T+A's new R 2500 R integrated amp


**Not to be confused with earlier T+A products that have similar names.**

Does anybody have hands-on experience with this incredibly flexible integrated amp? It’s been shipping in the US for just a couple of months, & has not yet been reviewed in the Tier One audiophile press

It’s absolutely not possible for me to hear the R 2500 R before buying, and at nearly $19,000, I’m hesitant to pull the trigger blind. But it sure sounds impressive on paper, boasting one of T+A’s world-class DAC/streamers, several hundred Class AB wpc, 31-lb weight, discrete headphone amp, some of the most comprehensive connectivity on the market, firmware-upgradability, a friendly UI, and, of course, T+A’s reputation for impeccable sound quality. It even includes a CD transport & FM tuner, as well as HDMI w/ARC I/O for integration into a home theater. Whew.

I normally wouldn’t consider an embedded DAC/streamer, but, heck, this is T+A, the company that made its name throughout Europe for its no-holds-barred DAC technology. And I understand that the R 2500’s internal DAC is an updated (albeit "merely" 512DSD) version of the company’s highly regarded $7500 1-bit standalone model.

Given all that, I’d love to speak with anyone who managed to score one of the first batch (now sold out at many dealerships); or even to a golden ear who plans to audition this amp at AXPONA.

 

 

cundare2

I know them well best quality value vs Anybody 

Dollar for Dollar Aavic their middle i280

Beat any integrated amps on many levels

For around $10k Blink Hifi 300,600wpc

With their famous multiple Tesla coil s to dramatically lower 

The noise floor plus many other technologies

ANSUZ IS THEIR SISTER CABLE  POWERCORD CO.

@audioman58 

I wasn't aware that Aavik made an integrated amplifier.  It's a strange company, though, with limited presence in the United States, and finding information about its products isn't easy.  In fact, when I went to its Web site, I was told that it had 19 products on the market, but had no information -- not even model names -- for 16 of those 19. 

Blink had more information, but not much.  I learned there that all three Aavik integrateds have a single pre-amp out.

Aavik's spin on Class D has a reputation for delivering exquisite sound and are very light.  But even if they offer all the connectivity I need -- which looks doubtful -- I wouldn't want to spend $10-30,000 on a product that has so little presence in this country.  If I can't even find out whether the product has balanced inputs, how could I expect robust warranty service, much less online support if I run into problems integrating the unit into a multi-channel audio+video system?

But thanks for the suggestion.  It was interesting to learn a little about this innovative Danish company.

D

 

Look under Danish Audio Group

they are gaining steam pretty quickly, I am currently saving for the T+A 200 dac 

IMO and many others best dac under $15k and retail around $7k

Danish Audio Group without question will surpass T+A dealers in the next year or so. Just look up the product group starting with Borrensen Loudspeakers.

their X series is doing very well and great values . The AAvic I250 I highly recommend you can purchase for under $10 k and I have found no integrated as powerful or musical to better it even at $15k and I have directly compared many at Audio get togethers .this is without question on my short list as well as Ansuz

their Ethernet switch,and power switch dramatically improve the sound .

my brother has the Outstanding DCS Rossini Apex ,and the Ansuz D Ethernet switch made a easy to hear upgrade in fidelity ,same holds true with their line conditioner. Thier Multiple Active,passive Tesla coils and other technologies greatly lowers noise, even more so then all major companies ,just compare for yourself .

Type AAvic I280 integrated amp best integrated under $15k ,for under $10k with discount, Ansuz power cords too excellent ,although a bit pricy imo.

I’ve heard similar opinions about the the T+A D200 DAC, which is one reason why I’m considering the T+A integrated, which includes a nearly identical DAC module.

The dealer comparison, however, seems bogus, IMO. T+A is currently ramping up its domestic dealers quite aggresesively, so comparing today’s T+A dealership list with DAG’s possible list one year from now is apples-and-oranges.

But the dealbreaker for me is the near-complete lack of online information about the company’s product line & support policies, and the bizarrely unhelpful Aavik Web site. I realize that I’m on the outside looking in, but these are all red flags.

To reiterate from other threads, I’m looking for an integrated that will simultaneously support loudspeakers, a separate subwoofer, and headphones (or an external HP amp), and offer an HT bypass function, at a weight as far below 40 lbs as possible. I’d consider it icing if the amp also included an embedded DAC that is at least of the quality of Ayre or T+A DACs in the $5-10K range. Because I have no opportunity to demo electronics first-hand, I’m trying to stay away from Class D amplification (which is what I’m upgrading from) although I do understand that there are a small # of very fine-sounding Class D designs out there.

The T+A R 2500 R and the Ayre EX-8 2.0 are the only products I’ve found, after several months of intensive search, that satisfy these criteria. Not having any idea of the functionality or connectivity of the Aavik integrateds, or of the company’s ability & willingness to provide pre-sales / post-sales support, this is not an option I can consider.

You yourself speak highly of the T+A DAC, which reportedly sounds almost exactly like the R 2500 R’s DAC. So I’m not sure what you mean when you say that there’s nothing better than the Aavik in this price range. For $19K, the T+A delivers a highly praised analog section, almost-unparalleled connectivity, a DAC/streamer good enough to make me forget about separates, about 200wpc into 6 ohms, a 31lb weight, tons of networking options, two-zone output, and even a CD transport and both Internet & FM/DAB tuners. I’m not interested in some of those features, but if it really does deliver SQ commensurate with T+A’s reputation, this integrated seems, at least on paper, pretty hard to beat.

Nonetheless, I’m willing to be convinced otherwise.

Look, I’m not trying to argue & I appreciate you taking the time to turn me on to this relatively unknown company, based on your first-hand experience. Everything I've read about Aavik products over the last day suggest that they sound great, regardless of their Class D origins.  But unless you can direct me to even the most basic information about this product and about Aavik’s domestic support, I’ll have to pass.