Mono blocks are better or Stereo power amp?

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To Jafox, the $11,000.00 amplifier was a VAC PHI 110

the JL 2 was at Sound by Singer set up with Wilson Audio X1 a CAT preamplifier, Transparent Reference XL cables and the front end was a DCS Elgar stack.

As per your attack on the Hurricanes Harry Pearson has raved over these amplfiers as well, and Albert Salvatore has also raved over them.

Are the Hurricanes the best amplifiers in the world hardly, I would like to hear Bill Bakeers balls to the walls version, I bet those are really impressive.

I will stick to my guns Ken builds a great preamp and amplifiers which sound good to me but I wouldn't spend the money on.

To be honest with you the only high power expensive tube amplifier that comes unmodified I would probably buy today is the VTL S 400 great amp, great technology and great build quality.

Thanks AudioOracle for the detailed comments. That helps to put much into perspective.

I too have much respect for Mr. Salvatore; he and I had much communication earlier this year with many of his comments/suggestions ultimately getting incorporated here ... and with great results.

There's no way to know if we want to spend money on any given amp or preamp until we try it in our own system. I don't care for the CAT/CAT combination at all as I find it too analytical, in the context of MY own system. And then to throw in Wilson speakers, I'd be running out of the room covering my ears. The SBS setup was hardly what I would call a good demonstration of the CAT amp's capabilities.

Oh, and I did not attack the ASL amps. I simply stated that when put to the test to drive a nasty load like the SL speakers, the CAT would easily outperform the ASLs. From all that I have read from HP's reviews and comments, I do not recall him ever talking about SL speakers....he's too much into the Magnepans.

And concerning "stock" tubed amps or preamps, it just makes no sense to spend thousands of dollars for these products and then live with the limitations of Sovtek, Ei, EH, etc., tubes. This is true for CAT, Aestehtix, ARC, Einstein, to name just a few. And no doubt the CAT gear at SBS was all stock tubes........what a shame!

Owned both hurricanes and phi110. IMHO, phi110 is sig better than the ASL canes or cadenza. The canes are great performance for the price. It comes down to whether the speakers need 200W. I agree with Salvatore that the cadenza 1009-845 are better than the canes.

I had a very nice modded Musical Fidelity A300 integrated which had massive separate power supplies for the preamp and amp sections.
I now have Odyssey Mono Extremes monoblocks with the same speakers (ACI Jaguars which are a large rather power hungry monitor).
Huge difference. I listen to all kinds of music including house/triphop/electronica.
If you like the Odyssey sound- call Klaus and work a deal on a dual mono, regular monoblocks, or Mono extremes. Does take some time to get them, but worth the wait.