Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Ayre V-1 power amplifier

Michael Fremer Sep 04, 1999 First Published: Sep 04, 1999

I've heard my share of Krells, Levinsons, Rowlands, and the like in other people's systems—expensive solid-state amplifiers are not my usual beat. With the exception of an inexpensive Adcom a few years back, for more than a decade I've owned and reviewed only tube amps. In fact, until the $7500 Ayre Acoustics V-1 showed up, I'd not had one in my system. Similarly, I'd had only tube preamps until I reviewed the Ayre K-3, which so impressed me that I asked to hear the more">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/609/">more expensive K-1—and ended up buying it.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Classé Omega power amplifier

Jonathan Scull Mar 28, 1999 First Published: Mar 28, 1999

What fascinates me about the High End are the electric personalities behind it. Manufacturers typically invest so much of themselves in the products they make. It's a divine madness—they do it because they have to. They're driven to it with a real sense of mission and excellence. But God forbid you criticize any of their offspring...ooo-la-la!

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Simaudio Moon P-5 preamplifier & W-5 power amplifier

Kalman Rubinson Mar 07, 1999 First Published: Mar 07, 1999

I first saw and heard SimAudio's Moon amp and preamp at WCES two years back, and something about their aesthetics appealed to me: Canadian ruggedness coupled with a decidedly French panache. I remember that those attributes also characterized the demo's sound, although I can't recall the speakers or the sources involved. At succeeding shows, it gradually dawned on me that the Moon components were the fixed elements in a succession of impressive demos.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Boulder 2050 monoblock amplifier

Jonathan Scull Sep 02, 1998 First Published: Sep 02, 1998

How much power do you really need? How much power can you actually use? What's necessary, and what's icing on the cake? And does anyone really need 1000Wpc?

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Kinergetics KBA-280 power amplifier

Thomas J. Norton Mar 08, 1998 First Published: Mar 08, 1998

Kinergetics Research was a name to be reckoned with in the early days of CD, when they produced some of the earliest well-received, audiophile-grade CD players. They've branched out since then, producing amplifiers, preamps, subwoofers, and surround-sound processors. In fact, they're so busy with such products that they no longer build CD players! The last Stereophile review of a Kinergetics CD player appeared way back in 1993.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Mark Levinson No.33H monoblock power amplifier

Wes Phillips Jan 30, 1998 First Published: Jan 30, 1998

Chances are you've never seen an amplifier quite like the Mark Levinson No.33H. That's because there's only one other amp that's anything like it: the Mark Levinson No.33, upon which it's based. Both amps are more tall than broad, looking almost as though they're resting on their ends; heatsinks cluster around their side-panels. In the city of the High End, the No.33 and No.33H are skyscrapers standing tall above the warehouses.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

VTL MB 175 Signature monoblock power amplifier

Michael Fremer Oct 17, 1997 First Published: Oct 17, 1997

Prejudice is bad—whether it's directed at people, places, or things. You know how it goes: digital is "bright," analog is "warm," solid-state is "brittle and etched," tubes are "smooth and soft" dynamic drivers are "low-resolution," electrostats and planars are "high-resolution" copper wire is "smooth," silver is "bright," etc. While putting everything that crosses your path into one box or another makes life simpler and seemingly more organized, the truth, musical or otherwise, usually gets mutilated in the process. Not that we all don't have preferences—but those are not the same as prejudices.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews Solid State Preamp Reviews

Krell KRC-HR preamplifier & Audio Standard power amplifier

Wes Phillips Oct 07, 1997 First Published: Oct 07, 1996

About a decade ago, I read in Stereophile about the SRC, an add-on remote-control unit manufactured by Acoustic Research. I bought one the next day ('swhat happens when you work across the street from a hi-fi shop). Suddenly I was able to make incremental changes in volume and balance from my listening position—and let me tell you that that's the way to do it. What a phenomenal difference in realistic dynamics and soundstaging.

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Pass Labs Aleph 3 power amplifier

Muse Kastanovich Apr 29, 1997 First Published: Apr 29, 1997

Everyone's going crazy for single-ended power amplifiers. What's the big deal? What is it about these relatively low-powered contraptions that could make everybody so nutso? And has Pass Labs' Nelson Pass completely lost his marbles, selling a 30Wpc amplifier for a price that can buy a high-quality 200Wpc amp? Isn't that 200W amp seven times as loud—and seven times as good—as a 30W amp?

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Krell Full Power Balanced 600 power amplifier

Martin Colloms Apr 03, 1997 First Published: Apr 04, 1997

Latest and largest in Krell's current range of power amplifiers, the 600Wpc, $12,500 Full Power Balanced 600 joins the 300Wpc FPB 300 ($9000) and the 200Wpc (originally 150Wpc) FPB 200 ($5900). All are single-box stereo chassis and are specified as "Full Power Balanced"—I think to distinguish the essence of these designs from ordinary stereo amplifiers operated in balanced-bridged mode, usually with impaired performance. The FPB 600's speaker output is balanced; ie, neither "positive" or negative" terminals are connected to ground or the amplifier chassis. (Note that no speaker switches or headphone adaptors, which often have joined channel grounds, may be used, as they will short the outputs.) The output terminals are electrically at 0V, but float above the chassis ground.