TAS 2013 recommended power amps

[blackraven]

Here is a list of the the 2013 TAS recommended power amps in the $3K-$6K range-

2013 TAS Editors' Choice Awards: Power Amps $3000-$6000 | The Absolute Sound

I considered buying the Nuforce and 600R amps before I bought my Pass.

[Mr Peabody]

I was some surprised to see the 600r, it's not a bad amp I just didn't find it in the same league as some on the list. It is musical though and maybe associated gear is crucial. I mean you found it sounding better than the A21 but look at the drastic difference in build quality and price, the 600r pales in build to the A21 and mearly twice the price. The list has a wide variety of topologies.

Here is a list of the the 2013 TAS recommended power amps in the $3K-$6K range-

2013 TAS Editors' Choice Awards: Power Amps $3000-$6000 | The Absolute Sound

I considered buying the Nuforce and 600R amps before I bought my Pass.

[blackraven]

Mr. P, in some ways the 600R sounds better than the X250 in my system in that it has better HF and maybe a little more musical. Cymbals sound more natural with more HF air. But it was too bright for my tastes with my Magnepans but sounded fine with the Salk Veracity HTR-3 speakers at Franks. Overall I feel the X250 is a better sounding amp. Interestingly, I was talking to Frank Van Alstine the other day and I informed him I bought the Pass. He related to me that the 600R runs in class A up to about 25wpc. I would like to know what the actual specs are since it runs way cooler than the X250 with less heat sinks.

[frenchmon]

Peabody...have you heard the 600r? I thought you had the 400r?

[Mr Peabody]

I had the 400r but Frank basically says the only difference is power. You and I have different systems which could effect outcome. However, I find the Pass high end more extended but more refined and pleasurable to listen to. The 400r was bested by my Threshold S300 and not even on the same track as the Pass in my opinion. It should be that way though considering the Pass would be more than double retail a 400r.

I will put this out there since this is an amp thread but I don't know if I can get this across so others understand or relate. Amps like Pass, Levinson or Krell have a certain weight or substantialness, as if that's a word, to their presentation. It's like a more realistic solid feel, I think it may be what some are talking about when they say one amp sounds "thick" or "thin", that's part of it but not entirely what I mean. The AVA fell short in this area.

[frenchmon]

Peabody as far as your terms are concerned...in audio terms , Thick means - A lack of articulation and clarity in the bass.

And Thin means - Fundamentals are weak relative to harmonics. Bass light.

the word that I think you are looking for is Texture - A perceptible pattern or structure in reproduced sound.

Here is the Audio sound glossary.

Describing Sound A Glossary - Head-Fi.org Community

[frenchmon]

As far as the AVA gear is concerned, I thought it had a more SS sound rather than a tube sound....and why was the case of a 200 watt amp as light as it was? That was puzzling to me. Most amps have a little weight to them.

[blackraven]

I was able to hear both the 400R and 600R. The 600R had more authority to it compared to the 400R. I thought the low end on the 600R was fantastic, effortless with great bass and control. The 600R is still a bargain but it does not sound as good as the Pass. But different amps sound different in different systems. Just as the guy who reviewed the A21, Krell and Pass 150.5 who thought that the A21 was warm sounding. In my system it is anything but warm. Neutral yes, but the X250 is warmer.

I always feel that trying to compare the sound of a piece of audio gear in your own system with that same piece in some one else's system is a bit like comparing apples to oranges because of all the different variables.

[Mr Peabody]

Thanks for that glossary Frenchie. I think the word I was looking for is "sturdy" according to the glossary. I would add "lush" for Pass. Any way I am not saying the 400r was bad by no means, I just could detect a difference between it and similar powered higher end amps I had heard. Frank now has them in a fairly competitive price range. On the other hand unless buying used you still don't get amps like I mentioned at that price.

[JohnMichael]

I was glad to see Krell getting some respect.

[frenchmon]

I see Vincent made the list again.

[mjtab]

Cary's preamps and sacd player have gotten great reviews in the past, so I'm glad they have a contender in the amp recommendations with the CAD120. I've alway thought the sound of Cary gear had such a human and real world sound, but you don't hear about them much these days. I've had the Cary's sister company's Audio Electronics Super Amp 2 and DJH preamp as well as their own 308 cd player and it was like been in the studio or live event, so musical.