To come so close, you're talking about edging?
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!
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!
20,890 responses
I can go quite far but yes at this level it is more about the differences in sound rather than one being extremely superior to the other. Once you play here, where i am, you will soon realize that almost everything sounds awesome but you have to be the one to choose the one that checks most of your boxes. Let's see where this takes us? |
The LSA Voyager 350 GAN may not be available until Oct. I am likely going to let someone borrow it once I get it back this week. He is considering using it at the CanJam audio show in Los Angeles (1 of 4 amps). All of this it dependent on COVID not canceling this show. He really liked the amp before I sent it in for the mods. The AHB2s are available anytime now. Though I do think that will be a waste of time on this thread. |
The ARC Ref 10 preamp, for me, is a stunning preamp. Heard it many times and I have also heard the Ref6 SE plenty. I easily prefer the Ref 10. The Ref 10 lacks a little dynamics to the Ref6 SE, but is much smoother and has a huge sound stage and tonally is much more convincing. From a few conversations I've had with someone that deals ARC around 1.5 years ago, ARC are not able to get all the parts they need for the Ref 10 anymore. So it makes sense that a Ref 1X will be the next reference. Please don't shoot the messenger, this is just what I remember from those conversations. It may be/I think that, the Ref 10 products will not be built any longer and that is why the ARC employee is saying that the Ref6 SE is their top tier product (in production). |
Dave, My comments are based on plenty of experience with both preamps whereas musicmans are based on comments from one of ARCs employees. Chalk it up to different rooms and other supporting gear. When I say the Ref 10 is much smoother, I mean it has much more ease and sounds more natural. Really, with the separate power supply, the Ref 10 should have the edge. But in the end, it is all about personal choice. |
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Viber, WC has already said the Audio Research Ref6se was much better than the Soulution. Pay attention (“I feel like selling all my SS gear” immediately after inserting the ARC, remember?). And it’s probably 1/3 the price. This is what I meant when I predicted that you’d have a hard time dealing with WC’s findings |
This is part 3 of the video series: https://youtu.be/5Mx7GaWG5Hs This video finalizes the "mid-tier" group amplifiers and it sets the stage for what could be a controversial video: "bottom tier" group amplifiers. |
kren0006, You misinterpret Jay's remarks, thinking that he said he is THE authority. But he is more truthful than you, saying that his findings are only one man's opinion. I agree with that. Get that straight, and cut out your negative remarks to me. YOU pay attention--"I feel like selling all my SS gear" is merely his emotional love affair with warm tube sound. I predict that he will prefer the 725 on things like Metallica. Do YOU understand why? |
Oh no, Viber, you are wrong again. You not only misinterpret WC’s remarks, you try to create an alternative reality that fits your warped sonic views by misstating what WC said. Specifically, you try to cast WC’s clear findings regarding Soulution and Audio Research in what you perceive as a negative light by saying WC prefers warm tube sound. First, WC never said anything like that - which I’m now repeatedly explaining to you for the second time. Second, have you been reading this thread for the last 5 years? No really, have you? If there is one type of sound WC unquestionably DOES NOT PREFER, I can guarantee that it is warm tube sound. So your direct statement above "his emotional love affair with warm tube sound" is simply nonsensical. Do you understand why? WC has made his findings clear, but you cannot accept them. I never said he is the authority, only that you would have difficulty accepting his findings, which you have now proven a couple of times. |
Jay, Can't believe Plinius amps didn't make the middle tier group list. I've owned the SB 301 mk2 and I know you have also, in addition to the the SA 103. The SB 301 mk2 had killer bass with an almost tube like midrange and a clear top end. The top end got a little edgy when pushed hard but that would be my only knock on the amp. |
Hi Wc, Thank you for all the work and the highly anticipated Tier videos. Curious if you can expand on your source’s (multiple sources?) opinions of the n30 vs the extreme. “kills it” seems a bit “extreme” or at least a bit bold but what is it that they prefer about the sound? Did they use the Extreme with the latest USB driver and the TAS music player? Streaming vs local playback? I assume not dealers of only one brand. and of course i assume they heard them side by side in the same system. Regardless that I am an owner of the Extreme, I’d like to hear the unvarnished opinions of someone that has heard them both w all the same gear. Frankly, it would be the first opinion I have read in the forums along that vein and I think more than a few will be curious to hear. Will definitely make me want to hear it and would help inform future decisions. Anyway as you know I greatly appreciate your work and this community. Take good care as always |
