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Who is the KING of MONOS?

WHO IS THE KING OF MONOS???

Mcintosh 501:
Big. Heavy. Reliable. Built like a tank. Smooth and pleasing. This chuck of metal will flow liquid sound at you all day and not even get warm. It is Fun to listen to and fun to look at. Arguably the best looking amp of them all. Some accuse it of being too laid back. Others would consider selling an appendage to obtain a pair.

Krell Evolution 600e.
Pretty. Maybe not Mac pretty but still pretty. Unlike lesser Krells it is smooth and articulate. Possibly possesses the best bass of any amplifier anywhere. Expensive. If it can be the King it should be expensive.

Cary SA 500.1
Probably has one of the best reviews ever written. Cary is said to be a perfect middle ground between Krell and Levinson. Not too laid back. Not too harsh or dry. Just perfectly nestled in the middle. Not big or heavy. A little plain to look at. Middle of group price tag. A few complaints floating around about reliability. A few complaints that Cary is cheaply made. Is it worthy of a King’s Crown? 10 Audio thinks so………

Levinson N 53.
It is pleasing to the eye. It has lots of clout. It has cost no object claims. It costs a lot of big American Dollars. It has a non typical switching power supply. Levinson is sometimes accused of being too warm. Is this the case the N53? The company has encountered a lot of turmoil in the recent past. Can it overcome the negatives and beat the rest? Will the new D technology be its demise?

Classe CA-M600.
Aesthetically pleasing but doesn’t match anything else. Another smooth operator. This amp has also been accused of being too laid back and polite. Sometimes polite is a good thing. Can it be the polite King of Monos?

Pass Labs XA600.5
Can anything negative be said for this beast. Another block of beauty that has a glowing meter. A little magic and a little hocus pocus maybe. I can see the others getting a little nervous with the Pass in the mix. If only the company would answer the phone and tell me who the dealers are. I hope the product is better than their customer communications.

Wyred4Sound SX-1000
Can it even fit in with names like this? According to the reviews and the manufacturer it can. Its Class D. Its Light. It looks good. According to a lot of people it does things Class A / AB cant. It is by far the cheapest or cost effective of the group. Can this economical wonder compete or beat any of these brutes? Will it wimper and run away with its tail between its legs? We shall see.

Let us discuss who the King should be. Let us discuss who it shouldn’t be. Who cares about price. This is a Royal group. Who is the best of the best? No one wants to hear “They all sound the same.” Don’t waste our time. These boxes have magic inside. Who has the most? Which one should we all be dreaming of when go sleepy at night?. Who is the King Of Monos?
128x128paimei

Showing 21 responses by paimei

paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Stanwal, If your name isnt Mark Levinson or Nelson Pass you cant even be the Prince of Monos.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Bryston 28BSST2 added. They are sweet. I should not have neglected them on the original lineup. Now. Why do you feel they better than the rest? Thanx.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Maybe we should do this using the process of elimination.
I will take 10 votes for the weakest amp of the list. After each unit receives 10 votes as being the weakest it will be eliminated. Only one vote will be counted from each email address. I will progressively update the thread. Once we have top 3 we can debate who gets the Crown.

Send your weakest Mono vote to nichtzergoot@gmail.com
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I can add players. Email them to me. Trying to stay in the 500-1000 watt range for this one.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
6550c, Why did you not like your pass? Reviewers are giggly all day long for Pass. Can you compare it to any on the list? Thanx.

Also, This is a Solid State comparison. Im trying to stay in the 500 watt range so the Wyred doesnt get eliminated from the beginning. I should have mentioned that. I will do a >1000 comparison later. Thanx.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
We can do Tubes Versus SS after we pick a winner from this group. OK? I will even ask you guys what tube amps you want on the list before proceeding.

I think most of the Tube units that would compete would probably be Hybrid? Or am I wrong?
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I have been getting some nasty comments about Pass. I know they are a little questionable on service too.

I will look at some of these others and maybe add them to the list. Im trying to stay under 1000 watts for this one.

I like Omegas. I will check their wattage and maybe add them.

Im also hearing some concerns over fans. I tend to agree that having a fan is a point of failure. They go bad in PCs all the time. It would really suck having to move a 150lb amp back and forth to get a fan replaced.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
That is great. So you think the Pass should stay in the running? Is the sound on par with the rest? If you own one I would love to hear what you think.

I called to try to find a dealer so I could schedule a listen. I got no response. I left a message and no response. Same with email. Maybe they were on vacation or something. I will try again soon.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I am no discriminator of Origins. All of our contendors are sure to have a little China in them anyway.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I have no problem adding amps to the list. <1000 watts. at least 500. I will do a 1000 or more next.

I have had two votes to remove the Pass Labs. I need elimination votes. Once we get down to top 3 we can debate the King.

Look at list. Tell me who is the worst and why. I will update as eliminations occur.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I would disagree with you Audiofeil.

