"Warm Sounding" Solid State Amplifiers

I agree with Ralph. I have the Atma-Sphere S-30. There is nothing I have ever heard in solid state that even comes close.

A good strategy to deal with distortion is to match your speakers to your amp, room and volume preference. If you get that right, distortion shouldn't be an issue, tube or SS.

Sabai, Do you have to turn it too? That's the one I just missed out on. It went for 1200

Bombaywalla,

You are absolutely correct. Everyone's experience is going to be completely unique for any number of reasons or variables and because of that I always take the council of others with an open minded grain of salt, if you will.

In regards to warmth, sweetness and pleasant sound I am using those terms to describe the qualities of a higher musical experience that incites a stronger emotional connection to the material.

To be more specific, when I think of "warmth" I think of lower midrange frequencies that have extra lushness and bloom. When I think of "sweetness" I think of upper midrange and lower highs that speak with a sort of ring or resonance. If one were to describe it in the form of distortion I suppose that they would say that those frequencies are louder or exaggerated in some form or another. That is my very personal take on how I describe these perceived, abstract qualities of sound that I felt my Bryston equipment was lacking.

To further build on your feedback, I paid a visit today to Canada's exclusive Pass Labs dealership - Toronto Home of Audiophile. Even though I knew Pass Labs gear is a little outside of my budget (for the time being) I wanted to take the opportunity to hear for myself rather than go by the general consensus and rhetoric of others. That way I could at least establish some kind of reference point in my mind as to what I am looking for in terms of the qualities I just spoke of.

During my visit I auditioned the XA60.5 monoblocks (60 w/ch pure Class A) and the X250.5 stereo amp (250 w/ch Class A/B) with a PS Audio CD player, Pass Labs preamp and Gershman Acoustics Grand Avant Garde speakers.

In short, it was immediately obvious that the Pass Labs equipment had many of the desirable qualities that I was looking for. It was very lively and enjoyable. The pure Class A amps were the most musical in terms of "warmth" and "sweetness" but the Class A/B offered a more dynamic presentation and wider sound stage yet still very musical. Since I like to listen to lots of symphonic music and rock and roll it seems that a Class A/B amp might be better suited for my tastes. Also a bit more affordable than pure Class A.

I spoke with the sales rep in terms of my equipment, my budget and what I'm looking for and his reccommendation was a Cambridge Audio 851W. He did not recommend an M series NAD. When I get a chance I would love to audition the 851W but I fear I may have spoiled myself! If that is the case then I might just wait a bit longer and save up for a Class A/B Pass Labs.

Zd542

Synergy of components is critical. And your room is always the biggest component!