PS Audio HCA-2 amp

[Geoffcin]

Just posted a review of this amp. Here's a link;

http://www.audioreview.com/Amplifiers/PS%20Audio/PRD_302365_1583_1711998crx.aspx

[topspeed]

Great review. I was wondering how it would sound with your Maggies. Based on your review, I'd say pretty darn good :D. How does it compare to your Musical Fidelity?

[Geoffcin]

Great review. I was wondering how it would sound with your Maggies. Based on your review, I'd say pretty darn good :D. How does it compare to your Musical Fidelity?

It compares quite well. The maggies have always been a little bit "hot" in this room, and the Musical Fidelity is also slightly hot, so it wasn't a match made in heaven, at lease in my new room. The PS Audio has less (compared to the MFamp) treble energy. Both amps can give you that cymbal shimmer, but the PS Audio is less fatiguing at volume. The midrange compares equally, with the PS Audio a bit more relaxed, although quixotically also more strong. Singers seem to stand out better, but not into your face. It feels a bit more liquid, although I would never describe the MF as analytical. I would actually compare the PS Audio highy with the MF Trivista. The MF A3cr has all the goodies that the Trivista has except for some of that midrange sweetness, and of course the floor shaking power. The PS Audio HCA-2 reminds me of "Trivista light"more than the A3cr, if that makes any sense. One thing that isn't light abouth the HCA-2 is it's ability to dump huge amounts of current when asked to. The bass is a significant jump over the MF A3cr. The MF while I wouldn't call lean, is definitely not a giant killer when asked to deliver bass energy. This really isn't a bad thing when you consider that up until I got the HCA-2 amp, the MF held it's own against all others in just about every other category, and this is against some stiff competition too. Yes, I still like amps like the Pass Labs 250.5, and the Classe 401, but in my opinion that's where you have to go to get better at anything, and it's still not going to be better across everything. To sum it up the PS Audio HCA-2 was for me a significant step up without having to drop a huge amount more money.