Synthesis Amplifiers: One of High End's Best Kept Secrets?

It is great to hear about someone satisfied by a purchase, particularly one that I personally like as well.  I know someone who traded in some quite new $70k+ electronics for the new Synthesis separate power amp and linestage which are a step up from the A100, but, not that big a step up.  This gear is that good.  

Of course it doesn't end here.  There is always the Fyne F1 series of speakers.  I quite like the F1-12S that I heard.  It has the kind of lively sound that I look for with less of the sibilant peak in the upper midrange that I hear with their closest competitor (Tannoy).  

I like that integrated amp a lot.  It has enough power for just about any application.  It sounds full, authoritative, dynamic, and warm, without sounding murky.  As you noted, the built in DAC is not just something thrown in to sweeten the pot; it is worthy of this great amp.  If one has efficient speakers, the A40 might be powerful enough, but having the A100 means freedom to get any speaker on the market.

The new amp and linestage are terrific sounding components.  Like the A100s, a local dealer has had quite a few "shocking" trade-ins of very expensive gear for these items based on the sound.  Off hand, I cannot think of commercial, non-custom made amps that I prefer over the separates or the A100.  Synthesis has some very upscale, extremely large amps in the "Metropolis" line that I've heard which are very good amps.  Yes, these are even better, particularly if one needs a lot of power, but, I like the more compact form of the new separates, the A100 and the A40.  They have a cheaper integrated with built in DAC and phono stage that is no slouch too, but, I like the above-mentioned gear because they are built into large enough chassis that make long-term damage from heat less of an issue.

I had a very interesting afternoon at the Synthesis dealer in my area.  He is someone who believes that amps make a huge difference such that systems with “modest” speakers can sound spectacular with the right amplifier.  To prove his point, he had tiny ProAc Tablettes being powered by a Synthesis NYC (part of the Metropolitan series; 4 KT 120’s per channel).  It was quite shocking how good was the sound coming from these tiny speakers—rich, powerful, room filling, and punchy.  While no one would actually go with such a match, it certainly proved that most speakers will deliver far more than one can imagine when given the chance.

Given clear instructions, I don't think it is hard for anyone to bias their amp themselves.  But, the problem is that it is hard to gage how experienced is the person attempting this, how much experience they have with a multimeter, and there is always a concern that someone might poke a probe where it should not go.  I can understand the reluctance to encouraging people to do this on their own.

I was at a pet store once where the owner got a call from a customer who just bought an air pump and could not get it to work.  The customer lived nearby and brought it back to the store a few minutes later.  When she took it out of the plastic bag, water was leaking from the pump.  The dealer asked about how she used it.  She said she plugged it in and just threw it into the tank.  I bet that was not anticipated.

I like the Soro amp a lot, likewise the AN Oto.  The comparison should be interesting.  I've heard various AN speakers with the A100 and A40, and these amps play very well with AN speakers.  Both Synthesis amps will be loafing a bit playing any AN speaker.  Don't forget that the Synthesis has a pretty formidable built in DAC.

Yes, the Roma 69DC is a very good DAC.  Also good are the DACs built into Synthesis integrated amps.  This is a company that delivers good value. 

Italy does have quite a few good Audio companies.  I like the stuff from Lector; they make very good DACs and phono stages.  I recently discovered some pretty decent sounding speakers from a company called Rosso Fiorentino.

Luigi is a great guy.  I got to spend the better part of the day with him and he is very engaging, interesting, and willing to help with issues that crop up.  The brand has cauth on in Asia, so they are very busy these days.