30 Amplifiers Totaling $428,740.00 In Search of Audio Nirvana


Yes it’s true! I have both owned and auditioned 30 of the top selling amplifiers Totaling $428,740.00 in search of that secret sauce called Audio Nirvana. All though there is no one size fits all, they all have their own special touch of magic for someone at a price point and sound signature that will be a fit for your musical listening taste. With that being said, this long list of amplifiers ranging from $2500.00 MSRP to $85,000.00 is what I experience through trial and error while running the gamut of Class A-AB-D and Tube Amplifiers from a variety of the top Amplifier Make and Models listed below.


Anthem Integrated 225

Adcom 575SE 

Audio Research 160S

Bell Canto 600M 

Block Audio

Bryston 7BSST2 

Divalet Expert Pro 220 

Gryphon Diablo 

Krell Evolution  

Hegel H30 

Luxman M900U 

Merril Eliment 118 

McIntosh 452 

McIntosh 601 

Octave Audio V110  

Musical Fidelity Titan 

Parasound A21 

Parasound JC1 

Pass Lads X250.5 

Pass Labs X350.5 

Pass Labs XA160.8 

Pass labs XS300 

Plinius SA-250 

PS Audio BHK 300 Signature 

Primaluna Premium HP 

Primaluna Prologue 

Sim Audio W7 


I actually couldn't believe it myself until I looked at my spreadsheet 5.5 years later and said WTF have I done? All that said I can truly say it has been one fun ride! 

The purpose and goal for posting this long list is of amplifiers was to share my thoughts and experiences with you from a unbiased point of view with Absolutely No Quid Pro Quo :)


Cheers




 

128x128blumartini
@kren0006

Well you realize you have to give a sonic summation of each one, right?

Lol yes, will do, but for now I will volley them on a case by case basis in the meantime.

BHK 300 versus Hegel H30

Tough one, as I like them both but for different reasons.

Hegel H30 is a Beast of an amp as Mike Tyson was as a boxer. The H30 delivers a punch with authority that can drive most any speaker on the planet. The first thing that comes to mind is the BASS and its grip and control as well as its in your face front row sound. Mids where clear but i felt that it lacked a bit in the upper mid bass and highs where smooth and not brittle. The H30 plays well with a lot of different speakers and loves rock and metal and Techno. The mids are are a bit forward with great imaging and but suffers a bit with its narrow sound stage. I

BHK 300 is amazing and more like Mohamed Ali with substantial power yet more of a dance that is musical and more involving. The sound signature lends itself to a more euphoric and holographic sound as apposed to an in your face forward sound. Bass is totally there with the innate ability to deliver punch and gradients with in the lower spectrum. Mids are superb and lushes with great detail more to the Musical side rather than analytical. The highs are superb and natural with a clean and clear sound and not in any sense harsh, piercing. or brittle.

I must say that is one of my favorite mainly because its a hybrid, with the best of both worlds, Muscle, Force and Bass of the Class A/B world and the Finesse and Lushes Organic musicality in the mids and highs from the Tube world. The BHK 300 will play well in most all types of music both instrumental and voice.

Sorry to go off on a tangent with the BHK but it had very similar characteristics to the Block Audio Monos my #1 pick from the list.

Cheers!