Top 5 amplifiers for under $100K

[Alpinist]

1. Nagra HD amp - I stopped looking, everything I want for music and HT.
2. Dag M400 - I like them but have only heard them with Wilson in multiple rooms.
3. Nagra Classic - Very good IMO but not HD.
4. Ayre MXR-20 - I added these because I've heard them enough to like them but would't buy them.

5. Gryphon - I haven't heard the Colosseum or Mephisto but they're on my wishlist.

I need SS power for HT, but I would like to try a SET amp in the future in a more dedicated room.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Congrats on your Nagra HD amps! Could you describe the sonic signature of the amps? How much heat do they put out into your listening room?

Thanks,
Ken

[SuperDave]

Hi Dave,

Congrats on your Nagra HD amps! Could you describe the sonic signature of the amps? How much heat do they put out into your listening room?

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,

I leave them on most of the time and they put out a little heat but not enough to make me look at the thermostat. When listening, I rarely go into double digits, they usually stay at around 10 watts. I'll do the best I can describing what I hear. IMO, the HD amps are musical, dynamic, and effortless all at the same time. I've heard amps that sound transparent and detailed but lack whatever it is that gets my feet tapping. I think they are able to retrieve the smallest details for low volume listening that is still very dynamic and powerful. My kids are 2 and 5 and most of my sessions are late at night and I don't feel like I'm missing too much at low volume. Adding the HD amps made me realize how sad my bass was before. Slow and sloppy and I never knew. Ignorance is bliss. All very subjective, but timbre was vastly improved. Piano sounds more like what I believe piano to sound like and drums which I've been around my whole life sound like they do in the studio. To my ears, after its all put together, the HD amps don't over or under emphasize any aspect. I feel they are very well balanced and present music in a truly natural way. I hope this helps.

Dave

[sdes]

Hi. I would add the LAMM reference. Superb. Also the Vitus as someone mentioned above.

[joeinid]

Welcome to the forum, thank you for joining.

[Alpinist]

Ken,

I leave them on most of the time and they put out a little heat but not enough to make me look at the thermostat. When listening, I rarely go into double digits, they usually stay at around 10 watts. I'll do the best I can describing what I hear. IMO, the HD amps are musical, dynamic, and effortless all at the same time. I've heard amps that sound transparent and detailed but lack whatever it is that gets my feet tapping. I think they are able to retrieve the smallest details for low volume listening that is still very dynamic and powerful. My kids are 2 and 5 and most of my sessions are late at night and I don't feel like I'm missing too much at low volume. Adding the HD amps made me realize how sad my bass was before. Slow and sloppy and I never knew. Ignorance is bliss. All very subjective, but timbre was vastly improved. Piano sounds more like what I believe piano to sound like and drums which I've been around my whole life sound like they do in the studio. To my ears, after its all put together, the HD amps don't over or under emphasize any aspect. I feel they are very well balanced and present music in a truly natural way. I hope this helps.

Dave

Dave,

These amplifiers have impressed every time I’ve listened to them live or on a video. They stack up well against any monoblocks regardless of price. They seem to just step out of the way and let the listener focus on the music.

Ken

[Arcman]

I'm probably going PS Audio Bhk's this summer. Of course there is always a couple on various forums who sold their $75,000 monos in favor of the BHK's. That may be a drastic example, however, many have said the BHK's are top notch. Still expensive (for me anyway). Anyone here running the BHK's?

[Puma Cat]

Not listed in order of quality
1. Wavac MD-300Bm
2. Technical Brain TBP-Zero/EX
3. Conrad-Johnson ART Monos
4. Schiit Aegir
5. Dyna ST-70

[Jim Smith]

In my totally biased opinion - best I ever heard - at any price - ss or tube;

ASR Emitter II Exclusive

[Kuoppis]

In my totally biased opinion - best I ever heard - at any price - ss or tube;

ASR Emitter II Exclusive

I had the latest version with accu for a two week trial in my system earlier this year.

Nice sounding amp, but so slow I constantly felt as if I had to give it a little push for it to catch up with the tempo.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jim Smith]

I had the latest version with accu for a two week trial in my system earlier this year.

Nice sounding amp, but so slow I constantly felt as if I had to give it a little push for it to catch up with the tempo.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Wow! Never heard it as slow, ever.

I could offer an opinion as to why it might have seemed slow in your system, but it would appear trollish, so let's just agree to disagree...

I should also say that I have not heard the latest version here. Mine is almost 4 years old.

[Kuoppis]

Wow! Never heard it as slow, ever.

I could offer an opinion as to why it might have seemed slow in your system, but it would appear trollish, so let's just agree to disagree...

Well Jim, that’s ok. Don’t want to spoil your fun.

There however are much fewer Emitters in the US than in its home market in Germany. Guess that’s why you might hear less market feedback about it. Here it’s lack of speed is pretty much common knowledge. It has a nice sound though.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jim Smith]

Well Jim, that’s ok. Don’t want to spoil your fun.

There however are much fewer Emitters in the US than in its home market in Germany. Guess that’s why you might hear less market feedback about it. Here it’s lack of speed is pretty much common knowledge. It has a nice sound though.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

OK, you win.

No desire to argue in this thread. I'm out after the acknowledgement below.

All of my RoomPlay Reference clients and myself who regularly hear it are obviously missing something. Along with Harry Pearson, Art Dudley, Jeff Day, Michael Fremer, John Atkinson, etc...

[Kuoppis]

OK, you win.

No desire to argue in this thread. I'm out after the acknowledgement below.

All of my RoomPlay Reference clients and myself who regularly hear it are obviously missing something. Along with Harry Pearson, Art Dudley, Jeff Day, Michael Fremer, John Atkinson, etc...

Well Jim, I do agree it sounds nice. It’s just a tad slow, that’s all.

Some people are not bothered about speed, others are. No biggie.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Randy Myers]

Please explain to me what you refer to as a "fast amp", versus a "slow amp". I know that the Goldmund amps seem to come up in every thread where fast amps are part of the conversation. I know the Job amps sounded good and appear to have great impact, the metal ring of the cymbals, for example. Maybe this is what is meant???? I know the T+A amplifiers have very similar qualities in their sound signature...

Maybe I just do not have high enough level of equipment to appreciate the difference in speeds of various amplifiers .

[Mike]

Fast amp = Soulution
Slow amp = McIntosh 2301’s


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kuoppis]

I think there are various technical characteristics of an amp influencing it, like rise time, storage capacitance etc. Brits sometimes refer to an amp’s PRaT, i.e. how well it manages pace, rhythm and timing of the music.

I wouldn’t worry about it, if you haven’t noticed it so far. Then it maybe is not something you need to be bothered about.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[pdub]

I must be a little slow. I had the Soulution 520/501 combo but never noticed whether they seemed fast (or not). I particularly loved the 520, but speed was not a quality I ever considered while enjoying it.

Parker

[Kuoppis]

In that case, I would not be bothered then.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Randy Myers]

I have noticed that little something in the Goldmund and the T+A as compared to others I have tried; McIntosh, Audio Research, Quick Silver, PS Audio, Wyred 4 Sound, SST, etc., that I probably would refer to as amplifier speed.

Impact, smooth roll off; where it did not sound like the amp was having trouble keeping up, especially when there is a lot of complexity in the music. Maybe this has nothing to do with speed but it is what I would consider showing the speed of the amp. Both Goldmund and T+A excelled in this regards.

[atmasphere]

Hm. Our MA-2 seems to qualify. 'Fast' category....

Other amps I think are top notch- Pass Labs, Berning 211/845, Merrill Element