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Synthesis Amplifiers: One of High End's Best Kept Secrets?

Just stopping by to share my enthusiasm for my new Synthesis A100 Titan integrated amplifier. For the past few years, I have been on the hunt for the best integrated amp I could find in my price range. I've had a Line Magnetic 508ia, a Devialet, a Lyngdorf TDAI-3400, a Boulder 866, a Vitus RI-101 mk2, and a Vitus SIA-025 mk2 in the past four or five years. I enjoyed aspects of each of these amps, some related to sonics, some to functionality, and some to build quality. 

And yet, in each case, after several months, I found that I wasn't quite getting the sound I wanted--rich, three-dimensional. engaging, and dynamic without being fatiguing. Too often, I found myself picking the sonic picture apart, assessing this or that at the expense of pure musical enjoyment.

I finally decided to give up on my hunt for the "perfect" solid state solution and go back to tubes, which led me to audition the Synthesis A100 Titan, an amp that features an octet of KT66 tubes, a pair of 12AX7, a pair of 12BH7, and even an onboard DAC. I was intrigued by this amp, but found very, very little written about it in the audio forums (here and elsewhere), except the praise of a couple of folks.

I've had it about a month now, so while I cannot give a guarantee that it is my "lifetime amp" in light of my history of amp promiscuity, I can say with absolute assurance that I find this amp far more satisfying and exciting than any of the amps I've had through here over the past few years.

In short, I am just astonished by it. I had assumed that at the very least, the onboard DAC would be inferior to my Lampizator Baltic 3, which is just wonderful in every respect, but as I spend more time comparing, I am not even sure of that anymore. The onboard DAC is so good that I am now planning to try some different USB cables to see how much performance can be squeezed out of it. Very possibly, my excellent Lampi may soon be up for sale.

Just to be clear, this is no ad, and I have no affiliation whatsoever with any dealer or distributor. I just can't believe how good this amp is, and how relatively unheralded it is. So I am heralding. The Titan is a pure pleasure to listen through every night, and a magical match with my Fyne speakers. The presentation is utterly immersive, and spellbinding. I am no longer picking the sound apart. There's no need.

If you are in the market, I highly recommend an audition.

 

 

128x128waltersalas
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,743 posts
 

walter you are so right on the Synthesis

 

We have been selling Synthesis for many years the A100 titan ranks among the best sounding integrated amplifiers we have used

the synthesis a 100 has a surprisingly good Dac and drives most loudspeakers really well.

dave and Troy

Audio Intellect NJ

Synthesis dealers

rooze's avatar
rooze
627 posts
 

I haven't use my A100 Titan in weeks since landing a Don Sachs Kootenay KT66. To be honest, the Titan is a better amp than the Kootenay but I just like switching things around. Has anyone stepped up from an A100 Titan to something they like better, if so, what?

I may let my Titan go but I'm sure I'll regret it!

 

larryi
3,897 posts
 

The Synthesis dealer in my area only has a few customers "upgrade" from the A100 Titan.  Some have gone with the Synthesis monoblocs, and a few others have gone with a seemingly strange upgrade because they move on to some pretty low-powered custom made amps.  These much lower powered amps are clones of Western Electric 124 amps that utilize original Western Electric parts.  The Western Electric clones are VERY special amps, but, in many respects they are quite similar to the Synthesis amps--warm tonal balance, punchy and lively sound, a sense of large scale to the music (the sound field is enveloping and big) and a sense of weight that punches into your chest even when not playing that loudly.  These clone amps are, much more expensive than the A100 (the output transformers alone cost almost as much as an A100) and are not as versatile because they are meant for use with high efficiency speakers; those trading in A100 tend to also be trading in speakers for higher efficiency custom made speakers.

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