Keith's Dream Amplifier Thread

[moby2004]

A subjective hobby this surely is!

Soulution, Audionet, Spectral on YG is why I thought I did not like YG.

May I ask you which models of Soulution and Audionet and would you put all of them in the same “ basket” or there were still some differences among them ?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Did you hear those at a show?

Soulution and Audionet at shows, yes. Audionet on YG at least three times. I preferred D'Agostino on YG.

Spectral I am not sure. Spectral may be speculation, but I suspect I would not like Spectral on YG, as I personally have never cared for Spectral amps on any loudspeaker. I used to hear MartinLogan and Wilson, I think, driven by Spectral.

 

[Ron Resnick]

May I ask you which models of Soulution and Audionet and would you put all of them in the same “ basket” or there were still some differences among them ?

I know this will be unsatisfying, and I apologize for not knowing the model names or numbers, but I am unfamiliar with the Soulution and Audionet model lines. I personally never cared for Audionet driving YG in GTT demos two, three, four years ago at shows. Kedar says Audionet's new top models sound different.
The truth is that once I find a system on the cool-sounding or sterile-sounding side I kind of tune out. I fully appreciate and respect that what is to me cool-sounding or sterile-sounding is to many audiophiles desirable neutrality and accuracy.

Yet Marty loves his Soulutions on his big Wilsons, so maybe I have never heard Soulution with complementary associated components.

 

[Mdp632]

A subjective hobby this surely is!

Soulution, Audionet, Spectral on YG is why I thought I did not like YG.

I respect your opinion. The speakers (YG) are only giving you what is behind them. In those electronics a very neutral, powerful and highly resolving sound.

It just comes down to subjective synergy to find the combo the end user enjoys. With YG its very easy to hear every change (for better or worse) in the front end.

 

[Mdp632]

Soulution and Audionet at shows, yes. Audionet on YG at least three times. I preferred D'Agostino on YG.

Spectral I am not sure. Spectral may be speculation, but I suspect I would not like Spectral on YG, as I personally have never cared for Spectral amps on any loudspeaker. I used to hear MartinLogan and Wilson, I think, driven by Spectral.

@Ron Resnick The newer Spectral "SV" pre-amps and amps are indeed in a different league than their previous designs.

Please remember that Spectral is designed as a system. Where we have at least the pre+amp+MIT Cables as requirement.

However, many don't subscribe this approach but, of course there any many fine alternative that don't have this requirement.

 

[Ron Resnick]

@Ron Resnick The newer Spectral "SV" pre-amps and amps are indeed in a different league than their previous designs.

Please remember that Spectral is designed as a system. Where we have at least the pre+amp+MIT Cables as requirement.

However, many don't subscribe this approach but, of course there any many fine alternative that don't have this requirement.

Fair enough. And in further fairness I have not actually heard Spectral amps in a very long time. But I have always liked Spectral's circuit design theories.

And I can totally understand why people might love Spectral's purity, neutrality and transparency.

I just realized that "purity, neutrality and transparency" also describes how I feel about the general sound of OTL tube amps, which I also understand why people love!

(Sadly and unfortunately I still prefer the warmer, if fuzzier, sound of output transformers. Ralph is correct, of course.

Although I did love the purity and crystalline transparency of the Einstein Silver Bullet OTL on my friend's Alexxs.

Sorry for the branching segues.)

 

[PeterA]

I respect your opinion. The speakers (YG) are only giving you what is behind them. In those electronics a very neutral, powerful and highly resolving sound.

It just comes down to subjective synergy to find the combo the end user enjoys. With YG its very easy to hear every change (for better or worse) in the front end.

Mdp632, do you really mean "only" and "every"? How would one know this? I am reminded of Jimi Hendrix's comment that he plays "amplifier", not guitar, as if the guitar made no contribution to the sound and what one hears in his sound is the amplifier he chooses to amplify his guitar. You make it sound as though the YG has no sound at all.

 

[knghifi]

CAT JL7. High power triode should do the trick!

 

[bazelio]

YG on Spectral - *shudder* (caveat: I haven't heard the new Spectral hotness)

Nobody mentions Plinius so I will. Great sounding amps and as bridged monoblocks, the SA-Reference will put out 1kW of powah. True balanced from in to out, too.

All that said, I don't think this thread is real. :-D. The Ampzillas sound like winners already. Enjoy, Keith!

 

[Ron Resnick]

. . .

I don't think this thread is real. The Ampzillas sound like winners already. Enjoy, Keith!

+1

 

[jeff1225]

YG on Spectral - *shudder* (caveat: I haven't heard the new Spectral hotness)

Nobody mentions Plinius so I will. Great sounding amps and as bridged monoblocks, the SA-Reference will put out 1kW of powah. True balanced from in to out, too.

All that said, I don't think this thread is real. :-D. The Ampzillas sound like winners already. Enjoy, Keith!

I love Plinius but we do t hear much about them in the USA anymore. I wonder if they have distributor

 

[bazelio]

They do. My local dealer has them.

 

[asiufy]

I have their preamp here that we got in trade, and it's really good. I think MSRP is like $9k. Fairly priced for such a beefy unit.

 

[KeithR]

To start, these are amps KeithR will not be purchasing:

Soulution
Audionet
Spectral
Boulder
Krell
Levinson
Chord
Burmester
Bryston

 

[christoph]

To start, these are amps KeithR will not be purchasing:

Soulution
Audionet
Spectral
Boulder
Krell
Levinson
Chord
Burmester
Bryston

Congrats

 

[KeithR]

The Ampzillas are sounding quite nice on the Haileys right now and burn in seems to have wrapped up. I’d say they are warm, smooth sounding amps with a big sound and excellent bass. They may err a hair too smooth on that front, but certainly enjoyable. They are quite dynamic as well. A great standard for any others I want to compare. I do feel the Luxman had a bit more texture and transparency, but no heft to control the speaker and bass that isn’t in the same time zone.


Turns out I will get to hear McIntosh 611s and the new C2700 tube preamp on Sonja’s in a few weeks. Very curious on that combo. I loved my Mac 601s back in the day. I’ve also been offered a chance to hear the Pass X350.5.

 

[bonzo75]

I compared plinius to burmester 911 and boulder 2160 on the Hailey. They are just ok, for the money. Ideally bridge them, like Henk did with the duetta.

 

[BruceD]

[QUOTE="Ron Resnick, post: 630685, member: 6496"

Spectral I am not sure. Spectral may be speculation, but I suspect I would not like Spectral on YG, as I personally have never cared for Spectral amps on any loudspeaker. I used to hear MartinLogan and Wilson, I think, driven by Spectral.[/QUOTE]

Ha, Yes at one show (RMAF if I recall) Spectral were teamed with Magico-I sat for the first mornings session with full room
--the Music started and--
I have never seen a room clear so fast

BruceD

 

[Willgolf]

Keith, if nothing else you should check out my Canary Audio Grand Reference 2 mono amps that are built and are at the Canary shop in West Covina.

 

[BruceD]

The new John Curl Signature JC1 + Mono Amplifiers for Parasound

BruceD