pass XA25 which would be enough to satisfy on the XLF for most music.
Jay, Some commenter on your video said that Nelson Pass is designing the new First Watt amps, leaving the old Pass sound behind. Try the higher power First Watt, still low power, but enough for quality music on the XLF.
I agree, i have spent a lot of time (months) listening to the XA25 with the XLF and i found it to be the best Pass amp with the XLF.
More money spent does not always equal better SQ either. My AGD amps paired with the XLF produces some of the best music i have heard at 1/4 the cost of some of the amps reviewed here.
Maybe one day I'll buy one. The pass labs crowd is quite routy on YouTube. Whoa 😳 Some of them are feeling their heart ripped out of their chest. It's only electronics...
Hi allCurrently I have an aw250R electrocompainet equipment and I pre-loaded 4.8 mk2 with some sonus faber olympica nova 3 and I am thinking of improving my amplification.I like the accuphase E800 and the luxman 900 preamp and stage.They offer me the C900 exdemo at a good price, about 8000 Eur and giving my previous would stay at € 6750, they offer me very little for my previous when it is not a year old, it is practically new and costs 4 times more, you think it is worth itthe change.The idea was to take the previous luxman and leave the electrocompainet stage for a while until we could go through the luxman stage.I would also value other brands that you would recommend if with this I make a leap in quality, I have also looked at pass, I do not know the model, but it may not go wrong with my boxes.I appreciate your opinion, I have to make a decision soon.Thanks a lotGreetings to all
vini234, Going WAY back, I had the Electrocompaniet original 25 watt/ch stereo, called "the two channel amplifier." It had good clarity, but was somewhat warm compared to my next amp, JVC M-7050. Reading reviews and speaking to a dealer, the newer Electro amps are good but with a warm character. I heard the Luxman M600A and found it more accurate than my original Electro. I never heard the Luxman 900 package, but surmise it is more accurate than Electro. I recommend you probably should stick with Luxman. I agree with Jay's assessment of Pass. Stay with Luxman. Actually, I have a guarded recommendation of my under $2K Rouge Audio as THE best value, and possibly near SOTA. Today, the sound is less sharp than yesterday, and sounds neutral with good clarity. Follow my break in journey with this one.
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