My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!


So I have been in a long journey looking to find the best amplifiers for my martin logan montis. As you know, the match between an amplifier and speakers has to be a good "marriage" and needs to be blend exquisitely. Right now, I think I might have found the best sounding amplifier for martin logan. I have gone through approximately 34-36 amplifiers in the past 12 months. Some of these are:

Bryston ST, SST, SST2 series
NAD M25
PARASOUND HALO
PARASOUND CLASSIC
KRELL TAS
KRELL KAV 500
KRELL CHORUS
ROTEL RMB 1095
CLASSE CT 5300
CLASSE CA 2200
CLASSE CA 5200
MCINTOSH MC 205
CARY AUDIO CINEMA 7
OUTLAW AUDIO 755
LEXICON RX7
PASS LABS XA 30.8
BUTLER AUDIO 5150
ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005

With all that said, the amplifiers I mentioned above are the ones that in my opinion are worth mentioning. To make a long story short, there is NO 5 CHANNEL POWER AMP that sounds as good as a 3ch and 2ch amplifier combination. i have done both experiments and the truth is that YOU DO lose details and more channel separation,etc when you select a 5 channel power amplifier of any manufacturer.
My recollection of what each amp sounded like is as follows:

ATI SIGNATURE SERIES 6005 (great power and amazing soundstage. Very low noise floor, BUT this amplifiers NEEDS TO BE cranked up in order to fully enjoy it. If you like listening at low volume levels or somewhat moderate, you are wasting your time here. This amp won’t sound any different than many other brands out there at this volume. The bass is great, good highs although they are a bit bright for my taste)

NAD M25 (very smooth, powerful, but somewhat thin sounding as far as bass goes)
Bryston sst2(detailed, good soundstage, good power, but can be a little forward with certain speakers which could make them ear fatiguing at loud volumes)

Krell (fast sounding, nice bass attack, nice highs, but some detail does get lost with certain speakers)

rotel (good amp for the money, but too bright in my opinion)

cary audio (good sound overall, very musical, but it didn’t have enough oomph)

parasound halo (good detail, great bass, but it still holds back some background detail that i can hear in others)

lexicon (very laid back and smooth. huge power, but if you like more detail or crisper highs, this amp will disappoint you)

McIntosh mc205 (probably the worst multichannel amp given its price point. it was too thin sounding, had detail but lacked bass.

butler audio (good amplifier. very warm and smooth sweet sounding. i think for the money, this is a better amp than the parasound a51)

pass labs (very VERY musical with excellent bass control. You can listen to this for hours and hours without getting ear fatigue. however, it DOES NOT do well in home theater applications if all you have is a 2 channel set up for movies. The midrange gets somewhat "muddy" or very weak sounding that you find yourself trying to turn it up.

classe audio (best amplifier for multi channel applications. i simply COULDNT FIND a better multi channel amplifier PERIOD. IT has amazing smoothness, amazing power and good bass control although i would say krell has much better bass control)

Update: The reviews above were done in January 2015. Below is my newest update as of October 2016:



PS AUDIO BHK 300 MONOBLOCKS: Amazing amps. Tons of detail and really amazing midrange. the bass is amazing too, but the one thing i will say is that those of you with speakers efficiency of 87db and below you will not have all the "loudness" that you may want from time to time. These amps go into protection mode when using a speaker such as the Salon, but only at very loud levels. Maybe 97db and above. If you don’t listen to extreme crazy levels, these amps will please you in every way.

Plinius Odeon 7 channel amp: This is THE BEST multichannel amp i have ever owned. Far , but FAR SUPERIOR to any other multichannel amp i have owned. In my opinion it destroyed all of the multichannel amps i mentioned above and below. The Odeon is an amp that is in a different tier group and it is in a league of its own. Amazing bass, treble and it made my center channel sound more articulate than ever before. The voices where never scrambled with the action scenes. It just separated everything very nicely.

