Clayton Audio Class A amps. Need amp advice

Zd542

Flying out of control?? How do you come up with that. Who says that? I have it boiled down to 2 amps and am asking for other members opinions and if others offer new other ideas then great I would love to hear them.

I am buying used gear from people with mutiple trades involved that are over a 1000 miles away. Asking for advice I would think is a smart and controlled way of getting more information. I have already read everything available on both the amps and am hoping to reach out to the Agon gang to get some more info.

That would be great if I could just go to a dealer and listen and buy new amps like I am sure you are referring to but don't have that luxury. If I buy something and I hate it then I'll flip not a life or death deal either way but just trying to get some more info to make a better inform order decision. Everything I read about the Clayton says it is a uber powerful pure class a true top of the top ss amp that does more for a tube lover than any other ss out there. If that's the case that sign me up I'm in but the newer CJ are a the safer bet and nothing is free. I have found the bigger the risk to more opportunity for upside. My problem is a May dislike the class or the newer CJ is more of the same so asking for more info is what I am hoping for...

why don't you speak to the folks at Ascendo see what they'd recommend

Acendo recommends Behold and CAT which are incredible but way way out of my league other than those they recommend SS in the best quality and most power you can afford. They say that the more power the better even thought they are not hogs just different. Like all the manufactures they say they work great with tubes but all most all speaker makers say that Kind of thing. They are 88 sensitive and are 6ohm which doesn't seem like the toughest load and there is no crazy I mprediance drops either but the bass driver is not seen its inside the cabinet and pointing straight up and it fires upwards inside the cabinet and all you see on the front of the speaker is a big port whole where the bass comes from. Quite different and they have some of the best imaging and staging and my guess is that there is more there. With the proper grip on that 21 cm Kevlar driver which has these speakers go down to 29 I think it / they can go to another level. Its what I am doing asking about the Clayton. Pure Class A no A/B at all but A all the way and that is tube sounding and offers 300/8ohm and 600/4ohm so not positive but at my speakers 6/ohm I think they are at 500 Pure Class A vs CJ tubes from the late ninety's which offer 140 watts I think is a huge change but hoping to hear from others. Hoping tomorrow morning when I wake up I can decide between Clayton M300 or CJ LP140m which is a modern CJ amp that some on here say then newer ones do much better on bottom and are much more neutral. Any feedback is welcomed!!!! Thx

Typing on my phone sorry about all the type o's : )

"Any feedback is welcomed!!!! Thx"

Are you sure about that? Or is it just the feedback that you want to hear?

"Flying out of control?? How do you come up with that. Who says that? I have it boiled down to 2 amps and am asking for other members opinions and if others offer new other ideas then great I would love to hear them."

Read your posts again. It doesn't sound like you have it boiled down to 2 choices.

"Thanks for the response and in that review and all the others they totally gush over these speakers and say the bass is amazing in these speakers. They actually get a lot of accolades for their deep, controlled, tuneful and musical bass but your right they don't have that true high end Wilson, Magico, Focal bass slam but heck 95% of the speakers out there under $12,000 don't have that. I thought about the speakers but before these I was on the Merry go round and had Kharma CRM 3.2FE, Wilson Sohpia 2, Wilson Watt/Puppy 6, Revel Studio, Martinlogan Vantage then Spire, Sonus Faber Cremora Auditor, Merin TSM-MMI not in that order but to name a few and in all honesty none were even close to these speakers. These are the best speakers I have ever owned and by far its not even close in my system IMO. They really are great and they resolve and image with a sophistication that was a total game changer for me. Its just after I got the Bricasti the sound improved so much I could then sense / feel there was more there and that stubborn for tubes critical Kevlar driver needs more grip I can feel it and I think then the rest will fill out even more and blossom but at what cost? That is why I am reaching out to my Agon comrades. I am trading my amps as part of the deal and really would love and get as much feedback before I take the big plunge. I have a friend that keeps pushing and telling me to do what ever I can to try and get my hands on the Ayre AX-5 Integrated. I never even thought of that and still have my sights set on the Clayoton audio M300 monos but what do you guys think? Is that Ayre integrated that good? Its tough if I give my beloved tubes which I am willing to do I hope to get overall better sound...

Thanks I do like them a lot but I have only heard so many different kinds so who knows there def could be better I totally see what your saying for sure. That though is still in my mind. I love tubes there is no doubt. There is a set of CJ LP140m on here that's a much newer pair of CJ mono's but I was thinking there would not be too much difference but maybe I am wrong on that and the new CJ could be a good option. That's what I thought about the Ayre Integrated but he swears its the best sounding amp under $20k bar none. He is so dead set serious on it. I would be trading my some gear and not a lot of money as I already own the gear. I might need to think more about those newer CJ's..."

To me, that sounds like total confusion. What would you have me do? Lie, and pat you on the back and say you're doing the right thing? Also, if you leave this thread open long enough, everyone will end up recommending everything.

"That would be great if I could just go to a dealer and listen and buy new amps like I am sure you are referring to but don't have that luxury."

I didn't recommend anything. How could I? I don't know you well enough? I gave you my thoughts on your 12's and listed a few brands for you to audition. But nothing more than that. I could be like your friend and tell you the Ayre is the best thing under 20k. It wouldn't be all that hard either, because Ayre is my personal favorite and that's what I use in my system.

"I have found the bigger the risk to more opportunity for upside."

That's completely up to you. There's plenty of ways to reduce risk. Buying blind by reading reviews and listening to strangers in internet chat rooms is no way to go about it.