Do high dollar mono blocks truly improve the Sound Quality over the mid tier amps

@aewarren If you would read my OP you would see this " I'd love to hear from folks who have made this move in their systems or heard comparisons at shows or dealers."  I am asking about OTHER PEOPLES experience with a power amp upgrade.  Moreover I'm NOT asking for a critique of my current gear or listening room.

@skinzy 

”Unfortunately, no one in this thread has responded to my question directly based on direct personal experience with an upgrade”

I’ve learned a lot of the various audio forums, but unlike most of my hobbies I have to say audio forums have  than their share of people who just like to talk and more seriously unfriendly people.  (Not talking about anyone on the thread; just a general comment.)

Back to your question, I would probably reach out to Wilson or your dealer and see what they think about different monoblocks.  The 800D3s have a weird dip (or requirement or something; I have forgotten ) that the Deltas can specifically address.  All speakers will have their quirks, no matter how nice.  You might want to see if there is a particular set of monoblocks that cures  that issue, whatever it is.

My gut tells me you’re not going to do much better than two Deltas, unless it’s four Deltas in a bi-amp set up.

(One other intriguing possibility would be the McIntosh hybrid drive amps.  McIntosh gets a bad rap in audio forums due to being too “common” for a lot of folks — and overpriced in some models.)

But I’m intrigued by the Mcintosh mc451 dual mono amplifier, that has tubes on top and solid state below. From the ad copy “The MC451 Dual Mono Amplifier is a high-end, hybrid amplifier designed for bi-amping loudspeakers. It combines a 150 Watt vacuum tube amplifier and a 300 Watt solid-state amplifier on a single chassis, utilizing McIntosh’s proprietary Hybrid Drive technology.”

Note, I’ve never heard or even seen one of these.  So it’s not  recommendation, just spitballing.

On your specific Amp question, if tubes are acceptable I’d strongly recommend a CJ Stereo Art150. I’ve been using one for the past year with my Wilson Sasha DAW’s. Beautiful, full range amp and a great paring. This was a major upgrade from CJ Premier 12 monoblocks for me.

I’ve heard Wilsons with tubes and SS (A-B testing) and tubes win hands down IMHO. No tubey haze here either. This amp is clear, full, detailed.

It was nice going to a single box from monoblocks for space management. And finally, put it on a Symposium Ultra platform if you do get one to get the best sound from it.

Good luck!

I recently upgraded from JC1 monos to a CH Precision M1.1.  The differences are shocking, as they should be for the price difference.  :)

I suspect your system will improve greatly with the right amp.

I recently upgraded from JC1 monos to a CH Precision M1.1. The differences are shocking, as they should be for the price difference. :)

what was the shocking difference you heard? could you put it in words?

20k --> 100k --> 5x needle movement?