Is there actually a difference?

@erik_squires—Hi, Erik, your comment was of special interest to me because I think that I comprehend the thrust of your point; i.e. that these three makers each represent distinct (power amp) design approaches that are competently executed but distinctly different.

Now, I know the Parasound approach (I use their Halo A23 myself), which is basically conventional class B operation. (Yes—it's slightly "hi-biased" at very low power—so-called "class A/B" mode—but that's not a truly significant distinction.)  And I'm familiar with the Pass design concept, wherein output stages are biased for true class A operation at powers up to ~ 12-18 Watts output (on many models). But I'm NOT able to gain any meaningful information about the Ayre stuff, and I find that really frustrating!

A Personal Note: I'm an old retired guy with lots of DIY hi-fi experience, including analog circuit design and building my own pre-amps, power amps, & linear regulated power supplies. I like to know the tech stuff, and I do a lot of my own testing. (With my own instruments.)

The Ayre website is the anthesis of Parasound's site. Ayre provides only the barest of product specifications with near zero tech info. And their owner's manual downloads are pure fluff. Sure—their chassis look great and their prices are exotic—but how does one comprehend what they're doing? How does one get to appreciate Ayre's designs and learn what's going on inside? I haven't even been able to find a helpful (meaning with tech detail) review on the Ayre stuff. What do you know, and how does one find out what Ayre is doing? Any suggestions?

Hi VT! 

I don't think you should listen with your eyes. My point was for you to listen to each of them and see if you hear a difference. I think reading the tech and then convincing yourself you hear a difference is the wrong way to go. :) 

However, Ayre famously uses a "diamond" output stage, which is something you should be able to research. I won't say more to avoid further bias (pun intended!) 

Thank you all for the responses - I’ve definitely learned a lot from reading them.

I actually just sold all my gear and am planning to pull the trigger on a pair of Focal Sopra 1s.

The specs are 89 dB, 8 Ohms, and a recommended 25 - 150W.

If I had a budget of $1k for an amp to go with the Sopras, where would you guys recommend I start looking?

Erik - I don't think $1k is enough for any of your suggestions haha. But maybe one day.

It would be very interesting to start with an affordable amp, and maybe in a few years upgrade to a higher end amp to hear the difference between them.

Schiit, ELAC, Nuforce, Nuprime, NAD, Parasound, Vincent

@asianatorizzle—I really don't think that you can do better than the Parasound Halo A23 power amplifier at your price point. The circuit design is excellent, and the build quality is as good as it gets for (as I recall) just $995 (Audio Advisor). The A23's performance specifications are fully listed, quite complete, and consistent with top quality. And my own measurements show that the amplifier meets or exceeds those published specs. In addition, the A23 exhibits measured DC offset of less than 2mVdc max., which is w-a-y better than the published 50mVdc limit typical for many hi-bias quasi-class A designs. (Note that listening alone does not reveal any of these vital distinctions.)