Theta Dreadnaught D: Good detailed amp. Looks very elegant, has a pleasant sound, but i found it a tad too bright for my taste. I thought it was also somewhat "thin" sounding lacking body to the music. could be that it is because it is class d?

Krell Duo 300: Good amp. Nice and detailed with enough power to handle most speakers out there. I found that it does have a very nice "3d" sound through my electrostatics. Nothing to fault here on this amp.
Mark Levinson 532H: Great 2 channel amp. Lots of detail, amazing midrange which is what Mark Levinson is known for. It sounds very holographic and will please those of you looking for more detail and a better midrange. As far as bass, it is there, but it is not going to give you the slam of a pass labs 350.5 or JC1s for example. It is great for those that appreciate classical music, instrumental, etc, but not those of you who love tons of deep bass.

 It is articulate sounding too
Krell 7200: Plenty of detail and enough power for most people. i found that my rear speakers contained more information after installed this amp. One thing that i hated is that you must use xlr cables with this amp or else you lose most of its sound performance when using RCA’s.

Krell 402e: Great amp. Very powerful and will handle any speaker you wish. Power is incredible and with great detail. That said, i didn’t get all the bass that most reviewers mentioned. I thought it was "ok" in regards to bass. It was there, but it didn’t slam me to my listening chair.

Bryston 4B3: Good amp with a complete sound. I think this amp is more laid back than the SST2 version. I think those of you who found the SST2 version of this amp a little too forward with your speakers will definitely benefit from this amp’s warmth. Bryston has gone towards the "warm" side in my opinion with their new SST3 series. As always, they are built like tanks. I wouldn’t call this amp tube-like, but rather closer to what the classe audio delta 2 series sound like which is on the warm side of things.

Parasound JC1s: Good powerful amps. Amazing low end punch (far superior bass than the 402e). This amp is the amp that i consider complete from top to bottom in regards to sound. Nothing is lacking other than perhaps a nicer chassis. Parasound needs to rework their external appearance when they introduce new amps. This amp would sell much more if it had a revised external appearance because the sound is a great bang for the money. It made my 800 Nautilus scream and slam. Again, amazing low end punch.

Simaudio W7: Good detailed amp. This amp reminds me a lot of the Mark Levinson 532h. Great detail and very articulate. I think this amp will go well with bookshelves that are ported in order to compensate for what it lacks when it comes to the bass. That doesn’t mean it has no bass, but when it is no Parasound JC1 either.
Pass labs 350.5: Wow, where do i begin? maybe my first time around with the xa30.8 wasn’t as special as it was with this monster 350.5. It is just SPECTACULAR sounding with my electrostatics. The bass was THE BEST BASS i have ever heard from ANY amp period. The only amp that comes close would be the jC1s. It made me check my settings to make sure the bass was not boosted and kept making my jaw drop each time i heard it. It totally destroyed the krell 402e in every regard. The krell sounded too "flat" when compared to this amp. This amp had amazing mirange with great detail up top. In my opinion, this amp is the best bang for the money. i loved this amp so much that i ended up buying the amp that follows below.

Pass labs 250.8: What can i say here. This is THE BEST STEREO AMP i have ever heard. This amp destroys all the amps i have listed above today to include the pass labs 350.5. It is a refined 350.5 amp. It has more 3d sound which is something the 350.5 lacked. It has a level of detail that i really have never experienced before and the bass was amazing as well. I really thought it was the most complete power amplifier i have ever heard HANDS DOWN. To me, this is a benchmark of an amplifier. This is the amp that others should be judged by. NOTHING is lacking and right now it is the #1 amplifier that i have ever owned.

My current amps are Mcintosh MC601s: i decided to give these 601s a try and they don’t disappoint. They have great detail, HUGE soundstage, MASSIVE power and great midrange/highs. The bass is great, but it is no pass labs 250.8 or 350.5. As far as looks, these are the best looking amps i have ever owned. No contest there. i gotta be honest with you all, i never bought mcintosh monos before because i wasn’t really "wowed" by the mc452, but it could have been also because at that time i was using a processor as a preamp which i no longer do. Today, i own the Mcintosh C1100 2 chassis tube preamp which sounds unbelievable. All the amps i just described above have been amps that i auditioned with the C1100 as a preamp. The MC601s sound great without a doubt, but i will say that if you are looking for THE BEST sound for the money, these would not be it. However, Mcintosh remains UNMATCHED when it comes to looks and also resale value. Every other amp above depreciates much faster than Mcintosh.

