Audiophilepure

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.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/musical-fidelity-nu-vista-8002-integrated-amplifier

Indeed, largescale productions might well be the 800.2’s bread and butter as James Horner’s score for the film Titanic [Sony Classical SK 63213] came across as big as the doomed vessel itself. In ‘Take Her To Sea, Mr Murdoch’, optimistic melodies from across the orchestra pit dovetailed with resonant strings, thumping timpani and crashing cymbals, and again there was the sense the 800.2 wasn’t missing out on any elements, high or low, as the sound flooded the listening seat. Moreover, Horner’s love of dynamic stabs of brass and strings, such as on ‘Hard To Starboard’, require an amp with plenty in reserve, and these arrived with a dynamic swagger.

In a nutshell, the appeal of the Nu-Vista 800.2 doesn’t simply boil down to its obvious output. This all-analogue integrated has the kind of performance that leaves you lost in the music, and focuses you on what you’re listening to, rather than the amp powering it all. I won’t say it goes about its business quietly, because it plays loud and weighs over 40kg, but it is utterly unflappable with whatever you throw at it. As my listening segued from the delicate compositions of Philip Glass’s Glassworks [Sony Classical; 96kHz/24-bit] to the pounding hip-hop of Dr Dre’s ‘Still D.R.E’ [2001; Interscope Records 490 4862], I loved every second.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/8/4/olptmqvet8njokllrq6jm0lx3iesh9

I was first introduced to Infigo Audio (based in BC, Canada; Infigo means “impressive” in Latin) by hearing their Method 3 Class A monoblocks ($55,000/pair) at the home of Mike Levy (CEO/Founder of Alta Audio). Beautiful and unusual looking, they were gold-coloured blocks with an open top but with a clear glass protective cover, revealing the electronics inside with calming blue light. I was seriously impressed by the sound—but intimidated by the price. There was something new to my ears that was unique. I was intrigued. 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ayre-acoustics-vx-8-power-amplifier

For current owners of Ayre Acoustics amplification and those hoping to bring the brand’s sound to their system, the VX-8 would be a worthwhile, relatively affordable purchase. The amplifier worked seamlessly with older components including its sibling Ayre K-5xe^MP (which sells for $2000–$3000 used), as well as the current Sugden LA-4, and I bet it would sound fantastic with my Shindo Allegro two-box preamp. (Ankle surgery prevented me from extracting the Shindo from its secure space.) With ample power and even sound, the VX-8 gelled easily with the highly efficient Volti Audio Razz loudspeaker. It satisfied my inner music jones while spinning vinyl or streaming digital.

The VX-8 extends Ayre’s reputation for refined amplification that commendably reproduces music of all genres while asserting its singular, special sound, as unique today, under the guiding hand of Ariel Brown, as with its originator, Charley Hansen. A heartfelt, shout-it-from-the-rooftops recommendation.