Help me understand the current amp market

Pilium, for example, is getting a lot of buzz, but the CEO is an ex gym owner that’s an audio enthusiast and not an electrical engineer.

I feel the same way with DACs. Companies charging 6k to add an optional DAC module into an already overpriced integrated. I look for DAC designers with some digital pedigree.

With respect to amps, I have owned the Benchmark AHB2 multiple times. I loved the amps for the most part, except with hard to drive speakers. The AHB2 uses a switch mode PS, and uses a forward correction process to achieve the great sound and incredible measurements. In terms of innovation it is up there.

The new GAN Class D amps are my favorite Class D amps. I had a very innovated amp from PeachTree, the GAN1, which is an all in one but only has a SPDIF input and no volume control. Now that takes some out of box thinking to make it work. Out of the box the GAN1 is very good and after some mods by tweakaudio.com it became great. I have my sitting in my office and need to getting it back up for my headphones but I need to get a SPDIF streamer first.

AGD seems to be the leader of the pack when it comes to GAN, with the designer having a long history with GAN tech.

My current amps are the CODA #16 which has a long history starting with Threshold and CODA and PASS Labs originating from that. My CODA #16 is the cumulation of a few decades of work and sounds incredible with tremendous power. I replaced my Benchmark AHB2 with the #16 because the CODA could drive my hard to drive speakers with ease.

The other amp I use is the Sanders Magtech which really sounds great for Class AB, specifically with Magnepan speakers. It has a unique power supply which I think must be its secret sauce. It was built for Sanders by CODA.

KRELL DUO XD and Westminster Labs are creating Class A using a biasing approach that had traditional Class A amp manufacturers twisting their panties into knots. There was a post on the Gryphon web site saying why this biasing Class A is not the TRUE macho heat producing Class A. I laughed at that since I owned a new KRELL DUO XD amp and it sounded great. I sold it to raise cash. KRELL is supposedly coming out with a trickle down amp in June 2024 from the flagship KSA i400. I want to hear that one.

One of the most important things to consider about an amplifier is the impedance and sensitivity demands of your speakers. If you are running a pair of Wilsons or larger Thiels, for example, you need a high powered amplifier that doubles its output with each halving of the impedance. This would cut down your options by 90% or more. Very few amps do this and the ones that do are all heavy, expensive solid state monsters. Modern examples are from Pass, Krell, and Gryphon.

On the other hand if you run (or expect to run) a pair of high sensitivity horn speakers then a lower wattage tube amp, perhaps with SET design, would be a logical choice. An 8 watt tube amp is not better or worse than a 400 watt solid state amp - they are made to drive different types of speakers.

Regarding technology and design the big thing now is Class D. These amps have improved dramatically and some models are now the lowest noise amps ever made.

I realize that I'm going to get whacked for saying this but a good place to get information about the root of your question is Audio Science Review (let the deluge of hate begin). Amir does some of the most thorough testing of audio components of anyone out there and he distinguishes well engineered gear from gear that isn't as well designed. We can argue all day about whether ASR's measurements correlate to sound quality but I am personally interested in how a product measures and how well it performs its intended function.

Speaking from my perspective as an audiophile geezer, I don't see very much that is truly novel in the audio world. 90% of the progress is the refinement if old technologies using better parts, exotic materials, smart electronics, and improved manufacturing techniques. Once in a while something comes along like Class D but mostly manufacturers are tweaking old designs and making up new marketing stories to differentiate their products.

Yes, I do like to crank it up a lot, especially when I'm listening to electronic music. I often hear people getting tube preamplifiers with their solid state amplifiers, but do you think that will work with the type of music I like to listen to?

Tubes will give you a warmer sound and add some depth to the soundstage, but based on your listening preferences my gut says to stay with a solid state preamp. Tube preamp owners chime in if you have other opinions, I have only dabbled in that space.

@josephp732 I just acquired a T+A PA 3100 HV after plowing through 4 INT amps in 2 years (3 tube, last one was a BAT VK3500 hybrid).

I no longer yearn for anything sonically. It is warm like a tube amp but also very detailed with superb channel separation and seemingly unlimited headroom.

It is a beast though, you could hurt yourself installing it if you are not careful!

@macg19 T+A equipment is always built like a tank. I had a PA 3000 HV that I sold when I was down sizing to a condo (Threw my back out re-boxing that amp). That’s when I went with the Luxman L-509x. I do love the Luxman but miss the warmth and massive headroom. Now I am building a new listening room in a new home, hence me really looking hard at the PA 3100 HV. I also have T+A CRITERION TCD 110 S speakers, that I had put into storage, that I will be using in my new reference system. There was a review of the Luxman that briefly compares it to the T+A:  Luxman L-509X Integrated Amplifier (soundstageultra.com)