Although I retain a firm hold on the established audio world, and recognize and value all that it has achieved, I feel inexorably driven to make some space in my life for single-ended amplifiers&mdash;more especially, those that eschew negative feedback (footnote 1). A classic if costly example of the art is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/740">Cary CAD-805C</A>, which, to my ears, has earned the right to teach audiophiles what negative feedback really sounds like, and what damage it can do to the musical message when poorly handled. This shouldn't be taken as an out-of-hand dismissal of those many great pieces of electronics and amplification that use negative feedback&mdash;it is simply an acknowledgment, or even an assertion that negative feedback generates a sound of its own.

Although I retain a firm hold on the established audio world, and recognize and value all that it has achieved, I feel inexorably driven to make some space in my life for single-ended amplifiers&mdash;more especially, those that eschew negative feedback (footnote 1). A classic if costly example of the art is the <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/740">Cary CAD-805C</A>, which, to my ears, has earned the right to teach audiophiles what negative feedback really sounds like, and what damage it can do to the musical message when poorly handled. This shouldn't be taken as an out-of-hand dismissal of those many great pieces of electronics and amplification that use negative feedback&mdash;it is simply an acknowledgment, or even an assertion that negative feedback generates a sound of its own.

I was attacked by Chris Johnson of Sonic Frontiers at HI-FI '96.

I was attacked by Chris Johnson of Sonic Frontiers at HI-FI '96.

I was attacked by Chris Johnson of Sonic Frontiers at HI-FI '96.

I was attacked by Chris Johnson of Sonic Frontiers at HI-FI '96.

I live in a house that has a pyramid-shaped roof, so I guess you could say that I have a thing for pyramids (footnote 1). That's probably why I was immediately drawn to the Green Mountain Audio Diamante. I'm also attracted to floorstanding speakers with small footprints, since my listening/video room is only 13' by 16'. My Holy Grail of loudspeakers is a small speaker that's flat between 20Hz and 20kHz, can do 110dB sound-pressure&ndash;levels without straining, and costs less than $1000/pair.

I live in a house that has a pyramid-shaped roof, so I guess you could say that I have a thing for pyramids (footnote 1). That's probably why I was immediately drawn to the Green Mountain Audio Diamante. I'm also attracted to floorstanding speakers with small footprints, since my listening/video room is only 13' by 16'. My Holy Grail of loudspeakers is a small speaker that's flat between 20Hz and 20kHz, can do 110dB sound-pressure&ndash;levels without straining, and costs less than $1000/pair.

I live in a house that has a pyramid-shaped roof, so I guess you could say that I have a thing for pyramids (footnote 1). That's probably why I was immediately drawn to the Green Mountain Audio Diamante. I'm also attracted to floorstanding speakers with small footprints, since my listening/video room is only 13' by 16'. My Holy Grail of loudspeakers is a small speaker that's flat between 20Hz and 20kHz, can do 110dB sound-pressure&ndash;levels without straining, and costs less than $1000/pair.

I live in a house that has a pyramid-shaped roof, so I guess you could say that I have a thing for pyramids (footnote 1). That's probably why I was immediately drawn to the Green Mountain Audio Diamante. I'm also attracted to floorstanding speakers with small footprints, since my listening/video room is only 13' by 16'. My Holy Grail of loudspeakers is a small speaker that's flat between 20Hz and 20kHz, can do 110dB sound-pressure&ndash;levels without straining, and costs less than $1000/pair.