2. amps-preamps
  3. 1125606772

The most emotional amp out there?

OK gang, I need your votes for the amp you feel that brings the chills, the goosebumps, yes maybe even a teardrop or two when you sit down and listen to your particular music of choice. Although many responders will automatically think of tubes, I do not necessarily share that "prejudice". I'm trying to find that special amp to mate with my Virgo IIs that really takes me to the heart of the music...as opposed to just performing the requisite audiophile tricks (e.g. imaging, soundstage depth, etc.). I'm tired of appreciating the specific virtues of a well known amplifier that I am auditioning but never really being transported to a place where I forget about the gear and simply am enthralled with the music.

Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the audiophile thing as much as the next person. But I am searching for the amplifier that will transcend the need to go through the checklist of listening attributes a reviewer does and instead will simply allow me to sit back and just be enveloped by the message that the particular recording artist I am listening to is trying to communicate.

I hope I'm being somewhat inteligible here and thanks for your suggestions.

Gregg
reneaugroup309c
stanhifi
224 posts
 
The original BF or Strawberry Hill? Makes a big difference.
:-)
jgk1017
15 posts
 
Ditto- give me the wine (amp) with the reputation and pedigree not the flavor of the day from some new fly by night winery (amp manufacturer). I'll take good wine over suspect H2O anyday.
:-)
snofun3
601 posts
 
No matter what the question, H20 appears to be the answer. Maybe it's the next DK.
nrchy's avatar
nrchy
2,124 posts
 
Strawberry Hill was better!
mikelavigne
2,194 posts
 
in the 'flavor' of this thread i would split my vote for most 'potentially' emotional amp between the Tenors (OTL and Hybrid) and the darTZeel NHB-108. why? because of amps i have heard.....they seemed to have the best ability to get out of the way of the music and at the same time cover the whole frequency range with real-world speakers. they both have a certain 'fire' or 'sparkle' and coherence that suspends disbelief and just gets you closer to the essence of music.

but i strongly feel that there is no quick, fool-proof ticket to communicating the emotional content of music.

my opinion is that finding the emotion in the music is more an issue of system synergy and not embodied in any one product or category. it can happen by accident (akin to winning the lottery) sometimes......but mostly it is about getting the little things right and finding the correct combination of gear and then optimizing each piece. i have found that investment is not the most significant issue but better gear (or better room) will take you farther into the music once you find that synergy.

i have heard very modest simple systems that have great synergy and emotional content (both digital and analogue based) and very expensive systems (such as my own) that (at least at particular moments) miss synergy completly.

i apologize if i have distracted the thread from amps......but i have recently chased system synergy and (at least for the moment) seem to have captured it so i am seeing most issues from that perspective. the emotional content of the music (the ability of the music to reach out and grab you) jumped 10-fold when the synergy happened.
More to discover