Best amp under $6k, in your opinion?

What's the nominal impedance of the speaker?

How loudly do you listen?

How large is your room?

Is the $6k figure retail or used?

The best amp is the one that matches your speakers to your satisfaction. Depending on your answers to the impedance and volume questions, there may be half a dozen or more to consider.

Here are a few:

Bryston 4B SST stereo or 7B SST monoblocks (used)
Nuforce Ref 9 V2 SE monoblocks
Belles 150A or 350A Reference monoblocks
VAC 160 Musicbloc monoblocks (used)
VAC Phi 110/110 Stereo (used)
Spectron Musician III MK 2
H20 M250SA monoblocks

All of them would work very well. The best is up to listener preference.

You should also ask SP Tech for their recommendation.

I forgot one other:Moscode 401HR . Tremendous amp. Should be near the top of
your audition list.

I presently use Pass Labs XA-60.5. Outstanding amps. They do not have enough
power for 87dB speakers played at high volume, IMO.

Sources are APL Denon 3910 and KAB Technics SL1200 MK II with Heed Quasar
phono. Speakers are Silverline Sonata III (93dB).

The problem with buying a TRL amplifier is that it's virtually impossible for a customer to hear one before buying it, and there are virtually none available on the used market to allow a "Buy-It-And-Try-It" approach.

Now, I know the response to my comment is going to be that once you hear a TRL amp you'll love it, or that no one who has ever bought a TRL amp has sold it.

It still is an issue that a potential TRL customer must confront, and it's an issue that's not unique to TRL either.

I guess I have a barrier to buying on faith alone.

My understanding from another owner who has posted in the threads is that TRL does not offer a trial period.

However, I have not asked this of Paul, so the info is second hand.

I don't understand why you would sell the D-225 when you speak so highly of it. Now you have VAC monoblocks because you are saving up for TRL monoblocks? Couldn't you do that while owning the D-225?

No disrespect, but I'm not following the reasoning.

Good to know about the money back offer from TRL on the amp.

The Moscode 401HR improves substantially with a good active preamp, IMO. I
initially heard the 401HR in the Moscode demo room at the LA Home
Entertainment Show in 2006 (I think it was 2006...). George was using the
Placette passive preamp.

I thought it sounded very good, but I thought it sounded even better...more
musical, robust and lifelike...with a Lamm LL2 Deluxe preamp.

While I can only speculate, I suspect George selected a passive preamp to
eliminate one variable that could affect the system's sound. By using the
passive preamp, listeners could be more certain that they were hearing the amp
as uncolored as possible.

If the Nuforce competed with tubes I would certainly try it, but it would be a first.
Pubul57 (System | Threads | Answers)

While they are very good in their own right, you would be disappointed by the NuForce amps in comparison to your tube amps.