My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!


So I have been in a long journey looking to find the best amplifiers for my martin logan montis. As you know, the match between an amplifier and speakers has to be a good "marriage" and needs to be blend exquisitely. Right now, I think I might have found the best sounding amplifier for martin logan. I have gone through approximately 34-36 amplifiers in the past 12 months. Some of these are:

Bryston ST, SST, SST2 series
NAD M25
PARASOUND HALO
PARASOUND CLASSIC
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
KRELL CHORUS
ROTEL RMB 1095
CLASSE CT 5300
CLASSE CA 2200
CLASSE CA 5200
MCINTOSH MC 205
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
OUTLAW AUDIO 755
LEXICON RX7
PASS LABS XA 30.8
BUTLER AUDIO 5150
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005

With all that said, the amplifiers I mentioned above are the ones that in my opinion are worth mentioning. To make a long story short, there is NO 5 CHANNEL POWER AMP that sounds as good as a 3ch and 2ch amplifier combination. i have done both experiments and the truth is that YOU DO lose details and more channel separation,etc when you select a 5 channel power amplifier of any manufacturer.
My recollection of what each amp sounded like is as follows:

ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 (great power and amazing soundstage. Very low noise floor, BUT this amplifiers NEEDS TO BE cranked up in order to fully enjoy it. If you like listening at low volume levels or somewhat moderate, you are wasting your time here. This amp won’t sound any different than many other brands out there at this volume. The bass is great, good highs although they are a bit bright for my taste)

NAD M25 (very smooth, powerful, but somewhat thin sounding as far as bass goes)
Bryston sst2(detailed, good soundstage, good power, but can be a little forward with certain speakers which could make them ear fatiguing at loud volumes)

Krell (fast sounding, nice bass attack, nice highs, but some detail does get lost with certain speakers)

rotel (good amp for the money, but too bright in my opinion)

cary audio (good sound overall, very musical, but it didn’t have enough oomph)

parasound halo (good detail, great bass, but it still holds back some background detail that i can hear in others)

lexicon (very laid back and smooth. huge power, but if you like more detail or crisper highs, this amp will disappoint you)

McIntosh mc205 (probably the worst multichannel amp given its price point. it was too thin sounding, had detail but lacked bass.

butler audio (good amplifier. very warm and smooth sweet sounding. i think for the money, this is a better amp than the parasound a51)

pass labs (very VERY musical with excellent bass control. You can listen to this for hours and hours without getting ear fatigue. however, it DOES NOT do well in home theater applications if all you have is a 2 channel set up for movies. The midrange gets somewhat "muddy" or very weak sounding that you find yourself trying to turn it up.

classe audio (best amplifier for multi channel applications. i simply COULDNT FIND a better multi channel amplifier PERIOD. IT has amazing smoothness, amazing power and good bass control although i would say krell has much better bass control)

Update: The reviews above were done in January 2015. Below is my newest update as of October 2016:



PS AUDIO BHK 300 MONOBLOCKS: Amazing amps. Tons of detail and really amazing midrange. the bass is amazing too, but the one thing i will say is that those of you with speakers efficiency of 87db and below you will not have all the "loudness" that you may want from time to time. These amps go into protection mode when using a speaker such as the Salon, but only at very loud levels. Maybe 97db and above. If you don’t listen to extreme crazy levels, these amps will please you in every way.

Plinius Odeon 7 channel amp: This is THE BEST multichannel amp i have ever owned. Far , but FAR SUPERIOR to any other multichannel amp i have owned. In my opinion it destroyed all of the multichannel amps i mentioned above and below. The Odeon is an amp that is in a different tier group and it is in a league of its own. Amazing bass, treble and it made my center channel sound more articulate than ever before. The voices where never scrambled with the action scenes. It just separated everything very nicely.

Theta Dreadnaught D: Good detailed amp. Looks very elegant, has a pleasant sound, but i found it a tad too bright for my taste. I thought it was also somewhat "thin" sounding lacking body to the music. could be that it is because it is class d?

Krell Duo 300: Good amp. Nice and detailed with enough power to handle most speakers out there. I found that it does have a very nice "3d" sound through my electrostatics. Nothing to fault here on this amp.
Mark Levinson 532H: Great 2 channel amp. Lots of detail, amazing midrange which is what Mark Levinson is known for. It sounds very holographic and will please those of you looking for more detail and a better midrange. As far as bass, it is there, but it is not going to give you the slam of a pass labs 350.5 or JC1s for example. It is great for those that appreciate classical music, instrumental, etc, but not those of you who love tons of deep bass.

