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

Just to clarify on Agostino gear. Dan A was the creator of Krell and the designer of their very best creations. He started his own 
company a few years back with his latest designs being under his own name. his products have been acclaimed worldwide. Take a look at his website. Not to be critical at all but if the company is not familiar to you then you need to continue researching before making a decision. Dan D' Agostino is very well known in audio circles. Also be wary of heavy sales pitches on unfamiliar gear. Absolutely no reason to go there.

Jim I can assure you there was no secret agenda in regards to the review and Mr. Taffel keeping the equipment for a year. 

Many reviewers take 2-3 months to write a review and in this case he treated each of the two products as separate reviews so taking six months to a year is a bit long but not insane. 

The how and why Mr. Taffel wrote what he wrote is up to Mr. Tafflel. 

The facts with this line are the facts everyone who reviews the gear goes bonkers over it, so either there is a massive conspiracy with T+A buying reviewers or the stuff is really that good.

Robert Harley stated that the PA 3000 CD is the "best SACD source he has heard."

Mike Lavorgnia in Audio Stream compared the DAC 8 DSD to the DCS Rossini, and the Total Dac which are extremely expensive digital front ends which he did prefer but it was how close the little Dac 8 sounded compared to the big reference digital front ends was interesting. 

Allan Taffel similar $120k worth of CH vs $18k T+A and not hearing much qualitative improvement.

Positive Feedback comparing a $45k Dagastino vs $21k T+A again same thing, double the money not any real improvement 

Musifx a Audigon member bought a T+A 2500r integrated not from us by the way, and was thrilled with the sound and he preferred the T+A over a $12k Pass Labs integrated. 

We never did product reviews on the review side if you think that we should we will be more than happy to write a review, l believe that all these professional reviews are stating the facts about this line.

As per reimbursing someone for visiting our shop from another state if they were to make a purchase we would be more than willing to do so.

As per being on the threshold of ultra high end T+A is not on the threshold it is ultra high end gear, but priced at much more moderate levels, every reviewer seems to say the same thing, that if you compare T+A to the most expensive stuff out there ie the Solutions, Dagastinos, CH Precision, you are going to have a hard time justifying spending double or triple the money so you could kind of say that T+A is a value oriented product. 

If you look at the size of the company they have the advantage of buying in bulk as well as producing all the components including the cases in their own factory, this brings down costs, T+A is a huge company in Germany compared to the rest of the high end audio industry. 

We do recommend that people purchase from their local dealer whenever possible. T+A is just getting reestablished in the US, after a few missteps with distribution, T+A is now going direct to the dealers without a distributor via T+A USA and a new marketing plan.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor nj

Coda Technologies 15.5
Vitus Audio RS-100

Octave MRE 220.  Superb in every respect...

4425
Thanks for the clarification. I thought I was right.
D' Agostino is a name I’m familiar with. I read it as “Agostino” instead, and that threw me some.
My first enjoyable amp was a Krell KAV 250. Thereafter its preamp mate.

Yeah, hard charging pitches concern me but they are amusing too. Well, to a point.

Its all about the final ‘fit’ in any case… how deep are the pockets and one’s own preffs.

IMHO, although an ultra end INT is a viable option, likely as not, I’m leangin to merely an amp dual mono amps, or possibly even pure monos.

Given this list, and watching input and output impedances, plenty of the items on this list will work in numerous applications/configurations. Only presentation andpower demands of the speakers in mind will dictate which way to go now, and or, eventually. This is despite many amps listed herein are the so called ‘destination’ amps… or could be. Really?
If but $5K is the available outlay for an amp, a $5K amp is indeed the ‘destination’ amp.
Thanks much, J


Audiotroy
Hi.
TA has more than enough press in this thread. It’s a list, remember? There are still others which ought to be here but are not quite yet.

As for diminishing returns, which is what aI alluded to putting TA at it’s threshold, I felt it was obvious price doesn’t always equate to performance or improvements on performance. Price isn’t even going to deliver exactitudes in presentation. Merely differences thereof. Subjectivity accounts for which is best or acceptable and remains a personal choice affected by a lot of other factors.

RE Reviews
My inference here was anyone who has a remarkable inventory available at their fingertips, IMO, ought to spend time illuminating or supporting others experiences by jotting down thoughts on the technical and practical side of matching components and developing suprising outcomes.

As stated, even a little information makes things more or less attractive. Sheer speculation, and no practical info does nothing at all.

Put some energy into imagination and provide some windows for others they might not usually see.

EX:.” At what level of expense in the amplifier can one obtain ‘pinch me’ its that real presentation, with say, Personna 5 or 7Fs which aren’t getting tons of press just yet. Or with Legacy’s? or with ??? speakers.

EX:, which tube amps and or which SS amps and at what WPC outputs? Do single ended triodes have enough juice to push ??? speakers to satisfying levels provided one is not insane? Etc.

EX: Is the proposed $8K diff from the Para 5F to the 7F entirely justifiable, or will using a ??? amp on the 5F in a ??? sized room do as well? ETC.

I don’t presume to know your inventory, or I’d offer better suggestions. Maybe simply elaborate on things people don’t expect which are affordable tweaks or upgrades one should put on their lists if they don’t already know.

In short, follow a some what more altruistic path. It always pays off.


pfglhe
why?
thanks. a lot. Do you have any links to articles on these items?


rspyder
why?
thanks much. Links?