Personal amp evolution


Seeing the over night success of the speaker evolution thread, it may be interesting to see what type of amp(s) we have all run. Same deal as the other thread-we will sort of create a puzzle of our systems you'll have to visit multiple threads to put everything together!!! ;)
For me I started:
Adcom GFA-565 monoblocks
Rotel RB-990bx
Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 5
Balanced Audio Technology(BAT) VK-60

either a CAT JL2, BAT VK-75se or Tenor 75Wp on the horizon.
tireguy
In this order, going back some 25 years:

Akai Receiver
Nakamichi Stasis Receiver
Van Alstine Omega III 440HC
Electrocompaniet ECI-4 SE Integrated Amp
Spectron Musician II
Parasound Halo JC-1
ASL Hurricane 200DT
Berning ZH270
Joule Electra VZN-100 (still have)
Plinius SA-102 (awaiting)
Ayre V-5X (awaiting)
aiwa mini system (13 years old, still have)
sony LAM-Z10 minidisc/cd mini system (2 years old, still have)
denon 3803 receiver (owned for a year)
jadis JA30 (5 months old, will always have)

i love all of them.
Small Sansui Receiver ca. 1975
Sony TC630 (?) integrated amp section from tape.
Big heavy Sansui Receiver ca. 1973
Rotel 970 integrated
Proton receiver ca. 1986
B&K ST202+ Rebiased and fan cooled (amazing sound at 50W class A) cat knocked fan down, amp melted.

PSE Studio IV Euphonic little 120 WPC amp. Great imaging and easy euphonic sound. Detail level amazing with good PC.

Bryston 4B NRB - Great bass and decent imaging. Distinctly "pro" sound from midrange center through brittle treble. Improves a little with good PC. Clips at 95-98db SPL on Magnepan Tympani depending on bass content.

Biamp with the above two. Great match for Tympani. Bryston still clips on the bass at 100-105 db SPL. (lower with passive crossover, higher with active crossover).

Triamping with active crossover

Bass: Crown 5002VZ 2500 WPC at 4 ohms WOW bass. Not good for anything else unless you have the most laid back of speakers - due to thin "pro sound" high frequency heat. Grand imaging though.

Mid: 300hz to 5khz Classe DR-9 Great imaging, wonderfully full and nearly lush upper midrange (with good PC) lacks some dynamics. Images more specific and stable than with the PSE or Bryston 4B NRB)

Bryston 4B NRB imaging not quite as good. More dynamic than DR-9.

Treble: Classe DR-9 smooth and extended, but a little thin clearly outclasses PSE, Bryston).
Bryston is smooth (with PC - stock cord is a joke) but heats the treble as output increases.
I started listening to my fathers MC30, and Heath WM-4, then I had:
Pioneer reciever ca '73
Lux 3035 Reciever
Mitsubishi DA7C
H.H.Scott 299B
Dynaco MKIV (pr monoblocks)
Music Reference RM-9

Future:? I have had the RM-9 as my reference amp for quite some time, I just re-tubed it and it still works fine.....
Would love to look at Airtight or Hoveland.
Solid state to tubes, back to solid state. Been rough matching speakers with all these guys.

"Best Buy" Sony Receiver
Harmon Kardon Receiver
Norh SE-9
Decware Zen Select
Sophia Electric Baby
Cayin TA-30
Arcam Diva A65 Plus
Onix A-120

Also have a Sansui 9090 (~1972) really sounds amazing.