 It is articulate sounding too
Krell 7200: Plenty of detail and enough power for most people. i found that my rear speakers contained more information after installed this amp. One thing that i hated is that you must use xlr cables with this amp or else you lose most of its sound performance when using RCA’s.

Krell 402e: Great amp. Very powerful and will handle any speaker you wish. Power is incredible and with great detail. That said, i didn’t get all the bass that most reviewers mentioned. I thought it was "ok" in regards to bass. It was there, but it didn’t slam me to my listening chair.

Bryston 4B3: Good amp with a complete sound. I think this amp is more laid back than the SST2 version. I think those of you who found the SST2 version of this amp a little too forward with your speakers will definitely benefit from this amp’s warmth. Bryston has gone towards the "warm" side in my opinion with their new SST3 series. As always, they are built like tanks. I wouldn’t call this amp tube-like, but rather closer to what the classe audio delta 2 series sound like which is on the warm side of things.

Parasound JC1s: Good powerful amps. Amazing low end punch (far superior bass than the 402e). This amp is the amp that i consider complete from top to bottom in regards to sound. Nothing is lacking other than perhaps a nicer chassis. Parasound needs to rework their external appearance when they introduce new amps. This amp would sell much more if it had a revised external appearance because the sound is a great bang for the money. It made my 800 Nautilus scream and slam. Again, amazing low end punch.

Simaudio W7: Good detailed amp. This amp reminds me a lot of the Mark Levinson 532h. Great detail and very articulate. I think this amp will go well with bookshelves that are ported in order to compensate for what it lacks when it comes to the bass. That doesn’t mean it has no bass, but when it is no Parasound JC1 either.
Pass labs 350.5: Wow, where do i begin? maybe my first time around with the xa30.8 wasn’t as special as it was with this monster 350.5. It is just SPECTACULAR sounding with my electrostatics. The bass was THE BEST BASS i have ever heard from ANY amp period. The only amp that comes close would be the jC1s. It made me check my settings to make sure the bass was not boosted and kept making my jaw drop each time i heard it. It totally destroyed the krell 402e in every regard. The krell sounded too "flat" when compared to this amp. This amp had amazing mirange with great detail up top. In my opinion, this amp is the best bang for the money. i loved this amp so much that i ended up buying the amp that follows below.

Pass labs 250.8: What can i say here. This is THE BEST STEREO AMP i have ever heard. This amp destroys all the amps i have listed above today to include the pass labs 350.5. It is a refined 350.5 amp. It has more 3d sound which is something the 350.5 lacked. It has a level of detail that i really have never experienced before and the bass was amazing as well. I really thought it was the most complete power amplifier i have ever heard HANDS DOWN. To me, this is a benchmark of an amplifier. This is the amp that others should be judged by. NOTHING is lacking and right now it is the #1 amplifier that i have ever owned.

My current amps are Mcintosh MC601s: i decided to give these 601s a try and they don’t disappoint. They have great detail, HUGE soundstage, MASSIVE power and great midrange/highs. The bass is great, but it is no pass labs 250.8 or 350.5. As far as looks, these are the best looking amps i have ever owned. No contest there. i gotta be honest with you all, i never bought mcintosh monos before because i wasn’t really "wowed" by the mc452, but it could have been also because at that time i was using a processor as a preamp which i no longer do. Today, i own the Mcintosh C1100 2 chassis tube preamp which sounds unbelievable. All the amps i just described above have been amps that i auditioned with the C1100 as a preamp. The MC601s sound great without a doubt, but i will say that if you are looking for THE BEST sound for the money, these would not be it. However, Mcintosh remains UNMATCHED when it comes to looks and also resale value. Every other amp above depreciates much faster than Mcintosh.

That said, my future purchase (when i can find a steal of a deal) will be the Pass labs 350.8. I am tempted to make a preliminary statement which is that i feel this amp could be THE BEST stereo amp under 30k dollars. Again, i will be able to say more and confirm once i own it. I hope this update can help you all in your buying decisions!


