Audiophilepure

At the other end of the spectrum, in the realm of microdynamics, I find them to be just a bit more reticent in their degree of nuance and expressiveness by way of comparison to the very best performers I’ve heard in this regard. And while they do sacrifice that final gradation of resolution and articulation as we descend closer to the noise floor, I would be remiss to not point out that those amplifiers that are more adroit here are typically considerably pricier. One interesting exception here comes from the nearly identically priced Parasound Halo JC 1+ monos that offer a slight edge in performance over the Grand Vivace in this specific sonic category.

Along with their remarkable power and control, they also excel at conveying the speed of instrumental attack, especially notable with stringed instruments from violins and cellos to pianos and harps. This uninhibited sense of rise speed carries over, exhibiting an equally impressive ability to render decay and trail. Listening to the attack and decay of ride cymbals from intimate jazz performances, or struck triangles buried deep within classical, or even some classic rock or pop, compositions, is a treat with the Gran Vivace.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/simaudio-moon-250i-integrated-amplifier

I also marvelled at this amp’s ability to serve even the most rough production with a spoonful of honey – for example, the ‘buzzsaw’ guitars of Entombed’s Left Hand Path album [Earache Records MOSH 21] have never sounded so inviting. But the best indication of the MOON 250i’s listenability I can give is that it pushed me to find more tracks to play, to the point I was dipping into artists I’d never heard before.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when Amaia Montero surfaced via my Tidal algorithm… It turns out she’s an unapologetically poppy Spanish singer, and the track ‘Ni Puedo Ni Quiero’ from her self-titled album [Sony Music; Tidal Master] is three minutes of strummed guitar, trombone notes, sweet-sounding vocals pushed far forward, and plenty of Latin flair. Simaudio’s amplifier was right up for it. And I was right up for it too.

An interesting side note. Roksan was founded in 1985 and acquired by British loudspeaker manufacturer Monitor Audio Ltd in 2016. The Attessa Series components are post-acquisition developments, and Roksan has stated that it will be revising and refining current products and developing new products. These developments, along with Monitor Audio’s fine reputation in loudspeakers, should augur well for forthcoming system-wide synergy that audiophiles can truly look forward to. Indeed, the Roksan Attessa turned out to be a real sleeper. Looks, ergonomics, and performance—a lot of pieces must fall into place to successfully bring together digital and analog sections, sophisticated software, plus Wi-Fi and network capability. It’s no small task, but with Attessa Roksan has fully met the challenge and then some. At $3199 all-in, the Attessa is likely the one to beat in a hotly competitive division. Highly recommended.

Tracking through a wide variety of different music is a joy with the VT-150. It is dynamic enough to play classical music or heavy rock as loud as you need yet offers great linearity at lower volumes. Even listening to the CSN debut album on MoFi at very low levels with the Dynaudio Confidence 20s is incredibly engaging. Yet cranking the volume way up for some Public Enemy and Slayer proves it delivers the goods.

in addition to having solid, controlled extension on both ends of the frequency scale, this amplifier can generate a large sound field in all three dimensions. There’s a lot of “vacuum tube magic” going on here, to be sure.

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?