[AliG]

George, you mean even when it comes to midrange, the BAT is more liquid/smoother than Moscode? aa

I bet you regretted selling the BAT for Moscode two years ago...

Barry,

Here are a few candidates:

BAT VK600SE
Pass XA 100.5

I definitely preferred the BAT in every way to the Moscode and I think that the Pass amp would be an upgrade as well.

Both can be had well under $10k used.

George

[zybar]

George, you mean even when it comes to midrange, the BAT is more liquid/smoother than Moscode? aa

I bet you regretted selling the BAT for Moscode two years ago...

I didn't sell the BAT for the Moscode...the BAT simply didn't fit my system when I switched to a fully loaded Bolder Cable SB2.  While I liked the Moscode, it definitely wasn't in the same class as the BAT.

If I needed a high power amp, the BAT would be up at the top of the list.

Couldn't really find any issues with its performance...only issues are size and the amount of electricity it uses. 

George

[zybar]

George, you mean even when it comes to midrange, the BAT is more liquid/smoother than Moscode? aa

I bet you regretted selling the BAT for Moscode two years ago...

I didn't sell the BAT for the Moscode...the BAT simply didn't fit my system when I switched to a fully loaded Bolder Cable SB2.  While I liked the Moscode, it definitely wasn't in the same class as the BAT.

If I needed a high power amp, the BAT would be up at the top of the list.

Couldn't really find any issues with its performance...only issues are size and the amount of electricity it uses. 

George

BTW, if you really want an incredible midrange that will be hard to beat by "anything" out there, go listen to a pair of Atma-Sphere amps when hooked up to an appropriate pair of speakers.

I have a pair of M-60's powering Omega's Revolution Loudspeakers (8" Alinco single driver) + a pair of Deep Hemp subs and it is magic!   

George

[AliG]

You're right... the BAT is super heavy, I can't carry it by myself! I haven't heard the VK-600 but I quite like the VK-150 monoblocks.

I am slowly inching towards pulling a trigger on an all Audio Research system, which consists of Ref CD7, Ref-3 pre, and HD220 Hybrid amp but I'm trying to convince myself to wait till after RMAF.

[Occam]

Indeed, Hugh is at tremendous disadvantage, maketing wise, with his products, having no distribution in North America.
I'm incredibly pleased to have his Soraya in my system-
http://www.audiocircle.com/systems/index.php?systemid=771

Simply put, it does almost everything mo betta than every amp I've heard in my system, and by (questionable) extrapolation, as good as any I've heard. That 'almost' previously mentioned, was a direct comparison to an Innersound DPR-500 Reference Stereo Amplifier, whose 925wpc into 4 Ohms produced amazing gut thump'n bass. But the Soraya, within its volume limits, produces IMO deeper and better controlled bass. Above that range, I preferred the Soraya by a large margin. Most importantly, the tone, attack and decay is 'correct', and those audiophile characteristics, soundstaging and imaging are to die for. (I do voice my system via everything but the Soraya, tube rolling my pre, voicing my dac, cables, outlets, conditioning, etc...)
But opinions, even mine, are like bodily orifices, everyone has at least one....

For those of you willing to face the dangers of the outer boroughs, sinister Park Slope, Brooklyn, there is an open invite to visit and make your own judgements.
YMMV

Regards,
Paul

PS- and when the Aztec becomes available, I'll be at the head of that line. It actually approaches the 'required' power to drive my Alon IVs. Hugh's topological innovations on this amp are amazing.

[zybar]

Paul,

I would love to hear Hugh's best in my system.  Based on what I heard at his room at the past RMAF I have no doubt it will be excellent.

It's too bad he doesn't have a distributor or dealer base here in the States that would allow for auditions.  Of course if he did that, his prices would need to increase.

Too bad I am no longer down in the NYC area, otherwise I would either visit you or convince you to visit the burbs.

George

[2bigears]

  ---- this amp has some really large numbers behind it !!!!!   
Pete,

I know these are out of your price range, but I thought you would love the specs on these:

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1223233518

1100 watts RMS continuous power into 8 ohms, 20-20,000 Hz, with distortion no more than .05%.   


George
[/quote]

[James Romeyn]

The Sunfire will surprise you Pete, damn fine amp...

...Also in the back of my mind is Jim is promising higher efficiency on the HTX speakers and perhaps a lower powered tube amp might be worth trying then.

I really liked my Sunfire 200w x5 amp; never ran out of smooth power, should have kept it.  Totally bulletproof.  I'm very curious of your opinions vs. the Pass.   