128x128jays_audio_lab
Loud has nothing to do with the sense of scale and space. Just about any amp can make the XLF play loud but NOT HUGE.
this is another reason WHY I’m bringing another set of monos that I’ve never owned but I’ve always wanted. Somehow the stars aligned and you are all in for a treat. That said, i need for my system to have all the cables and music server in place. I CAN NOT present these two sets of monos without a music server in place and all the proper cables. People WILL pass judgement prematurely.
@jays_audio_lab - I'm in the market for a DAC. Currently,I  own MSB Discrete DAC and planning to buy DCS Rossini. Question - Should I get the DCS Rossini or DCS player which comes with DAC + Streamer + CD Transport? Is the DAC part the same in both? Please advise.
Jay
You last video is your best to date. It shows a maturity  that your gaining. Regarding Wilson speakers you hit the nail on the head but it's not only with the XLF, what you describe holds true to other Wilson speakers going back to the Watt Puppy which with the right components can sound great.

The Wilson XLF with the right equipment has girth the air pushed from the speaker has the weight to fill an illusion for our ears and mind. I have heard singers singing just inches from my ears, quite something to experience so real like someone was sitting next to me singing.

Regarding power it has to be the right amp producing the right power, i have had 300 watt Class D amps that sound bad powering Wilsons, hollow watts as i call them zero weight. Sure as you mentioned they can get the Wilsons to play loud but who the Wilsons are and their personalty is lost.

All Wilsons take work and dedication but once you get there your rewarded in a big way. I have had Wilsons for over forty years and even when i owned my own speaker company Delphi Speakers i owned Wilsons starting with the original Wamms.
Is the Wilson audio XLf the best speaker I've owned? 
Watch part 2 to find out...heads will roll on the floor...don't miss it
Jay,
I still disagree about the explanation for the increased spaciousness with high power amps. Rh67 just said that 300 watt class D amps don’t give the weight he wants. This illustrates that power alone doesn’t bring certain sonic qualities. You probably wouldn’t like certain 300 or even 1000 watt class D amps on the XLF or other speakers. Remember how the mere 175 watt Mephisto gave plenty of what you like on the Alexx. It would do even better on the somewhat more efficient XLF. I suspect that the new undisclosed amp (Block Audio?) is not super high power, but it has the qualities you seek. In summary, it is not high power by itself--it is the intrinsic quality and character of the amp.
Class A ratings are not the same as Class AB ratings. A 150 watt Class A amp can easily blow away a 500 watt Class AB amp in terms of brute force, control, and soundstage. I have said this before, not all watts are created equal. 

Jay, do you still hold the Martin Logan Renaissance 15a's in high regard since you've had a dozen speakers since then?

Is it beneficial to utilize two Luxman m900u's in mono considering the powered woofers or will a single suffice?

BTW, the AQ Dragon power cables on these amps was game changing. 

Thanks in advance and really enjoying your YT reviews. Love to stop in for a listen on next trip to FLA. 
Nothing to do with class A or AB.  One of my first amps was a modified Dyna Stereo 70 tube amp--35 W/ch.  It had classic tube sound--big, dynamic, full, rolled off HF, midrange/bass dominant.  A friend got me into my first SS amp, a JVC M7050, 150W/ch, a "super A" class A imitation.  This introduced me to SS detailed accuracy in the form of brilliant HF, tight controlled but wimpy bass.  Its detail across the freq range taught me that the tube amp was bloated/veiled by comparison.  These two amps were at opposite extremes in sound character.  Today's SS amps aren't as vastly different, but the same principle applies that some amps are designed for "brute force, control, soundstage" as you say, and others are designed for delicate focused accuracy without the grunt.  This pertains to both low and high power amps of class A, AB, D.  

