Personal amp evolution

Yamaha DSP-3090
Sunfire Cinema Grand
Bryston 9B-ST
Bryston 14B-ST
Levinson 33H monos
PBN Denali monos
Lamm M1.2 monos - here to stay

Yamaha DSP A-3090 7.1 AC3 Home Theater Receiver
Sunfire Cinema Grand 5 Channel Amp
Bryston 9B-SST 5 Channel Amp
Bryston 14B-SST 2 Channel Amp
Levinson 33H monos
PBN Denali monos
Lamm M1.2

Whew!! What a journey. But I'm staying with Lamm. :)

Lloydelee21,

I all honesty, I really have no idea how the 14BSST2 compares to the Levinson 33Hs, because they were in two entirely different systems in two entirely different spaces. My apologies. The Bryston, however, was always crisp & clean in its presentation when it drove the Legacy Audio Focus speakers. The Levinsons, on the other hand, always presented a 3D soundstage with the warmth of a wool blanket when it drove the Revel Salons. But they both pale in comparison to the presence of the Lamm M1.2s.

Lloydelee21,

I'm not sure the Lamms are any better than Brystons and/or Levinson, because I've never A/B'd them in my current system, although I suspect the Lamms are. I suspect so because of the glowing reviews and the audio community's overwhelming acceptance. But for the sake of full disclosure, having learned that the system is more than the sum of its parts, the system (and system synergy) is more than any one piece of equipment. What the Lamms do with my Sashas is more realistic, more full, well rounded, and weightier than the presentation of the other 2 systems, which included those respective amps.

Finally got a chance to listen to the new set up. There is far more presence with the Meitner MA-1 pulling decoding duty. The sweet spot seemed to grow - wider and deeper. Details are more apparent. This new realism allows me to see deeper into the musical event - and sometimes discover new sounds, accents or other treats that would otherwise remain hidden. It's a refreshing approach to the music that Ive been accustomed to listening to through the dCS Purcell/Delius stack. Although I like the new DAC, and it'll take some aural adjusting to fully engage the new sound, I could've lived with the dCS stack and been happy. What I liked about the dCS combo was the intimacy that was conveyed. This is just the first impression. The MA-1 was a dealer demo, and may take some additional breaking in. I'll continue to update you all as time progresses.

I know this thread was for amp evolution, but I mad the mistake of posting my impressions about a newly acquired MA-1, and felt compelled to update whoever read it. Here goes:

The Meitner MA-1 has forced me to reconsider my former statement, "Although I like the new DAC, and it'll take some aural adjusting to fully engage the new sound, I could've lived with the dCS stack and been happy." The MA-1 is leagues beyond my previous dCS Purcell/Delius stack. The spatial information that I'm experiencing now is unprecedented in my system. The height, width, depth and weight of each item in the soundstage is the closest to "real" that I've had in any of my previous efforts. This feels goooood, and it's getting better each day.