Audiophilepure

The Parasound Halo A21+ amplifier impressed me with its powerful, musical, and accurate reproduction of music and movie soundtracks. This amplifier had wayyyy more power than I could ever need as well. The performance I heard was beyond reproach and I didn’t hear any untoward sounds the whole time it was in my system.

In terms of implementation, the Halo A21+ was well-made in most respects. My only quibbles are the stamped metal cover and the two-piece heat sinks. These parts fell short of a high-end build in my view. However, they did not take away from the very flexible hook-up options and apparent protection circuitry. These features render the amplifier very useful in a wide range of settings.

My final conclusion is to buy this amplifier for its flexibility and performance qualities over the build decisions. The price of this amplifier has been raised recently but it is still well worth every penny you spend on it. Recommended for sure!

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1833-nuprime-audio-evolution-two-mono-power-amplifier

To my ears, the Purifi Eigentakt based NAD Masters M23 stereo/mono power amplifier, which I reviewed in March, sets the standard for a truly high-performance amplifier at a reasonable price—by a wide margin. With a retail price of only $3749, it sounds superb, measures spectacularly well, and has a healthy power rating of 200Wpc into 8 ohms. As I said in my review, it is a “screaming bargain.” Bryston’s spectacular 4B³ ($7495), which I reviewed in June 2017, is also a stellar performer on the test bench, albeit at twice the price. Rated at 300Wpc into 8 ohms, it delivers significantly more power than the NAD, and has a beefier but very neutral sound. There is nothing like a brawny class-AB amplifier to instill a sense of confidence and pride in ownership. These are my two favorite power amplifiers among those I have reviewed in the past few years. I’ll be interested to see Diego Estan’s measurements of the Evolution Two. It may not be quite as neutral as the NAD and Bryston, but I found that its overall high level of performance and marginally warmer sound was just as pleasing and, in fact, may be preferable to some listeners.

Conclusion

NuPrime Audio had fallen off my radar in recent years. The last NuPrime product I reviewed was the IDA-8 integrated amplifier-DAC, which I loved. It was an absolute steal, providing fantastic sound and a healthy amount of power for under $1,000. But that was almost eight years ago. The Evolution Two has reintroduced me to this innovative brand. The market for power amplifiers at the Evolution Two’s price level is now very competitive. But NuPrime has more than kept pace with their reference mono amp, and by keeping its price relatively constant, the Evolution Two rivals the very best in its class.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1023/Art_Audio_Opus4_Carissa_Vacuum_Tube_Amplifier_Review.htm

These days, there are many choices for amplifiers and decisions are not easy without personally listening to them in your own home. Overall if I did not already have another push/pull amp available at my home to use with the Quad 63s, I would have considered keeping the lovely Opus 4 monoblock amps. I suggest anybody seeking an amp of this design and style give it an audition in your home. It is quite a remarkable achievement that the 50 Watts triode power from the Opus 4 amps managed to portray so much strength and control for the Quad 63s.

Art Audio’s Opus 4 monoblocks managed to convey an impression to me of nearly as much depth of overall musicality as the 275 Watts of ultra-linear power of my other reference system amp, the CJ Premier 8A. I ultimately decided to keep the Carissa amplifier as part of my system to use with the Quad 57s and as an alternative for the 63s when they are not connected to the big CJ amps. The power, control, and sound along with the lavish and lovely looks of this latest revised Art Audio 18 Watt SET amp as designed by Tom Willis is highly recommended to be seen and heard.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1827-ars-sonum-armonia-stereo-amplifier

Yes, some care needs to taken when choosing speakers to use with the amp—that’s true of almost all tube amps and other amps with similar or lower power outputs. That is where I (your friendly Ars-Sonum distributor) come in. I am more than happy to talk with anyone interested in a Ars-Sonum amplifier (new or used!) to answer any questions about compatibility with whatever gear and speakers the customer may have. As well, for those (tube-head) Ars-Sonum amplifier owners who wish to “roll” different EL34s (n.b., KT77s are not recommended), I am happy to test their set of EL34s in our Amplitrex tube tester and then try them in the Filarmonía or Armonía on my test bench to verify matching and that self-biasing measurements meet factory specs for the amp.

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1204-fezz-audio-lybra-300b-integrated-amplifier

When I threw the Totems into the mix, I did a bit of a head-explody. The Sky Towers matched so well with the Lybra that I’ll likely find myself cornering people at parties, poking them in the chest as I insist that they purchase this combination for themselves. The clarity, the extension, the imaging, the flat-out flavor that this amplifier excavated from these speakers startled me and made me re-evaluate the concept of value in audio.

This is Ultra audio, right? So let’s consider, shall we, that there’s a whole constellation of speakers with physical and electrical characteristics similar to the Sky Towers that’d likely pair perfectly with the Lybra while mounting a full assault on the state of the art. You could quite feasibly purchase a Lybra, and—what the heck—a pair of Sky Towers from my Canadian homies at Totem Acoustic while performing a rigorous search for the perfect speakers that hew to your exact tastes.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/infigo-method-3-monoblock-power-amplifier

I’ve heard few amplifiers I’ve been as eager to return to time and time again as the Infigo Method 3 monoblocks. For smoothness, warmth, you-are-there beauty, color, and ease, they’ve taken me as close to my ideal sound as the best gear I’ve had in my system. Indeed, the Method 3 is one of the finest-sounding components I’ve been privileged to review. There may be amps with more powerful bass, but few so successfully combine modest energy consumption and unforced, utterly convincing musicality. Plus, they’re easy to move around.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1833-nuprime-audio-evolution-two-mono-power-amplifier

NuPrime Audio had fallen off my radar in recent years. The last NuPrime product I reviewed was the IDA-8 integrated amplifier-DAC, which I loved. It was an absolute steal, providing fantastic sound and a healthy amount of power for under $1,000. But that was almost eight years ago. The Evolution Two has reintroduced me to this innovative brand. The market for power amplifiers at the Evolution Two’s price level is now very competitive. But NuPrime has more than kept pace with their reference mono amp, and by keeping its price relatively constant, the Evolution Two rivals the very best in its class.