There is a kind of gleeful dynamic command with the Classic Stereo. Moderate price, compact size, ease of use, flexibility, and truly remarkable sound are all right there at the touch of a few buttons. The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2018. Integrated amp or Pre amp/Amp combo. It’s powerful enough to drive a big speaker like the Wilson XLF. With the CXA80’s built-in Wolfson 24-bit/192kHz WM8740 DAC, computer audio is as close at hand as the USB input—or use the front-panel jack for portable players. If that’s not enough, this is the first Class D amplifier (actually a hybrid with a pair of 12AU7 tubes in the preamp section) that RD feels offers true world-class sonics. A great bargain in high-powered amplifiers. The previous generation “squared” series improved output-stage performance whereas the newer “cubed” series improves the input stage. Constellation Inspiration Stereo and Mono $11,000 and $11,000 each This 250Wpc stereo amplifier is based on the same circuit as Constellation’s $190k Hercules. No, it doesn’t compete in the category of the kilowatt (and kilobuck) amplifiers put out by the likes of Boulder Audio. Best Vinyl Setup Under $5,000 (OK, $6,000) Turntable, speakers, integrated amp, tube-driven phono preamp. By the time you get up into this price range, there are so many options and such … And the more I read the more confusing it gets. Voices are unstrained and pure-sounding, bespeaking low distortion. Featuring a superb combination of poise, densely textured midband timbre, and dynamically authoritative energy, the 3010S2D offers a compelling musical foundation; plus, its low noise floor reveals the ambient riches that live between musical passages. The H80 delivers a nice measure of musical verve, accompanied by a lack of listener fatigue that one rarely encounters in $3000 integrateds—let alone in one priced at $2000. When he left Threshold several years ago, Pass had the luxury of starting over with a clean slate, and decided immediately that he wanted to design a single-ended MOSFET amp. The VT80SE produces open, detailed sound with exquisite harmonic nuance and shading. The RoomPerfect system does a remarkable job of smoothing out and neutralizing what the room is doing to degrade the sound of your speakers, and once you have heard how RoomPerfect fixes this up, you won’t want to go back to the uncorrected sound. D’Agostino Classic Stereo $14,500 The D’Agostino Classic Stereo represents a return to the venerable days when Dan D’Agostino was producing the stereo equivalent of muscle cars. Besides being stylish and relatively compact, this amplifier delivers the sonic goods. This is an amp that can proudly stand next to the best in its class—switching or non-. This amp exemplifies that approach. Marantz PM6007. The Yamaha A-S801 looks good, sounds splendid, and has a long list of useful features at a price that makes it a bargain! A perennial overachiever, […]. One hundred watts-per-channel (200W into 4 ohms)? Like other Halo products, the circuits inside are John Curl’s design. Its front panel offers a convenient menu-system for input selection and crossover point, the latter feature allowing the amp to easily mate with a subwoofer. Muzishare X7. Luscious, velvety, silken, gorgeous, it’s the kind of sound around which audio cults develop, and it’s easy to imagine its owners years, even decades hence treasuring the Bia the way others do classic McIntoshes and Marantzes. … Power: 300W/8Ω (RMS) DAC: Yes. All rights reserved. This is nominally a 40Wpc power amp based on Berning’s patented impedance-matching technology that does away with a conventional output transformer. Rather than convert digital signals to analog and then amplify those analog signals with multiple conventional gain stages, the C 390 DD takes in digital data at any resolution up to 192kHz/24-bit and converts the PCM data directly to the pulse code signal that turns the output transistors on and off. Expect a substantial dose of tube magic with a good measure of tonal neutrality. Whether you’re into digital or analog, you’ll discover big-buck sonics and incredible versatility in a neat little package. Tonally, this amp is on the sweet side in a way that is consonant with real music. Here is what I have 1- Budget - strictly under $5000 2- Listening Area - Living Room - 13ftX20ft 3- Turntable - Rega P2 4- Phono pre amp … A genuine masterpiece from an Old Master. None of this would amount to much, though, if the Classic Stereo sounded crude or clunky. Can you say overkill? Its low end is elegantly controlled but not over-torqued. Our Virginia-based experts love helping folks find the right gear. Press Esc to cancel. The Absolute Sound is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. Most importantly, its sound is pure and direct. Hi, I have not owned an integrated speaker system before. Sanders Sound Magtech $5500 This no-nonsense amplifier was designed to drive any loudspeaker load, particularly full-range electrostatics, which can have an impedance of less than 1 ohm in the top octave. There are virtually no tonal imbalances, rhythmic lagging, slurred transients, dynamic compression, image flattening, distortion, or strain. Although there’s a little bit of a shaded ceiling over the top end, the D 3020 need make no apologies. There is much to admire here, including strong dynamics and convincing rhythmic drive, supported by a well-defined bass range. Since NuPrime’s founding, Jason Lim has continually sought to improve sonics through innovative technologies—in addition to offering high performance and value with respect to pricing. All Zesto products are designed by George Counnas and built in-house. Through the Inspiration offers a less expensive implementation of the Hercules’ topology, Constellation has still managed to bring the big amp’s DNA to a more affordable price. At the same time, not even a smidgen of harsh distortion is allowed to intrude upon the sound. No matter what style of music she played, no matter what speakers she paired it with, the Air Tight ATM-1S delivered the sonic goods with naturalness, beauty, and ease, while also throwing a remarkably deep and wide soundstage. Hegel H30 Reference $17,000 This Norwegian powerhouse amplifier (375Wpc into 8 ohms) combines the brute-force bass control and dynamic impact of a dreadnought design with a midrange and treble refinement