I have just purchased the latest Sound Lab M1

I own older M1's.

I owned a Levinson 336, but simultaneously home auditioned CAT JL-1's, and Parasound JC1's.

I tried the CAT JL-1's first. It would be an understatement to advise that I was astonished by what they were doing.

I then inserted the JC1's. Needless to say they weren't the CAT's. So, I didn't leave them connected for more than a brief period.

Without directly A/B'ing the JC1’s to the Levinson, my sense was that they equaled or even exceeded the Levinson. For less expense, I thought the Parasounds represented a good deal. But the CAT's -- older models and albeit used -- haven't left my listening room.

I've not tried Atma-sphere or Wolcott amps which have been used quite successfully with S/L’s, but based on lots of research (but no personal experience), I believe the former as a power source for the M1’s, would rival the CAT's -- different, but still superlative.

Something else to consider, if you like OTL-type sound, David Berning's new Quadrature Z. It extends the technology used in his ZH270 to much higher power applications--specifically 200 wpc into 8 ohm, 270 wpc into 4, with 'burst' of 300 wpc. Never heard them with Soundlabs, but sure sound awesome with what I have.

Oneprof, FWIW while unquestionably a brilliant design, the Berning isn't an OTL- it has both an output transformer and semiconductors in the output section.

Hi Ralph.

So, let me get this right, it's now a transformer couple Solid state amp :) what ever happen to it being a Digital amp.

Ralph, it's obvious that you don't understand the technology and that's okay man, it's a long way from the 50's type circuits.

We gave you several reasons before why the ZOTL technology cannot be a digital amp or a solid state amp and why none of the over 24 hand made transformers within these amps are audio transformers, now we didn't expect the average public to understand but we thought you might have.

Allan

Hi Allan, I think there is some confusion- I've never said
the Berning was 'digital'-ever...

To be an OTL specifically means no transformers at the output of the output tubes. Its a technicality, the point is that calling something that it isn't is misleading, confusing and detracts from what the amplifier actually is.

The abstract from the patent is quoted below. The part where it refers to 'transformer' as opposed to 'transformerLess' and 'dc-dc switching power converters' merits my comments:

A linear audio amplifier includes a push-pull pair of vacuum tubes operating in a linear amplification mode coupled through a pair of dc-dc switching power converters to an external load impedance. Each power converter includes a transformer with one or more secondary windings that drive rectifier circuits, and the resultant dc voltage sources are loaded by their respective tubes. The power input ports of two bridge power converters are connected in a series totem-pole fashion with the minus power input port of the top bridge connected to the plus power input port of the bottom bridge. A center-tapped fixed voltage source is connected across the two-bridge pair such that the positive voltage is connected to the plus power input port of the top bridge, and the negative voltage is connected to the minus power input port of the bottom bridge. One side of an external load impedance is connected through a noise filter to the junction point of the two bridges, and the other side of the external load is connected to the center tap of the fixed voltage source. The output power ports of each converter drive the primaries of their respective converter transformers. The effective turns ratio between primary and secondary windings of these converter transformers determine the voltage/current step-up/step-down relationships between the tubes and the external load impedance.