I’m with you greyhound. I can’t listen to opera or birds chirping kind of music. I go to bed with I listen to that. I fall asleep on the chair very fast.
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
Brought the wireworld platinum 7 xlr on Friday. I proceeded to unplug my silver 8 and then when I began to listen to the platinums xlr I found them rather boomy, less detailed and smeared when compared to the silver 8 cables. Tried looking all over to place to see if there’s any sort of break in recommended on these and couldn’t find anything. That said, 48 hours of playing music non stop seems to have shifted things quite a bit. I’ll report back later next week. I want them to have at least 100 hours on them. |
Cables in order of which has more effect on a rig:My experience again and again indicates that the MOST critical cable in the system is the IC from line stage to amp. On your line stage, replace your power cord with a $20 power cord from Home Depot. Yes, there should be some noticeable losses. Next, put your power cord back here and replace your IC here to the amp with one from Home Depot. The result will be a disaster, i.e., a total loss of spatial information, harmonic information and decays.....if your system was ever capable of these going into the test. |
WC , like you, I did not believe before that power cables were the most important. I realized I was so wrong when I tried a Shunyata Alpha Digital pc on my dac. Try one , thank me later. It has some kind of filter in it that cleans everything. You never know your music has that haze over it, until you plug that cord into your dac ! |
@techno_dude Have you heard them ? Purist Audio Design cables are also Very Expensive. I have owned many. They are outstanding !! Are they worth the price ? Only after hearing them can you decide that. If you do not believe in cables, you owe it to yourself to try B4 you criticize. You will hear a difference. If you don’t your system is most likely lacking. That is one thing that the Tekton Double Impact speakers with Purist Audio cables does very well . I can hear a difference when i change just the rectifier tube in the MC30s. or power tubes and even the pre-amp tubes. Don’t bad mouth something until you have heard it !! If your system is up to it , You will hear a difference in cables. The Biggest problem is that a lot of people do not have a system capable of hearing these differences, so when they try the cables , they cry foul , snake oil .. etc. This is exactly why many do Not believe. LOL?!! |
I do believe in cables. As I said before, I have an almost complete loom of Shunyata Zitron cables, except for speaker cables wich are Nordost. Both brands have patented their technology. Both brands are owned by engineers with long history, Shunyata in noise reducing hospital tech, Nordost in aerospace wiring. Both can explains with science and measurements the performance of their cables. So I don’t mind paying 2k for pair of Anaconda Zitron XLR. But I will never put 6k on a brand like SS that has nothing patented or scientifically explained. I call them the esoterism brands... SS is one of many. I will not name the others. Not the time nor the place to start this kind of debate. |
I,m a big believer in cables and have been for almost 30 years in this hobby. I always enjoy reading when people change there mind about cables. I was a believer when cryogenically treatment cables started back in the 90,s when most people thought it was snake oil, now it's an industry standard. For me the most important: Power PC IC SC Until you sort your power out you'll never get to hear what your system is capable of and that includes the PC, dedicated lines, conditioners of some sort and fuses if you have any. Sort the power out first. |
I don’t think that having a patent on something makes it sound better. So many people get hung up on measurements.The smart people let their ears decide ...not measurements. So much in Audio can be heard but not measured..Most people do not buy based on measurements. They buy because of what they hear.That is my point. Can you measure what cryoing does . I seriously doubt it. |
My cable process: 1_ I refine my options amoung brands that makes sense. ( pedigree and science) 2_ I listen and compare between #1 options, let my ears decide. Better process, much less mistake probability, compulsive buy probability, buyer’s remorse probability. Much higher resale value probability. tecknik, +1 about your post |
For those interested in the new Merrill Audio Element 118 amps: http://enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1018/Merrill_Audio_Element_118_Monoblock_Amplifiers_Review.htm |
Yep, the review does not give the faintest idea of the exceptional capabilities of the Merrill Element 118.... "The device is exceptionally capable, and deserves a review that describes at some length what the device "does for living". Element 118 is far from being a simple musclebound brute without sublety. The fact that it does not slide into facile euphony does not mean that it has no heart or delicacy... On the contrary! I'm starting to think that I might want to review the production level 118 after all. Saluti, G. does not |