We both lived with the Merrill Element GaN class D--I with the 114, you with the 118.  I compared the Merrill Veritas to the 114.  The 114 had the big, bold dynamic rounded tube-like sound, and the Veritas was more neutral/delicate, much like my Mytek Brooklyn Amp.  This illustrates that there is no such thing as "class D" sound.  Class D designs vary as much as Class A or AB designs.  Every amp has its unique character.
everestaudio,
ML electrostatics drop to below 1 ohms in HF.  Mono M900u may have trouble driving low impedances and might be unstable, so the stereo M900u would probably be better.  The ML hybrids have good efficiency, so the stereo would work well for the panels.
Viber6,
He said that he has heard 300 watt class D amps that sound bad driving his Wilson's.  He is currently using an 85 watt (170 at 4 ohm) class D amp (AGD Audion) that drives them just fine.  Just as you stated.....there is no class D sound. Depends on implementation.  And it will keep getting better.....we have only just begun.....class A amps......soon to be boat anchors.....he he.  I wonder what the new Mytek GaN monos (more in Jay's price range) will sound like?  Due out any day.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!
LUXMAN HAS ANNOUNCED TODAY THE FLAGSHIP M-10X STEREO AMPLIFIIER. You will not find any information yet, but you heard it from me here. It is time to sell your 900Us before this is publicly announced.
If you had been waiting to get a great deal on a used 900u stereo amp, you will be in a great position to do so. I expect the used market to have quite a few of these.
I am QUITE EXCITED!!!! and you can bet i will be ordering a pair of these new flagship amps!!
FINALLY A NEW AMP I AM EXCITED ABOUT!!
When it comes to Luxman, EACH NEW FLAGSHIP AMP has always been a better amp. I have not seen a luxman amp where that was not the case so i expect the new luxman m10x to be superior to the 900u. 
Stay tuned for more details on this. No information is available at this time online. 
Dont remember you trying the Class A  M800 or the Anniversary 1000 Models so what is your point of reference on comparing TOTL Luxman??  You might have preferred those to the 900.  You get annoyed when others speculate instead of actually compare by listening. Whats good for the goose.....LOL
Luxman will release the latest model M-10X of stereo power amplifier in October 2021.
The M-10X is a successor model to his M-900u released in 2013, with a new built-in power amplifier circuit. This is a new flagship model developed with the aim of overwhelming audio quality as one of the next-generation lineups for the 100th anniversary of Luxman's founding in 2025.
In the amplifier section, the amplifier circuit ODNF, which has been maintaining the quality of Luxman products since 1999, has been renewed, "music density and dynamism", and "strong speaker drivability and wide range". For the first time, it is equipped with the newly developed amplification feedback engine "LIFES" that realizes "sound stage".
The front panel has a needle-type analog meter that uses LED lighting with a light bulb that shines in the listening room, and the authentic look that inherits the M-900u with a small-diameter function switch keeps the concept. A new physical layer that expresses a bold "neck" between the bonnet and the flagship model D-10X of the SACD player is constructed, and the presence as a component, richness of sound, and delicacy are constructed. I designed it.
The M-10X is a flagship model of a stereo power amplifier that will be the first model change in eight years, using abundantly luxurious quantities unique to the top end. Enjoy the finest sound that will fill your discerning audio files with your favorite music in endless combinations with numerous speakers around the world.
* ODNF is an abbreviation for Only Distortion Negative Feedback, an amplification feedback circuit that was first adopted in 1999.
* LIFES is an abbreviation for Luxman Integrated Feedback Engine System, which was developed as an amplification feedback engine for next-generation audio amplifiers.
"Dont remember you trying the Class A M800 or the Anniversary 1000 Models so what is your point of reference on comparing TOTL Luxman?? You might have preferred those to the 900. You get annoyed when others speculate instead of actually compare by listening. Whats good for the goose.....LOL"

I am only reporting the news that nobody knows about. The 10x is the new replacement of the 900u which means that the 900u will go bye bye.
Instead of defending the 900u, you might wanna walk in your closet and begin to unload the 900u you probably got in there. Me breaking these news is also to help those 900u owners sell their amps before the depreciation kicks in (remember the E800 Accuphase?) - I will be on the lookout for your luxman 900u listing - LOL

Not defending anything. You clearly state that " EACH NEW FLAGSHIP AMP has always been a better amp". Yet you have only heard 1 of them so your basing that statement on what comparison exactly? You dodged that question and Im sure you’ll ignore it again. Its fair criticism as you bash others all the time for making statements based on ZERO experience.

No need to dump the 900 anytime soon. If the 10X is a world beater I will pick one of those up as well. I dont need to sell something to buy something else. Much like your Gryphon amps the new Luxman will most likely be priced out of the range for most people. Same reason you dont see people dumping their 590AXII for the New Luxman 595 Integrated which is suppose to be much better and is 50% more expensive. I only know ONE person that owns the 595!!!!    If the new Luxman starts with a 20K Price Tag (I bet it will be more than that) its not going to fly off the shelves....like Gryphon/Dag etc
You have a valid point and to answer your first point, i have heard the luxman 800. Did you not read my comments before about me hearing other amps behind closed doors? There are amps that i share my experiences with you all and some that i don't:

