Integrated Amps - Moving on up!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by ChuckyBuck, Feb 16, 2017.

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  1. Tim 2

    Tim 2 MORE MUSIC PLEASE

    Location:
    Alberta Canada
    After decades of separates I've gone to Ayre integrated amps in both systems. Didn't loose anything sonically.
    Lugging huge amps around when you get close to 60 isn't much fun.
     
    MaxxMaxx4 and Long Live Analog like this.
  2. Walter Koehler

    Walter Koehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hamburg, Germany
    Aloha
    I tried this one for example Pioneer A-90 gorgeous sound for small money :righton:
    [​IMG]
    Cheers
    Wally
     
    ronm, timind, Helom and 2 others like this.
  3. If someone wants to believe that all amplifiers sound the same, so be it. Personally I don't think that's true at all, and it also has nothing to do with price and should be left out of that discussion. Unless I'm totally deaf there is a huge difference between my Marantz Ref KI Pearl and all of the various Sim Moon gear I've heard over the years...to use but one example. Both are extremely well-built with top quality innards and IMO are also visually gorgeous. The Marantz is definitely warmer than the Moon.
     
    F1nut likes this.
  4. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    Time for visit to the ear doctor possibly?
     
    F1nut likes this.
  5. Gibsonian

    Gibsonian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa, USA
    If you are wrong someone needs to break the news to Nelson Pass. He could stop wasting his time designing SS circuits because all of the different ones he's devised sound identical!
     
    Johnny Vinyl likes this.
  6. Jonboy

    Jonboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cape Town
    I have owned many budget and mid-level solid state amps over the years (never tried tubes but I intend to one day), but nothing has come close to the sense of effortless power and grip I got from my old Yamaha 3090 AV receiver - I still regret letting it go... :(
     
    ronm likes this.
  7. Apesbrain

    Apesbrain Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Coast, USA
    Speaking of Mr. Pass...

    [​IMG]
     
    IanL, Manimal, Tim 2 and 4 others like this.
  8. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    I lust after that int.
     
  9. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    I did read your post carefully. I was responding to the idea that a credible case could be made that higher powered amplifiers sound worse than lower powered amplifiers. In theory it's true but in practical application it isn't because nearly all higher powered amplifiers are more expensive and use better parts, noise suppression, etc. within a given brand.

    Have you ever heard the highly regarded higher power amplifiers- Pass Labs, D'Agostino, Electrocompaniet?
     
  10. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Yes I have heard all three and the most expensive models from all three. And about 20 others in the same $40,000US + price points. Not saying they're bad or anything, but if choosing my desert island amplifier those amplifiers aren't on the list.
     
    timind and avanti1960 like this.
  11. Dream On

    Dream On Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    You may need to hear it to believe it, but my low powered amps sound a lot bigger and beefier than a lot of the 60-100 watt solid state integrated that I've tried. I wouldn't go with a flea watt SET amp using 88dB speakers, but a good quality 30+ watt p/p tube amp will sound a lot more powerful than one would initially expect. And better too.

    BTW, I think my speakers are 88.5db efficiency. Easy to drive though, and in a small room my 20 watt Sugden drives them to too loud levels with no sweat.
     
    Joe Spivey likes this.
  12. Lazmarr

    Lazmarr Well-Known Member

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I was looking to get the PM7005, but no place sold it... not even richer sounds :/
    Although I just purchased the PM6006 instead and it works wonderfully; having all the connections I need is great :)
     
    Shel, RogerB and Gramps Tom like this.
  13. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    Ii completely agree but the key words are lower powered TUBE amplifiers vs. higher powered solid state amplifiers.
     
    Joe Spivey likes this.
  14. Boaz

    Boaz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Israel.
    russk and weavzy like this.
  15. High Fidelity

    High Fidelity Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    hear, hear
     
    russk likes this.
  16. High Fidelity

    High Fidelity Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    You can say that again I totally agree .
     
  17. That's one unit I'd love to audition, but I know of no dealers in my area and going to a show requires air travel. Not in the cards for me as I have other priorities.
     
  18. Bananas&blow

    Bananas&blow It's just that demon life has got me in its sway

    Location:
    Pacific Beach, CA
    Consider me irked!
     
    timind likes this.
  19. DrZhivago

    DrZhivago Hedonist

    Location:
    Brisbane Australia
    Have you considered that Alan Shaw:
    - wants to sell his product to as many people as possible. He's saying: "Hey, look at our speakers. They will work well with any amp that you hapen to bring along, plus why invest a lot of money into an amp when you can just buy our product and be done with it.
    - sending you a message that his speakers are so good that they transcend the duties of an amplifier :D

    You can't even get cynical for him saying that. If I was in the speaker business (only) I'd be saying the same thing. ;)

    The funny/great thing about this "hobby" is that makes no point or sense arguing in absolutes. I personally think you are very very wrong, but ultimately, the only thing that really matters is what you think. So, happy listening.

    Regards
     
    Denizen23 likes this.
  20. High Fidelity

    High Fidelity Well-Known Member

    Location:
    London
    You deserve to be ,posting such nonsense
     
  21. Threshold

    Threshold Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Manchester NH
    Most Harbeth owners don't listen to Alan Shaw. My local dealer that sells his line many of his customers prefer using tubes and Turntables w/his speakers.
     
    Denizen23 likes this.
  22. keiron99

    keiron99 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Stockport, UK
    One can say the same of amplifier manufacturers, of course! (And DACs, and cables - don't get me started!)

    I'd say that even if there are differences between amps (and there are, of course, between those that are badly designed or clip and the competent designs, which are vast in number), the difference is vanishingly small compared to the difference between two speaker designs. So yes, I agree with Alan Shaw again on that.

    Thing is though, it's not like I'm deaf. I can hear differences when I change speakers, arm, cartridge (though never the "night and day" many enthusiasts claim). I just don't hear those differences with amplifiers.

    There was a time years ago where I genuinely could not understand why I could not hear differences. So I kept swapping kit - and still didn't hear. Then the web opened up and lo and behold, discovered there are many like me (I know that this is not one of those places!).

    Then I got a career in marketing and selling people things they don't need and became ultra-cynical... Now, I just spend the money I might have spent on more records :)
     
    timind likes this.
  23. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    That speaks volumes on your position. You could have just spared us the banter and posted this. ;)
    -Bill
     
    Helom and DrZhivago like this.
  24. 32XD Japan1

    32XD Japan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania USA
    I have a vintage Denon PMA 700V.
    It's from the dawn of digital, 1987.
    120W @ 8 ohms. It listed for about 1000 bucks I believe back then. I've had it completely recapped including the power supply and had it tweaked by one of the best audio techs on the east coast. It's a simply awesome sounding amp, neutral but detailed. And clean as can be THD being at .01.
    I've auditioned an NAD and while a nice amp, I found it to be a pretty unengaging listen. Had a nice DAC at the 1200 price point. The Marantz stuff I can say I never liked, always sounded too high end heavy and analytical sounding. I'll take some heat on that but oh well. Next step up for me is a Mac. :)
     
  25. 32XD Japan1

    32XD Japan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania USA
    Denon PMA 700V 120W from 1987.
     
    Prism likes this.
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