ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 OR CLASSE CT 5300??

i am definitely looking forward to this amp. i will do a lot of 2 channel listening as well and since i own the pass labs xa30.8, i will be able to compare and see just how good or bad this 5 channel amp is. I will be using a ps audio DAC as a preamplifier for my 2 channel listening session and then i will be able to choose a processor based on how neutral, bright, or warm sounding i find the 6005.

Ok guys,
I finally have had the opportunity to connect the ATI 6005 signature series and spent a few days with it. Before i give MY PERSONAL opinion, let me discuss what other amplifiers i have owned:

NAD M25
BRYSTON 9BST
BRYSTON 4BSST2
KRELL CHORUS 5200
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
CLASSE AUDIO 5200
CLASSE AUDIO 2200
PASS LABS XA 30.8
LEXICON RX7
ROTEL RMB 1095
PARASOUND HALO A21
MCINTOSH MC205
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
ANTHEM P5
ANTHEM MCA 50
and a few other amps that i am sure i can't remember right now.
I had a full 5.1 set up but downgraded to a 2 channel set up. What i currently own is the martin logan montis, PS AUDIO MK2 DAC and a macbook pro which is connected via usb to the ps audio mk2 dac. For my listening experience i used spotify and also tested a few bluray players in 2 channel mode via the oppo 103d connected via coaxial to the DAC.

With that said, i have done about 5 days of listening with all sorts of music and also a few movies. I typically use the same music that i have used in the rest of the amplifiers that i have owned so i am pretty well aware of what changes the music suffers as i try different amplifiers.
I will say the ATI signature series is a VERY WELL BUILT unit. Nothing and i mean NOTHING was forgotten on this unit and one interesting thing i noticed is that it ran relatively cool even at ear splitting volume levels.
Now, for comparison purposes, i used the pass labs xo30.8 and the classe audio 5200. Here is what i found:

PROS:

1. The amp is very neutral. It seems as if EVERYTHING is "flat". The bass is strong, but NOT BOOMY or exaggerated. As you crank it up, it keeps hammering WITHOUT starting to take over. It really sounds tight without being over emphasized.
2. The high frequencies are on point and really crisp, but NOT LAID back or forward.
3. The midrange is really articulate and has enough "body" to let you hear what is being said.
4. When cranked up at over 100 db, i found it very VERY powerful and with a nice soundstage. You don't feel as if you want more of anything. It feels like it is just right. Nothing really jumps at you.
5. Lastly, the amplifier does give you the feeling that you are hearing what you're feeding it. It doesn't color the sound so IT WILL NOT forgive you if you through a crappy signal or source. It will let you hear it. You WILL hear things in your music that you didn't know were there before. I heard ambulances in the background of some songs i had no remote idea were there.

CONS:

1. Because i was comparing to the pass labs and classe, i did find the ATI more "forward" and perhaps LESS tolerable at loud volume levels.
2. If you are "all about that bass" then i will say this amp might not be as "forward" in the bass department as perhaps the pass labs xa30.8. The pass labs actually had more low end oomph at low to moderate levels than the ATI.
3. If you are the type that likes to listen to your music at a low volume setting and expect to hear all the fine details of your source while not losing some low end frequency, this amp Will disappoint you. I listened to several songs and found the pass labs just MUCH MORE detailed at low volume levels. It feels as if the ati demands that you crank it up in order to hear what it can do.
4. If you crank the classe 5200 or the ATI as loud as you can handle it, the ati will give you a much tighter bass response BUT the high frequencies are sharper which in turn might make you want to turn the volume down. This is NOT the case with the classe. I can crank it up and i can tolerate the music relatively loud without cringing because the high frequencies are rolled up somewhat.
5. If you like a sweet sounding, warm music, this is not the amplifier for you. What does this mean? well, if you like pass labs, mcintosh, or classe then this amp might not be your cup of tea.

