Subtlety ? do any American amps do it?

Hi Si

I can only guess that your experience with American amps is very limited. Many of the tube variety American amps are the best I've heard at producing subtlety, prat and natural dynamic shadings. They include Atma-sphere, Joule Electra, Transcendent OTL amps and the Berning ZH-270 tube amp with the radical impedance converter. All these amps are at the front of the class in terms of the criteria you suggested were missing from American amps. Of course they would be limited in many applications due to their design excepting perhaps the Berning which is unlike any amp tube or ss.

As far as SS amps are concerned I am not sure which Pass amp you are referring to but I found the Aelph series excellent in all the applications I've heard. Maybe missing a bit of impact in the bass but making up in nuance, and a wonderful balance without being strident as most ss amps become sounding to me over the long haul. Most European and many Canadian products are overpriced here in the states and I don't feel they compare favorably value wise to their American peers. I also have a Supratek Syrah, nice pre for the money. You must listen to the Berning, it will awe you, especially at its price point. ;^)

Cheers

Hi Tubegroover,
I'm sure there are lots of brilliant american amps but chances of hearing them over here are pretty much nil.
Only one dealer in Scotland stocks high end US gear and you
can imagine the prices - straight dollar to pound equivalent.
Hoping soon to get over to visit friends I've made on Gon and have a good old listen.
The Syrah introduces a lot of what has been missing with the Pass so I may have been a bit harsh on it.
Message there, don't blame the messenger !
Looking at the price of some of the tubes for the Syrah,
I think I'll make do with the ones it came with !
Rgds Si

"The X-250 was the biggest purchase I ever made and the biggest disappointment !"

Yes, I too heard an X350 Pass and was also disappointed, unlike the Aleph series. Maybe the system was at fault but the dealer seemed to like the set-up even though I became bored after less than 5 minutes. Now again Si, you must go out of your way to hear the Berning. Check out the website for further info.http://www.davidberning.com/

This amp is something very special indeed and can be unhesitatingly recommended for most applications. Imagine crystalline clarity without glare or etch, presence that seems to be the sole domain of tubes, bass control of the best SS with the speed to deliver transients without overshooting the edges along with natural dynamics. This along with being as quiet as a church mouse, this is the Berning.

No I am not a dealer and have no vested interest but this amp is too good. My enthusiasm is unabated even after 3 years of ownership. These impressions were further realized after hearing the competition at the Montreal Audio show a few months back. It is an amp for those looking to attain a music reproduction system of the highest order without spending the megabucks of the high priced cost on object competition. Add this to the fact it is hand made one at a time by the American designer David Berning, a true innovator in power supply design and efficiency in the use of tubes. If it were manufactured to the standards it is hand made, it would most likely be 3X its price. It has demonstrated to me that there is no price/performance correlation among some audio products. Yes the Supratek Syrah is great at the price but I've heard better in the realm of the cost no object designs, most recently the Berning prototype, now we're talking music reproduction not sounds good.

My point Si is clear, the best American amps really do it!

Cheers

You bought a Syrah, Simon? I'm jealous. Now tell us all about it.

Hi Bio,
Still blown away by it - had to rewire to 240V - felt like the bomb disposal squad - poked the on switch with a stick and ran like f--
Fabulous looking, much larger than expected but my , what a sound. My system now sounds like it should for the money I have spent. Everything in oodles more but oh so natural.
Relaxed,hairaising - whatever the music is doing I can now hear it. There's a palpability, soldity - I don't know, albums I thought I knew are laid bare.
Strangely the line stage leaves me gobsmacked - I always knew my Nu-Vista cd was good but never to this extent.
The only slight gripe is the phono stage has a slightly speaker bound quality. May just be it spreads a bigger image
than my new'small' room can accomodate but I don't notice this with the linestage.
For the first time ever I can say I am enjoying cd's as much as vinyl.
I'd like to try my Quicksilver phono thru the Supratek but I don't want to go there - to many boxes/wires and some things must go to pay for the Syrah.
Must say it would give me pleasure even if I never switched it on - it really is the most beautiful piece of kit I've ever owned & Mick who makes them is great - a man of few words but he always gives you the one you need - Yes cut that wire - no for f--s sake don't cut that one!
Sorry if it's not anylitical but for the first time for a while, I'm just really enjoying everything, cd, vinyl or tuner - it's great !
Cheers Simon