Best Amp for Timbre, Depth and Spatial Resolution?

Geoffkit,

It was Julian Hirsch (RIP), a highly respected reviewer for decades. He did not say that amps (or any other compnents) that measure the same, sound the same. What he did say was that if the measurements of two amps were very good and close to each other, both will sound very good and then it is a matter of personal taste which one prefers. In other words, he established the objective, so the buyer could apply his/her subjective taste. Most reviewers today only focus on the subjective.

Neal

I sold Tact in the past, also there room acoustic system. We were not a fan of it. The sound is far from natural. And it sounds even clinical. The demos they give are most of the time dissapoiting these days. I recently sold the Millenium Tact of a friend of mine. It was quite easy to get a much better sound and stage compared to the Millenium. I had sold him this one new in the past. I even see this as a fault of myself. Soon I will receive the new Audioquest Wild dog subcable wenn it comes out. It is a pure silver subwoofer cable with DBS72. This will give a better timing and speed. But also a big advantage in the freq range from 80-140hz. Time and technique go on and on, that is why audio is a never ending story.

Last year I talked with Pass Labs about the idea of creating a new roomacoustic system in there pre-amps. Because the highend brands still do not make a good room acoustic system. Mctosh is using the old dated version of Tact. This is not usable for highend.

All the demo's in the past with the 802N and the 800 Signature with Mark levinson were often dissapoiting. The best options I think are:

Musical Fidelity, Pass labs X0.5 series and Krell

Johnmc67- I own a pair of B&W 802D. I have spent many hours and years looking for the right amp. About a year ago I found what I feel is one of a few worth owning, the Veritas by Merrill Audio. However it is beyond your stated budget. But just in the last few days the Merrill has announced an entry level amp. It is the Thor made by Merrill Audio. It lists for $4,000 per pair but he is running deals on it for a limited time so it can be had for less. It is based on a trickle down tech of the Ncore amps.

I have not heard it yet but hope to sometime after the RMAF show next week. I believe Merrill will have them setup at the show if you live nearby and can make it. On aside he will be pairing the Veritas with a pair of TED E1 speakers and Andrew from Pioneer might assist in the setup. I wish I could be able to hear that combo.

Also there was someone on the Audio Circle selling his Veritas because he is going with an all active setup.