What are some of the top 845 Amplifiers you have heard?

[Audiophile Bill]

I had a stint with the massive Mastersound 845 Reference integrated. I really enjoyed my time with it albeit lacking in the refinement of my current gear. It had huge soundstage and large than life central imaging. Was very 3D / palpable.

 

[christoph]

I apologize for misunderstanding this thread. I love the sound of SET amps, but I am also someone who plays fairly loud and thus need more power. I was not trying to intrude into a space that is not relevant to me. I was just excited about my new amp purchase. I think it takes much more than a great tube to make a great amp, and for my system the VAC 450 Statement has been wonderful and I expect the 452's will be substantially better. To me there is no comparison between the two because they are so different.

Absolutely no problem and it is certainly understandable that you are excited about your incoming new amps

 

[Jazzhead]

very impressed 5 years ago with the Berning 211/845 ZOTL, pure class A, zero global feedback, 60 watt mono blocks. did a fine job in my large room on my 97db MM7 towers.

if you desire to hear linear tubes at the finest level, these should be considered. liquid and natural, but not warmish or rounded. very quiet (low noise) and extended in the bass and highs. beautiful textures and tone in the mid range. these would be high on my short list of favorite sounding tube amplifiers. for the finer details, these same amps and tubes in my room were the subject of this Absolute Sound Harley review.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-david-berning-company-211845-power-amplifier/

Ever miss tubes ? A yearning now and then maybe?

 

[bonzo75]

I heard the smaller mastersound 845 on devore orangutan in Austria and the viva Solisita on Wilson Alexandria x2s2 at Gian's friend's place Marco. Both were very enjoyable, Marco since replaced his viva pre and power with CH and it sounds better

 

[morricab]

Aries Cerat Genus, Concero 25 and Concero 65s are all now with 845s...

 

[christoph]

Ever miss tubes ? A yearning now and then maybe?

Didn't Mike stealthily smuggle some tubes back in via one of his phono pres?

 

[christoph]

Aries Cerat Genus, Concero 25 and Concero 65s are all now with 845s...

...and which one do you prefer? 813/814 or 845?

Do you know the reason for this move?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Ever miss tubes ? A yearning now and then maybe?

for sure, and always will. i invested a significant amount of money, time and hassle acquiring the ML3's and borrowing those big VAC's to see where i wanted to be, and discover whether it was worth it to try and have both solid state and tubes.

i'm at peace with my direction, for my room and whole system i have the right answer here. no better choice than the big darts, and the new 468's even more so. still reminds me of the whole 75 watt Tenor OTL magic i once owned. and not any sort of solid state artifacts i can hear.

if i ever had a system 're-boot'; anything is possible.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Didn't Mike stealthily smuggle some tubes back in via one of his phono pres?

my battery powered CS Port phono uses tubes (same tubes as in the Ypsilon phono), in a very liquid linear fashion. and with the EMIA SUT's plus an internal SUT.

but......nothing glowing in the dark i can see..........

 

[microstrip]

The Marantz Project T1 was an exceptional amplifier - all transformer coupled 300b's driving an 845 push pull - if I had managed to sell the Lamm ML3's I would have kept it. However I could not justify another big expensive amplifier and decided to let it go, particularly as I will move to a new house with a new listening room early in 2021. Anyway, I studied it and gathered data enough to build a copy later in the future, but surely only after I retire ...

 

[Ovenmitt]

my battery powered CS Port phono uses tubes (same tubes as in the Ypsilon phono), in a very liquid linear fashion. and with the EMIA SUT's plus an internal SUT.

but......nothing glowing in the dark i can see..........

Mike we could probably crowd fund a couple lava lamps for you.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

I had a stint with the massive Mastersound 845 Reference integrated. I really enjoyed my time with it albeit lacking in the refinement of my current gear. It had huge soundstage and large than life central imaging. Was very 3D / palpable.

I ve owned both the MAstersound Integrated and the Masteroound PFF-100 monoblocks, and the monoblocks were noticebaly better sounding on all of my speakers. The monoblocks just thad sense of unlimited musical reserve when blasted very loud. Also Masteround amps sound more refined when used with updated input tubes, NOS RCA for example.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

I ve owned both the MAstersound Integrated and the Masteroound PFF-100 monoblocks, and the monoblocks were noticebaly better sounding on all of my speakers. The monoblocks just thad sense of unlimited musical reserve when blasted very loud. Also Masteround amps sound more refined when used with updated input tubes, NOS RCA for example.

I used my on my horns so the reserves were ridiculously unlimited to be honest.

 

[Jep]

The Absolare 845 monoblocks are also outstanding amplifiers.

 

[cjfrbw]

You may never miss tubes until they are absent for a while and you hear them again.

 

[morricab]

You may never miss tubes until they are absent for a while and you hear them again.

Tubes are never absent from my system...

 

[christoph]

my battery powered CS Port phono uses tubes (same tubes as in the Ypsilon phono), in a very liquid linear fashion. and with the EMIA SUT's plus an internal SUT.

but......nothing glowing in the dark i can see..........

It only needs to glow in your heart

 

[RichardA]

I really enjoy my New Audio Frontiers 845 monoblocks with the Psvane 845 ACME tubes.

 

[Brucemck2]

Walker table upstream of a Viva Aurora powering Avantgarde Trio XDs was pretty special - best of traditional tube liquidity with terrific dynamics and swing. I don’t recall the preamps but do recall Willie Nelson being in the room via a 45rpm disc.

 

[KeithR]

for sure, and always will. i invested a significant amount of money, time and hassle acquiring the ML3's and borrowing those big VAC's to see where i wanted to be, and discover whether it was worth it to try and have both solid state and tubes.

i'm at peace with my direction, for my room and whole system i have the right answer here. no better choice than the big darts, and the new 468's even more so. still reminds me of the whole 75 watt Tenor OTL magic i once owned. and not any sort of solid state artifacts i can hear.

if i ever had a system 're-boot'; anything is possible.

Horns and SETs to have natural sound ?