Audiophilepure

https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/ch_precision_l1_a15.htm

Where does all this fit into the overall scheme of things? If the CH Precision I1 integrated amplifier gave a hint of what the gear upstream in the CH Precision line sounds like, the L1 and A1.5 are like a full menu at Arpege in Paris (11 courses) or Atelier Crenn in San Francisco (14 courses). As with when dining at these restaurants, all you need is one experience and you are left with an impression, no matter what your level of experience or sophistication, that will remain with you for a lifetime. Like the L1 and A1.5, those meals are not for (or attainable by) everyone. Unless you skimp on the wine pairing, you will be looking to drop $1000 per person at either restaurant. The L1 and A1.5 are expensive. They might be the entry point as far as CH Precision separates are concerned, but they are still genuinely aspirational components, ones that will likely require some effort and expense to hear in a showroom or system. But they are innately musical in a way that is incredibly hard to find elsewhere. Are they 10 Series beaters? Of course not. To carry the food analogy a step further, the M10 provides a world tour, embracing a seemingly endless procession of equally impressive culinary opportunities. However, the CH Precision A1.5 shares the M10’s DNA and shares its fundamental magic. While you can label the L1 and A1.5 as “entry level” in CH Precision terms, perhaps it’s more accurate to think of the pair as entry-level ultra-high-end audio, marking, as they do, a step up in musical expectation

https://www.stereophile.com/content/accustic-arts-amp-v-power-amplifier

Can any single review of audio equipment be definitive, given the differences in listening rooms, equipment configurations, and human sensibility? Perhaps not. Nonetheless, a few things about the AMP V are incontrovertible. It’s not just a powerhouse; it’s a musical instrument that produces bright colors, huge images, and seat-shaking bass. Nor does it skimp on detail. While I didn’t journey into heavy metal during my time with the AMP V—Bromberg, Holst, and Shostakovich on steroids were as close as I got—the AMP V sailed through numerous ultradynamic tracks whose cumulative percussion and brass would leave many a rock fan diving for cover.

The AMP V is one of the finest and most musically satisfying amplifiers ever to enter my audio system. Anyone with a spare $50,000 (and who doesn’t require easy portability) would be foolish not to give it a serious audition.

Its enthusiasm for vinyl doesn’t actually extend to sitting underneath a turntable, however; that caused mine to hum so I dropped the amp down a few shelves and all was well. Then it was possible to enjoy the fulsome bass of Conjure’s Untitled II [Music For The Texts Of Ishmael Reed, American Clavé] where the dynamics of the saxophone are spot on (at sensible levels) and the tune proves to be utterly charming. Ornette Coleman’s ‘Ramblin’’ [Change of the Century, Atlantic] also offers up a joyousness through blasting but not aggressive horns and fat double bass, the result being close to what they might have heard in the control room back in 1960 when this sort of tube technology was at its peak. The track reinforced the notion that the Stingray II is not an amplifier to sit in front of and stroke your beard but one for moving your body, or at least clicking your fingers (man).

It occurred to me that most of the music I had played through the Stingray II was not exactly power hungry so I dropped a few weighty tunes including contributions from Kraftwerk and Beck. These lacked a little in the low-end power department and anyone with a taste for visceral impact would be advised to get more sensitive speakers for the purpose, that would go a long way to delivering the required power