I've decided to home audition the Viola Bravo II amp and the Krell 600e monoblocks. I should have both next month. I may start a new thread if folks are interested.
I've decided to home audition the Viola Bravo II amp and the Krell 600e monoblocks. I should have both next month. I may start a new thread if folks are interested.
Maybe I shouldn't have picked on Class A amps.
I would say that I am not a fan of amps in general that don't have at least a low enough noise floor to fully resolve a 24bit digital file. For example, if you look at JA's test on the Pass xa30.5, the A-weighted (best case) noise measurement was like -87db. OTOH, if you look at the Soulution, the noise comes in at -96.8db down. Assuming all other things equal, the greater the bit depth of the recording, the greater the dynamic range and lower the noise floor of the recording. If the amp doesn't have a low enough noise floor, then those extra bits in a 24 bit file are basically not heard.
Not sure about the possible additional noise floor of class-A amps (it could be true), but the best amps I have had or heard are preciesly designed on that topology.
Not sure about the possible additional noise floor of class-A amps (it could be true), but the best amps I have had or heard are preciesly designed on that topology.
me neither and me too
i'm no techie so just took this from websites. Boulder 2060 S/N Unweighted: 135db.
Operation is pure Class A, though with dynamic load-sensing, thus allowing a flexible response to a variety of signals and requirements. This means that the 2060 doesn't have to be slurping maximum power at all moments to be ready to provide a Class A envelope for playback—a very good thing.
Maybe I shouldn't have picked on Class A amps.
I would say that I am not a fan of amps in general that don't have at least a low enough noise floor to fully resolve a 24bit digital file. For example, if you look at JA's test on the Pass xa30.5, the A-weighted (best case) noise measurement was like -87db. OTOH, if you look at the Soulution, the noise comes in at -96.8db down. Assuming all other things equal, the greater the bit depth of the recording, the greater the dynamic range and lower the noise floor of the recording. If the amp doesn't have a low enough noise floor, then those extra bits in a 24 bit file are basically not heard.
I've decided to home audition the Viola Bravo II amp and the Krell 600e monoblocks. I should have both next month. I may start a new thread if folks are interested.
That is insanely low noise measurement, personally I would want to see that verified by a third party. Isn't that greater than 32 bit resolution? Also the Boulder amp does not have that much heatsinking for a stereo amp that is running 600 watts pure class A...
Alright I found this quote from a Positive Feedback review:
Does this mean it is sliding bias like some Krell amps? I'm not sure it's fair to call it a "pure class A" amp if that is so. Though Boulder themselves do not use that term in their literature.
I liked the ASR very much. I had an issue with my unit that was driving me crazy so I gave it back to the dealer. When it worked, it was very good. The sound is a little more on the tube side of neutral. The Soulution is much better.How did the ASR Emitter 2 handle the YG speakers?
On my speaker, the Mx-r was very disappointing. I don't know why. All I can say is that the bass disappeared and tipped the tonal balance toward the treble. I couldn't listen to it longer than a day and sent it back. They are very beautiful though.
I used to have Dartzeel. Dartzeel is a great amp but not suited for all speakers. When I had YG Carmels, the CTH-8550 was the perfect mate. But when I got the Anat III, the Dartzeel had to go. I still miss it sometimes, but it lost its dynamics with the Anat III.
Actually, not so funny, but definitely a cheap shot. Charlie Hansen (RIP) was the genius behind Ayre, and currently, Jake, now the captain at Ayre, together with Aerial (the new tech genius), are working hard to recapture the industry hype that Ayre once deserved and commanded from the audio community. However, the high-end audio biz is brutal especially when those with little real knowledge about a product attempt to critique it. A while back the original Ayre MXR was compared quite favorably with the highly esteemed Lamm M1.2 Class A mono block amp. Now personally, I'd be careful with which speakers I'd drive with the MXRs. Paired up with bright speakers, well the MXRs are fast, tight and detailed, and thus, these sonic characteristics could be a bit much of a good thing.Personally Ayre build quality is VERY impressive and by far not "flimsy" as one member posted above. That was funny