Best Pure Musical Amplifiers (power not important)

Bones13 said:
I took a chance on a set of Atma-Sphere Class D mono locks. They hit many of my current boxes. Light weight, run cool, and efficient, 50-100 watt, true balanced, and voiced well.

Designed and voiced by a long time Tube Amp Designer, sculpting the distortion spectra to be similar to his classic OTL amps. Very similar to the DIY class A amps I have built over the years, but with more grunt.

Really loving them with the Daedalus Muse Studio speakers 95db, 8 ohm.
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A friend loaned me the Atmasphere Class D mono amps. I was pretty shocked it was hard to tell them apart from my Dartzeel NHB108 model 1 amp. They are very good SS style amps.
 
Kingrex said:
A friend loaned me the Atmasphere Class D mono amps. I was pretty shocked it was hard to tell them apart from my Dartzeel NHB108 model 1 amp.
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Turn in your audiophile card immediately, it's revoked. Sending Mr Wayne to get it.
 
I've listened to TAD M600s quite a few times. I believe it is ClassD, although there are many doubts out there, 90kg each mono amps!
They do sound amazing in control, but just that tidbit "cold" or "exageratedly precise" for me.
 
I am also interested the the Atmasphere class D amps. Glad to hear others have had good experiences with them.
 
I personally like tubes. I think about a VAC 200iQ at times. But I really am more impressed with what a SET does. Unfortunately they have issues like many other topology. Especially in my price range.
 
pietpara said:
Sorry, I didn't mean to say it's representative of Atmasphere.
Just a personal comparison with a high-end amp that has non-traditional (class AB, A or tubes) amplification.
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It's the bad timbre , apparently most arnt sensitive to it, so trod on to each their own ........... :)
 
Bones13 said:
I took a chance on a set of Atma-Sphere Class D mono locks. They hit many of my current boxes. Light weight, run cool, and efficient, 50-100 watt, true balanced, and voiced well.

Designed and voiced by a long time Tube Amp Designer, sculpting the distortion spectra to be similar to his classic OTL amps. Very similar to the DIY class A amps I have built over the years, but with more grunt.

Really loving them with the Daedalus Muse Studio speakers 95db, 8 ohm.

Saving for a new Streamer/Dac/Pre/headphone amp. I need to find time to fly down to Sarasota to compare Boulder 812 vs Esoteric N-05XD. I need one XLR analog input for Vinyl input from Technics 1200GR + Boulder 508, so many streamer/DACs don’t qualify.

Kinda leaning to the 812 for the size, weight, and headphone amp. The Esoteric DAC might be better, and nice Esoteric remote control, and Lumin software.

Sorry to put all that in this thread, but do love my new amps.
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Doubt the distortion spectra is anything like Ralph's OTL amps , just saying ......... :)

The sound of a well designed amp is determined mostly , by ( simply put) the load its driving and clipping characteristics ( lack thereof or recovery ) so not surprised when one beats another since most not really level matching when comparing..


Glad you are enjoying them




Regards ..
 
a.wayne said:
Doubt the distortion spectra is anything like Ralph's OTL amps , just saying ......... :)
...
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Isn't Ralph a member here, to comment on this? I seem to recollect his posting somewhere (WBF?) that their distortion spectra are similar (by design)...
 
My kef r105/3 really did well with a krell kav 300 il
my salon 1's and hegel h360 were outstanding
my paradigm persona 7f mated to a pathos logos mk 2.. the little 60wpc Lumin integrated also did well with the persona (class d)
my Kef blades really sing with the Mc611's
 
To me, Triode Labs EVO45. 2 watts and so far this is one of my absolute musical amp ever. So Jeff Day picked it as his fav amp for his Tannoy.
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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Earlier in this oldish thread there were a few mentions about Clayton Audio amps
Last year I had Wilson build me a completely custom set of his M200 monos.
These things are exactly what the thread is about …. Musicality . If you don’t need particularly fancy casework to make you feel better than the dollar to sonic value on these powerful Class A amps is stunning.

They are set up to run a set of Arteluthe Stilettos and the two just make music plain and simple. I have always thought (personal subjective opinion) that the foremost quality to have a musical amp(s) is dynamics . In the absence of that it really doesn’t matter if tonal qualities are good or resolution is good … the music just doesn’t project like live(ish)

While Wilson’s bespoke creations are resolving, tonally excellent the ability for these to propel the music appropriately makes live recordings nothing short of spectacular to listen too

Boutique company for sure, but Clayton amps really are very good
 
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