Conrad Johnson Premier 11a stereo amp, Premier 12 monoblocks, Premier 350 solid state, Pass Aleph 1-5 amps, Threshold.
Old Amps that can still Kick Butt
Not being a believer that time necessarily = progress, I would like to offer the following example of a sonic gem that has transcended time and can totally kick butt in a modern milieu:
The Robertson 4010. I got one of these about two years ago because it was in immaculate condition, the price was so low and I was inquisitive. I hooked it up and let it warm up for a couple of days. OMG this thing was in the super amp league: Transparency to die for, slam that you couldn‘t‘ believe for for a 50W amp.. Peter Moncrieffe wasn‘t wrong in his review of this amp: this thing is in the Sterreophile Class A component category hands down. Even after all these years.
What amps have you encountered that have defied time and can still kick butt today?
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I have a matched pair of Sumo Andromeda II a’s running balanced from and Audio Research pre-amp driving a similarly aged pair of Acoustat 100 hybrid electrostatics that have great slam as well as finesse. MOSFETS and Acoustats are a match made in heaven. https://www.martindareff.com/Other/HDR-Treated-Images/i-3ZfL6Gq/A |
I have the Convergent Audio Technology monoblocs. They are the CAT JL1 Signature edition. They are by far the best amps I have owned. I have owned many amps through the years but nothing comes close to these amps. They were designed in 1994 and blow away anything I have heard. The cool thing is what I paid for them. Because a design is old many people over look them. I hope to keep them forever. |
I've had my ARC Classic 60 driving my Thiel CS 3.5's for over 30 years. Superb match and I've never been tempted to change. It's fed with an ARC SP 9 mk III. Never had upgrade-itis other than one change in cables. So happy my dealer helped with this pairing as I get to just enjoy it. Sure, love to hear different things, but system synergy rules! Probably saved me a fortune. At this point, getting concerned with age of caps and what to do about it. |
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