Overall, i do feel the amp is a big bang for the money. It doesn't really take away anything from you ,but rather give you more detail that you didn't know was there before. however, MY TASTE remains with classe audio for a multichannel amplifier and pass labs for a 2 channel set up. i have owned over 30 amplifiers in the past 12 months and NOTHING has impressed me more than the classe or the pass labs. Keep in mind, that i am a fan of music that sounds pleasant if i decide to blast it from time to time and typically warm or sweet sounding amplifiers are the ones that tend to reward with these qualities. I get ear fatigue quite easily and i have yet to find a better, or more comfortable amplifier to listen to at BOTH, low or high volume levels than the pass labs or classe audio.
In conclusion, after finalizing my review, i placed an order for the Classe CT 5300 power amplifier (i sold the ca 5200) and have decided that the ATI 6005 will need a new home. If you are interested in it, i can give you a very good deal so let me know :)

I would consider using something like Dirac live to give you more rolled off highs and increased bass at low levels. You really are not stuck with the designer's voicing anymore. You can also EQ with programs like Jriver.

Some years ago when I auditioned the Classe M-400 monoblocks, they sounded a bit rolled off. The newer Classa M-600 does not. I would check to see if the voicing of the newer CT 5300 has changed before I bought it. Classe makes great stuff, in China, hehehehe. Just kidding. Thanks for the excellent insights! I've stuck with Mcintosh so it's likely I might share the same preferences as yourself.

Hi guys,
so i placed an order for the classe CT5300 last week and i should have it this week. The week before that, i had purchase 2 mark levinson units from another audiophile friend (532h and 533h).
Let me just say that i had read bad opinions on the new mark levinson amps. Some say that it didn't sound as good as their older units ( never heard them) so i was under the impression that maybe i can just buy them and if i don't like them, i can at least sell them and use the CT5300 Classe that's coming this week. however, for THOSE OF YOU, who have doubted the new mark levinson amps, you will be VERY SURPRISED. I have been doing a lot of listening today and i STILL CAN NOT believe the level of detail and refinement these amps have. i am simply WOWED with these. They have layer of detail upon layer of detail. I can crank it up and not get ANY EAR FATIGUE of any kind. I find it very smooth, controlled and sweet sounding, but without rolling back the high frequencies which is what most warm sounding amps do.
I DONT CARE what people say that mark levinson is/was built by ati or crown or any other brand. i have owned dozens of amplifiers in the past 12 months and NO OTHER AMPLIFIER has had the level of detail and big soundstage that these levinsons have. Hell, i am willing to say that the 532h edges out the pass labs xa30.8 i had. YES, it is THAT AMAZING. I am really blown away in all senses. The more i crank it up, the more i hear details that weren't there before.
Yes, the 532h is a BETTER amplifier than the ati 6005 signature. It reveals more and makes you feel as if a curtain was opened. Music just flows towards you in a much more direct way. Those of you who think the signature ati is a mark levinson won't like me saying this, but the truth is that it is NOT a mark levinson when it comes to sound quality. it is in my opinion about 85% in terms of sound quality of what the mark levinson is. i am not a firm believer that this entire talk about signal to noise ratio levels, great specs, etc all mean NOTHING. What really matters is once you sit down in front of the speakers and let the music begin. Only then is when you can truly asses an amplifier's true soul.
For now, i regret having purchased the classe audio CT5300 because i wasn't supposed to be overly impressed by the mark levinson 532h but the truth is that i am beyond impressed with it. It is THE BEST solid state amplifier i have hear with my set up. It trumps anything else i have owned when it comes to refinement and detail. I think i have FINALLY found the amplifier flavor that i have been looking for. i now have to probably sell the ct5300 classe audio and begin looking for a good processor for these levinsons (i am thinking of the marantz 8802 once it releases).

Hello Whitecamaross -
thanks for the excellent observations on the Mark Levinson and ATI amps.

Since the first part of this thread dealt with the strong liklihood that they are the same amp, and your listening experience says very much otherwise, I am curious what they look like inside?

Are you comfortable taking off the cover? Just curious if Mark Levinson has done something to voice the amplifier differently.