Hello everyone, I apologize to resurrect this old thread but I'd like to provide my two cents... I think that Grandinote makes some of the best integrated pure Class A amplifiers I've ever listened to. Even the entry-level Shinai with its 37wpc can really shine with most of the speakers available and they make several better version, even in dual chassis version!
It's beautiful (to my eyes 😉 ), customizable, extremely compact for the wattage/performance (60 wpc) and it can includes or the phono stage or the streamer DAC in one single unit... I think that IT will deserve a try if you are looking for a very uncompromised integrated. To conclude...all the Grandinote electronics use a patented technology, are completely designed and hand-made in Italy! On the website there a LOT of extremely positive reviews...
and the entry-level Shinai it's used in Stereophile Robert Schryer reference system! Have a good listening! |
I can’t debate the merits and demerits of the various classes of amps out there, as I’ve not heard that many, and I’ve certainly never heard them AB’d. What I can assuredly say is that the Luxman L590 AX Mk2 made by far the most positive change in my system. The ‘even my wife noticed it’ applies here. There was no straining to hear a difference, and being 60 years old I’ve been on the audio merry-go-round a long time. My guess is that it’s the class A bias at work- I would imagine most or all of these amps have a certain sonic signature that I would enjoy. I’ll leave the max power debate to you guys. I really like the Luxman, I’ve had it for four years, with zero hiccups. So if you think you’d like the class A sound, it probably comes down to the feature set that various manufacturers offer. I do occasionally use the tone controls, love the headphone amp, and the phono stage sounds good too. No DAC, digital readout, user preferences to set here; it is strictly an analogue piece. Enjoy your search. |
"Does anyone know how warm the Sugden A21SE gets? I'm tempted, but I'd prefer a built in phono stage" I spent the last 2 weeks demoing an A21 Signature(20wpc.entry version)..The amp overall does not get too hot to touch EXCEPT for 2 areas,the airflow hole areas close to the source selector & power button on the case top get REAL hot,probably hot enough to actually cause a mild burn if your so bombed you left your hand there over a minute... That said I am BLOWN AWAY by how good the amp sounded & have BEEN CONVERTED can I get an AMEN! Yep,ordered the A21 SE just yesterday..No more tubes,well except for a small headphone amp...NEVER believed SS could image,stage OR have the tonal saturation of tubes,I was WRONG!!! |
Try to find a Krell FBI. Apart from the silly name this was still a true Dan D design. It's basically an FPB 300 with a balanced line stage tucked inside.+1 https://www.stereophile.com/content/krell-fbi-integrated-amplifier-specifications |
Replaced my mcintosh gear with a Luxman 590AXII and it was an incredible improvement. I could not be happier with the sound and the looks. The phono is both MM/MC, using a Hana MM right now and it’s a lovely combination The headphone amp is stunning also. My digital is Bluesound but with this integrated I know I’ll be able to move up and hear the difference. Regardless if you don’t want to deal sh tubes, class A will |
Read the reviews,look at the company history,then buy the Sugden A21SE & get the optional headphone out as you will most assuredly need it in the immediate future,put the $11,000.00 saved into daughters college fund as it will probably coast a BILLION $ by the time she's old enough,sit back & enjoy the music! |
My advice is to stick with the well known brands that have been in business for a long while and that have big time R&D behind them: Gryphon, Luxman, Accuphase, Constellation, Levinson, McIntosh, Pass, Ayre and Esoteric. I own two Luxman integrateds at the moment and one Esoteric SACD player. And they sound great and look good too. I've never had a problem with them. I've owned Ayre in the past and it was a quality piece. If you can demo any of these, that would be ideal. Maybe there is a dealer near to you that can lend you one for the weekend or something. I've done that before with my local dealer. That's how I got to try out a Sutherland Little Loco, before deciding to purchase. |
Nobody talks about the Esoteric F-03A but I’m an owner. Seems like Robert Harley is the only reviver and article as below https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/esoteric-f-03a-integrated-amplifier/ I’ve chosen this amp over Lux590 & E-650 driving a pair of TAD ME1 in a small room. Very fine and detailed musical amp thats built like a tank. I moved from an E-450 and its quite a jump since I’m hearing a lot more details and the instrument texture/decay is a lot smoother. Give it a listen if its possible |
New CODA CSiB 1st 18 watts in Class A Wow!! Very nice unit, even looking at this one can see what amount of heat sinking is required. https://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/coda-continuum-csib-192198.png https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4615/products/CODA_High_End_CSiB_Preamp_Amplifier_Best_Sound_... And uses 40!!! bi-polar outputs, best for current delivery. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0241/4615/products/CODA_High_End_CSiB_Preamp_Amplifier_Best_Sound_Inside_1024x1024.jpg?v=1395188394 Coda CSX Precison Bias Class A/AB amplifier design, with discrete JFET differential input stage, VMOSFET voltage gain DC coupled to an ultra wideband bipolar output stage. I just changed from Pass Inter-60 to this. And maybe even from my favorite Integrated Gryphon Diablo 300. Cheers George |
