Sound Quest SQ-84 Int Amp???


I have read two reviews of this amp, but have you Audiogoners owned one? Did you like it? How reliable is it? I'm thinking of purchasing. Thanks in advance.

-Razzz
razzz
I own one and love it. I have listened to it with a variety of monitors and headphones. It is a superb speaker and headphone amp. Very few amplifiers can give the kind of palpable “you are there” sound that this amp can provide, even with low efficiency speakers. One of the strangest and best combinations is the SQ-84 with the AAD 2001 (86 dB). The SQ-84 must be a pretty high current amp for a tube amp because 10 watts should not be enough to drive the 2001. But somehow the SQ-84 makes beautiful music with the 2001 AND with plenty of bass! Is the bass better on the 2001 with a high current solid state amp? Sure! But the music becomes sterile compared to the SQ-84. I am currently using the SQ-84 with a pair of Omega Super 3 V2 speakers and am extremely happy! :-)

Enjoy!
.
I just got one and it is an excellent speaker amp and might be a better headphone amp to boot. It drives my Paradigm Monitor 9s (94db) easily. The sound is very clean and neutral with plenty of punch. Quest for Sounds service is excellent and quick to answer any questions. Highly reccommend this amp especially to anyone looking for a headphone amp/speaker amp combo.
You will also find that Stephen Monte at Quest for Sound offers service that is second to none.I have purchased more than a few items at Quest(both in store and from A-Gon auctions).My entire 2 channel system now consists entirely of components acquired from Steve.I know that he is very passionate about the Soundquest product!
If you are looking to get the best bang for your buck, the SQ-84 is definitely a HUGE step in the right direction. I travel from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to Quest for sound pretty often, and this little integrated has blown me away. I am always listening to it. Steve at Quest for Sound is it's creator, and he really hit the mark with this one. The thing even has the nerve to have the best headphone section I have ever heard. My best friend has one in his main listening room at home, and we are constantly throwing different speakers at it. He has a Consonance 120 Linear CD Player (a truly great piece), which we hooked up to it. The SQ-84 seemed to really shine when used with my buddy's AAD monitors (which are GREAT speakers in their own right), but when we paired the amp up with a pair of Devore Gibbon 8's, OH MY GOD!!!!!!! This was much more than I expected from a 10 watt amp! That was the end of the matchmaking. The SQ-84 drove the Gibbon 8's VERY WELL, and almost drove me insane with it's perfect timbre, silky smooth presentation, and yet dynamic handling of a set of floor-standing Devore Fidelity Gibbon 8's. This is truly the BEST combination we have yet to come across, so it stays for the time being. And now, Steve has introduced his newest creation, the SQ-12 CD player, with wooden face just like the SQ-84 amp. It is a jewel, and flying off the shelves for anyone that has heard it. I still have to wonder why large hi-end audio publications are not all over this sweet little amp. Then again, I know... But this one is on MY RECOMMENDED COMPONENTS LIST!
Yes I can attest again that anyone looking to also drive any headphone to it's full potential will be delighted with the Sq-84. It can power any dynamic headphone out of its 1/4 front jack OR via the speaker outs. Headphones like the AKG K1000 and K340 can be powered via 4-pin XLR.

The SQ-84 is simply a stunning amp. I am smiling now just listening to old Nirvana and really enjoying the exquisite distortion of the guitars.