2. amps-preamps
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Personal amp evolution

Seeing the over night success of the speaker evolution thread, it may be interesting to see what type of amp(s) we have all run. Same deal as the other thread-we will sort of create a puzzle of our systems you'll have to visit multiple threads to put everything together!!! ;)
For me I started:
Adcom GFA-565 monoblocks
Rotel RB-990bx
Jeff Rowland Design Group Model 5
Balanced Audio Technology(BAT) VK-60

either a CAT JL2, BAT VK-75se or Tenor 75Wp on the horizon.
tireguy
huntermusic
76 posts
 
DYNACO 416 with outboard capacitors
then 20 year hiatus of not owning any stereo equipment at all.
Got back in about 2004 with a modest Krell KAV250 then
400cx
then a disastrous two weeks with Edge NL-10
and now krell EVO 402
james_edward
119 posts
 
Hafler DH 220
NAD "Power Envelope" something or other
Adcom GFA 5800
Outlaw RR2150
Primaluna Prologue One
Moscode 401HR
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
Marantz receiver (38 wpc)
Yamaha
Adcom
Sunfire
Sunfire Signature (5 ch, gobs of power)
McCormack DNA-500 (2 ch, ditto)
VAC Phi 300.1 (tube magic)
VAC Phi 300.1 (2 in monoblock config)
DONE!!
aljordan
46 posts
 
Starting in early high school 29 years ago and I still have the sickness.

- HH Scott tube receiver
- Techniques receiver
- B&K ST 140
- B&K ST 202 Plus (still own it)
- Arragon 8008 (borrowed long term from a friend)
- Bryston 4B ST
- H2O Audio S250 Signature (still own it)
- Pass Labs X250.5 (still own it)

Out of the bunch of amps above, the Pass X250.5 stands out above the rest.

Preamp evolution
- Belles something-or-other (my dad now has it)
- Self designed passive unit (since trashed for parts)
- Audible Illusions Modulus 3A (loved it but it wont drive low impedance loads)
- Adcom GFP 750 (borrowed long term from a buddy)
- Self built Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid (still own it)
- Audio Research Corp LS-26
- H2O Audio Fire (still own it, love it)
- Pass Labs XP-10 (will receive it soon, can't say anything about it yet)

Alan
muralman1
1,527 posts
 
Hi Alan,

While I respect your choice, I wonder if you ever soldered Sonicap Platinum bypass caps on your H2O amps? Have you auditioned any NOS CDP? Those two changes, and the copper ribbon speaker cables transformed my H2O sound from rather SS like, to profoundly transparent and musical.

I use to own Pass Labs amps, the X150, and X600. Most recently I heard the X600.5 and XA100 monos. Both amps have certainly been improved over the ones they replaced.

Still, I would not consider trading the H2O for any Pass amp. The difference is not small. either. I am talking about my system. I mentioned a couple winning improvements I made.

I bet the Fire really helped the Pass amp. I also tried the Pass XP10. It was pretty darn good, but I was happy to keep my Fire.
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