New CODA CSiB @ 6.5K has same topology and components as the newish No. 8, with I suspect (have not seen under the hood) a bit of the older CODA preamp thrown in. 150/300/600 watts into 8/4/2 ohms 3Kv transformer, 75/100 amps of current 1st 18 watts in Class A Runs warm but not hot unless REALLY driven Would like to see/hear the integrated that beats it under 10K for sound and build, although I am willing to concede for high efficiency speakers in smaller rooms it might be a bit of overkill, and the fact it may not be the flavor you prefer (unless you have a tube preamp to season to taste). |
Fact is most techs (I’m a EE) wouldn’t make any such assumptionsIf you read what I said. "Fact is any tech will tell you these amps "look" to be the same" save for the differences I mentioned. Look!!!! to be the operative word here. Like I said you need to see the forest for the trees. And "if" your a decent EE if you could see that it so obvious, as they look to have the same circuit topology. |
Not true. Fact is most techs (I’m a EE) wouldn’t make any such assumptions without knowing more about the internals and specifically what components are used to populate the circuit boards - sheesh! Those images tell us very little. iPhone models tend to look somewhat similar too if you ignore important details but ...... |
George, Why would it be surprising if they look similar from a 10,000 ft view, which is what each of those images you posted basically is because we can’t see details of any of the circuit boards? All I am talking about is the 590axii anyway and all I am claiming is that it puts out at least 30w class A and based on two independent bench tests at least 90w total into 8 Ohms. FWIW one of the bench tests indicated words to the effect of the 590 operating substantially in class A over that 90w. I’m not sure exactly what that means but anyway the only contention was that it twice tested to 90w (95w in one test if I recall). Even if it is 30w class A and next 60w class A/B, which at a minimum seems to be verified by the only two bench tests we have, that is still great. The comparison to 509 is a separate issue and not one I’m concerned with (maybe others are) |
What’s a bit of a pill is listening to people’s opinions and theories about things they’ve seen pictures of. That’s a bit of a pill. And by the way, George, the 509X came about after the 590. The fact that they ’look the same’ has zero bearing on the engineering or design of the L-590AX. Point us to some links of all the burned up/failed Luxmans, you know, the ones that you're convinced can't possibly operate properly for any length of time. Gotta be all over the web, don't ya think. Last word is yours, not wasting my time with another ounce of your drivel. Cheers, |
No I’m not disputing the reviews by two different reviewers on different systems. As for the specs (not full tests as Stereophile do) they don’t prove the amps are not cast from the same mold, but for differing rail voltage, wattage output and bias settings. Fact is any tech will tell you these amps "look" to be the same, save for the different secondary transformer voltage and bias they would have. I understand this is a bit of a pill for owners or retail sellers to swallow, but there it is. 590 https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1040/6126/products/luxman-l-590axii-integrated-amplifier-luxman-2_714x700.jpg?v=1574670463 509 http://www.luxman.com/asset/product/L-509X/gb3.jpg Cheers George |
“Things don’t add up with the Lux Class-A figure presented or the Class-B wattage. “ Hold on. Two independent professional reviews (see links provided above) each benchtested the L-590axii at 90w or higher into 8 ohms and nearly doubling that two four ohms. Any credible disagreement with those findings must do more than the hand waving you are doing, George. If you continue to dispute the detailed findings in those tests, at least post a link to a credible review that shows contrary bench test results. Ie, link to a credible bench test that shows the 590 unable to produce 90w into 8 ohm. |
The Gryphon Diablo 300 should be excellent at its asking price. What is the current retail price of the amp? The last time I checked it is around $16,000 to $17,000 for the basic model. The Luxman L-590AXII is around $9,000 only. The Luxman L-590AXII represents great value for money. It is able to drive difficult loads with its conservative power ratings and in Class A adds a slight advantage over Class AB types. The only cons are the heat it produces and weight, although most quality amps in similar class are usually huge and heavy. |
Great amp the Gryphon, will drive anything and does give a taste of Class-A sound, but it’s an entree and not the main meal like 30w> Class-A could give. When you hear something like the Gryphon Antillion Evo switched between it’s low 25w, medium 50w, and high 150w Class-A modes you know. The Diablo 300 it’s said is around 10w of Class-A. And it has far more heatsinking than the Lux 590axII has. And they run HOT!! https://www.monoandstereo.com/2016/04/gryphon-diablo-300-integrated-amplifier.html say Cheers George |
Nelson Pass is the Class-A master, and he says the Inter 60 has 30w-8ohms of Class-A on it and he uses that size of "external" heat sinks for it to dissipate that heat, and they do run very hot. Then the smaller "internal" heatsinks of the Lux are not dissipating the same amount of Class-A, especially "if" the Class-B wattage into 8ohms is even higher than the Pass Int-60 Things don’t add up with the Lux Class-A figure presented or the Class-B wattage. The higher the rail volts for higher Class-B claimed, then "for the same Class-A bias(30w)", the heat dissipation goes up exponentially. Cheers George |
I can only recommend to you to read about my dreamed power amplifier.... Any ZOTL amplifier by David Berning.... The only revolutionary tube amp . new technology.... No heat, lifelong duration tubes.... This is why this tube amp interest me apart from the sound quality....I forget to say competitive price.... I apologize realizing that the OP search is about S.S. technology..... :) |