@guidocorona are you implying that the ETM review was not a current production? I was under the impression that the Element 118 was just being released and a review takes at least 3 months to complete which would lead one to believe the ETM “sample” Element 118 was a pre-production model. Would this be an accurate statement? |
Hello @rsf507, actually no... I am not implying at all that the unit under review is a pre-production unit. The physical description seems to suggest a production unit.. Rather, the reviewer is writing a lot but saying little, except for stating in a couple of places that the device uses GaN transistors with negligible recovery time, does not use feedback, is a powerhouse "brute, sounds matter of fact, is very expensive, and may be best used with companion devices that come a smidjin short of statement level. Had I not heard an already excellent 118 prototype in my own system, and thus know better than to trusting the article, I might end up dismissing 118 as a middling device... And rest assured, middling is far from the sonic/music experience that 118 delivers. Saluti, G. e |
@axememan I think most all of the older Keb Mo is much better Like: June 7, 1994 Keb' Mo'Debut album as "Keb' Mo'" Won W.C. Handy Award for Best Country/Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, 1995 June 18, 1996Just Like YouWon Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album,1997August 25, 1998Slow DownWon Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 1999October 10, 2000The DoorNominated Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album September 19, 2003Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Keb' Mo'Part of the series, The Blues February 10, 2004Keep It SimpleWon Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2005 |
oops Fixed Typo and spacing I think most all of the older Keb Mo is much better Like: June 7, 1994 Keb’ Mo’Debut album as "Keb’ Mo’" Won W.C. Handy Award for Best Country/Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, 1995 June 18, 1996 Just Like You Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album,1997August 25, 1998 Slow Down Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album,1999 October 10, 2000 The Door Nominated Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album September 19, 2003 Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Keb’ Mo’Part of the series, The Blues February 10, 2004 Keep It Simple Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2005 |
The review posted on the Merrill Element 118 strikes me as a fairly honest portrayal of an amp that he believes is "accurate, revealing and natural." Put the last 3 words together and you have just about everything desirable, unless you deliberately want euphonic, colored sound. In the long run, detail with naturalness trumps euphonic flavoring as you realize that your flavoring has perhaps somewhat blurred the music and then you want to try another flavoring. My only reservation with the review is that he gives much of the criteria only 4.5 out of 5, so in that sense the review is somewhat lukewarm considering the price. We have seen many reviews where a product scores 5/5 for much less money. I now have 250 hours on my Mytek Brooklyn Amp for retail $2k, and so far it seems neutral, detailed and natural to deserve a 4.5/5 in most areas, so an amp with SOTA aspirations ought to be clearly 5/5 for $38k. Maybe this reviewer is trying to be polite and politically correct to not antagonize his contacts who like euphonic sound, so it could be a glowing review depending on your interpretation of his psychology. I am sure Guido will be more informative in his hopefully upcoming review. |
Stay tuned... 200 lbs each mono. I’m excited to get hands on them. I’ve had an eye on them for quite sometime. After doing my own research, I think they will bring a dog fight to the 925s and Luxman 900u. Will they catapult themselves all the way to the #1 spot ? We shall see.. the 925s are still the #1 amp I’ve ever owned. |
@whitecamaross I feel that it is time to change speakers to the something like the ones I recommended....Tekton Encore.....Something the average person can afford Then you can try some amps that the regular guy can afford. Those are very efficient and you could try a lot of different affordable TUBE amps. Personally I see no benefit for 90% of us who can’t and never will afford 60K amps . What is the point ? |