If your speaker's impedance curve is flat enough you could consider an Atma-Sphere OTL.  On the right speakers they are my favorite.  Prices may surprise you: 30W stereo (you may need more) estimated $2700 MSRP.  Duke LeJeune can flatten one impedance peak w/ an outboard passive device w/ no acoustic penalty (wired in parallel, nothing series).  He also sells new Atma Sphere.     

[KeithR]

I heard a Krell 700cx on a pair of Avalon Eidolons a few weeks ago, and must admit that if you need a ton of power---it sounded very, very good.  and not bright like Krell of old.

i myself like the Pass X250.5 that i'm trying out as well.  going to hear it vs. a pair of Nuforce monos this weekend too

[Big Red Machine]

The Sunfire will surprise you Pete, damn fine amp...

...Also in the back of my mind is Jim is promising higher efficiency on the HTX speakers and perhaps a lower powered tube amp might be worth trying then.

I really liked my Sunfire 200w x5 amp; never ran out of smooth power, should have kept it.  Totally bulletproof.  I'm very curious of your opinions vs. the Pass.   

If your speaker's impedance curve is flat enough you could consider an Atma-Sphere OTL.  On the right speakers they are my favorite.  Prices may surprise you: 30W stereo (you may need more) estimated $2700 MSRP.  Duke LeJeune can flatten one impedance peak w/ an outboard passive device w/ no acoustic penalty (wired in parallel, nothing series).  He also sells new Atma Sphere.     

The Sunfire has far superior bass than the Pass 350.5 I had.  I think the Pass was more direct and actually smoother on the top end but I'm tapping my foot with the Sunfire for sure right now.  I may bring in an older Spectron to compare to the Sunfire.

[zybar]

The Sunfire has far superior bass than the Pass 350.5 I had.  I think the Pass was more direct and actually smoother on the top end but I'm tapping my foot with the Sunfire for sure right now.  I may bring in an older Spectron to compare to the Sunfire.

Pete,

Can you expand on what you mean by far superior?

George

[Big Red Machine]

Deeper and more of it on tracks I am familiar with than the Pass would produce.  I hear and feel more bass than the Pass.  I always said the Pass was in control and was tight, but a little too polite, or even shy.  The Sunfire is its older, more mature brother who is not afraid to let it hang out there.

And I found that certain viola and violin instruments in some tunes were more realistic with the Sunfire.  But some of the triangles and other high pitch instruments are more laid back with the Sunfire than the Pass.  Almost as if their frequency ranges overlap but one shifts up and the other shifts down a hair so that the Sunfire does more lower and the Pass does better higher.

[arthurs]

Sunfire = Surprisingly good.... aa

[Big Red Machine]

Sunfire = Surprisingly good.... aa

I'm quite satisfied but still so curious to try a Spectron and see if it does it ALL.  Such a pain to buy and sell like this.

[rydenfan]

Pete, I believe there are Spectron dealers that offer in-home trials. Perhaps that would be your best bet as that would allow you to try the latest version as well as not having to sell the Sunfire??

[arthurs]

Sunfire = Surprisingly good.... aa

I'm quite satisfied but still so curious to try a Spectron and see if it does it ALL.  Such a pain to buy and sell like this.

Based on my limited experience having a Spectron III in my system (a couple of hours) I think it would take you another step up from the Sunfire, but as suggested by rydenfan, maybe an in-home demo would be the best path...

[James Romeyn]

Sunfire & Carver in particular are wrongly overlooked by many audiophiles.

I seem to like digital amps for bass only, more than analog-type. 

[BrianM]

I tried a 250w Sunfire amp once and didn't like it as much as my Bryston.  Plenty of power but seemed a bit foggy.

[Double Ugly]

Based on my limited experience having a Spectron III in my system (a couple of hours) I think it would take you another step up from the Sunfire, but as suggested by rydenfan, maybe an in-home demo would be the best path...

I agree with the home demo.

FWIW, the upgrade from "III" to "III SE" apparently resulted in a pretty big improvement.  Even Spectron front man Simon Thatcher thought the III was sterile, an opinion shared by quite a few according to the informal research (web searches) I did a while back.

When I started to work on Mk1 Signature in my beginng of Spectron career, 100% of my attention was on "magic" - this capacitor vs that capacitor, this wire vs that wire etc etc (for my ears standard Musician III was a bit sterile). When, about three months ago, we finished Mk2 -  I suddenly realized that I don't care very much about these "magic" things - changes in design; first formulating the right question and then answering it bring much, much, much, much... much more changes to sound then "magic capacitor". For me personally it was rather stange discovery. I did not expected it.

[consttraveler]

In the FWIW Column:

I just replaced a Sunfire Cinema Grand in my system with a Wyred 4 Sound multi channel, to bi-amp my Emerald Physics CS-2's.  To my ears the W4S is just as good as the Sunfire in all areas, and noticeably better in the bass.

Dave