My Medium List of Amplifiers and my Personal Review of Each !

@avanti1960 your comments on the mcintosh mc312 and your journey with other amps is very interesting!

I'd like to see how Roger Sanders Magtech amp would fare.

Amplifier Update- out Parasound A21+, In Orchard Audio Starkrimson (review) and McIntosh MC312. [Supporting system- Cary SLP-05 Preamp, Spendor D7.2 Speakers)] The Parasound A21+ was a revert back to decent, powerful sound after the failed Pass Labs XA30.8 attempt. Although very nice, ultimately it lacked the refinement and dynamics of some of the best I have heard.  Note that this second go round with the A21+ is with newer, more revealing speakers.   The GaN FET Orchard Audio Starkrimson was a pleasant surprise. Weighing less than the Mcintosh shipping carton, the diminutive 350WPC power amplifier had more than enough gusto to provide first class dynamics, bass and unfettered loudness. An even keel neutral tone (no warmth) was pleasantly keen and smooth yet it lacked the midrange bloom and transparency that I prefer. Now for the good parts. The obvious quickness in the way the Orchard Audio amp kept pace with the music was incredible to hear. On complex jazz fusion tracks, the percussion and bass drum beats were unrelenting in their ferocity. There was definition in the notes that I didn’t know existed, seemingly upping the basic time signature of the score. Amazing ! Refinement was very good, a smooth sounding amp from top to bottom and the sound stage was sufficiently large and enjoyable. A very good amp for its size. McIntosh MC312 Throw your preconceived notions about McIntosh sound out the window. There is simply nothing boring, syrupy, veiled or rolled off about the sound of this latest generation McIntosh power amplifier. It does have a subtle sweetness to the sound in the form of a bit of extra midbass and highly refined, pristine sweet sounding treble but that is where it ends. The midrange is in full bloom and sounds incredible. Best sounding amplifier for piano, female vocals and electric guitar I have owned. The smooth presence in piano notes is extraordinary. A joy to witness. Deep bass is a bit less than some other amps, namely the Parasound JC5, but the authority and attack is still heard and felt. Refinement is top notch once you find the proper ohm tap for your speakers, some experimentation was needed. Dynamics are exceptional, the speed and authority are at which notes are executed is notable. Besides the exceptional midrange and overall slight sweetness of the presentation, the other exceptional attribute is separation of musical elements. For example during an instrumental track a bass and percussion rhythm section are playing kind of row 3 in the background and all of a sudden this fast paced acoustic guitar leaps out of the left channel with an extraordinary presence, speed and separation, as if it had its own speaker and amplifier channel. It was clearly distinct from the body of the music in both position and at a much higher volume level, what I pictured was a live performance it was so clearly and distinctly present. Just incredible. Do I love the sound of this amplifier? You bet. Any negatives? It is a heavy beast and it took 5 trips to the attic to store the shipping and packaging.   History__________________________________________________________ After letting the Pass Labs XA30.8 settle in and worked in to my system with cable tweaks and other adjustments it was clear what this amplifier was all about compared to the champion Pass XA25. First off the XA25 is not as transparent as the reviews would lead you to believe- at least in its year old well run in form. The XA30.8 is noticeably more transparent and open with more extended treble. The midrange transparency is literally end game for me. The XA30.8 also has more power range and less midbass bloom. Deep bass is also very strong on the more powerful 30.8 The XA25 is a warm, sweet dynamic amazing sounding amplifier but ultimately a touch too colored in my system. The XA30.8 is here to stay. Class A refinement, power, bass control and tube amp transparency and sound stage. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTEGRATED AMPS NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Cambridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined. Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes. Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices. Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps. POWER AMPS Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers. Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum. Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100. Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers. Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it. Benchmark AHB2 (Single and Dual). Obviously the reputation this amplifier has is nothing short of stellar so I had to give them a go. Not quite as refined as my reigning champ the Pass Labs XA25. Excellent power and bass. Dynamics were the deal breaker and not in they way you might think- they were too dynamic, hyper dynamic actually, even using a single amp. They sounded loud even at low volume levels which is hard to describe in words. Also too forward sounding in the midrange. Ultimately I had to move on. OUT- Pass Labs XA30.8 IN- Parasound a21+ I tried very hard to keep the Pass XA30.8 but ultimately it had too much net gain for my Cary SLP-05 preamp with 24db. There were occasional over-driven artifacts in the sound that could not be addressed even with 10db Rothwell XLR attenuators. Searching for a replacement amp of ~ 20db gain or with adjustable gain made it somewhat difficult. I went back to the Parasound a21+ because it has adjustable gain and a smooth sound quite close to the Pass XA25 but with much more power and drive which was what I was after. I prefer the sound of the a21+ vs the Parasound JC5 in my system despite being ~ half the price. The a21+ is more likeable to my ears, the JC5 very competent like a studio amp but not as engaging. Report this

