SST Son of Ampzilla ii power amp


Hey guys,

I need your opinions, advise, insights & thoughts on the SST (Spread Spectrum Technology) Son of Ampzilla ii (series ii) stereo power amp. The amp receives many glowing reviews from the likes of TAS, Hifi Plus, 6moons, EnjoytheMusic, etc. I know this amp was barely discussed anywhere and isn’t a popular mainstream amps. It is a class AB design with biased into class A for the first 10 to 12 watts. I know it looks ugly as hell but I would care less for the look and only care for the audio performance sound quality, musicality and reliability. Many reviewers claimed that this amp punches way above its price and competes well with many amps costing much more. Well, some reviewers always said that, don’t they?

I’m thinking to buy this amp to replace my Classe Sigma Amp2 class D amp to drive the Monitor Audio Gold 200 5g (latest generation) speakers. The rest of my gears are : Classe SSP 800 preamp processor, Cary Audio CD 306 SACD player/DAC served as my CD/SACD player and DAC. I also have the Oppo 105 universal bluray player used as a bluray & occasional DVD-Audio transport which is connected via HDMI to my Classe SSP 800.

What do you guys think of the SST Son of Ampzilla ii (series ii) amp and how would it compare with my existing Classe Sigma Amp2 class D amp? I know they would probably sound different. Any other options out there I should consider? Any input, insights & thoughts are welcomed. Thanks in advance.
dilatante
I have gone through many amps over the years. I was using BC REF500M’s, which are awesome Class D amps. Then, I found a great deal on a SOA II and since I had wanted one for some time I jumped on it. It has transformed my system. From going through numerous amps in the same system my past experience told me that there will be some differences between amps., but they tend to be incremental and subtle. After having the chance to listen to many of my go to albums I can honesty say that the experience with the SOA II has been transformative. First you will notice that the sound stage and imaging are insane. You feel like you are stepping into the music and the artists are right there in the room with you. From there you will just have that sensation of there being more of everything from the decay of the cymbals to the heart stopping bass. The vocals are so life like you just want to reach out and touch the artist. If you have the speakers and DAC to do this marvel justice I would recommend the SOA II without hesitation.

My setup: Auralic Aries - BC DAC 2.7 - Wyred4Sound ST Preamp- SOA II - Acoustic Zen Adagio Speakers + Martin Logan Sub

I find this thread interesting, since I’m in the market for a new amp. Any sense of how this amp would compare with an AVA Set 500?