Plinius 9200

I have heard the 9200 but it was not yet run in so it is hard to be definitive. Living close to the Plinius people I have also heard the stories about the improvements in the 9200. But without hearing one properly for myself it is probably best not to pass them on. In any case it did not appear to be a radical departure to me. I find the 8200 to be a nice sounding amp that is either too laid back and gutlessly boring if you are driving difficult speakers, or stunning value if the rest of your system suits it. Textures and timbre are very good at the price, but forget that power rating. The lower powered SA102 absolutely hammers it. Moving from the 8200 to the 102 is like night and day, and in the power stakes the 102 sounds an order of magnitude more powerful. So if you want an amp that will rock, then there are some warning bells that should be rung about the Plinius integrateds. They can indeed rock but they need a reasonably easy speaker and probably a small to medium room. I know it is out of your price range but the new Plinius SB300 is the one to look at in the new range. Heaps of power, very close to the performance of the SA250, in a box the size of the 102, and a pretty good price - just no Class A operation. Essentially the Plinius gear has a lush and full sound that gets away from the edgy yet dark sound of many transistor designs. But that benign character can tip over into sound a little dead, sluggish or recessed if the amp is not totally in control of the speaker. Therefore I have always found that the Plinius amps all sound wonderful until they are worked hard. This is not to imply they are not powerful - just that they go a bit sleepy when worked hard. When a Plinius amp (I mean the current batch) is operating in the zone you will get tons of body, dimensionality and accurate textures. For many average rock recordings it will tame some of the harsh edges. But it may seem to lack a bit of the "edge" you need to get your juices flowing. Not a lot - but some. While they perform well on most stuff, I find they are ideal for someone into large orchestral music where the combination of grace and scale is highly beneficial.

I had never read about Plinius amps more accurately ... I owned a 8200P and now a SA102 and these are just the words to describe them.

Do you think they will work well with maggie 12s???

here are some of my observations of the 9200 within this Dali review link:

Dali and Plinius 9200

This is my 2nd Plinius integrated amp and I just wanted to share some of my impressions of the 92 vs the 82mk2. The first thing I noticed was the increase at both frequency extremes. My Thiel 2.3's sounded like they gained another half an octave in the bass. This one aspect of the sound has made a significant difference in every recording I have played so far. Every instrument regardless of frequency now has a solidness and weight to it that anchors it within the soundstage. The bass is warm solid and very precise but very natural. The 82mk2 just didn't portray bass information with this degree of authority and percision. I can now follow the bass lines in the music without any confussion as to what instrument is doing what down there. This kind of clarity in the bass region makes the composition or structure of the music much easier to follow. The high frequencies are now much more extended and open compared to the 82mk2. I always thought the 82 sounded a little soft, rolled off and slightly closed in. The 92 addresses these issues and presents high frequencies clean & very clear in a totally believable manner, not hi fi-ish but musically. Transparency has been greatly improved over the 82. I had written off certain recordings as just dull & lifeless but the 92 clearly opens the soundstage up to reveal more detail, more low level ambient information. The small nuances and inflections in a recording are no longer burried but now out in the open for you to hear and appreciate. I find this very satisfing musically because it goes beyond just improving the sound -it changes the way you respond to your favorite music. Everything is more involving (both analog and digital). This alone makes your listening sessions more memorable. I think the 92 does a much better job of delivering the message or meaning of the music to the listener. I find myself lost in the music not in the sound. The sound becomes secondary to the music and I think we audiophiles need to remember that. I have a great appreciation for the folks at Plinius and the 92 represents a significant leap over the 82 in all areas. I'm sure much will be written about this integrated as the word gets out. I expected a little improvement here and there but wasn't prepared for the level of improvement, refinement and involvement. With the 92 -they have certainly achieved a level of trancendence that allows you to forget about all the audiophile stuff and get lost in the music. Very impressive.