Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room

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John Casler

HoooooooYaaaaah :dance:

James B, just called and said the SOA is shipping TODAY!!!

Can't wait to fire this little Monster UP :flame:

John B

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #1 on: 2 Sep 2004, 09:00 pm »
Congrats John, I know you'll be a proud papa

Tonto Yoder

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #2 on: 2 Sep 2004, 11:34 pm »
Whazzat baby???  about 50 lbs and 19" long????  Musta been a tough delivery! :D

Marbles

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #3 on: 3 Sep 2004, 02:10 am »
John, I can honestly say Happy Birthday...since he and I share the same one... :birthday:

John Casler

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #4 on: 3 Sep 2004, 02:44 am »
Dr. Bongiorno said all went well and I am the proud pappa of a "blue faced" bundle of sonic joy.

He said that I should feed him a good diet of quality tunes, and he should develop just fine.

He mentioned that he had a couple twin brothers who looked like they were a "chip" off the old "mono"bloc.

He also said not to be alarmed if he was responsible for loud noises as long as they were "pleasing to the ear".

He is supposed to "play very well" with others, especially if they give him what he wants, which is lots and lots of clean signal.

So when the UPS man, brings him by tomorrow for his first day at home, it will be all I can do "not" to listen to him critically even during the break in period.

Will report as it happens.

And Happy Birthday Rob!!!! :beer:  :birthday:  :beer:

mgalusha

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #5 on: 3 Sep 2004, 03:14 am »
Quote from: Marbles
John, I can honestly say Happy Birthday...since he and I share the same one... :birthday:


Happy Birthday Rob! 44 is it? Seems to me you, Klaus and I were all within a month or two of each other. Mine was a couple of weeks ago.

Do let us know how the new amp sounds John, sounds like it will have a loving parent. :D

Mike

zybar

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #6 on: 3 Sep 2004, 03:15 am »
Quote from: Marbles
John, I can honestly say Happy Birthday...since he and I share the same one... :birthday:



Happy Birthday Rob!!

George

Marbles

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #7 on: 3 Sep 2004, 01:06 pm »
Thanks Guys,

Mike, Yup 44.

You can add Dr. Photo to that list that is right at that age too.

sbcgroup1

SOAs
« Reply #8 on: 3 Sep 2004, 01:27 pm »
Take pics of them in your system with your 6 subs!!!!  I wanna see!!!!

:rock:

-Ed

shokunin

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #9 on: 3 Sep 2004, 11:36 pm »
woohoo...fire that baby up!!!  Looking forward to listening to it!!

John Casler

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #10 on: 4 Sep 2004, 02:47 am »
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.
 :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

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 :o  :o

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 :wink:

I don't even have all my best wiring plugged into this "wunderkund". :o  :o

lonewolfny42

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Re: SOAs
« Reply #11 on: 4 Sep 2004, 06:29 am »
Quote from: sbcgroup1
Take pics of them in your system with your 6 subs!!!!  I wanna see!!!!

:rock:

-Ed
Pictures.....yeah , pictures.....I like pictures !!
    Should be interesting comparing SOA and JR 201. Thanks !! :) [/list:u]

John Casler

Re: SOAs
« Reply #12 on: 4 Sep 2004, 03:56 pm »
Quote from: lonewolfny42
Quote from: sbcgroup1
Take pics of them in your system with your 6 subs!!!!  I wanna see!!!!

:rock:

-Ed
Pictures.....yeah , pictures.....I like pictures !!
    Should be interesting comparing SOA and JR 201. Thanks !! :) [/list:u]


Well, I don't have 6 subs......yet.  In fact, I plan to place and hook up the second pair this weekend (Now that my new Son has arrived I have some extra channels to drive them.

I will post pics as soon as I stack the 2nd pair.

Now excuse me, while I do a bit more listening to the SOA :mrgreen:

shokunin

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #13 on: 5 Sep 2004, 06:13 pm »
Quote from: John Casler
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 icon_eek.gif icon_eek.gif

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 icon_wink.gif


Aiiight :D.  It'd be great to hear them on the 626R's plus the Wilsons.  When my RMx's arrive, you'll have to swing by with the SOA.   I think you should get the big-daddy Monoblocks to match your Son..

Charles Calkins

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #14 on: 5 Sep 2004, 07:52 pm »
Does Ampzilla have a web site?

John Casler

Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #15 on: 5 Sep 2004, 11:01 pm »
Quote from: Charles Calkins
Does Ampzilla have a web site?


Hi Charles,

Yes, James has a site.  Look here:

http://www.ampzilla2000.com/

Anarchist

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What is it?
« Reply #16 on: 5 Sep 2004, 11:33 pm »
Are you the first and only owner of the SoA? Are they available for the public? Last time I looked there was no hard info about it, its cost, or availability.

John Casler

Re: What is it?
« Reply #17 on: 6 Sep 2004, 12:49 am »
Quote from: Anarchist
Are you the first and only owner of the SoA? Are they available for the public? Last time I looked there was no hard info about it, its cost, or availability.


The Son of Ampzilla was slowly put into production after CES this year.  The bulk of which is sent to the Orient.

I am a Hobbyist/Dealer for several lines and finally was able to meet the ticket price (and wish I had sacrificed a little sooner now :banghead: )

Brian has used both the AMPzilla 2000 monoblocs and the Son with all of his speakers and auditions.  I have a few clients with them.  One even has recently ordered a second pair of the 2Ks to biamp a pair of RM/x's

There are several dealers around the country of which Brian (VMPS), Julian (Sedona Sound) and myself (Summit AV) are in the ranks.

The SOA lists for $3250 and while that is not inexpensive, it can be said (on my end) that it is amoung less than a small handfull of amps that can do what it does, and all of them cost substantially more.

If I had to pin my initial impressions down to two incredible qualities, I would have to say "tonal and timbral accuracy" and "great detail without any edginess". (tubelike SS) :thumb:

Sa-dono

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Cigars for ALL my new SONof Ampzilla is in the delivery room
« Reply #18 on: 7 Sep 2004, 09:31 am »
Great! I can't wait to hear the SoA and 201's! :bounce: :duel: :tempted: :dance:

Brian Cheney

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SofA
« Reply #19 on: 7 Sep 2004, 03:00 pm »
The Son of Ampzilla is an amazingly natural sounding amp and is what you hear in my demo room when I play speakers for customers.

You do have to reterminate your interconnects into the amp with phone plugs (most IC manufacturers are willing to do so).  The RCA to phone adapters supplied with the amp are not very good.

I have retired my wonderful Jadis JPL tube pre and run the Wadia 27ix directly into the Son.  That means just one pair of IC's between source and amp.  The sound is faultless.