  • Krell 575
  • Plinus SA Reference
  • Mark Levinson 536
  • Boulder 3050
  • Adcom 
  • etc
  • etc
Nope. I dont read everything on this thread. As a matter of fact when its the same 3 or 4 people posting and thats it I UNSUBSCRIBE because it becomes annoying/tedious etc  I am not alone in "tuning it out" for the same reason.  Dont think I need to mention who they are. Perhaps your comment about other amps was during one of those "tune out" periods. Then again...One cant guess what amps you were referring to by that remark whenever it was made.
As RIAA says, newer isn't necessarily better.  Engineers all have their own sonic preferences, so what they think is better for them may not apply to someone else's preferences and standards.  The technical/marketing dept throws in all kinds of technical gibberish that is not understood by most audiophiles, and other engineers may laugh at this specious technobabble as nonsense.  Examples in my experience--Bryston Cubed is warmer than SST2--Cubed not my preference.  The revision of the Mytek Brooklyn Amp was claimed to be faster than the original, but my listening comparison showed that the original was slightly faster and more detailed.  They were close.
Jay,
Another point getting back to the high power issue.  The Merrill Veritas is 400/700/1200W, Merrill 114 is 200/400/800W.  Both are high power amps with excellent power supplies.  Yet the 114 sounds more powerful/dynamic than the Veritas at low and high power.  So these specs are meaningless in explaining the different sound character of each.  Can we make generalizations about the character of the Hypex NC1200 module used in the Veritas vs the GaN circuit of the 114?  Hypex amps sound different from each other, and GaN is too young to draw any conclusions.  As ricevs says, it is all about the implementation.
I don’t have much experience with Merrill other than with the 118s. I also do not get entirely too technical with it. It either sinks or swims in here. Merrill 118s are the best class D amps i have ever heard.
Class A amps are still what impresses me the most, but Constellation also has this amazing sound and yet it is Class AB. One day, Class A might be replaced, but i feel like we have been saying that for YEARS AND YEARS... I dont think any of us will be walking oN this planet once Class A is finally replaced with something faster, more efficient, and most importantly - MUCH BETTER.
I have heard the Merrill 118s with the Christine pre and while they sounded very good for me they lacked soul. They get to the point and give what's being delivered from the source but i felt in an almost unfriendly manner, the AGD amps do the same but in a a friendly manner if that makes any sense.
Jay,
I hope you are not planning to leave this planet soon.....because even this year class D may have equaled the best of class A. We shall see, very soon. Class A......soon to be boat anchors. Already many are abandoning their tubes and solid state hotties for the latest and best class D........of course, that is....in the under $10K category. The $20K Mytek’s will be out any day now......will they challenge the biggies? We shall see....er hear....very soon.

If Boulder or Gryphon or Dagostino or Constellation or Ch precision or etc. used their class A all discrete input stages in front of a class D GaN output stage then the game would be over right now. The cheaper class D amps all are using op amps or an op amp in the input stages or modulation stages in their amps. Even the Purifi (which can be married to a class A input buffer stage) still has an OPA1612 on the Purifi module the signal goes through. One thing I will be trying in the next 10 days is to see if I cannot upgrade that opamp for better sonics. I read that the AGD Audion uses the $1 LM4562 op amp on its input. Much more to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/merrill-element-116-audition-in-hong-kong-a-new-era-of-classd...

please read posts #20 and #22.....seems you an alter the sound of the Merrill amps quite a bit......something I have never seen talked about.  Maybe Jay never really heard what they can do.
@ricevs , I have never read about the settings ihmeyers found and used to alter the Merrill's sound characteristics.
i played with those settings...it was no "day and night" difference to me.
I find it interesting that some folks want to believe that a push of a button is going to somehow unleash the hidden beast inside a component. Those settings were as useful as the filters found on all DCS gear...
I have been vocal about this: 9 times out of 10, when you first plug in a component, you are hearing most of the potential of what it is capable of with only a few exceptions such as cables or tube gear.
That is why when people tell me to wait 30 days for something to sound good, i roll my eyes... The brain is indeed powerful and it can also play games with you.
The 30 day game is a way to "condition" our brains to tell us that something is all of a sudden sounding better.
Maybe manufacturers have a hidden team of psychiatrists that help with the conditioning of our brains and the associated gear they sell? hmm..

Let me let you in on a little secret: Ethernet cables make an excellent difference WITH HIGHLY RESOLVING SYSTEMS!.. Buying a $3,500 Ethernet cable for a subpar system is as the dumbest thing you can do. There are things that some people SHOULD NOT BE BUYING because they won’t hear a damn difference such as Ethernet cables (with some systems) and then there are those things such as buttons that are supposed to magically turn your system into something special - ANOTHER STUPID THING.