I will follow with interest. I like the medium price ranges. I had the X25 for a spell and liked it very much.

Update to the list.

OUT- Pass Labs XA30.8 

IN- Parasound a21+

I tried very hard to keep the Pass XA30.8 but ultimately it had too much net gain for my Cary SLP-05 preamp with 24db.  There were occasional over-driven artifacts in the sound that could not be addressed even with 10db Rothwell XLR attenuators.  

Searching for a replacement amp of ~ 20db gain or with adjustable gain made it somewhat difficult.  I went back to the Parasound a21+ because it has adjustable gain and a smooth sound quite close to the Pass XA25 but with much more power and drive which was what I was after.  

I prefer the sound of the a21+ vs the Parasound JC5 in my system despite being ~ half the price.  The a21+ is more likeable to my ears, the JC5 very competent like a studio amp but not as engaging.  

History__________________________________________________________

After letting the Pass Labs XA30.8 settle in and worked in to my system with cable tweaks and other adjustments it was clear what this amplifier was all about compared to the champion Pass XA25. 

First off the XA25 is not as transparent as the reviews would lead you to believe- at least in its year old well run in form.  The XA30.8 is noticeably more transparent and open with more extended treble.  The midrange transparency is literally end game for me.  The XA30.8 also has more power range and less midbass bloom.  Deep bass is also very strong on the more powerful 30.8 

The XA25 is a warm, sweet dynamic amazing sounding amplifier but ultimately a touch too colored in my system.  The XA30.8 is here to stay.  Class A refinement, power, bass control and tube amp transparency and sound stage.   

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INTEGRATED AMPS

NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Cambridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined.

Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes.

Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices.

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II

Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps.

POWER AMPS

Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers.

Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum.

Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100.

Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers.

Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it.

Benchmark AHB2 (Single and Dual).  Obviously the reputation this amplifier has is nothing short of stellar so I had to give them a go.  Not quite as refined as my reigning champ the Pass Labs XA25.  Excellent power and bass.  Dynamics were the deal breaker and not in they way you might think- they were too dynamic, hyper dynamic actually, even using a single amp.  They sounded loud even at low volume levels which is hard to describe in words.  Also too forward sounding in the midrange.  Ultimately I had to move on.  

a combination of Harbeth SHL5+ and Spendor D7.2. 

Sorry if I missed it, what speakers are used for these ratings??

Final update: 

Update to the list.

OUT- Pass Labs XA25

IN-Pass Labs XA 30.8

Reigning Champion- Pass Labs XA30.8

After letting the Pass Labs XA30.8 settle in and worked in to my system with cable tweaks and other adjustments it was clear what this amplifier was all about compared to the champion Pass XA25. 

First off the XA25 is not as transparent as the reviews would lead you to believe- at least in its year old well run in form.  The XA30.8 is noticeably more transparent and open with more extended treble.  The midrange transparency is literally end game for me.  The XA30.8 also has more power range and less midbass bloom.  Deep bass is also very strong on the more powerful 30.8 

The XA25 is a warm, sweet dynamic amazing sounding amplifier but ultimately a touch too colored in my system.  The XA30.8 is here to stay.  Class A refinement, power, bass control and tube amp transparency and sound stage.   

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INTEGRATED AMPS

NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Cambridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined.

Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes.

Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices.

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II

Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps.

POWER AMPS

Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers.

Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum.

Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100.

Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers.

Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it.

Benchmark AHB2 (Single and Dual).  Obviously the reputation this amplifier has is nothing short of stellar so I had to give them a go.  Not quite as refined as my reigning champ the Pass Labs XA25.  Excellent power and bass.  Dynamics were the deal breaker and not in they way you might think- they were too dynamic, hyper dynamic actually, even using a single amp.  They sounded loud even at low volume levels which is hard to describe in words.  Also too forward sounding in the midrange.  Ultimately I had to move on.  

