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Power Amplifier - Maximum Resolution & Detail!

I am assuming some of you have experienced the following.... All else being the same in the chain, you replaced a power amplifier and started hearing more resolution and detail, perhaps a lil more in a track that you have heard a thousand times.

Ime, the higher you go up in price doesn't necessarily guarantee that you could experience the above mentioned. It seems to come down to the nitty gritty of the circuits under consideration, i.e., the black art of power delivery and analog circuit design.

What is a power amp you may have experimented with that provided the maximum detail and resolution at any price? (Not just perceived changes in tonal balance, etc).

I am hoping to shortlist a power amp based on some suggestions here for a future purchase.

 

P.S. If you are an ASR type of guy who thinks all power amps sound the same, this may not the right thread for you, I suppose...

deep_333

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,733 posts
 

Oh, almost forgot.  Ayre.  Very different sounding, I like them a great deal.  If you want an amp that sounds different, almost like it sucks noise out of the room, try one.

erik_squires
16,733 posts
 

I don’t think all amps sound the same, but usually when I hear about reviewers hearing "things I never heard before" it speaks to the device exaggerating one tonal range over another. Especially true with speaker reviews. This is a never ending cycle, of chasing more details and more things you never heard before, sometimes leading to a particular sound that is so far from neutral it’s hard to hear. Sometimes that is good for listeners who prefer lower volumes.

My point is, be careful chasing details. In terms of speakers that sound remarkably better, D’Agostino, Vandersteen (yes, they make amps) and Luxman are among my favorites. All have glass smooth mid to treble, liquid like midranges and great bass.

From my very poor and now dusty memory, Coda had extension but never had that relaxed feeling of the others or a great tube amp. My memory now is hazy and I encourage listening.

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