In conclusion, DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON THE LITTLE STUPID CRAP (microdetails) if your macrodetails ARE NOT ON POINT FIRST. Don’t let others mislead you into buying a long list of stupidity (i might pull those out of my bag and share those with you).
Gentlemen - DO YOUR MACROS FIRST BEFORE YOU START ON THE MICROS or else you will do doing micros and not hear a damn difference.
I hope this advice serves some of you before you go out there spending money on unimportant things that could be stopping you from buying better macros for your system.
@ricevs
I hope you are not planning to leave this planet soon.....because even this year class D may have equaled the best of class A. We shall see, very soon. Class A......soon to be boat anchors.
In a professional setting, anyone who obsessively repeats the same message to the same audience, failing himself to comprehend their retention levels, would be gently said "Goodbye" to.  




Come on......there has been nothing new stated on this thread in years......yes, the same message over and over.......basically....."buy more stuff". And all the commentators say the same thing over and over.....including me.

This is hardly a "professional setting".

The REAL truth needs to be stated over and over again. The real truth is that you are beautiful beyond you imagination. WE are infinite and eternal love, joy and beauty. This audio stuff is just kids playing with toys and thinking they know something. We known nothing. We are everything. Enjoy this very moment. This is the only moment you have.....this one right now. The more you enjoy it.....the more joy you add to the entire universe. The more you Love this moment the more love you add to the entire universe.....forever. This needs to be said over and over again.....you are beautiful, I love you and thank you for sharing this moment with me. You are truly a blessing.
What is little to some is a lot to others.

My general feeling is......If you buy expensive gear then that is a waste of money:.......that is, you can get better sound by buying and tweaking super great cheaper equipment than you can buying expensive equipment and not tweaking.  So the "little" tweaks are actually a major thing.  This is what I and others have been doing for years (about 45 years here).  People have listened to my modestly priced system and shaken their heads......looking for the tubes......looking for the expensive stuff....and there isn't any.  What there is.....is super tweaked inexpensive gear.  My system is so tweaky that is one cable falls off its riser and is sitting on the floor for an inch then the whole soundstage is wrong.  I listen to exactly the same song at the same volume with everything set up the same.......and when a cable falls off its riser.....I know something is wrong....within seconds of hitting play.  You do not need $400K worth of gear to get serious sound.  If you have the drive (desire)....you can create a serious audio system for $20K or less.........actually....way less.

This is a untweaked $3K system (including $430 a pair full range drivers in homemade box)........what if he tweaked each piece of gear and added super footers, etc....maybe another $3K.......you would die and go to heaven....the sound would be so good.  Please listen to all the cuts....some are much better than others....but you will get the idea.  This is outrageous for the money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_VqDN5-878&list=RDp_VqDN5-878&start_radio=1




That system sounds nice, so as my old Mcintosh and B&W 600 series. But that is nowhere close to my or Jay’s Wilsons with expensive gears. The bass and resolution are just not there. I am sorry I really want to spend only $3000 and get the sound to beat the $30000 or even more systems. Trust me I don’t want to spend any money on snake oil. But when I have tried different DACs, ranging from Bluesound, Benchmark, Mcintosh, Naim, Chord, Mytek, Auralic even Burmester, Gryphon in my room. And then I demoed a dCS Rossini. And it was DAY and NIGHT. Sorry I really wanted the dCS to sound like crap and just leave me with the $3000 Mcintosh preamp with built-in DAC and phono stage and saved the extra ten grand, TEN GRAND hard-earned money! But that is just not the case. I think most brands, not all of them, price their products for the sound quality. Why would anyone spend $20000 on a turntable, $20000 on arm and cartridges and another $20000 on a phono stage? Are they stupid? No! They can hear the differences that’s why they spent all that money! Some people spent thousands on wine and whiskey. Will I do that? No, because I can barely taste the difference. And I don’t care. But I would never judge people who spent that amount of money on wine and whiskey because I am pretty sure they can enjoy the differences. Why when it comes to diamonds, cars, drinks they understand the premium part but not with the audio products? I have always been asking this question...
I hate to be negative but that sounds like recorded music coming out of a box aka equipment from the 70's. If you like Audio Note speakers these could be an option. 

We are all different and what's important to you might not be to me. The sound in the video is one reason i started my speaker company in the 70's Delphi which evolved into the Imager speaker. I was looking for a way to bring live into the home away from a recorded presentation so prevalent at the time. I met David Wilson at the time and we both had the same goals and to a point we would share ideas he was just better at implementing those ideas than i was. I respected his speakers so much that i owned them. So much better than the Tannoy and other British speakers that dominated at the time.

