I had my SA100 upgraded to the NP100 (Premium Gold version with two 6SN7 tubes) a little over a year ago and I couldn't be happier. Compared to Drv's Basic upgrade, the Premium Gold upgrade is basically a complete rebuild of the amplifier. All of the insides are replaced (new circuit boards, the best caps in each position, custom Plitron transformer, Van Den Hul wiring, new Cardas RCA jacks, balanced inputs, Cardas binding posts, etc) and the only remaining part of the original SA100 is the chasis. I am also using mine with Merlin VSM-M speakers. My Counterpoint SA5000 preamp has also been upgraded with Mike's Premium Gold upgrade. Everything DRV said about the upgrades and Mike's service is true. I've rambled enough about my amp on this site before, but I'm exctremely happy with both pieces. The amp's circuitry is rather neutral, so it does take on the characteristics of the chosen tubes...a feature that offers quite a bit of flexibility as far as tube rolling goes. I've been using NOS Sylvania's from the 40s and the sound is excellent...very detailed, strong deep bass, realistic delicate highs, a gorgeous midrange, great dynamics, excellent resolution, and extremely transparent. And yes...in a general sense...the amp retained some of the character of the old SA100 (its overall balance and musicality, perhaps??), but at the same time it sounds nothing like my old SA100. The improvements were very substantial and instantly noticeable. Highly recommended.
Mike is even going one step further with his new amplifiers from Aria Audio (his top model, that is). He is willing to travel to your house and set your new amp up in your system...matched to your preferences. This guarantees that the amp will be set up correctly, and it also allows him to make any changes in the voicing of the amplifier...whatever it takes to make it a perfect match for your tastes and your system. This service is included in the price of his top amp, and it's still priced much lower than most of the prized hi-end amplifiers. I've never heard of anyone offering that service before. It will be interesting to see how many people take advantage of it. I can't afford it, but I think it would be money well spent. Having the amplifier's designer set-up and, if necessary, re-voice the amplifier to match our system and tastes...it sounds like the ideal situation to me. If you're curious about the details you check them out at:
http://www.ariaaudio.com/WT100_XL.html
I've never heard the Aria amps, but Mike said that my NP100 is a similar design. The Aria technology is originally based on the NP100 design, but the Aria amps have been updated and have design advantages due to their custom case...things that couldn't fit into the small-ish SA100 body. My NP100 is pretty amazing, so I think the even better Aria amps should be a safe bet.
My stuff:
Prem Gold NP100 amp (Alta Vista rebuilt Counterpoint SA100)
Premium Gold SA5000 preamp (modded Counterpoint SA5000)
Merlin VSM-M w/ battery bam
EVS MIllenium DAC 2 w/ Studer A727 as transport
Cardas/ZCable interconnects, Cardas wire, JPS Power cords
other amps used:
Counterpoint SA100(stock)
Pass Aleph 3
Bel Canto SETi40
47Labs Gaincard
Revox B250-S
Luxman M2000
NAD 916
Mike is even going one step further with his new amplifiers from Aria Audio (his top model, that is). He is willing to travel to your house and set your new amp up in your system...matched to your preferences. This guarantees that the amp will be set up correctly, and it also allows him to make any changes in the voicing of the amplifier...whatever it takes to make it a perfect match for your tastes and your system. This service is included in the price of his top amp, and it's still priced much lower than most of the prized hi-end amplifiers. I've never heard of anyone offering that service before. It will be interesting to see how many people take advantage of it. I can't afford it, but I think it would be money well spent. Having the amplifier's designer set-up and, if necessary, re-voice the amplifier to match our system and tastes...it sounds like the ideal situation to me. If you're curious about the details you check them out at:
http://www.ariaaudio.com/WT100_XL.html
I've never heard the Aria amps, but Mike said that my NP100 is a similar design. The Aria technology is originally based on the NP100 design, but the Aria amps have been updated and have design advantages due to their custom case...things that couldn't fit into the small-ish SA100 body. My NP100 is pretty amazing, so I think the even better Aria amps should be a safe bet.
My stuff:
Prem Gold NP100 amp (Alta Vista rebuilt Counterpoint SA100)
Premium Gold SA5000 preamp (modded Counterpoint SA5000)
Merlin VSM-M w/ battery bam
EVS MIllenium DAC 2 w/ Studer A727 as transport
Cardas/ZCable interconnects, Cardas wire, JPS Power cords
other amps used:
Counterpoint SA100(stock)
Pass Aleph 3
Bel Canto SETi40
47Labs Gaincard
Revox B250-S
Luxman M2000
NAD 916