Your top 10 favorite amps (inspired by LL21's post)

[andromedaaudio]

Okay , although i put more value in pre amps .

Zanden 9600 /9500
Convergent JL 2 mk2 sign (kt 120)
Boulder 3060
Kharma exquisite amps
...
Octave jubilee
Marklevinson 436 33 H
Krell fpb 700

 

[egidius]

berning long before the 211/845s appeared...

my favorite 10 that come to mind;

Mark Levinson No.33 mono blocks
Tenor Audio 75 Watt OTL mono blocks
deHaviland GM-70 SET mono blocks
Found Music DHT 2a3/45 tube mono blocks
Lamm ML3 SET mono blocks (only amp on this list I've not had in the system, I did once have the ML2.1's in home)
David Berning ZOTL 211/845 mono blocks
darTZeel LHC-208 'danalog' streaming dac with integrated stereo amp.
darTZeel NHB-108B stereo
darTZeel NHB-108B stereo w/SCNP upgrade
darTZeel NHB-458 mono blocks

I really can't afford the latest Bernings, but - before that he made the ZH270, and the ZH230 both of which I own and cherish, they replaced Accuphase and Sugden Class A amps, never looked back!
the only other amp I really like - and own, is the Audio Consulting MIPA.

Tried much before, do not need it anymore. Berning would be my recommendation.

 

[LL21]

I really can't afford the latest Bernings, but - before that he made the ZH270, and the ZH230 both of which I own and cherish, they replaced Accuphase and Sugden Class A amps, never looked back!
the only other amp I really like - and own, is the Audio Consulting MIPA.

Tried much before, do not need it anymore. Berning would be my recommendation.

I have heard and read great things about the Berning amps, and have spoken with a fellow big Wilson owner who uses the Berning Quad Z monos with his Alexandrias and loves them. Would be great hear them!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I have heard and read great things about the Berning amps, and have spoken with a fellow big Wilson owner who uses the Berning Quad Z monos with his Alexandrias and loves them. Would be great hear them!

back in early October I did get a chance to hear the Berning ZOTL 211/845 monos in my system. they were impressive. wonderful even. overall as fine a tube amplifier as I've heard.....more linear than most tube amps. I'm predisposed to love OTL's from my Tenor days. it did voices and small combo stuff really well. but even on my 96db, 6 ohm MM7's they were not quite up to the task of my room. big step up to the 458's.

the big Berning is the perfect amp for horns or high efficient speakers in a medium sized room.

 

[LL21]

Thanks, Mike! Ever a true source of audiophile wisdom! I have read the speed of the amp, ability to really delineate complex presto passages was very impressive, keeping its syncopated rhythms perfectly in tact was one of its most impressive capabilities...so lightning fast piano, piccolo, notes were effortlessly laid out in perfect rhythm...allowing someone to really appreciate how someone was playing and interpreting those very very subtle rhythms in between the notes. Is this your finding as well?

 

[asiufy]

Current, approx. sonic preference:

ASR Emitter II Exclusive Blue
The LARS Type II, 300B XLS version
Viva Aurora
Audiopax Model 88
Quicksilver Mid-Mono, KT-77s, all tubes Gold Lion

Cool, the Audiopax
They have newer models (and updated versions of the old models, like the 88, now up to mk IV)!
A friend of mine is doing distribution in the US, so hopefully they'll gain the exposure they once had!


alexandre

 

[minirac]

back in early October I did get a chance to hear the Berning ZOTL 211/845 monos in my system. they were impressive. wonderful even. overall as fine a tube amplifier as I've heard.....more linear than most tube amps. I'm predisposed to love OTL's from my Tenor days. it did voices and small combo stuff really well. but even on my 96db, 6 ohm MM7's they were not quite up to the task of my room. big step up to the 458's.

the big Berning is the perfect amp for horns or high efficient speakers in a medium sized room.

