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2017 amps - $10K to $15K who is on your short list?


Hello!
I saw recently a short list by TAS on 2016 amps between $10 & $15K MSRP the TAS staff concluded were their choices of the best for last year.

Perhaps these were new entries from2016 only. I don’t know and thee article did not mention that aspect. The list also appears to be a global perspective.

The list contained:
Air Tight ATM-1S,
AVM Ovation PA8 preamp and SA8.2 Power amp,
Constellation Inspiration,
Dn D'Agostino Classic Stereo,
GamuT D200i,
Hegel Music Systems H30,
PS Audio BHK Signature 300,
Triode Corporation TRX-M300,
Zesto Audio Bia 120

Regretfully some more mainstream names were not included which came to mind such as, BAT, VAC, Pass, and perhaps a couple more.

My question here is which ‘current production’ amps in this MSRP financial ball park would be on your short list were you shopping for new amps, or are in your present system?

Valves Solid State, hybrids, integrated, or Class D which are not speaker specific, requiring high Eff speakers or horns to work well.

Let’s include current production amps which are near the upper and lower limits of the spread, so if in your opinion there is an amp at $8 or $9K which out performs those costing more, or is even on par, in your opinion, plese feel free to mention it or them.

All amps must be at least in production now stereo amps. If they can as well be run as monos, fine enough, but let the price range of more or less, 10 – 15K dictate your ascertions on two channel amps or twin monos which would land in or near the mentioned boundaries.

Here are some I feel should be among the TAS list but were not, in no particular order:

VAC Signature 200 iQ Stereo/Mono - $14,000
This one is here on rep and new technology in the bias circuit alone. Have seen no reviews, and I have not heard it. It does offer itself as a mono if an uncle or Aunt dies and leaves you an inheritance.

Balanced Audio Technology VK 76SE stereo or mono $13,995.00 2ch price
I previously owned BAT vk 60 and found it very acceptable. Also in mono, see ‘inheritance’ above if twin mono setup is desired.

Balanced Audio Technology VK-655SE $16,500
(well, it is within a grand or so of 15K and BAT has strong performance heritage and very good secondary market presence. Also, didn’t want folks to think I was biased to tubes only)
I’ve owned BAT VK500 BAT pack, and loved it. Purely musical with control and finesse. A tick or two on the warm side. The latest iteration scales up the power and refines the voice, if the reviewer isn’t deaf. Once more offered in mono config too.

no inheritance on your horizon? Perhaps you can get pics of BAT Execs with tempestuous farm animals to negotiate possible lower price for twin mono setup. lol


Who is on your list and briefly, why?

blindjim
wolf_garcia
4,650 posts
 
Dennis Had Inspire "Fire Bottle" or "Hot Rod" amps are hand made, sound astonishingly good (at least mine does, and I doubt I'll ever sell it) and cost a staggering 1500 bucks or so. Perhaps one of the best amps that is currently "sort of" available…Ebay only it seems unless sold used elsewhere, and subject to Dennis cranking one out from time to time (he also sells headphone amps elsewhere so he has to make those things also). Is a Shindo better sounding? Do they know something about amp technology that Had missed? I doubt it, but there never seems to be a lack of noses people need to pay through.
blindjim OP
2,837 posts
 

wolf_garcia > Dennis Had Inspire "Fire Bottle" or "Hot Rod" amps are hand made, sound astonishingly good

blindjim > THX – is he still making stereo or mono amps, or just HP amps?
I am a card carrying member of the “if’n I ain’t gotta pay mo”I don’t and won’t feel bad about it! Club. It is exactly like COSTCO or SAMS, ‘cept different.

I do have to admit this caveat I’ve found often very true, more money invested into amps always equates to increased levels of performance, subjectively speaking and to a point of course.

Less frequently, yet still valid, boutique high end audio amp makers can and do produce and establish immense value into their products by virtue of price considerations. Designing, producing and marketing all done on a ‘cotttage industry’ format.

There’s a perennially inherent argument on price and performance with everything in audio. Even debates on actual validity of certain approaches, or products’ sincerity. Truth, snake oil, or Magic Elixir? Maybe equal parts thereof?

Reputations mean something in audio. It seems to me that they must.

All in all, this thread was generated by these guidelines predominately affixed to cost. Apart from as you stated about Dennis, the $10 to $15K region for amps should put son one right at or a bit into the threshold of less good stuff coming from this point onwards. At least in 2017.

Thanks for the insight on the head Hot Rod amps.

One infrequent and unique situation arises in a lifetime which enables one to reach out and grab more than they ordinarily would be able to grab, perhaps.

So on ‘Rep’ alone, at this particular instance, I’ll reiterate the question to illicit more input on

Which power amp or amps from Shindo, Ayon, Audio Note, or Nagra could you live with indefinitely?


blindjim OP
2,837 posts
 
Hello again,

Addendum to list

Members have been kind enough to clue me in on brands I’ve no EXP with but are noteable very worthy entrants to this fold of high performing amplifiers, ether as stand alone 2 ch amps, monos or one box solution Integrated amps.

Allnic, Burmester, Nagra, and more were identified as solid choices capable of propelling an upscale audiophile system. All have models that can land beneath the $15K more or less upper limit and can drive the majority of loudspeakers..

Sliding these into the financial confines discussed here is more trying but there are models which can be fit into it.

Nagra for example has a SS amp entry, and Burmester from a couple of online articles have indicated has a couple models, one INT and a 2 ch amp that easily comes in under the wire.

If anyone have insights on Allnic, Nagra SS, or Burmester amps particular voicing or presentations it would be immensely appreciated to hear your thoughts on any or all of these brands.

Thanks much.


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