Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Bryston 7B SST² monoblock power amplifier

Michael Fremer Jan 27, 2010 First Published: Jan 27, 2010

Hang around long enough, and your reward is often to be taken for granted or ignored. Canadian electronics manufacturer Bryston Ltd. has been around since the mid-1970s, and whileif coverage by Stereophile is any indicationthe company has hardly been ignored, it's often taken for granted.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Aesthetix Atlas power amplifier

Wes Phillips Jan 15, 2010 First Published: Jan 15, 2010

In Greek mythology, Atlas was the Titan who supported the heavensalthough he's more commonly shown supporting Earth itself. (Funny thing, that: the globe he was always shown supporting actually did once represent the cosmos, but at some point became the Earth.) According to Hygenus, Atlas was the son of Aether, the personification of the sky and heaven, and Gaia, the personification of the Earth. Atlas was brother to Prometheus (foresight), Epithemius (hindsight), and Menoetius (a warrior whose insolence got him smitten by a lightning bolt from Zeus, resulting in a name synonymous with "ruined strength").

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Tube Power Amp Reviews Audacious Audio

EAR/Yoshino M100A monoblock power amplifier

Jonathan Scull Dec 31, 2009 First Published: Jan 31, 2002

When I first laid eyes on the Paravicini M100A monoblock power amplifiers at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2001, an audiophile in the room squinted at my badge and cried out, "Hey, J-10, these amps have your name written all over 'em!"

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Rotel RB-960BX power amplifier

Corey Greenberg Nov 02, 2009 First Published: Oct 02, 1993

Okay, here you are: You're a Real World music lover trying to sling together a Real World hi-fi rig. You gotcha budget-king NAD/Rotel/JVC/Pioneer CD player, your SOTA Comet/Sumiko Blue Point analog rig, and your cool-man NHT/PSB/Definitive Technology entry-level speakers. Hell, you've even gone out and bought a few pairs of Kimber PBJ interconnects to hook it all up. This ain't no dog and pony show—you want that High-End High, not just some cheap'n'cheerful, low-rez rig to stick in the rumpus room so the kids can listen to that weak-ass, faux-grunge, watered-down Hendrix-howl that modern-day wimp-boys like Pearl Jam dish out to anyone under 30 who doesn't know any better.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Moscode 402Au power amplifier

Wes Phillips Sep 14, 2009 First Published: Sep 14, 2009

It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first truly high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier—two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were fun—and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Adcom GFA-565 monoblock power amplifier

Thomas J. Norton, Sam Tellig Aug 31, 2009 First Published: Apr 01, 1991

"Hello, it is I, C. Victor Campos."

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Adcom GFA-535 power amplifier

Sam Tellig, Corey Greenberg Aug 31, 2009 First Published: Dec 31, 1987

Sometimes products are too cheap for their own good, and people don't take them seriously: the Superphon Revelation Basic Dual Mono preamp, Rega">http://www.stereophile.com/turntables/184rega">Rega RB300 arm, AR ES-1 turntable, Shure V15-V MR cartridge, and the B&K">http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/675">B&K ST-140 power amp. They can't be any good because they cost so little, right?

Solid State Power Amp Reviews J. Gordon Holt

Electron Kinetics Eagle 2 power amplifier

Steven W. Watkinson, J. Gordon Holt, Sam Tellig Aug 10, 2009 First Published: Apr 10, 1985

When I first heard the Eagle 2 at the 1985 Winter CES I knew this amplifier was a winner. I was eager for a chance to get my hands on it, but I also knew that J. Gordon Holt was champing at the bit to do the same. So it came as both a surprise and a delight when ye Gracious Editor gave me first crack at the Eagle 2. I wasn't disappointed; the little Eagle more than lived up to expectations. It's not the best power amplifier I've ever heard, but it's damn good. It is, in fact, better than its big brother, the Eagle 7A, in significant ways; in view of the 2's reasonable price, that's saying a lot.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Audacious Audio

Musical Fidelity Titan power amplifier

Michael Fremer Jun 23, 2009 First Published: Jun 23, 2009

Musical Fidelity's founder, Antony">http://www.stereophile.com/features/575/index3.html">Antony Michaelson, arrived at my house to help me set up the two chassis of his sleek, limited-edition, $30,000 Titan power amplifier. (The task requires at least two people.) A week later, a representative of Musical Fidelity's US importer, KEF America, dropped by to listen and to deliver three of Musical Fidelity's new V-series products: a phono preamp, a DAC, and a headphone amp. All three fit comfortably into a small paper bag; the price of the three was $700.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Hi-Rez Disc Player/Transport Reviews Music in the Round

Music in the Round #36

Kalman Rubinson May 29, 2009 First Published: May 29, 2009

The first time I ever heard stereo sound, it was in a shop on Manhattan's Radio Row. In addition to the Studer staggered-head tape deck, the system consisted of pairs of McIntosh C8 preamps, MC60 power amps, and monster Bozak B-310 speakers. I can still picture the room and almost hear the sound. I was then an impecunious high-schooler, and while I always strived to buy the best equipment I could afford, I unfortunately was never able to own any of these iconic products. However, when I saw McIntosh's new MC303 three-channel power amp glowing brightly on silent display at the 2008 CEDIA Expo, a light bulb went on over my head: I'd been assessing a series of three-channel and monoblock amps, and the MC303 would fit nicely into my New York City system.