The goal for me is to bring real live sound into my living environment  and not the best of recorded music, there is a difference. Everything counts ones system has to be the total package.
YES--everyone should listen to ricevs' video on the L'il Audio Silver 8 $3K system.  I think it is THE BEST dynamic speaker presented in this thread, for clarity/neutrality.  Whether it beats the XLF in these areas, I don't know.  Recently I challenged Jay to record the same music on his XLF so we could compare.  How come there were no comments from others on that speaker when ricevs originally posted it?  Very few people here have the money for XLF and expensive amps and stuff.  I see a longstanding offer for the XLF at $119K.  Yes, it is a great speaker, and Soulution 700 series amps are great, but few have the money, and sellers take a beating.

Jay, visit the LSA Voyager GaN thread which is very active and exciting.  Most of my recent posts are on that thread.  
This thread was about Audi and BMW. Now it is about Ferrari and Lambo. We are not talking about Honda or Toyotas here. There is a Japanese anime called Initial D. Guy was driving a Toyota AE86 and beats the Subaru, Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi, Honda Civic-R, and even Nissan GTR. Did he try to compete with a Bugatti or a Koenigsegg? No...... Is Toyota AE86 a great car? Hell yeah, it is. The Bluesound Node is a great product too! Is it Wadax Atlantis?
There are a lot of other threads on Audiogon talking about cheaper gears. You can even go to Audio Science Review for those reviews. I found some of those useful too. But there is only one Jay talking about Ferrari and Lambos here. Do we really want to turn his thread/channel into another ’best DAC under $2000’ or ’Audioquest is the No.1 snake-oil company ever exists’?

Giving it a second thought, Jay, if you want to change the direction and review cheaper gears, you may gain more followers. It is your thread and channel. No matter what directions you choose I will always support you and watch your show. I watch you because of your personality, not because of what gears you review...
Logydoghan,
I challenge you to find a more revealing, neutral and startling lifelike speaker than the L'il Audio Silver 8 on that video.  You would have to prove your points by recording the same music on another speaker so we could A/B.  The bass is not as powerful as the XLF, but detail/resolution on the Silver 8 is obvious, even if I don't know the music played.  

You noted the superior transparency and neutrality of the Nagra Classic amp compared to the Gryphon Essence.  I challenge you to try the Benchmark AHB2 amp.  I almost bought it a few years ago, and believe it will be a good fight with the Nagra.  I am not so impressed with my Benchmark DAC1.  My Sony complete CD player has more snap than the Sony as a transport feeding the Benchmark DAC1.  The problem may be the digital interconnect cable.  Even D'Agostino at Krell said way back that integral CD players were the way to go.
Logydoghan,
Expensive cars have more engineering and better performance in every way than cheaper cars.  In audio, there is MUCH less correlation of performance with money.  Most audiophiles have insufficient exposure to, and knowledge of, unamplified live music, so the high end designers take advantage of ignorance and put out mostly overpriced stuff that are poor attempts at high fidelity.  Even Jay admitted on a recent video that most amps are overpriced.  But anyone can perceive the performance of cars, which can be more objectively measured.  Even at my low level of car experience, when I graduated from my typical American large car to a Honda Accord, I could feel how the latter was more responsive and fun.
viber, I don't get around to viewing this thread every day.  I remember you are going to make a video showing the quality of your system.  Can you spare me a lot of time searching here by telling me the date that you posted it?  I am looking forward to where you finally proved your comments about its qualities that you have often mentioned.
Thanks to those of you standing behind me.
Just earlier today i had a back and forth discussion here with RIAA in regards to the new Luxman amp that is being released later this year. He presented his points (which i acknowledged) and i presented mine and we moved on and everything is cool.
The reason why i bring this up is because i sometimes don’t understand why discussions continue to linger about the same subject matter and one in particular is HOW do we turn a 3k system into a 50k system killer?
Look, if this were true, I’d be the first one to acknowledge and follow it. I hate to repeat it again but wasn’t i the one who rated the Gryphon Essence as the second best Gryphon amplifier? Isn’t that the cheapest amp they make today?
I don’t want to come off as close- minded but i simply DO NOT see an affordable component displacing the better and more extreme audio components. Someone above nailed it: WHY would I want to have all this money invested if there was indeed something much better for less money?
One additional thing I’ve noticed is that some people ARE looking for value and this is what qualifies as "the best audio components" for them and i totally understand it. I’m not judging. However, IF it is value or price/performance what they are after, im sorry to say that this thread is probably NOT GOING TO HELP YOU. I’ve never explicitly said I’m chasing price/performance or bang for the buck - NOT ONCE HAVE I SAID THAT.
If throughout my journey i run into price/performance components then I’ll be sure to share these findings with you (this is what I did with the Essence).
In conclusion, I’m not against anyone finding what best suits their needs because that’s what matters at the end of the day. I don’t contribute any money to their purchases so my input on their purchases means NOTHING.
If someone feels as if this thread is the same repetitive conversations or chit chat then maybe it is because we are engaged in conversations that have to do with gear that isn’t of any interest to you? That could very well be the case - just think about it and you’ll see the writing is on the wall.
By the way, I’m NOT TRYING TO OFFEND ANYONE HERE with this long post. I watched what i said carefully and tried to tastefully get my message across. 
I am still willing to shake hands and have a few drinks with ANYONE HERE and talk audio. I don't hold grudges against ANYONE even if we might have disagreed at some point. 
This is audio and i have not taken ANYTHING personal from ANY of you.
 The garbage man that stole my money would be the only one in the hospital if someone pointed him out to me in public 😂 

