Sure-
Preamp- Cary SLP-05
Speakers- Spendor D7.2
Congrats on the amp- definitely give it at least 50 to 60 hours. I was ready to return it after the first couple of days.
My Medium List of Amplifiers and my Personal Review of Each !
INTEGRATED AMPS
NAD C356 BEE - not bad but not as smooth as the Yammies, Caimbridge Audio or Marantz in its range. Sounds strained at volume even with 89db speakers. Relatively unrefined.
Raven Audio Nighthawk (tube) Nice sound, very transparent and refined, powerful beyond its 20 WPC, good value, sound quality is highly dependent on NOS tubes.
Raven Audio Blackhawk. More refined and transparent than the Nighthawk, use with efficient speakers and it could be a forever amp. Super colorful high end sound, again depends on tube choices.
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II
Powerful and dynamic with an atmospheric sound stage. Responds well to NOS small signal tubes, KT 120 power tubes are fantastic. A sound that belies its modest price, beats many more expensive amps.
POWER AMPS
Cary Audio 200.2. Very powerful and supremely dynamic and transparent amp. Midrange forward but with extended deep bass and highs. Starts and stops on a dime. Treble can be slightly unrefined at the top, midrange can be too forward sounding, best to match with darker speakers.
Rogue Audio Stereo 100. A dynamic powerhouse. Even with the same 100 WPC spec as the Cronus Magnum it sounds much more powerful. Excellent bass slam, very refined when the tubes burn in, even better with NOS small signal tubes. Huge sound stage. Excellent value, lacks the ultimate transparency and refinement of the Cronus Magnum.
Parasound a21+. Super smooth and engaging sound, good bass and refined treble. Definitely not as fast, transparent or dynamic as the Stereo 100.
Pass Labs XA25. A gem of a sweet sounding amplifier. Not as transparent as the reviews lead you to believe but awesome sounding nonetheless. Extreme micro dynamics and instrument separation, lots of contrast between sound levels of various instruments, almost as if each instrument had its own channel and speaker. High degree of refinement. Very good power that goes well beyond its modest rating. Warm yet detailed, this one could be a keeper for anyone with moderate to high sensitivity speakers.
Parasound JC5. Recent acquisition and a really impressive sound. It literally does it all- smoothness, extreme transparency, most transparent amplifier I have heard. Lots of power yet sounds amazing at low volume. Effortless dynamics, sounds flow abruptly at high contrast levels. Best midrange I have heard- no coloration at all. Excellent bass depth and slam, biggest sound stage of any solid state amp I have heard. Dark backgrounds that are noticeable by their silence. Absolutely love it.
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@avanti1960 I found a mint used one (for a fair deal too) so thankfully don’t have to worry about break in, although I’ll definitely let it run before critical listening! Thanks for the insight on the front-end, mine will be fed with a Pass XP22, Denafrips terminator plus, and Lumin U1. Speakers are Focal Kanta 3s.
Very excited. Probably will have slightly less warmth/bloom than your Cary. I love detail, and the JC5 should add some mids and slight warmth vs my current amp. |
Are these all amps that you have owned? It will be interesting to see how far you take this thread. As everyone knows there is another high-end thread that has over 20k posts. The only problem is that 90% of the people can not afford the equipment that the Op reviews. I have owned the Raven Reflection MK2 integrated amp and it was wonderful. Good Luck in your journey. |
- 23 posts total