Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/constellation-centaur-ii-stereo-power-amplifier

The same goes with the lavish remastered set of Queen’s The Miracle [EMI 00602508911330]. Bob Ludwig’s overhaul of the album sounds magnificent, from the drive of ‘Breakthrough’ to the funk of ‘The Invisible Man’, and via Constellation’s amp, Roger Taylor’s drums sounded punchy, big and rich, John Deacon’s bass bubbled away, and Brian May’s celebrated Red Special was unleashed in shards of screaming solo. As I realised having sat through most of the boxset, this is no analytical amplifier, even though it has served that purpose well – it’s also a complete blast when you just want to kick back and play some favourite music.

Does that sound like the ideal amp? I reckon so: not only can it do all the clever hi-fi stuff, it also always remains a consistently enjoyable listen. Even when running hard it stays physically cool and sounds like it’s well within its capabilities. Or to put it another way, the Centaur II is always ready to give even more should you want it!

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1760-nad-masters-m23-stereo-mono-amplifier

I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of truly excellent amplifiers in my system over the past few years, and the NAD Masters M23 is one of the very best. In fact, it compares very well to my Anthem M1 monoblocks and the Bryston 4B³—my two favorite amps in the upper four-figure price range. While I still prefer the sound of my Anthems, I don’t consider the Bryston or the M1s to be substantially better in any area of performance. And since the M23 is roughly half the cost of those two other amps, it is a screaming bargain, and a great-looking one at that.

I’ve often joked that the hottest amplifiers arrive in the height of summer and during the coldest months of winter, all you get to review is Class D ice-boxes. That is certainly true of the Jadis I70; it rocked up as the temperature started to rise, and I didn’t give a damn. The sound it makes is so beguiling, so enjoyable and so musically ‘right’ that I simply couldn’t help listen no matter what the ambient temperature. This is quite simply one of the best sounding amplifiers I have ever heard.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/zesto-bia-200-select-power-amplifier

The Haut Brion—both versions—is a wonderful, expressive amplifier. But it has nowhere near the sparkle, precision, resolution, or extension of the Bia 200. It also lacks the Bia 200’s tight, well-controlled, tuneful low end. It compensates by seeming more immediate, organic, and natural than the Bia 200. Both exist to serve the music, but they do it in different ways. The Bia 200 is transparent, powerful, resolving, fun. Maybe it’s the top end that seems to go out for miles, or the sonorous bass, or how it steps out of the way of recordings and lets them shine on their own terms.

Different people expect to hear different things from their hi-fi—different versions of transparency, as Herb Reichert would say—even as they seek musical truth. We’re all wired for the particular sounds that make our particular hearts sing. The Bia 200 is wired in a way that, for the right person, can make that happen.

And, putting a $2,500-$3,000 amplifier in the context of the $7,500 to $15k system it is more than likely going to end up in will leave you thrilled with the purchase. If you’ve been dreaming of investigating a tube amplifier, I can think of no better place to start your journey. Perhaps at some point, we will commandeer a second one to investigate how these perform as monoblocks. For now, staffer Jerold O’Brien will be using this one on a daily. His daughter took the VT-70, so how can you argue with that?

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1760-nad-masters-m23-stereo-mono-amplifier

I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of truly excellent amplifiers in my system over the past few years, and the NAD Masters M23 is one of the very best. In fact, it compares very well to my Anthem M1 monoblocks and the Bryston 4B³—my two favorite amps in the upper four-figure price range. While I still prefer the sound of my Anthems, I don’t consider the Bryston or the M1s to be substantially better in any area of performance. And since the M23 is roughly half the cost of those two other amps, it is a screaming bargain, and a great-looking one at that.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/western-electric-type-91e-integrated-amplifier

On the title track, as he trades lines with Dianne Reeves, the listener is drawn into a duet that provides both harmonising and contrast. The listener who is most captivated by the emotional elements of a performance will revel in the way that the two singers’ peerless powers of expression are presented against a backdrop of rich textures and tones, especially the piano, dominant from the outset. It’s as if one has recreated a smoky nightclub in one’s listening room. It almost begs the audience to dress for the occasion.

As voluble as I am most of the time, I find myself at a loss to convey just how marvellous is this amplifier though I will repeat to the point of tattooing it on my forehead that it must be matched to speakers of high sensitivity. I can only dream about how it will sound with Quad ESL 57s, which were never designed to demand bags of power though, to be fair, plenty of users will still pair the 91E with traditional horns. But the experience with DeVore’s O/93s? It’s a marriage to join Krell/Apogee and Audio Research/Magnepan in the annals of high-end audio.