Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/leak-stereo-230-integrated-amplifier

The class-AB Leak provided a sense of color, ease, purity, and expressiveness I don’t normally associate with class-AB topology. Maybe with class-A? Maybe with tubes?

Any nitpicks? Bend my arm, and I might concede that the 230’s highs might not have been as airy or extended as those from some of the more expensive gear I’ve heard, but the Leak brings so much to the table—quality sound, sturdy build quality, functional versatility, a 3-year warranty—that I feel a bit cheap nitpicking. I didn’t hear a $1500 product; I heard a well-designed product regardless of price. The Stereo 230 exceeded my expectations. But you probably expected me to say that.

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1216-leema-acoustics-tucana-ii-anniversary-edition-integrated-amplifier

Leema’s Tucana AE now joins the ATC SCM40, Rega Planar 10, and Michell GyroDec on my list of high-end bargains. In an age of inflated pricing and a trend towards ludicrous uber-fi, it’s reassuring to find some firms still building beautifully engineered, affordable audio equipment here in the UK. It’s also comforting to realize that there’s no need to outsource all our manufacturing capability to the Far East. We can build things economically in Europe or North America if we apply manufacturing synergy and intelligence to the challenge. Frankly, it does matter to me where products are built, for all sorts of reasons. I like it when I see “Manufactured by SME Ltd, Steyning, Sussex, England” on a tonearm box, or “Minnetonka, Minnesota” and “Made in U.S.A.” on the rear panel of an Audio Research amplifier. For me, there’s a line in the sand with respect to high-end audio, and I’m drawing it!

The UK, the rest of Europe, the US, and Canada have proud audio-engineering heritages, and as consumers we need to be mindful of our purchasing decisions if we want to preserve them. I had begun to fear that in another ten years, the only brands actually still making audio electronics in the West would be those with the highest price tags, but I think that Leema Acoustics, Rega, ATC, and a few others are really pointing the way forward here.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/plinius-reference-150-power-amplifier

As labor-intensive, time-consuming, strenuous, and challenging as accurate measurement can be, it is easier to draw meaning from numbers than it is to quantify feelings. But put together, the two approaches can help shed light on the mysteries of musical reproduction. I look forward to reading JA’s technical assessment.

I had many pleasurable listening experiences with the Plinius RA-150. A better match for my speakers in bridged mono configuration than in stereo, a pair of RA-150s delivered abundant midrange warmth, fine bass, true timbres, and emotionally compelling sound. With less-demanding speakers, a single stereo would likely approach this level of performance. If you’re in the market for an amp of its quality and price, the Reference A-150 deserves a serious listen.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/11/29/canor-ai-210-integrated-hybrid-amplifier

One of my favourite test LPs is the Mehta/LA/Decca Varèse, both sides. Side 1 for “Arcana”, a wild assault on the senses which demands gobs of power from your amp and Side 2 for “Intégrales”, a delicate, tactile percussion and wind piece that makes equally tough demands, but in timbral accuracy, imaging and soundstage. I was surprised at the Canor’s effortless ability to portray the power of “Arcana”, and just as easily the timbral beauty of “Intégrales” but with a tubey leading edge on all transients. It was very beautiful. I was expecting less power. The 2.10’s massive toroidal power supply will give you enough visceral energy and grunt for most repertoire and all but the most problematic of titles.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/burmester-077218-prepower-amplifiers

The distinctively rich presentation of the 077/218 pre/power amplifiers may be at odds with the apocryphal Germanic ‘sound tuning’, but there’s no doubt they are superbly easy to enjoy, while at the same time conveying the spirit and emotion of the music. Add in the solid engineering and lavish styling, and there’s no gainsaying the appeal of these luxurious Nor, indeed, the sound they deliver.

If I were to read these impressions of the AVA M750 mono blocks before actually listening to them, I would be disinclined to review them. I’d also expect to not enjoy their presentation. They are not the presentation I usually seek out.  I would also say they’re slightly more intense sounding than the Pass amplifier. Intense sounds, as I use that term, are often coupled to a hot sounding component. These attributes would, I expect beforehand, to be three strikes in my world. Many of those attributes, perhaps all of them, disincline nuance and subtlety (versus a clear signature). This review helped underline to me that nuanced dynamics are far more important to me than a hammer hitting presentation.

I could see living easily and happily with these amplifiers, perhaps more happily than with my current reference amplifier. Sometimes excellent gear unsettles me, and the M750s certainly did, asking questions about my assumptions. Initially, I thought my review period would be on the shorter end of things, but I grew to appreciate and really enjoy what might be called an argument for a different presentation, one I’d previously disagreed with.