ASR Emitter - Any opinion ?

On my modified Canterburys, the ASR Emitter II is the best I have heard, even including THE LARS Type II, which was my previous fav.

Took some tweaking here and there, though...
 
Wow, Emitter... Cool :)
Even though it's huge, with many different parts, it's really an "integrated". As such, it's one of the best of its kind that I've ever heard!
The Emitter II with all the batteries is amazingly quiet, and incredibly powerful as well. Will play just about any speaker.
Another cool thing about the Emitter (and ASR) is that instead of releasing new products/models, they get yearly upgrades. So a 6-year old Emitter unit can be upgraded to 2014 spec, by replacing a few boards.


alexandre
 
Jim Smith said:
On my modified Canterburys, the ASR Emitter II is the best I have heard, even including THE LARS Type II, which was my previous fav.

Took some tweaking here and there, though...
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WOW. Coming from you means a lot to me. I will definitely check out then. Jim my dealer only has a Emitter I. Do they make any difference on sound quality on I vs II? Also would you care to elaborate compare them with Tube amp sounds ?
 
asiufy said:
Wow, Emitter... Cool :)
Even though it's huge, with many different parts, it's really an "integrated". As such, it's one of the best of its kind that I've ever heard!
The Emitter II with all the batteries is amazingly quiet, and incredibly powerful as well. Will play just about any speaker.
Another cool thing about the Emitter (and ASR) is that instead of releasing new products/models, they get yearly upgrades. So a 6-year old Emitter unit can be upgraded to 2014 spec, by replacing a few boards.
alexandre
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Although it must be formally considered as an "integrated" the ASR Emitter II exclusive with the three separate power supplies (two using high power transformers and high capacitance for the power amplifiers and a battery one for the preamplifier section) is really a set of separates in one single box. It sounds great and it is a fantastic bargain in Europe. BTW, it was one of the few solid state amplifiers that could drive the older generation SoundLabs with ease - the more recent PX version with the new Toroid II is a much easier load.
 
asiufy said:
Wow, Emitter... Cool :)
Even though it's huge, with many different parts, it's really an "integrated". As such, it's one of the best of its kind that I've ever heard!
The Emitter II with all the batteries is amazingly quiet, and incredibly powerful as well. Will play just about any speaker.
Another cool thing about the Emitter (and ASR) is that instead of releasing new products/models, they get yearly upgrades. So a 6-year old Emitter unit can be upgraded to 2014 spec, by replacing a few boards.


alexandre
Click to expand...

Excellent. Good to know they can be upgrade it. :thumbsup:
 
I have been using an ASR E2 for the last 4 years. It drove my previous Wilson Sasha to its best (compared with CJ Premier 8, Krell KAS-2, Ayre MRX I used). It now drives my Magico S5 with excellent results. The ASR sound is relaxed, slightly dark and sweat, with an almost tube-like palpable mid-range (like the CJ), and yet has the power and control of good SS amp. Background is dead quiet/dark. I sometime may wish for slightly more extended highs but wouldn’t exchange for its quality. I also bought and borrowed some other SS amps to try on the S5 (Vitus RI-100, Plinius SA Ref) but I still ended up keeping the ASR. ASR's boss Frederic Schaefer is most friendly. He usually answers your emails within 24 hours.
I have heard the ASR E1 at a friend’s place. He was comparing with an E2 (boy, the number of boxes). In that session we actually slightly preferred the E1 for its more delicate and refined sound on smaller scale music, such as female vocals or quintets, although we felt the E2 threw a deeper soundstage. Definitely worth trying if you have efficient speakers.

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CharlesL said:
I have been using an ASR E2 for the last 4 years. It drove my previous Wilson Sasha to its best (compared with CJ Premier 8, Krell KAS-2, Ayre MRX I used). It now drives my Magico S5 with excellent results. The ASR sound is relaxed, slightly dark and sweat, with an almost tube-like palpable mid-range (like the CJ), and yet has the power and control of good SS amp. Background is dead quiet/dark. I sometime may wish for slightly more extended highs but wouldn’t exchange for its quality. I also bought and borrowed some other SS amps to try on the S5 (Vitus RI-100, Plinius SA Ref) but I still ended up keeping the ASR. ASR's boss Frederic Schaefer is most friendly. He usually answers your emails within 24 hours.
I have heard the ASR E1 at a friend’s place. He was comparing with an E2 (boy, the number of boxes). In that session we actually slightly preferred the E1 for its more delicate and refined sound on smaller scale music, such as female vocals or quintets, although we felt the E2 threw a deeper soundstage. Definitely worth trying if you have efficient speakers.

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Thanks Charles. Great post. I will try them on my Westminster very soon. :)
 
Paul, interesting - potential new acquisition :)

Emitters are supposed to be a good match for the big Tannoys. See the following links (Westminster SE with Emitter 2 Exclusive battery):

Review of Emitter II Exclusive battery March 2013 in Positive feedback :

Here's also a link to the article notice at Jeff Days personal blog:
http://jeffsplace.me/wordpress/?p=3487

On the difference between the Emitter 1 and 2, I have always wondered the same, and here is response that I received from Mr Schaefer (which I hope he does not mind me quoting):

"The Emitter I is a very similar construction to Emitter II. The sound figure is similar- but not the same.

From his huge PSU and Elkos etc. the Emitter II is also at very low levels much more powerful, has a much better bass response and deeper broader sound stage.

But it has not such a nearly endless power figure and has lower power especially in the low regions. But in comparison to many other amps of the same price and power rage also the Emitter I is very powerful !

He give the impression of a little bit faster sound - it is more an 3 Liter V6 engine in comparison to an 7 Liter V8 engine like the Emitter II."

Look forward to your impressions soon.
 
I have the Emitter II Exclusive Blue with my modified Tannoys. It took several months of break-in and operational understanding, plus a few tweaks before I was totally enamoured with the sound.

After break-in, in a number of areas, the ASR was better than any other amps I'd heard, but the final hurdle was a mix of Presence & Tone, mostly in the vocal region. Got there, but it took a while. Even so, there was at least one compromise operationally.

Of course, I was comparing it to THE LARS Type II amps which were the best I ever heard (and with the required preamp and extra cables, easily four times more expensive)...
 
KeithR said:
Paul- can you give us some thoughts on the parade of amps you've had recently?
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Keith,

So far New Audio Frontiers 845SE with Shindo VR is best match in my system. The ASR is in my system for just few days need bit of more time to tell you more. it still did not quite emotionally involve me in a musical performance the same way Shindo and NAF gear does. This in no way means it’s not as incredible . It involves me emotionally better than any solid state gear I have ever heard.

As incredible as its midrange is, it just doesn’t have the magical way with voices that the NAF or Shindo does, though it betters any push-pull tube amp I have heard in this area. In the area of PRaT, it also falls a little short of NAF/Shindo combination.

I think this amplifier is a huge step forward for solid state amplifiers both because of things it does and does not do like other solid state amps. Its transparency, dramatically low noise floor, and real sense of “ease” that I’ve never heard from any solid-state product before, makes it a real statement product. It also packs genuine powerful bass with all the slam you expect from most of the serious state-of-the-art solid state amplifiers. Then there is always something special about having all that power in reserve. It seems to give you such a great sense of the music always seeming under control.

I really would love to have both systems in my room.
 
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