Greyhound: I understand your point. That said, quite often I don’t have much control on what’s available to me and also I can’t go and buy less expensive components that I’m not familiar with. I’ve got to be aware of the used market and resale. If I were to not care about resale then I’d be filing for chapter 11 and sleeping with the dog outside my house. If I’ve endured this hobby for so many years without getting hurt too bad financially then that must mean I’m doing something right. If I were to review emotiva simply because everyone can afford it, then how do I get rid of it once it’s time to part ways with it? Why would anyone buy mine if they can buy direct from emotiva? Unless I’m willing to take a nice hit in my pocket, I simply won’t sell any emotiva on my own. I don’t plan on doing any parasound, emotiva, krell, wyre4sound, ATI, theta digital, rótel, Classe. Those brands don’t interest me at all anymore. Their current offerings have been here and I’m done. If I get anything from them then it’s probably for me to simply sell it. It won’t be for me to keep or to review. |
@grey9hound - With all due respect this is @whitecamaross thread which is focused on his search for gear in the upper echelon of performance. Of course there are financial considerations for anyone considering such products, and if you’d like there to be a similar thread concentrating on more affordable gear then feel free to start one. I don’t think it’s appropriate for others to dictate what level of gear he chooses to evaluate as his search continues, and it seems that he’s already gone beyond the level of what the majority would consider affordable. Even though I’m not considering gear at the price levels he’s currently reached I still find his experiences to be of interest. |
@bill_k Come on man. Are you kidding ? This is WC ’s thread ??? DUH ! I had no idea ! Is it inappropriate to suggest trying something different in his thread ? Viber6 and others have went off on wild tangents and you respond to me ??? Your response is completely silly . Many others have suggested many lower cost amps and speakers . Do you jump on them and suggest they get their own thread ? I do not feel that WC is offended by me asking ? Do you ? |
@grey9hound - I guess I should have just left it to @whitecamaross to respond as he did. While some other posters have suggested specific products it seemed to me that you were asking to change the entire direction of the thread by focusing on a completely different category of gear than was intended. I never stated that I was offended by your post and was only suggesting that your needs might be better served on another thread. Please forgive me if I overstepped and I certainly didn't intend to upset you or to limit your participation. |
I have been thinking of something in order to keep this thread going. I know many of you want my input on products that I perhaps don’t have any interest in bringing. That said, how about you send me your amp or any gear so I can give you my honest opinion? I I will keep an affordable amp on hand as well as something more expensive. I can compare to either and let you know what I like or dislike about it. I actually had one friend bring over his amps and I gave him my opinion on them. He said they lacked more bottom end and he wanted to be sure he wasn’t crazy so I went ahead and gave it a listen. After my opinion, he asked me what amp could give him what he was lacking and so I pointed him in the right direction and now he’s beyond happy. |
I guess i am just asking , in what direction do you go after 60k amps ? My suggestion was a direction to go. The Magico are what like 87db efficient ? I know that WC liked the sound of the tubes, but with those speakers , you are not going to find too many tube amps that will work well with that or at the SPL that WC likes So yes bill_k , i was suggesting a different direction . BUT it was just a suggestion, That’s all . Besides ,There hasn't been much amp review action, so I was thinking WC is running out of amps to try. |
It’s been quite dry for me for sure. Some of the brands I want to get my hands on are very protected so deals are scarce. Most dealers won’t work with you so I’m pretty much just waiting for deals on the used market. I’ll tell you this, it’s kind of hard to go back to a Toyota Camry if all you’ve been test driving has been Mercedes s600 and bmw 750. Pretty difficult to go back unless someone comes to your house and tells you “ you want this Camry for a deal? I need to get rid of it...” then sure I’ll buy the Camry and drive it but I’m not exactly looking for one. That’s how I feel right now in regards to amps. Lastly, have you all realized that most amp manufacturers haven’t really done any major changes to their products? McIntosh still has the same look and some say the new amps are not special. Classe has nothing new, ayre won’t have another amp anytime soon, krell hasn’t had a decent amp in a long time, Mark Levinson has decent amps but nothing really impressive. The only 2 brands are audio research with the new arc m160, constellation and their new amps. That’s really it in terms of new amps that are worth listening to. The amplifier segment has been relatively quiet with no major changes. |