Power Amplifier - Maximum Resolution & Detail!

I don’t think all amps sound the same, but usually when I hear about reviewers hearing "things I never heard before" it speaks to the device exaggerating one tonal range over another. Especially true with speaker reviews. This is a never ending cycle, of chasing more details and more things you never heard before, sometimes leading to a particular sound that is so far from neutral it’s hard to hear. Sometimes that is good for listeners who prefer lower volumes.

My point is, be careful chasing details. In terms of speakers that sound remarkably better, D’Agostino, Vandersteen (yes, they make amps) and Luxman are among my favorites. All have glass smooth mid to treble, liquid like midranges and great bass.

From my very poor and now dusty memory, Coda had extension but never had that relaxed feeling of the others or a great tube amp. My memory now is hazy and I encourage listening.

Oh, almost forgot.  Ayre.  Very different sounding, I like them a great deal.  If you want an amp that sounds different, almost like it sucks noise out of the room, try one.

@erik_squires 

+1

I was thinking about this today. Emphasis on the details indicates you are building a microscope as opposed to a music delivery system. They tend to be very different things. 

I am on the same page as @atmasphere regarding Class D amps opening up new possibilities. I have had a Hypex ncore based amp for a few years that cost-effectively broke new ground in regards to detail as well as other aspects of good sound compared to my prior recent amps.

Currently I am in early process of trying a newly available Class D amp that uses GaN transistors. GaN has physical properties that open up new possibilities in regards to Class D performance overall. Early results with this amp have been very positive. Most detailed, dynamic and musical with no fatigue. The sound seems to literally light up the room! I’ve never used that analogy before. Stay tuned!

@mapman 

Because GANFETs have no leads on them and are quite small, they allow for reduced noise from the amplifier module. This is really important; its not good enough IME/IMO to just be able to meet European Union radiation directives (required for the CE mark) or similar; the amp really should be quite a bit quieter than that so switching noise doesn't mess with other equipment in any way. If the GANFET amp is done properly it can be so quiet that class A or AB amps actually radiate more noise.