Frankly, I didn't get this impression whatsoever. I was my thought that Srajan was just holding back so there would be something from Chip's followup to actually look forward to.
I don't know, Robin. Having read a lot of Srajan's work, the review simply did not come across to me as being as strong an endorsement as I’ve come to expect for a component he nominated for an award.
There were a lot of positive things said about the amp, but where's the part where he describes how it sounds with specific CDs/LPs? What's more important than how it sounds as a whole when music is playing? I know he gave props to how it handled bass, midrange and highs, but they were treated separately IMO, which can give the impression that the whole - the coherency or "oneness" of the amp - was somehow lacking. I suppose what I'm saying is that it wasn't so much what he said, but what he
didn't say.
And as far a leaving something for Chip to say –
I guess I'm in the unique (read enviable) position of having heard it both ways; I lived with a single 2250 in my system for a week, and the second amp arrived a week ago today. I'm here to tell you, there's a LOT to say about the differences. If Chip has a problem hearing and/or articulating those differences, I submit he should find another line of work.
That's my story and I'm stick'n to it!
And I hope you're right about the keeping 2250s. They're great amps IMO, and I have no doubt I could live happily with them for a long, long time. But the A100s are
sweeeeeeet, seductive even, and I don’t know how it’s all going to shake out.
I guess it goes back to my wife's inevitable comment when I broach the subject of trying a new component - "you can't miss what you don't know you don't have." It may be convoluted, but there's a lot of fiscal wisdom there. In retrospect I should’ve avoided the audition altogether, but curiosity got the better of me. Now Pandora's box is open and the A100s are here. What happens this weekend will have a significant impact on my bank account, but since Kandy has equal say in what we do, I know a sanity check (or two) will be part of the decision-making process.
-Jim
