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The Best Amplifier Ever ?

OK, let's get the straight scoop! Stereophile reviewers want to push the Halcro dm58 (and presumably the dm68) into a newly formed A+ category because it is the best amplifier ever. For a moment, let's assume something like a "best" can exist, at least for one person at a time. Is this the end for all other amps in the proximate price range? Paul Bolin used words like "jaw dropping" and "utter disbelief" -- Oh I know that journalists like that kind of thing, but Mr. Bolin basically says that nothing else comes close to comparison. No contest. Not in the same league. Even in Stereophile, I can't recall something quite that glowing (except maybe for the Boulder 2008 phono preamp). What do you think?
ozfly
ezmeralda11
303 posts
 
The Dynaudio Arbiter was about $100,000 pr solid-state monoblocs with $96,000 solid-state preamp.
tubegroover
2,279 posts
 
should read "Many just aren't good at conveying insight" at 40K this amp should be very special and it is, es-specially expensive. Maybe I would be a bit more interested if it had tubes, how bout you Twl?
twl
3,251 posts
 
Tubegroover, you mean it doesn't have that euphonic distortion we all love?
wenterprisesnw
66 posts
 
Well, you never know. However, I would strongly recommend considering an audition with any KR Audio Electronics (formerly KR Enterprise) and Clayton Audio amplifier model before anyone would conclude that the Halcro, or any other brand/model for that matter, is the best amplifier.
tok20000's avatar
tok20000
608 posts
 
Best is absolutely system dependant. You would not want to drive 106db sensative speakers with this amp using an Ayre K-3x preamp. It just would not work PERIOD. Way too much gain and power. The speakers would be blasting at the first volume notch you could get to...

A 1 watt SET tube amp would work MUCH better.

KF
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