reminiscent of a single-ended triode amplifier. Peachtree Audio nova300 ($2,199) Weight: 17 lbs. Digital amps haven’t taken hold in the high end, but their design inherently confers major advantages to digital sources. Indeed, its resolution, timing, and imaging are beyond reproach. Includes a nice remote and very readable OLED display. Bryston 7B³ $11,990/pr. It offers creative and thoughtful design, exceptional build-quality, first-rate parts and assembly, tremendous attention to detail, and elegant look and feel—and its sonic performance is clearly well above its reasonable asking price. Its classically elegant design features a quartet of 6CA7 valves and newly developed Hashimoto transformers. soundorg.com, Rogue Audio Sphinx V2 $1295 ($1395 with remote control) Rogue products have, like their moniker, usually gone their own way in design, price, and value. Capable of driving most speakers and resolving musical details well, the D200i gives music lovers a healthy portion of what Gamut’s even more powerful and highly resolving M250i mono amp sounds like, but does so at a much lower price. Ultimately, the Atlas is a sheer joy—both sonically and musically—to listen to. I am open to second-hand components too. Includes a very fine discrete headphone amp and a phono section that is worth the asking-price all by itself. DO opines that the KT120 produces the best sonics in either ultra-linear or triode modes. The result is a component so rich, natural, and highly resolving that reviewer Anthony H. Cordesman bought the review samples. Adcom GFA-535 Power Amplifier On the contrary, it is exceedingly fast on transients, extremely hard-hitting on big dynamic swings, extraordinarily finely detailed (right up there with Soulution, Siltech, and Constellation in this regard), with taut bass that is virtually indistinguishable in grip, definition, and impact from that of much top-tier solid-state, and imaging and staging that are truly wall-to-wall. Look no further than the Arcam A19, which is built like a tank, outputs a healthy 50Wpc, and employs parts from Arcam’s much more expensive integrated amps. Although Ayre's new EX-8 integrated amplifier is available as an analog-only base unit for $5990, the company makes increasingly flexible, increasingly costly versions, all the way up to the fully loaded EX-8 Integrated … This is the first Class D amplifier (actually a hybrid with a pair of 12AU7 tubes in the preamp section) that RD feels offers true world … In neutrality and transparency the AVM SA8.2 comes close to delivering the sonic equivalent of the Golden Mean. For $1300? Rather it has a bit of dark velvet bloom, imparting the full measure of harmonic and ambient decay and timbral resonance with acoustic music. Ayre's EX-8 integrated amplifier is available as an analog-only base unit for $5990; the $7850 fully loaded Integrated Hub version that JA wrote about in the February 2019 Stereophile adds … Perhaps the H30’s outstanding sonics and high value can be traced to Hegel’s SoundEngine technology, in which dynamic crossover distortion is greatly reduced through a patented circuit, coupled with a rigorous transistor-matching protocol. Lastly, there’s a true dedicated headphone amp, with front-panel jack, capable of handling top-quality cans. Zesto Audio Bia 120 $10,000 Zesto’s new Bia 60Wpc Class A all‑tube power amplifier, with styling to match the company’s Zeto linestage and Andros phonostage, brings the designers the trifecta. Class G topology significantly bumps up the power over its 50A sibling, but it’s the addition of the superb 24/96 Ruby DAC module with multiple digital inputs and FM tuner that makes the 100A pop for today’s listeners. The soundstage is quite wide, with instruments realistically distributed between the speakers. Characterized by … Aesthetix Atlas Stereo $8000 Aesthetix’s first foray into power amps is an unqualified success. At 75Wpc (though 90 is typical), the 275 has virtually all the power PS needs, but for those who want more, it’s strappable to 150W. Although it mysteriously lacks a display, which makes volume changes and input switching more a matter of faith than precision, you’ll get over it, given the CXA80’s smooth, relaxed sonic performance, and abundant headroom for more demanding loudspeakers. MBL Corona C21 $9200 Sounding more like a fine analog amp than the hybrid-switching amp it is, the 180Wpc C21 offers much of the lush sweetness and sonic gravity of MBL’s own Reference Line 9011 monoblock. RD knows tube amplifiers can sound great but fears their downsides. I'd like an integrated amp … Air Tight ATM-1S $10,450 Julie Mullins has been delighted to have this stereo tube amp in her reference system. Vocals, female and male, have realistic body in a distinct sense of place—with both feet on the ground so to speak. The amplification, in particular, has an extraordinarily silent background, a sense of being “non-electronic,” and an ability to provide direct access to the source material. For all its humble size and appearance it’s pure NAD. In fact, almost all of the colorations you’ll hear through this amp will come from the other components. This monoblock is the most ambitious offering yet from Zesto Audio. primaluna-usa.com, Hegel H160 $3500 The Hegel H160 is an integrated amplifier that sneaks up on you rather than grabbing you by the lapels. By combining a power amplifier with a preamplifier, buying an integrated amp is not only simpler than hunting for separate components, but it also gives you a good mix of performance and features for less money than you’d spend otherwise. Audio Research VT80SE $8900 A 75Wpc hybrid power amplifier using KT150 power output tubes, this latest addition to Audio Research’s Foundation Series, the lowest-priced products in the Audio Research lineup, shares a common styling theme with the rest of the series. It can … Sonically, this is a beauty of an amplifier, with highly natural tonal and textural delivery, an impressive layering of dynamics, as well as nice drive and transient pop, and a strong degree of transparency back to the original session. The 200 Integrated was in fact derived by the simple expedient of sliding a class-D stereo power amp sourced from Danish class-D amp … Have the rosy, euphonic colorations of traditional triode or SET tube varietals … the Aleph Null, strain! 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