Jay,
Good post, except for one small but crucial point.  You have definitely opened up to the possibility that great performance can be had at cheap prices, and not merely great performance per dollar.  However, you haven't, and don't want to, discover that zip cord offers the best clarity of most any speaker cable, although it sacrifices bass/midrange fullness, which I consider relative bloat and fuzz.  Next, the Rane EQ.  For $200 on eBay, you could try it.  As a line stage only, it probably doesn't equal the transparency of the Soulution 725 although it is more transparent than many, but the tremendous utility of the EQ function creates unique, vital benefits that you have yet to experience.  Your quest is to experience any high performance equipment you can procure (you are willing to take a chance on the newest Luxman which won't be cheap), so why not have an open mind about zip and EQ?  If you want to try what may be a SOTA EQ, read the latest Stereophile review about the Accuphase EQ for $25K, but it would be prudent to first dip your toe in the water with the Rane ME 60 (original version--the newer ME 60S is colored--deference to RIAA's point about newer not necessarily being better). 

Next, the Benchmark AHB2 amp.  You probably would prefer the relative warmth of your G Essence, Constellation, etc., but you would respect the AHB2's clarity/neutrality.  Since you won't be able to get the Soulution 700 amps at an attractive price, the 725 preamp + AHB2 would give you the complete Soulution sound at a sensible price.  Read the latest posts of yyzsantabarbara on the LSA Voyager GaN thread.  He has lived with the AHB2 for a long time, and has found nothing more truthful/transparent.  NO, I am not going to pay $3000 to buy the AHB2 for you.  You spend more on shipping fees.  Your total shipping fees amount to as much as what some people spend on their whole high performance systems.

NO SNEERING REMARKS FROM THE USUAL SUSPECTS WITH CLOSED MINDS.
If i ever decide to do a second Youtube channel (as some other channels that i have follow have done), it might be primarily focused on the affordable spectrum of things. For now, my channel is strictly dedicated to the Ultra High End and i don’t think a zip cord has any sort of "place" near a pair of XLF or Magico M6.
No sneering remarks. Just respect WC’s wishes and stop talking about stuff that has no place on this thread or his channel. TAKE A HINT!!! If it bothers you that much that your stuff isn’t worthy (WC’s decision - he’s told you that a million times and he just did again in his last post - reread it) then don’t follow the thread.

And in the spirit of your final comment with the tables turned, NO IGNORING WC’S WISHES FROM THE USUAL DOLTS WHO CANNOT RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR STUFF SUCKS IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WC PRESENTS
AHB2 also shut down with difficult loads - unable to drive. There are threads for equipment of that caliber (great amp for under $5k, don’t get me wrong) - this isn’t the thread.  But AHB2 closer to this thread than zip cord or Rane LOL!!!!  Ahhhh....... it never ends
You don't want to compare an AHB2 to a Nagra classic amp the same as you don't want to compare an entry-level Mcintosh to a Gryphon Essence. There are brand premiums that Nagra and Gryphon charge you for sure. But they can charge that amount of price simply because their sound quality can hold that value. Just like the dCS can charge 10 times more than a Benchmark DAC and people still love to buy them. You can argue maybe 10 times is too much? But dCS is in every way better than a Benchmark DAC. I actually chuckled when I did the comparison. Like when I heard an LS3/5a and then a Wilson Audio. I chuckled too.
Jay - if you add two best subs to an Alexx do you think it can compare to an XLF, at least in LF? what does a bigger speaker like that can give you that a smaller speaker doesn't - even if you put them in the similar volume level.