Audiophilepure

It’s always interesting to try different speakers with any amp so I wrestled a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 802s into place. There’s an enthusiastic quote from an 802 owner on the Modwright website and it instantly became clear why this is the case; the sound they produce was nothing short of vivid in its transparency and three dimensionality. What’s more, a number of pieces created a soundstage that was so real and deep that it felt as if you could walk into it. The solid-state power amplifier serves to amplify the beguiling qualities of those two triode valves and produces results that are electrifying in their immediacy and atmosphere. The recording needs to be good to achieve this of course, but plenty of the tracks I tried did the trick including the distinctly lo-fi eponymous debut from Tortoise, the track ‘Night Air’ having a reach out and touch it presence that encouraged level and extended listening. In fact all the better sounding tunes encouraged me to push the volume, the 802 is a little reluctant in the midrange and this amp balances this perfectly so the end result is very pleasing.

Living with the Caruso Multi-Source System was a fascinating experience, as it brought into sharp focus the differences in the way audiophiles and the other 99.999% of the music-consuming world listen to music at home—and how a tension between these two perspectives can develop in a product from a manufacturer with the engineering chops to make the best. It’s a tug-of-war between aesthetic values that must be finessed. Does the Caruso pull it off? Does it succeed in offering a compact design certain to appeal to interior decorators and the impeccable engineering of a famously tech-savvy German manufacturer? That T+A is on to something may be reflected by who is buying Carusos: Jim Shannon told me that the company estimates that, historically, at least 30-40% of them have been sold to women.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/technics-su-r1000-integrated-amplifier

The Technics SU-R1000 Digital Integrated Amplifier provides nearly everything I could hope for in a contemporary integrated amplifier. It reproduces vinyl and digital files with high levels of transparency, dimensionality, spaciousness, and dynamics. Its various modern technologies actually, obviously work, allowing me to achieve the highest levels of realism I’ve heard in my circa-1865 listening space.

The Technics does not equal my reference Shindo amplification in the areas where they—the Shindo components—excel: tonal and timbral verisimilitude. Nothing else I’ve tried does; that’s why they’re still my reference. But the Technics was superior in every other way. The SU-R1000 is a technological breakthrough and a remarkable integrated amplifier.

The Rotel A14 MKII is a clean sounding amplifier that leans to the cooler side of neutral with a slight thinness from the upper midrange to the top end. It has very solid yet well balanced dynamics with an open and clean soundstage. The overall tone is neutral and accurate, and for the most part doesn’t lean in the extremes in any area. It easily reflects changes in sound quality when changing gear and sources. The more I listened to this amplifier the more I got accustomed to its sound, and the more I appreciated its convenience. I realize there are many integrated amplifiers in this category that compete with the A14 MKII in sound quality and ergonomics all with different sound signatures and build. Rotel even manufactures the Michi line, which is an upscale line of amplifiers. The Rotel A14 MKII is on the top of that list with its solid build, clean sound, versatility and built-in fun. I was glad to have a Rotel amp back in my system even if it was just for a while.

The Absolare Hybrid Stereo amplifier successfully achieves its design goal of bringing the many virtues of single-ended triode amplification to a product that can easily drive a wide variety of loudspeakers. Indeed, it drove the demanding Wilson Chronosonic XVX with aplomb. Amazingly, there was no hint of transistors in the Hybrid’s sound; it has astonishing liquidity of timbre, is utterly grain-free, and projects a sense of presence that sounds very much like the best SET amplifiers. The Hybrid creates a directness of musical expression—of hearing nothing between you and the music—that is unique among solid-state amps, in my experience. That directness of expression fosters an intimacy with the music and performers that is seductive. The Hybrid goes beyond “hi-fi” to mediate a deep connection with musical meaning in a way that defies sonic analysis. Can you buy a more “resolving” amplifier for the money? Or one with deeper bass extension and “slam.” Yes, but no other amplifier short of an SET delivers the emotion of music like the Absolare Hybrid Stereo.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/10/26/xq15djapfx4nkpjazcyz48xz0d9lc9

Break in on the H390 was not particularly drastic or jarring, but the amplifier did like about 100 hours to loosen up after sounding a bit tight and thin out of the box. I first listened to the Hegel as a pure analog integrated, forgoing the streamer and DAC for the moment. Let’s be frank, the streamer and DAC portions are important features and may help seal the deal for many buyers, but the sound quality of the pre and power should always be paramount when considering a unit at this price. 

Very quickly I discovered the strengths of this amplifier design and why they seem to be flying off the proverbial shelves. This amplifier is powerful, and I don’t just mean in watts per channel (of which it has plenty), rather, I am referring to its muscle and grip when applied to any speaker you throw at it. With the Alyssa, the Hegel tamed the larger than life bass of the transmission line design (something the McIntosh could not do) and allowed deep instruments and notes to come through with punch and clarity. With the Harbeths, the Hegel breathed fire to wake up these studio monitors and make me wonder if I was listening to much larger speakers.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/bat-vk-80i-integrated-amplifier

BAT’s revamp of its integrated amplifier stable continues in style – the VK-80i is a remarkably insightful listen, with an enviable talent for delicate detail and butter-smooth soundstaging. Power-hungry loudspeakers might be better served by the stablemate hybrid VK-3500, but tube devotees will cherish this amp’s way with music, and will likely find it more than juicy enough for their existing setup.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0122/Cyrus_One_HD_Integrated_Amplifier_DAC_Review.htm

The Cyrus One HD Integrated Amplifier has to be looked at holistically to be fully appreciated. The amp alone is quite good, but not quite as good as some at the $1500 price point. Likewise, the phono stage is good, but can be bettered by other stand alone pre-amps. The headphone amp is impressive but again not as good as a dedicated headphone amplifier.

It is the overall performance of the entire package that makes the Cyrus One HD so intriguing. $1500 is not an insignificant amount of money for a single component if you’re building a $3000 stereo system.