Update to the list.

OUT- Dual Mono Benchmark AHB2 

IN-Pass Labs XA 30.8

Reigning Champion- Pass Labs XA25

The Benchmarks sounded really good but I believe were a gain miss-match with my Cary Audio preamp.  This resulted in lack of refinement and a forward midrange that had too much energy. No matter what I did I could not get happy with the sound.  

The Pass XA25 is still the reigning champion with its clear yet super sweet and refined sound.  Such an awesome amplifier.  

We will see how it compares to the up range Pass XA30.8.  More to follow...

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INTEGRATED AMPS

NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Cambridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined.

Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes.

Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices.

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II

Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps.

POWER AMPS

Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers.

Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum.

Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100.

Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers.

Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it.

I am not sure what your budget is in this process.  Given the economic environment, probably less now than a year ago.  A couple of amps that you can find on the used market would be interesting....Luxman 509, Canary Audio M80 or any of their line, Gryphon 120 integrated.  

I think it's great that you're doing this. However, based on my experience I think it would be appropriate for you to also tell us what your power situation is and what interconnects and wires you're using. Like whether you have a dedicated line or not, stock power cords, any noise reduction stuff, power conditioner, etc. 

My thoughts are that "none of this should make a difference" but what the heck. It does. If your power/cords/interconnects/wires are holding you back or are unique in some way they could be imparting a character to what you are hearing that you are attributing to the equipment.

Just a thought. Not trying to start a flame war.

Cool list that a blue collar music lover can afford. 

@willgolf ....That " other " amplifier thread you spoke about is gone. I have my thoughts as to why he ended it..............nice to see " affordable " amps being spoken about....My best ! MrD.

Very interesting stuff.  Love your style of being bottom line and to the point.  Looking forward to your thoughts on the Benchmarks.  

Update to the list.

OUT- Parasound JC5

IN- Dual Benchmark AHB2.

Reigning Champion- Pass Labs XA25

While the JC5 had its strong points- namely a clear, transparent midrange when the recording called for it, impactful bass even at low volume and of course the capability to play as loudly as I wanted, the Pass Labs XA25 still reigns supreme overall. Just a more pleasing overall sound, soaring midrange bloom, warmer and fuller but possibly too much so.

Enter the dual bridged mono Benchmark AHB2.

More to follow.

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INTEGRATED AMPS

NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Cambridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined.

Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes.

Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices.

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II

Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps.

POWER AMPS

Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers.

Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum.

Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100.

Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers.

Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it.

I have found that frequently amps and preamps seem to improve by 100 hours. Then go through a period of up to ~ 50 hours where they wildly fluctuate back and forth from good to bad… then stabilize and start getting better for the next few (as much as 800 hundred hours more.

@willgolf 

 

Yes, these are all amplifiers I have owned and know very well.  

Most recently the Parasound JC5 and after ~ 120 hrs. it has been a roller coaster ride the way the sound keeps changing ! 

Are these all amps that you have owned?  It will be interesting to see how far you take this thread.  As everyone knows there is another high-end thread that has over 20k posts.  The only problem is that 90% of the people can not afford the equipment that the Op reviews.  I have owned the Raven Reflection MK2 integrated amp and it was wonderful.  Good Luck in your journey.  

@avanti1960 I found a mint used one (for a fair deal too) so thankfully don’t have to worry about break in, although I’ll definitely let it run before critical listening! Thanks for the insight on the front-end, mine will be fed with a Pass XP22, Denafrips terminator plus, and Lumin U1. Speakers are Focal Kanta 3s.

 

Very excited. Probably will have slightly less warmth/bloom than your Cary. I love detail, and the JC5 should add some mids and slight warmth vs my current amp.

Kudos on the JC5 !

Sure-

Preamp- Cary SLP-05

Speakers- Spendor D7.2

 

Congrats on the amp- definitely give it at least 50 to 60 hours.  I was ready to return it after the first couple of days.  

This is very well timed as I have a JC5 en route. A big part of the appeal is an amp that could do everything well, perhaps at the expense of not doing one thing great.

 

Do you mind sharing the rest of your setup?