So I think this is WC’s upgraded list (if I missed any, someone will add). [NOTE: List is Solid State amps exclusively, tube amps excluded from rankings per WC] TOP GROUP Boulder (new Boulder) Gryphon Block Audio (Mike’s choice) Soulution Constellation Dan D’Agostino (Momentum series) **** Honorable mention MIDDLE GROUP Simaudio Jeff Rowland Merrill Audio Pass Labs Luxman (WC said top member of this group - could bump into TOP group) Bel Canto Black Ayre Classe LOWER GROUP Bryston NAD (he hasn’t gotten to lower group yet but these are the two he always mentions so not assuming too much that they’ll be here, haha) |
kren0006, Thanks for the list. The only statements from WC that are confusing to me: 1) Luxman is the top of MIDDLE GROUP 2) Merrill could probably be the last one in the TOP GROUP. So, #2 would supposedly put Merrill ahead of the Luxman, but he says Luxman is the top one. Anyway, just trying to figure out those two statements. Dave |
Oh yeah I forgot that he also said that about Merrill in video 1. Maybe whoever updates the list just deletes my note about Luxman unless WC wants to clarify which is the top of group 2. The funny thing about it is we see these videos 2-3 days apart so I missed that contradiction, but WC is doing it all in a single within 30 minutes, so come on WC, let's get some clarity here - which is better, Merrill or Luxman?? haha, just kidding, appreciate the info and list. My prediction for bottom group: Bryston NAD Parasound PS Audio McIntosh Krell Rotel |
Interesting question and by the way i had to think about this particular question A LOT... Which one is on top between Luxman and Merrill 118? This is going to be a hard one for me guys and i have to say i took a lot into consideration to come up with it: -Newer design -Breakthrough engineering with innovation -Faster sounding -Deeper and more controlled bass -More Neutral I have to say it here first for the world to see so i will go out on a limb and give the nod to the Merrill Audio 118s. You heard it from me. Merrill 118 > Luxman 900u (monos or stereo) |
Updated: [NOTE: List is Solid State amps exclusively, tube amps excluded from rankings per WC] [In no particular order within group] TOP GROUP Boulder (new Boulder) Gryphon Block Audio (Mike’s choice) Soulution Constellation Dan D’Agostino (Momentum series) **** Honorable mention MIDDLE GROUP Simaudio Jeff Rowland Merrill Audio (top performer in middle group) Pass Labs Luxman Bel Canto Black Ayre Classe |
@zprr: I was given that feedback about both music servers. The system in which this took place is world class and yes all options were installed on the Taiko and he tried roon as well as Taikos software. The system is about $450k and there were several people in this shootout who voted for the n30. I have no opinion because i haven’t owned eitherThat said, Taiko needs to fix the buggy and "Atari like" software. |
Perhaps I misinterpreted some of my friends remarks regarding the differences in the REF 10, versus the REF 6 S.E., as the conversation was over a year ago, and memory loss in a Senior Citizen (😏)......However there’s definitely no misinterpretation vis-a-vis the two preamps. He emphatically likes the 6SE a little more. Having never heard a REF 10, I can’t give my preference . I have owned two different ARC REF 40’s, and I definitely prefer the 6 SE. Also with judicious tube rolling, the 6 SE changes in one area that either will be an improvement or a sideways move ( gets more relaxed with some 6N6P tubes) . I prefer the change in my REF 6 SE, but your mileage may very, ( may sound more like a Yacht than a speed boat....😊 Cheers.... |
From Jay: "There's mixed opinions on the Taiko. I heard from credible sources that the Aurender n30 kills it." Hi Jay = The Aurender n30 may indeed be an awesome component and preferred by some versus the Exreme, but as far as "killing" the Taiko, pretty doubtful. I'm interested in hearing thoughts and conclusions from those who have had both in their system... |
One more thing, the "Atari-like" software that the Taiko TAS employs is in Beta and the final version is in the works to be released in the near future. They chose to make the "buggy" unfinished product available so that users could enjoy the SQ enhancement as well as offer opinions on preferences in the final version... |
I'm really interested in hearing more about the Classe Delta amps. Did Jay actually own one or are they included in the middle tier based only on the dealer demo? A fun shootout would be Classe Delta Monos versus Boulder 1161 versus Luxman M-900U versus Pass Labs XA100.8 versus Simaudio 860V2. All middle tier amps at about the same price point. |
I am putting the finishing touches on the last video which will have the amps i consider "dead last". You all need to subscribe and turn on your notifications. It will go live and i won’t post a link here just like with today’s video. Subscribe now: https://youtube.com/channel/UC1RalNTbbkMouvaR0XhKIiA |
The Burmester stuff is really good. The 911 amp is fantastic, but the 909 is quite a bit better, but it is this big tower-like structure that won't fit in an audio rack, same kind of profile as the Gryphon Coliseum. Heard the 909 any number of times with the $15k (at that time) Burmester preamp about 3-4 years ago. It was stunning with great dynamics and astonishingly fantastic ease; very lifelike. |