That said, my future purchase (when i can find a steal of a deal) will be the Pass labs 350.8. I am tempted to make a preliminary statement which is that i feel this amp could be THE BEST stereo amp under 30k dollars. Again, i will be able to say more and confirm once i own it. I hope this update can help you all in your buying decisions!


128x128jays_audio_lab
WCSS,

It's been a few days since we have heard from you.....Let us know you are ok. Thanks. Big D
WC and "crew",

Last night I attended an open house at Quintessence Audio (Morton Grove, IL) that was advertised as a release party for the new dCS Bartok DAC and Wilson Sasha DAW speakers (in main room these were partnered with Audio Research Ref 10 Pre-amp, Audio Research Ref 160M, Nordost Odin:  est. system cost $175K).  The event was well attended by a wide range of enthusiasts that appeared to span from budget home systems owners ($5-$25K) systems through absolute reference owners ($200-$500K+).  The presentation by Wilson and dCS was informative and interesting and the music an outstanding variety to clearly reveal the magic of the systems.  (Bach Trios with Mandolin, Bass and Cello; Rene Fleming singing a beautiful Leider, Mickey Hart with Japanese Kodo drummers (yes the 160M needles moved on this!), Aretha Franklin and finally some crooner from the 60's.  The sound was absolutely sublime!

The bonus was that Nordost's Sales rep was on hand in a second room doing demonstrations.  Following are some take-aways:

Nordost demonstrations I witnessed (system was Wilson Sabrina, SimAudio 850P, SimAudio 400M, dCS Rossini and external clock, Nordost Valhalla 2 interconnects and speaker cable + assortment of cones, Power Cords, etc.  (estimated overall system cost:  $100K)):  
  1. interconnect between dCS external clock and DAC (this is only clock signal, no data).  stock, Heimdahl 2, Valhalla 2
  2. USB between notebook and DAC (all data, but data completely reclocked within DAC.  stock, Heimdahl 2, Valhalla 2
  3. Power cord of dCS external clock.  stock, Red Dawn (Nordost's top of their "entry level Leif series" power cord.  around $400 for 2M)
Firstly, this "budget system" sounded great even at 2/3 cost of the main system.  Differences between all of the trials were clear to all even though only one cable was changed at a time;  novice and high end system customers alike.  Whether differences were of value compared to cost was not the point.  In every case, the more expensive alternative was clearly and audibly better and these differences were not subtle.  Note that I am making no value judgement as to whether the incremental cost is worth the money, nor that other competing brands might not offer a better or different value... only that in every case; clarity, dynamics, background noise floor, inner harmonics of individual instruments, soundstage, etc. was clearly and obviously better than the less expensive alternative.

Important was that of all the cables, interconnects, etc. in the system that one might believe would be most impact sound, these demonstrations were of the exact opposite.  One might believe that the fantastic dCS Rossini plus master clock ($35,000 combo) would be among the most immune converters from jitter, power noise and whatever other critters somehow creep into a system and that the power cord to the external clock should be at most subtly impacted by a $400 PC. The gentleman beside me (who had never spent $100 or more on any cable exclaimed "the better the equipment, the more obvious the differences between cables" which many of us have discovered to be true.

