Pass....Accuphase....or......

Has someone compared the A-48 and the P-4600? A and AB? Sound? Heat?

The Verity are not going anywhere ;) The amp may change,  the preamp too....but not the speakers. 

I tested the Pass 250.8 at home with other speakers (Audio Physic Cardeas) but I was not impressed. I hear people saying the XA 25 is a different Pass. Can someone comment on that?

Luxman don't have many power amps to choose from....i think.

I play only HD-files from my hard drive so an integrated is a waste of money. Maybe a Pass HPA-1 can be my future preamp and I get a nice phone amp as well.

Thanks toronto416! I think I can audition the A-48.

The XA-25 is one to audition then. The Parsifals can produce big amounts of low frequencies in my room depending on placement so maybe they work fine with the XA-25?

The A-300 is a beast....almost like the one I already have. The problem with these big expensive amps is that it is almost impossible to service them if they breake after the guaranty is gone. I don't have the money to send them around the world for service. The last problem with the ML was 3.000 USD. That's why I want a more "normal" amp.

Those Michi sure are VERY powerful....but I am leaning more toward the Accuphase brand.

toronto416: Nice company! I like their approach to business...no shareholders....no hurry.

@toronto416 how  did the sound improved with the Parcifals going from class AB to A? Would you recommend class A? 

Verity Audio Parsifal Ovation:

89 dB @ 1W @ 1m

Power handling 18 - 350 W

Nominal Impedance 8 ohm (minimum 4 ohm)

Thank you all! I think I get the picture.

And in case you are curious about how much Marc Levinson ....or Harman Luxury Audio wants to fix a working but overheating right channel on my No.532, the price is 50.000 USD + the cost to send the amp to another country and back. Real luxury ;)

@atmasphere I know. Those Atmasphere class D are getting

good reviews. The price is a bit high in Europe

but i will consider them too. 

@ozzy62 I got the message. I agree with you. This speakers are not the sensitive kind.... Maybe the A-48 is the minimum. I always try to buy amps that double the power at half the impedance (BIG power supplies). In my experience they sound best, have more "air" and dynamics. I am just trying to avoid Mark Levinson this time...too much "Luxury" audio for my taste / wallet.

What power amp did you use with the Parsifals?

@ozzy62 Thanks. I sure like to test one of those SMc-amps some day.... Who knows, there's maybe a couple here in Europe somewhere.... 

@atmasphere It's not so much high volume I'm after but dynamics. I think too that an amp with around 100W and a good power supply is enough. I had a ML No.331 for some time and it was 100W and 100Kg (110 lbs). BIG power supply.

I listen to a lot of classical music live so I know what it should sound like. The thing I miss the most is often dynamics an air.

@atmasphere Relaxed, yes (laid back, no) effortless presentation is probably what I call "air" in the music, as in a big concert hall. "even at higher volume levels"...then you need dynamics, otherwise it becomes a  flat/compressed presentation. I don't now about the tricks with distortion, you have to talk to Nelson about that ;). The best amps I ever heard were BIG Audio Research monoblocks and BIG pass Labs, talk about effortless! But I can´t afford such a system....That's why I listen to live music whenever I can.....after all: it's the real thing!

@atmasphere "I always associated 'air' with ease and space in the highs. I've not heard of it used in the context that you do; probably a topic for another thread. "

Pretend yo are in the Berliner Philharmonic concert hall....you listen to a big orchestra playing very powerful music, the volume is high but never compressed, it is just floating around (not only the highs). No speakers in this world can do that but our ears together with our brain can let us imagine that we are there when we listen at home. Nice.... 

Well, I do like the sound of my 89dB speakers so they stay for now.

@atmasphere What do you call that in Hi-End audio language then ....if I may ask? Space? Spaciousness? Scale? .....

@atmasphere Thanks! "Ambient signature" sounds very good to me. I´ll remember that expression.

@liquidsound Thanks. There's an A48S now....2x50W..... What speakers do you have?

@liquidsound Looks like very high sensitive speakers....100dB?

@blue-magoo Man!....those Luxman MQ-88uC look good. And they seem to have a direct input that removes the level control from the circuit. Nice! What kind of speakers do you use with them?

...and the nominees are:

Accuphase A-48 (upper limit $$)

Luxman MQ-88uC (not enough power…maybe)

Pass Labs XA-25 (Trying to find one to audition or used)

Audio Research Reference 75 SE (...or newer)

Coda (not easily found where I live)

Than you @westcoastaudiophile! I listen most to jazz and classical music, I think the new A48S 2x50W is at the top of the list.....unless I win the lottery, then it's the A80.

If I understand it correctly: the Accuphase class-A is a push-pull amp, the same as PASS LABS. Do they leave class-A at some level? How much class-A power does the A-48 deliver before drifting into AB?

@atmasphere It's impossible to find an Atmasphere Class-D amp to test where I live.... sorry. I really would like to test them at home with my speakers.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q3LK1Mt3CZA

@miguelderivero Thanks! The A-48 in on top of the list....

@westcoastaudiophile @lalitk If I look at the specs it seems to me that the A-48 is the more stable of the two. Doubling the output power down to 1 ohm.  On paper, it does not have a problem with low impedance. Right?

@atmasphere then all "Class A" are  AB? Push pull Class A? Pass? What's the point with push pull Class A then? Is the ONLY real Class A a single ended amp? Why throw away the money with high bias AB? Is the heat good only for heating up the room? So many class A amps for no reason.....

@atmasphere "There are class D amps now that easily challenge any class A amp ever made."

Sorry but I just have to ask.... Why do we rarely or never see the power specs of Class D amps below 4 Ohms? Atma Sphere class D is 100 watts per channel into 8 Ω and 200 watts per channel into 4 Ω.... and then? Many 4 Ohm speakers drop way under that. Do they clip? Crash or explode?;)

@atmasphere "Our amps have an over-current protection circuit that shuts the amp down if too much current shows up."

The speakers I had before (Elipsa SE) went down to around 2 ohms at 100 Hz. It is a big difference then between shutting down and doubling the delivered power to 1 ohm or less. Of course, we are talking about twice the price maybe....and maybe class d is aimed at high efficiency speakers....but still. I can understand why some audiophiles are still buying heavy amps.

I´m reading a lot about the Coda S5.5... Could it be as good as the A-48?

Have someone tested it at home? With what kind of speakers? How hot does it get?