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
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- 74 posts total
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@ranjithkp Parasound A21 is a great 2 channel amp depending on your room size speaker and listening volume it might be just fine. Now if you want to drive your speakers at louder volume JC1 will be your better choice. The JC1 is in my opinion more muscle and more musical and you will most definitely hear a bump in Bass. The sound signature is John Curl no doubt but more of it with it operating in class A up to the 1st. 25 watts. I have not had the opportunity to play with the JC5 so I cant really comment. As far as the the A21 VS Anthem both are great at that price point, my experience was with the Anthem 225 integrated which is an awesome combo similar from a price power prospective but the Anthem comes with the built in pre which by the way is better than the Parasound proposition. Enjoy |
I auditioned the JC1s and JC5, and have now owned the JC5 for several months. They both have a very similar sonic signature, but I thought the JC-5 sounded a little more refined. A bit more detail and smoother mid-range. However, the JC1 was considerably older so it's possible a recap would make up the difference. Also, the speakers I was listening to, and also the ones I have now, were fairly efficient. With less efficient speakers, the added class A power of the JC1s might be more of a factor. |
- 74 posts total