Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/audio-research-ref-330m-tube-monoblock-0

‘Drama’ would be an apt term to describe the sound the REF 330Ms can deliver when partnered with a similarly accomplished system. Loading up the Bergen Philharmonic/Edward Gardner 2020 recording of Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’ [Chandos CHSA 5250], in which the drama is very much to the fore, there was a warmth and generosity to the sound, but never at the expense of clarity. The sea interludes flowed into the action, with its humour and the sense of unfolding tragedy captured in Stuart Skelton’s impressive Grimes, his voice always seemingly on the point of cracking into despair.

The sound here is about scale and power, and knowing when to strike a balance between tenderness and storm violence, and with the Audio Research amps it’s all handled so deftly, taking the listener into the heart of an atmospheric recording.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/reference-components/1947-recommended-reference-component-bryston-bi-200-integrated-amplifier

By joining two of Bryston’s most popular separate components into a single case and chassis, the Bi-200 offers exceptional sound at a reasonable price, especially given its outstanding build quality and extensive warranty. For being a high-value amplifier that’s easy to recommend, as Philip puts it, the Bi‑200 received a Reviewers’ Choice award when the review was published. It is solely for its performance that it has now earned a Recommended Reference Component award.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1945-bryston-bi-200-integrated-amplifier

I noticed that the Bi‑200 was the quieter of the two amps. Not so much that I could hear details I couldn’t hear with the B135, but enough to draw my attention to details I don’t normally notice. For example, while listening to “Your Rocky Spine” with the Bi‑200, my ears were piqued by what sounded like a shaker inside the left speaker, something I had never paid much attention to before. Going back to the B135, I could still hear the shaker, but it was not quite as clear, not enough to catch my attention.

I also noticed that the performers were better separated with the Bi‑200—more sharply outlined, with more space between them. But to be fair, the B135’s presentation was far from congested.

An asset is considered a sound investment when its value/performance curve is continuously upward. Pass Laboratories does not behave like the rest of the high-end audio industry; it had not increased the price of its existing product range since the 2014 launch of the current XA series in real terms. And as competitors rise and fall the XA stands unscathed in its particular performance/value proposition. We will see many more expensive concoctions from others in the coming years but if we are to forecast the future based on track records, none will perform higher for less. If one had begun saving money at some point in time to buy the XA and has now become an owner, the pair of monoblocks will still be an uncontested best buy not only to this day but for many years to come. The XA200.8. A very sound investment indeed

https://www.hifinews.com/content/audio-research-ref-330m-tube-monoblock-0

The Reference 330M amplifier not only delivers massive power, slam, detail and refinement from a valve-based design, it also does all this without the trepidation and limitations of the apocryphal tube amp. Ignore the substantial weight and price, and this speaker-tolerant design will slot into a high-end system as easily as any solid-state rival. All this, and the promise of a truly scintillating musical performance.