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Subtlety ? do any American amps do it?

Not heard that many but it strikes me that everything from the colonies sounds a bit stark and bleached. Spent a year trying to come to terms with a Pass Labs which is vastly overated ( and I mean vastly), listened a lot
to Mark Levinson and thought Thank God I did not spend a fortune on that - clean, clear, hifi and so bereft of soul that it was like a visit to the Dentist !
I'm not that biased, it's taken Naim years to make something resembling music - PRAT ? until recently bunch of narrow minded PRATS.I know lots of Naim fans and their mindset belongs to the third reich !
UK companies like Meridian and Musical Fidelity have managed to do the bizz for at least 30 years that I've known/used and they still manage to make a noise that at least resembles real music. MF get tarred with a do it cheap brush but anyone who has heard their gear and says it's crap is probably a dealer who wants to sell you something at 3/4x the price.
The Brazilians do it a treat - Heard Audiopax 88s at the last Edinburgh show and if anyone there had ears, they should have packed up and went home - different league does not describe it.
Realise this is antagonistic but want some input.
Even the UK press seems blinkered to the crap - Pass, Krell
- whoah, nice hifi, shame there's nothing remotely musical involved, apart from the laughter as they take our hard earned money !

I have a Quicksilver phonostage - lovely and a great customer focused company, had a Lancelot Camelot, super and amazingly friendly & helpful people but go to the Big boys and it's just a money grabbing frenzy ?
I dreamed of a Pass Labs for years and ? my next amp will be coming from somewhere in Europe !

Si
simon74
pragmatist
336 posts
 
Please forgive me for saying so,but your post sounds polemic. I'm not calling you polemic,but that's how your post sounds to me.

As technology makes the world smaller,as companies may be chartered in one county,design in another,and manufacture in yet another,I wonder if assigning nationalistic qualities to pieces of equipment is a marketing ploy?

I hope you fine something subtle,that appeals to you,but urge you to listen with your ears and not with your atlas.
czbbcl's avatar
czbbcl
1,752 posts
 
Conrad Johnson. It just sounds right!!!!

Chuck
tellenbach
8 posts
 
I am sure Simon is having a bit of a laugh. British humour I suppose. Well, you need a lot of humour when you have to cope with English equipment. I have got EAR, Townshend and MF amplifiers, stands respectively. While soundwise I have no complaints, it's better not to look at the quality of the workmanship and enjoy the sound.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I could never take that Brit sound. Too polite, too dry. Sure it may have PRAT, but where is the BASS? I know they all use mini-monitors in the UK, but my speakers have WOOFERS! Naim/Linn/Rega/MF/Meridian are cutesy little dainty units, but they have no BALLS!!!

This, of course, is just my opinion. Sure some American gear sucks, but the Brits can't touch anything like BAT/CJ/Aesthetix/Boulder equipment.

Tally-ho,
John
danielk141
489 posts
 
Simon,

The only solid state amp I like better than my Rowland Model 2, is one of my Pass Alephs.
The only amp I like better than the Pass, is my Cary CAD 300 SEI.

Maybe you should try a Cary SET amp........
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