Well the 65 pound "bundle of Joy" arrived this afternoon and I now have it plugged in and burning in a bit.
While I have heard this amp on VMPS speakers before, I have not heard it in my system.
Within the first hour my jaw was on the floor. I have a few "test" reference cuts, that are a veritable mine field for cables and components to navigate through and "right out of the gate" with only an hour on the odometer, it outperfromed everything I have ever had in my system.
WHat was most surprising was the Diana Krall cut "My love", which starts with "finger snaps" which are always a challenge to get right.
Well Sonny "nailed it" better than anything else.
On the Carl Saunders (Jim Merod -Blueport) Sextet in SF, there was a hollow echo like reverb to the tom toms that I have never heard before.
And the thing I like the most is Bass definition and detail that is "miles deep" and the clairity, detail and depth I heard on "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" set new standards.
Texture, tone, detail and depth are certainly a step up (and I was very happy with my previous amp which is being retired to Subwoofer and BASS duties.
I would expect that we may hear yet other improvements as the amp burns in a bit, but James Bongiorno's claim that this is a SS amp that has the best of tubes and transistor as far as sound, it apparantly true, for this is the smoothest amp I have heard, which still maintains all the detail and clairity one might want.
To say I am a happy father is an understatement.
Shokunin, ya gotta bring the JR 201s over to compare. If they are only "as good" they are fantastic. If they are better, I'll be very impressed
Then we also need to drop the SOA into KeithR's System and see how it flies with the Sophias against the 201's and maybe the Brystons
Remember this little guy only has 120wpc, but man do those watts do the deed
I don't even have all my best wiring plugged into this "wunderkund".