What makes you build a system around an amplifier?


Serious question. I almost always care about the room and speakers first, then build around that. However, this is not the only way to do things.

If you have ever insisted on keeping your amplifier, but were willing to change everything else around it, please let us know why. What made an amp so outstanding in your mind that it was worth making it your center piece. Imaging? slam?

Be specific about the amp and speakers or other gear that you shuffled through.

Thanks!

E
erik_squires
My search actually ended a while back as a result of owning a Plinius SA-102 amplifier, upgraded/modified by Vince Galbo. This amp hits all of my audiologic buttons, and then some. Nice to, at least, have the amp search resolved.
erik,
I'm just getting back to you to try to give a better answer to your interesting question. After 43 years, I am still very attached to my Mac 2105. I originally bought it because I was told it was the best there was by a person I trusted, and I had the money. After I got to know it, I started to become attached for different reasons. I had a chance to compare it over time to Marantz receivers my friends owned, then an Apt Holman amp, and then an Adcom, and finally Quicksilver monos.
Before I go any further, I want to say that at the present time, I rotate it with an 8 watt Audio Note Kits 300b integrated and a 40 watt class A Cayin 265i solid state integrated which I love for different reasons. Returning to the Mac, what I learned from the comparisons with other amps, and they were not analytical comparisons, was that by chance, I had bought an amp that really suited me from the get go. What made it a keeper was it's powerful , if somewhat dark character which always seemed to present music in the way that felt right to me, and I could hear that character no matter which speakers I used.
I do view amplifiers like people...each has its own personality, its weak and strong points; and some you just fall in love with despite technical imperfections. I believe that an amplifier is the emotional heart of my system. Preamplifiers are very important too of course, but for me the amplifier is the emotional center.
I use the other amplifiers I mentioned when I feel like a change, or when I will be listening to music that plays to their particular strengths. The Cayin for instance has incredible PRAT. I never really believed in that term until I bought this amp. It's amazing.

Anyway, the Mac is like a trusted friend, and even though it sees a lot less play time these days, I will always keep it and know that whenever I use it, I won't be disappointed.
Is this statement from @atmasphere  above true?

"At the other end of the range, the speaker is pretty low impedance (1.5 to 3 ohms depending on the position of the Brilliance control) which will cause most solid state amps to be too bright and nothing for it but to turn down the Brilliance control and deal."

That is, if it's a low impedance speaker, an underpowered (or maybe not enough current) solid state amp will sound brighter?


What what make me to build a system around what I thought to be an excellent amplifier ?, speaker choice .
 If you felt your amplifier drove your previous speakers optimally I would look into staying with that brand of speakers and try their top end models or research what other brands of speakers that are driven optimally with your amplifier, it’s all about a happy marriage between the two .
 I had a pair of Sophia 845s  which were the best amplifiers I'd heard after hearing quite a lot.  I was powering a pair of Tannoy's and the combination was quite good indeed. Then I tried a pair of altec 604's which are 16 ohms.  I prefer those over the Tannoy's.  Then I had the good fortune to get to audition a pair of atmosphere him 60 mono blocks and prefer those over the Sophia's, in part I believe due to the fact that my speakers are 16 ohms.  I found the atmospheres just sounded better than the Sophia's, again I believe due to the fact that I have the perfect matching speaker. They were more transparent and more musical across the board. Now I would look for speakers to match those amplifiers if I were ever to make any changes.   I would also love the chance to audition a David Berning  amplifier against the atmospheres.