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T+A's new R 2500 R integrated amp

**Not to be confused with earlier T+A products that have similar names.**

Does anybody have hands-on experience with this incredibly flexible integrated amp? It’s been shipping in the US for just a couple of months, & has not yet been reviewed in the Tier One audiophile press

It’s absolutely not possible for me to hear the R 2500 R before buying, and at nearly $19,000, I’m hesitant to pull the trigger blind. But it sure sounds impressive on paper, boasting one of T+A’s world-class DAC/streamers, several hundred Class AB wpc, 31-lb weight, discrete headphone amp, some of the most comprehensive connectivity on the market, firmware-upgradability, a friendly UI, and, of course, T+A’s reputation for impeccable sound quality. It even includes a CD transport & FM tuner, as well as HDMI w/ARC I/O for integration into a home theater. Whew.

I normally wouldn’t consider an embedded DAC/streamer, but, heck, this is T+A, the company that made its name throughout Europe for its no-holds-barred DAC technology. And I understand that the R 2500’s internal DAC is an updated (albeit "merely" 512DSD) version of the company’s highly regarded $7500 1-bit standalone model.

Given all that, I’d love to speak with anyone who managed to score one of the first batch (now sold out at many dealerships); or even to a golden ear who plans to audition this amp at AXPONA.

 

 

cundare2
cundare2 OP
267 posts
 

Sidelight: Over the last week, I spoke with two acquaintances who are both long-time highly placed insiders in the audiophile industry whose ears and industry knowledge I've trusted implicitly for years. 

These were short conversations, but both of them made an uncharacteristically unqualified statement along the lines of about T+A: "fantastic equipment, fantastic company, don't hesitate to purchase any model that fits your specs".

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,911 posts
 

Rooting for doesn’t keep the lights on. I don’t disagree w your list. I miss Charlie. I have only been doing this since 1977, but the list of personal touch relationships / care and support is very long… I do wish you the best in music and your quest ;-)

Jim

cundare2 OP
267 posts
 

@tomic601 

+1

doyle3433's avatar
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doyle3433
315 posts
 

I listened to this unit at the Florida show couple months ago and it was very impressive. the r2500r unit was powering the T+A 420 speakers, streaming and a VPI TT with that DS optical cartridge and dedicated phono pre. Open and airy, powerful presence. Funny enough the one LP track that had everyone in the room speechless was Mary Robbins singing Born to Loose.  

cundare2 OP
267 posts
 

@doyle3433

Thanks, good feedback.  But to put things into perspective, could you (and I mean in very general terms) compare teh overall sound quality to any other similarly priced configurations?

Really, I'm getting more & more sold on this model.

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