It's not actually unusual, but my goodness you have a long list. I haven't
heard any of them, although I have heard other gear by most of those same
manufacturers. My wild guess is you haven't heard most or all of these units
either.
The thing is that to an experienced ear these amps will mostly sound rather
different. A choice depends on the nuances and details which make up the
kind of sound you want. Are you willing to give up bass throb for purity in the
highs, for example, like me? Have you heard two systems, one of which which
gives you that and the other the inverse, so that you know what the choice
means in listening (not intellectual) terms?
Forgive me if I am asking questions whose answers are already clear to you. It
seems to me that you need to do more than study reviews. You need to do
some listening. That is what will get you closer to your musical fireside vision.
Of course if the meeting's timing will not allow you to do the kind of
extensive research which will permit you to choose one of the above units
(and I would add to it the YBA Intégré), then you could probably just jump.
Buy any one of them and set it up. A few weeks' experience would tell you if
there was anything about it that you did not want to live with. If there were,
you could resell at little or no loss and try again with another unit. And your
question here, if you had one, would be more like this:
"I have been listening to the Fireside Single Malt integrated with my
Magic Ear Rockon speakers for the last eight weeks and what I don't like is
the acidy highs on many discs. Is there another amp which will give me the
same bass drive but highs which are sweeter and smoother?"
heard any of them, although I have heard other gear by most of those same
manufacturers. My wild guess is you haven't heard most or all of these units
either.
The thing is that to an experienced ear these amps will mostly sound rather
different. A choice depends on the nuances and details which make up the
kind of sound you want. Are you willing to give up bass throb for purity in the
highs, for example, like me? Have you heard two systems, one of which which
gives you that and the other the inverse, so that you know what the choice
means in listening (not intellectual) terms?
Forgive me if I am asking questions whose answers are already clear to you. It
seems to me that you need to do more than study reviews. You need to do
some listening. That is what will get you closer to your musical fireside vision.
Of course if the meeting's timing will not allow you to do the kind of
extensive research which will permit you to choose one of the above units
(and I would add to it the YBA Intégré), then you could probably just jump.
Buy any one of them and set it up. A few weeks' experience would tell you if
there was anything about it that you did not want to live with. If there were,
you could resell at little or no loss and try again with another unit. And your
question here, if you had one, would be more like this:
"I have been listening to the Fireside Single Malt integrated with my
Magic Ear Rockon speakers for the last eight weeks and what I don't like is
the acidy highs on many discs. Is there another amp which will give me the
same bass drive but highs which are sweeter and smoother?"