Subtlety ? do any American amps do it?


Not heard that many but it strikes me that everything from the colonies sounds a bit stark and bleached. Spent a year trying to come to terms with a Pass Labs which is vastly overated ( and I mean vastly), listened a lot
to Mark Levinson and thought Thank God I did not spend a fortune on that - clean, clear, hifi and so bereft of soul that it was like a visit to the Dentist !
I'm not that biased, it's taken Naim years to make something resembling music - PRAT ? until recently bunch of narrow minded PRATS.I know lots of Naim fans and their mindset belongs to the third reich !
UK companies like Meridian and Musical Fidelity have managed to do the bizz for at least 30 years that I've known/used and they still manage to make a noise that at least resembles real music. MF get tarred with a do it cheap brush but anyone who has heard their gear and says it's crap is probably a dealer who wants to sell you something at 3/4x the price.
The Brazilians do it a treat - Heard Audiopax 88s at the last Edinburgh show and if anyone there had ears, they should have packed up and went home - different league does not describe it.
Realise this is antagonistic but want some input.
Even the UK press seems blinkered to the crap - Pass, Krell
- whoah, nice hifi, shame there's nothing remotely musical involved, apart from the laughter as they take our hard earned money !

I have a Quicksilver phonostage - lovely and a great customer focused company, had a Lancelot Camelot, super and amazingly friendly & helpful people but go to the Big boys and it's just a money grabbing frenzy ?
I dreamed of a Pass Labs for years and ? my next amp will be coming from somewhere in Europe !

Si
simon74
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
i suggest listening to canary amps if you can. very well made and are good values. their push pull 300b amps are sweet and powerful.

i am sure the mcintosh 275 will not disappoint you either.
ARC has been showing American manufacturers (and lots of happy users) how good it can be for 30 years.
Hi Bio,
Change a few valves in the Syrah. The rectifier valve in the psu was changed to a Mullard to great effect and a couple of valves in the phono stage were changed.
Also new to variable loading option for cartridges so that took a while.
Happy to report the phono now comapres with the linestage.
I'm spending 6 hours at a time just enjoying music.
All I can say the Syrah imo is all it is cracked up to be and more.
Changing to 240V was painless and took about 10 minutes once I plucked up the courage to go ahead and do it.
Cut two wires/solder together, heat shrink and tie out of the way - Bingo !
The only problem now is a hankering for the Cortese !!!!!!!
New cyberlink cables arriving tomorrow along with a stillpoints amp stand - like X-mas early.

Simon