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How far have ss amps really come in the last twenty years?

I have owned and enjoyed my Jeff Rowland model 8 ( recently modded and upgraded by Jeff to the last version) for many years. I recently had the opportunity of comparing it ( after mods) to a few of the current ss models from Gamut, D'Agostino, YBA, Parasound, Sim audio, CH precision, Constellation,PS audio,Pass Labs  and Musical Fidelity. The results were very interesting, because to my ears and in the systems that we did the comparison, the Rowland held its own against all but the most expensive D'Ag and CH amps. Even those were only very slightly outclassing the Rowland in the areas of top end resolution...and a tad in the bottom end resolution. Now the thing is that the last revision to the Rowland 8 was designed by Jeff over ten years ago! 
So, my question for those more technically inclined than myself is...how far has the design of ss amps come in the last ten...or even twenty years? 
128x128daveyf
mgattmch
569 posts
 
All I can say is; I once owned a fully refurbished, by Krell, KSA-250 amp and to my ears it sounded wonderful. Even my wife and children commented on the superior sound quality. Tight deep bass and superb transient response. It seemed to take a firm grip of my speakers (B&W N801 at the time) and made them do what it wanted to do. Seven years ago I sold the Krell and have regretted the decision ever since. So yes, if in top notch condition, some older SS amps can sound wonderful. The key words here are; CONDITION and SOME.

This is what Robert Harley said about the Krell KSA-250 27 years ago: https://www.stereophile.com/content/krell-ksa-250-power-amplifier-robert-harley . 
mrdecibel
3,063 posts
 
mgatt, you should have heard the Krell’s replacement ( whatever you purchased to replace it ), in your system before you sold it. Live an learn. Enjoy ! MrD.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf OP
2,866 posts
 
@mgattmch   I would bet that your old Krell KSA 250 would give most ss amps today a very tough run for their money! 

@stringreen  What you describe must be a bit infuriating! If it is just in the left channel, have you tried simple things like swapping all the cables..left to right etc. 
A resonance sound could be coming from the furniture in the room as well. That is what I have noticed when I have had issues like that, and they can be difficult to suss out!
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,463 posts
 
Frustrating is right Dave..... Tried left/right cable swap and remained in the left...I even tried entirely different brand of cables...no luck. Moved the chairs/sofa to another room....same.
mgattmch
569 posts
 
"mrdecibel" and "daveyf", I stupidly did. The Krell KSA-250 was part of a 5.1 HT set-up that doubled as a stereo system. I used the Krell for front L/R and two Pioneer Elite M91 amps for rear L/R and one for the center channel. Sure looked nice. But, the whole system was heating up my HT room dramatically in the summer (I lived near Houston at the time). So I replaced all three SS amps with a Krell TAS. Heating problem solved. But, it was obvious the Krell TAS was not in the same league as the KSA-250. Like I said, I have regretted the decision to sell the KSA-250 ever since. Probably my single most stupid HiFi decision in close on 50 years with this wonderful hobby! But then again, probably best not to talk about the Wharfedale E90 speakers.

The nice thing about the Krell TAS versus the KSA-250 is reliability. The KSA-250 runs so hot it is obvious a re-capping will be required at sometime or something will fail due to the extreme heat. Not so with the TAS, the Krell service department tell me this is an extremely reliable amp and very rarely needs repair. Ah well, peace of mind is worth something in this instance.
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