Atma-Sphere MA-1 amps

Rush, I could be wrong but I strongly suspect that for me the unnatural treble characteristics and slight thinness in tonal textures that I hear can be attributed to the V-cap, no matter how long they break in. I'm learning time after time there is always a trade-off, a decision to made, from both the design stand point and for us as consumers even at this extreme level.

I think there may be a price to be paid for the gains that this cap has made to the performance of the Atma-Sphere amps. Again this is only my opinion, and being that the virtues of the Atma-Sphere amps are so plainly obvious I strongly encourage others interested to audition so they may deduce their own conclusions.

Best to all,
Tom

Thank you Rushton, Tom, Pbul57, Tvad, and others for your comments and insights. I really appreciate listening to others describe the same equipment I've heard. Imo, the Atma-Sphere circuit - whether in the amps or preamps - is highly revealing of virtually any change made to it. I finally grasp what RK means when he talks about 'listening to the circuit'.

Having heard the amps and preamps with and without V-Caps, I find increased tonal depth across the frequency range with the V-Caps. 'Tonal depth' being characterized as the sheer amount of harmonic and overtone information accompanying the fundamental. What I have not heard from the V-Caps is an increase in warmth, or put differently, an increase in pleasing second-order harmonic distortion that lends a sense of 'fullness' to notes. Lack of fullness is not lean tonality.

Because I presently use the amps and preamp as my review references, I've been round and round debating with myself how best to characterize their sound in contrast with other gears. Crudely put, 'thin', imo, means lacking information - one is not hearing all the harmonics and overtones available to be heard within ones audible range because they have gone missing - all else being equal, lost in the circuit. At this juncture I don't believe the Atma-Spheres are lean or thin in tonality.

Hopefully I'll solve this with a better vocabulary some day, but for now the way I parse things is to say the Atmas have plenty of tonal depth, but do not display the same tonal weight as some other components I've heard. And I cash *that* out not as sweet/dry or rich/lean, but as warm/cool, where warm suggests pleasing distortions and cool suggests a more analytical sound verging on displeasing distortions (more odd order). The Atmas are not 'cool', but they're not warm and I presumptively think that may be what some folks intend when they say they're thin or lacking tonal texture. In effect, texture is distortion. The Atmas do not convey less tonal information, they distort less, but its less of what turns out for us humans to be a pleasing distortion, and its absence is noticeable if that's how you like your music. I struggle with this, and don't mean to say any other person's characterization is incorrect; I just need a way to put consistently into words the similarities and differences i hear between the Atmas and other gear that will make sense.

Tim
 

Hello Tim,

Thanks for the contribution and insightful comments to this thread. Is it possible for you to characterise your experience with the Atma amps before, during (break-in) and after when the sound finally settled?

IMO I do hear the Atma amps as sounding a little less dense in texture than what I would consider ideal or neutral.

Best,
Tom

Tim, Tom, are both of your observations with Atma-sphere preamps? I do wonder about the issue of "pleasant" distortion, and no reason not to seek it if it sounds good, why not? - but is this the sort of thing you hear in live, unamplified music?

Hello Pubul57,

My observations are made only about the Atma-Sphere MA-2 amps as I have not heard any of their preamps.

The reason why I wouldn't want a component that adds pleasant distortions is .... in my experience I find they mask other timbrel/textural subtleties at the frequencies being distorted as well as the frequencies just below and above. Any added coloration will get in the way of hearing the actual musical intent of the recording in question.

Where I feel most audiophiles disagree is deciding which aspect of accurate reproduction is most important. Some will say "dynamic linearity above all else" I don't think you'll find this audiophile with a Quad 57. But few would argue about a Quad 57's tonal accuracy. Much of this will be determined by the type of music one listens to. A person who listens to small jazz ensembles will have different needs then someone who listens to big orchestral works.

For me, I'm striving for a balance of all sonic virtues with no area severely lacking. In the long term I find this seems to be the most musically satisfying and sensible approach. From my experience there is no product that's best at everything.

Enjoy,
Tom