Manley NeoClassic 250 Monoblocks

I just purchased a set of these amazing amps. And while I wouldn't call my speakers "power-hungry" (Wilson Sophia), they can absorb a tremendous amount of power. Previously I had been using a Krell KCT/FPB250Mc combination to great effect. I had tried several different tube amps prior to the Manley's and was always disappointed with their lack of bass control and transparency as compared to the Krell's.

Obviously no tube amp is going to provide the absolute precision and resolution of the best solid state. However even though I may be hearing "less" overall with the Manley 250's I am also hearing so much more. This is in the critical areas of musical texture, color and tonal inflection.

And the Manley's have THE BEST bass I've heard with a tube amp. This is, no doubt, due to thier custom-wound output transformers and brute force power. I usually run the amps in triode which yields "only" 100 watts. This allows much more delicacy and nuance present itself and I never get the sense of the amps runnning out of steam.

Obviously you will need an comparable quality tube preamp to achieve this magic. And while they sound quite good with the stock power cables The Richard Gray High Tension A/C cables really allow them to strut their stuff. The Manley's also have an "ever-warm" feature that allows them to remain in standby. Once powered on from this mode they are ready to rock, no need to let them cook for an hour to settle in, this feature (and their sound) will really spoil you. Happy Listening.

Brini: I bought the Manley's too. Wow! You're right. They are simply amazing.

I have a pair of Manley Neo Classic 250s that replaced an Accuphase P-1000.  My speakers are Magnepan 20.1's (very inefficient).  The Manleys have a lot of character, and make the music sound more alive.  Strings, vocals, and lead guitars sound just amazing.  The Manleys also have a little  better sound stage detail than the Accuphase.  I think the Accuphase had a little more bass punch.

Problem with the Manleys is it takes a good 30-60 minutes to get them fully warm if you want to listen to them critically.

Hey guys, I used to have Neo 500 and was not too happy with them, I used them through McIntosh MCD1100 sacd/  preamp  and obviously that was a big problem, now I have Manley 240's and Jadis DPL and I am very happy. I need replace Jadis because of the brum noise from my Tannoy Westminsters, I need balanced preamp, any sugestions? Jadis sounds great, maybee Jadis JPS8? O r McIntosh 2500?

Try 6CA7s in place of the EL34s. The amps are then more dynamic, more powerful and detailed in the bass, and cleaner and more extended in the upper frequencies, too. The same applies to Snappers.