View attachment 18319

Mike,
Did you try tenor hybrids 350m in your system? I know you had 300m some time ago but i think 350m are better than 458's. And "new" HP version are also up to 500w/8ohm.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike,
Did you try tenor hybrids 350m in your system? I know you had 300m some time ago but i think 350m are better than 458's. And "new" HP version are also up to 500w/8ohm.

i never had the 350m in my system; but did have the 300 hybrid monos for about 9 months. i preferred the 75 watt OTL's when they did not explode.

i have heard the 350m at shows a number of times on various speakers; a very fine amp.....and with more thought should have included it in my top 10 favorite amps instead of the ML33's. to the degree one can compare amps in different systems, my impression is that the Tenor 350m hybrid is not at the level of the 458's to my ears. the 458's are faster, lower noise floor, and more transparent. the 458's have a more complex tonal shading and 'swing' more. the 458's have such a simple signal path compared to any other high powered amp, including the Tenor Hybrids, that they get to the heart of the music better yet have that grip on the speaker too. a unique combination in my experience. and the high frequency smoothness of tubes, the slam and low noise floor of solid state.

this is not to diss the Tenors, which are world class for sure. and who knows how a head to head test might go. only that i much preferred the early dart NHB-108A to the my original Tenor 300 watt hybrid monos. and i know how much better the 458's are than that.

maybe the new HP 500 watt version of the Tenors is much better?

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Mike,
Did you try tenor hybrids 350m in your system? I know you had 300m some time ago but i think 350m are better than 458's. And "new" HP version are also up to 500w/8ohm.

Here are the new Tenors.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks, Mike! Ever a true source of audiophile wisdom! I have read the speed of the amp, ability to really delineate complex presto passages was very impressive, keeping its syncopated rhythms perfectly in tact was one of its most impressive capabilities...so lightning fast piano, piccolo, notes were effortlessly laid out in perfect rhythm...allowing someone to really appreciate how someone was playing and interpreting those very very subtle rhythms in between the notes. Is this your finding as well?

I'd agree with all those attributes to the Berning ZOTL 211/845 monos; really really wonderful. i would add that the 458's bettered the Bernings in terms of low noise, PRAT, and space......and holding together on musical peaks. the Berning was a bit more organic sounding as one would expect with tubes but missed some detail in the trade-off. i got more texture and speed from horns and piano from the 458's.

to be fair to the Berning my cables were not ideal (6.5m RCA's from the dart pre) and if i had some high quality XLR's some of the noise issues of the Berning might have been reduced. OTOH nothing is as quiet as the 458's which in my room = space and ambient ease.

again; the Berning is an amp best suited to a high efficient speaker in a medium sized room. and it's noise floor is likely very good compared to other tube amps one might choose for that application. when in it's performance envelope it might be the amp to beat......when doing small scale music. on large rock, big band, or orchestral it cannot play in the 458 league. but little else can either so that is not a knock.

 

[Jazzhead]

large rock, big band, or orchestral it cannot play in the 458 league. but little else can either so that is not a knock.

Mike : Am told the VTL Sigfried does well on the big pieces , ever had the chance to compare them to your 458 ? Fremer compared both favourably in his review .

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike : Am told the VTL Sigfried does well on the big pieces , ever had the chance to compare them to your 458 ? Fremer compared both favourably in his review .

of the tube amps I've heard i would agree the VTL Siegfried and the VAC Statement 450's (i might prefer the VAC to the VTL) are quite good at large scale music, and likely have to include the Audio Research 610T too..........maybe the big Atmosphere MA2 MK2 (or whatever the current designation is) on the right speaker.

all those amps can do scale and space reasonably without stress.

I've not had a chance to compare those amps directly to the 458's. i think that i would overall prefer the 458's but those are all fine amps. i think the 458's are quite a bit quieter and transparent than any of those, and none of those have the sexiness or delicacy of the Berning. the 458's come closer to what the Berning does wonderfully, than those big tube amps.....yet still is supreme at the big stuff.

all these amps mentioned are wonderful.....we are speaking here of degrees of great.

and it must be mentioned that the 458's are at least twice and more like at least 3x as expensive as these other amps and take 9 months to get.

IMHO, YMMV, and all that stuff.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the amp i would most compare to the Berning ZOTL 211/845 would be the Lamm ML3 Signatures......and it would be a matter of personal taste between the two i think. they both excel at the same things and are limited in the same way.

the Bernings give you less of the magic, but are closer to neutrality and have less of their own character and i think have a lower noise floor.

that would be a direct comparison i would enjoy hearing on the right system......where both amps were operating within their proper performance envelope......not asked to be what they are not.

