And so the parade starts....
I have huge respect for Ralph, Michal and Leo...but as well the positive aspects of careful modifications.
After living with the Orchard Audio ULTRA amps for a couple of years (they quickly supplanted my Pass Labs Monos) I decided to build a pair up from their modules with my own ArgentPur solid silver cabling wherever possible, inc all ps, input and output leads. We quickly acknowledged a similar improvement in top octave detail and soundstage dimension and "realness" (without brightness) that I and others were used to enjoying with my AgPur speaker and interconnecting cables.
I teamed up with Orchard's previous assembler, chased a nice solid alum chassis, a more efficient SMPS, added a couple of tweaks (Mundorfs et al), and am now offering ArgentPur Monoblocs to the market.
We're shunning front end voicing, aiming for that "straight wire with gain"; you get the great cake and frost it yourselves with a fine pre and/or exceptional DAC. Both RCA or XLR inputs; small form factor for placement flexibility.
Power and noise specs are identical to Orchard's ULTRA (500w 4ohms, 120dB), and can be seen on the ArgentPur.audio website. Initial early adopter pricing is only $2950 ($5900/pr). We have a few pairs performing demos and out for review, hoping to start mass production this summer.
The aim of this tiny startup is to compete in the $10-20k/pr arena with very fine performance at considerable savings. There will probably be deep discounts for AgPur cables when bundled, as well, as the advantages of solid pure silver are indeed additive. Feel free to call to discuss your needs.
As so eloquently described by Michal above, the combination of exquisite Class A mids and top octaves and rock-solid bass in a cool-running format is now at hand.
I'm grateful to Leo for his phenomenal GAN-FET design, and wish Ralph and Michal great success with their iterations. Hope I can have just a tiny slice of the pie. ErnieM