I had opportunity to speak privately with Mike Marko of Nordost regarding the journey WC has been on and his recent entry in Nordost's premium reference line.  He agreed that it is of paramount importance that when you are working with this level of equipment, it is really important to treat the system as a whole, not as a collection of individual components.  Everything affects everything else... system synergy.  For this reason, it is of paramount importance that WC work with a Nordost retailer that will set him up with a complete loom at least to reasonably evaluate the Nordost product.  It is probable that such a product will reveal weaknesses in other products that were previously masked and it could be easy to attribute those weeknesses to the cable that has merely exposed them.  I have written before of the sensitivity of the AR Ref 10 to power cable.  You have not even come close to hearing how incredible this preamplifier is unless it partnered with a special power cord.  I have now heard this with both Valhalla 2 and Odin.  It is just magical.  Because of the tubes, I would extend this to experimentation with vibration absorption, supression, etc. whether that be sort cones, still points, high end shelving (i.e. Critical Mass), etc.  I expect this is equally true with the Lampi although I have never had the opportunity to audition.

It is Mike's experience that often when clients install the Odin speaker cable that speaker positions must often be changed.  What may have been optimized before, frequently has a different optimal position with Odin.  WC noted that soundstage was diminished and bass slam was lost with the new speaker cables.  With these cables, this absolutely should not be the case.  The Kodo drums in the Wilson demonstration were as real sounding as I have ever heard in a reproduction, but of course still fall short of experiencing them live.  Last night, they were as close to live as I have ever heard.  

This is why highly trained retailers normally travel to their clients to facilitate and accelerate the process of integrating these seriously high end products.  Any of us can plug in a new set of cables, but few of us have the benefits of training, optimization, speaker alignment that a dedicated, high end retailer is expected to invest in. 

I hope sharing my fun experience last night might be appreciated by all and maybe be at least a bit informative.


I believe it is interesting that 25k is classified as the high end of a
“budget” system.   The classification of high end being more than the cost of many homes at 200k to 500k makes that segment unavailable to all but the very rich.

Where is the person of average means to get high quality audio?  It is my suggestion that a really great system can be had for 5-10k.  Now that means some used equipment, but that is good with me.

About half my system was purchased used.

It is my firm belief that people of means can chase the last 1%, but the marginal cost versus marginal gain as you pass into the upper reaches of cost is minuscule.

I have heard the Doors music on very high end systems, quite excellent 20-25k systems and from the experience of sitting on stage with them playing live in Germany. It was much different than all their recorded music, no matter how fabulous the equipment was.  And I still love listening to them now.

Point being, all that money spent just gives one very nice view of their music that is most pleasurable, but cannot replicate the original.

I am glad people have an extra 175-475k to spend, but those budgets marginalize opinions and equipment to a very few.  My economist wife concurs about marginal cost, marginal gain.

I love watching WCSS’s journey, but it is far more meaningful when items like the OPPO shine through as that is more an Everyman piece of gear.   And I appreciate so much his earlier review of many amps that fall into the realm of the “budget” systems in the 20-25k range!
@psnyder149 

Thanks for your detailed writeup of your night of fun. I've heard many of the pieces you mentioned and agree with many of your observations. Would really enjoy hearing the Nordost presentation; I'm hoping to someday. I can tell you from just working with Blue Heaven and Heimdall 2 Power Cords, the difference is easy to hear. I've heard Valhalla 2 many times and Odin 2 a few, but never heard them compared to any of the other Nordost product. I hope to do that someday as well. Your observations on Dealers bringing significant system setup and optimization skills is why we have them; I know my Dealer, Mike Rose of Excel Audio brings significant experience and expertise to the table. I'd bet WC could further benefit from that type of input as well.
@gtaphile

Why should the Lampi best the Oppo? Besides cost? Honestly wondering.  I'm not saying it doesn't, but it's not  a given.

They look great, they are built by hand.  I've heard the Amber and the Big 7, both are good (and obviously not the top end).  Small company built by hand is very cool, I love smaller companies. 

The Oppo in particular is interesting as it’s from a huge company, with massive resources and all objective tests show excellent measurements in every regard. Furthermore, those that have listened to them by in large praise them.

Now I don’t have a 205, I had one from the last run, but when someone on ebay was willing to pay me damn near 2.5 times what it cost... I sold it.

Just because it a product is multiple times more expensive, doesn't mean it performs better/lasts longer etc.