 

[Jazzhead]

the amp i would most compare to the Berning ZOTL 211/845 would be the Lamm ML3 Signatures......and it would be a matter of personal taste between the two i think. they both excel at the same things and are limited in the same way.

the Bernings give you less of the magic, but are closer to neutrality and have less of their own character and i think have a lower noise floor.

that would be a direct comparison i would enjoy hearing on the right system.

The Ayon Vulcan has a new generation ready for release called the evo, with a new proprietary driver tube the AA20B . Reports of initial listening tests , have them very favourably compared with the Lamms . One to keep a watch out for , especially if 55 class A SET watts fits the bill .

 

[Jim Smith]

Cool, the Audiopax
They have newer models (and updated versions of the old models, like the 88, now up to mk IV)!
A friend of mine is doing distribution in the US, so hopefully they'll gain the exposure they once had!

alexandre

Back in the 2000-2005 time period my company - Avantgarde-USA - was the original North American Audiopax distributor.

I really had great regard for Eduardo. He is missed.

 

[Steve williams]

The Ayon Vulcan has a new generation ready for release called the evo, with a new proprietary driver tube the AA20B . Reports of initial listening tests , have them very favourably compared with the Lamms . One to keep a watch out for , especially if 55 class A SET watts fits the bill .

The Lamm ML3 Signature is a 30 wpc SET using a DHT. It is a remarkable amplifier and obviously tops my list. I won't ever purchase another amp. For my system and my room, nothing can even come close

 

[Jazzhead]

The Lamm ML3 Signature is a 30 wpc SET using a DHT. It is a remarkable amplifier and obviously tops my list. I won't ever purchase another amp. For my system and my room, nothing can even come close

Universally acclaimed as a "Great" . However the one time I heard it , was unkindly paired with the Magico Q7, and seemed out of puff . Keen to hear it with higher efficiency transducers .

 

[LL21]

I'd agree with all those attributes to the Berning ZOTL 211/845 monos; really really wonderful. i would add that the 458's bettered the Bernings in terms of low noise, PRAT, and space......and holding together on musical peaks. the Berning was a bit more organic sounding as one would expect with tubes but missed some detail in the trade-off. i got more texture and speed from horns and piano from the 458's.

to be fair to the Berning my cables were not ideal (6.5m RCA's from the dart pre) and if i had some high quality XLR's some of the noise issues of the Berning might have been reduced. OTOH nothing is as quiet as the 458's which in my room = space and ambient ease.

again; the Berning is an amp best suited to a high efficient speaker in a medium sized room. and it's noise floor is likely very good compared to other tube amps one might choose for that application. when in it's performance envelope it might be the amp to beat......when doing small scale music. on large rock, big band, or orchestral it cannot play in the 458 league. but little else can either so that is not a knock.

Thanks for that...very very interesting and good to know.

 

[microstrip]

The Ayon Vulcan has a new generation ready for release called the evo, with a new proprietary driver tube the AA20B . Reports of initial listening tests , have them very favourably compared with the Lamms . One to keep a watch out for , especially if 55 class A SET watts fits the bill .

Do you have any link to these reports? One good thing of the AA62B tube is that, although expensive, it is supposed to last for 5000 hours.

 

[Jim Smith]

Do you have any link to these reports? One good thing of the AA62B tube is that, although expensive, it is supposed to last for 5000 hours.

IME, tube life may be technically correct as stated, but it is the definition of the end of life that can sometimes seem to be at variance with the manufacturer's claim.

It's why I have always recommended that my clients keep a complete set of replacement tubes on hand. Not just for the occasional emergency replacement, but to try out after 6 months-to-a-year to see if new, unbroken-in tubes have more vitality & life, especially in the areas of dynamics, presence & tone.

For myself, I have rarely heard a set of tubes - especially output tubes - that couldn't be improved upon by a new set after a year or so (assuming "normal" use), sometimes after just 6 months. The original tubes may still test ok, but they may not sound better than an unused tube.

I've never said this in a forum, but in one that is tltled, What's Best, it seemed OK to stick my neck out...

Best,

Jim