I think the post has gone well.

I think the participants have shown they are very intelligent. They have contributed much.

You have pictures of Pass Labs on your site. Why dont you comment on them?

It would be nice to hear something positive out of you for a change.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Thanx for the info on the Pass. Ill consider it a vote to keep it in the mix.

I think the Bryston amps have also smoothed out. The SST2 is supposed to be a lot more pleasing than the originals.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Nothing dumb about this thread or the participants.
More goodies get added every day.
Hear that Audiofeil?
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
It does not possess the intelligence of your "How Phil Collins rose to stardom" but the IQ is still high.

I so wish we could be friendly.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
The question may be somewhat subjective. However, these amps all have individual traits whether they be positive or negative. They have features and qualities that set them apart from one another. Im sorry to have offended any lack of imagination.

This is a thread that has drawn great comparisons between many great products. It has also presented many products to consider that most had no prior knowledge of. This thread has drawn from the knowledge of the entire Agon community. Aside from the few that have nothing to offer but snide comments I think it have been not only intelligent it has been fantastic.

Mission accomplished.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Now those are some nice suggestions. Kharma speakers look nice too. Very nice.

Its amazing what comes to surface when the negative Nancys get out of the way.

Subjective Q or not, It is easy to determine who the kings are when people decide who the kings should not be.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I bet you are with Audiofeil right now.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Jafox. And others. Look, we understand here that synergy is of absolute importance. Combine an amp that doesnt mate well with a B&W. The B&W will slap you with ugliness. Match the B&W with the right amp and it will reward you with tasty goodness. I think a Yamaha has less potential than any amp in this group. It is likely to sound electronic, harsh, bright, and fatiguing. You can pair it with a dull speaker to take the edge off yes. It will still never rule a better amplifier. This is my opinion. Please refrain from H8 mail. A Bose speaker is never going to sound like a Revel speaker. Some things are simply better than others. Some designs are superior. Some inferior.

If you consider the amps potential, some here will have less than others. I dont care what you mate them with. Conisider this. Which amp is going to sound best on the broadest range of speakers? Some are more forgiving than others. Which amplifier possesses the most likeable traits overall? Which amps possess the most problems or weaknesses? Eliminating the weakest amps will point to the strongest. Comparisons can be made.

Some negative comments have been posted and emailed to me about 1st generation Pass. Glowing comments about the .5 series. We all learned right there that 2nd Gen Pass is likely preferable. Im glad that knowledge came to the surface. Im sure if we open our minds similar info can be revealed about the other amplifiers in this group. Im considering a Mcintosh 501 and a W4S mono. I would love to hear more compliments and criticisms about each of those. I love comparisons.

I respect the knowledge and experience of this group. This is the ideal place for the analysis of these amplifiers.

At the end of the day people get to tell us which amps they like, which amps they dont, and give an explanation why. A compass to find which amplifiers will best suit our individual needs and preferences.

I want to know what listeners prefer. I think it is safe to say that the MOST PREFERRED AMP is a KING.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I agree with your thought pattern. In a way you also agree with mine.

You prefer your amp because others have crappy little output transformers. This makes them inferior in your opinion to what you have chosen. You have a preference. I respect this. Your experience could direct someone away from these lesser products. Surely you agree that we can compare and contrast even it it is based on opinion?

I think there are a couple amps in the list that would sound good with a broad range of speakers. The Mcintosh is a gentleman. I have heard the Mcintsoh reign in many a harsh speaker. It will likely sound good on a wide spectrum of speakers. It is a polite and forgiving amplifier with good manners. It is built well, has a strong reliability record, and resale value is very high. In many respects it is a King.

Comparisions are a great way to draw and learn from others' experience.

paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
I respect tubes. A lot. I respect your information. I dont have the experience with tubes that I have with SS. SS versus tubes is a whole other debate.

The MBL looks good. One of the few I have not heard. I will make it a point.

Harsh speaker. Well, I like smooth speakers. That being considered, I have run into some paradigm, klipsch, and Monitor audios that were a little raw to me. Im sure they would have all been better with better/proper electronics running them. Im not saying any of these are Bad speakers. I feel they need very careful matching or suffering may result. For instance, I once heard a Klipschorn on a tube amp. A low powered tube amp. Hated Klipsch till that day. It was impressive.

Thank you Cajunpepe for the comments on the Mac. Im Looking for the King of smooth to run my speakers. I have heard from many people, whether they like mac or not, say that Mcintosh owns smooth.
paimei's avatar
paimei OP
52 posts
 
Danielk141.

You are right. Synergy is Important. I understand this well. I hate B&w speakers on Adcom. Love them through Mac. For this kind of comparison try to be imaginative. Each of these amps deserves its finest counterparts. So consider that the amp being discussed is in its ideal habitat. Which one will then have the most potential?
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