- Jul 22, 2023
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Fred R. Bernard
"A picture is worth a thousand words"
A very apt phrase for my day out at the various demo rooms of both dealers and come-to-be friends of many yrs in one case.
Fast becoming one of my favourite places in which I keep all things hifi and also myself that nondescript in favour of never colouring an opinion into being biased is where I stumbled upon an unpopular choice of amp that sounded that good in it's class I looked past the software niggles that dogged it early on it's release.
Fortunately I waited long enough for them to be ironed out with an update.
This visit was very similar only this time the amp I heard was unintentionally of a different class
Originally i had purchased an Audiolab 6000a after it came up as an ex demo at a substantial savings which had become a favourite of mine after hearing it and all kinds in-between a few years ago which to me bettered the rega brio I later heard, combined with more connection suitabilties my mind was made with those two.
Getting there I as usual couldn't get off the phone as I'd developed an interest in 2 class D amps in which I was following the reviews, all of which to me a staunch class A/AB lover even the delving into class G was a suspicious time until a deeper understanding of exactly wtf it really was and acceptably to me most stay true to the so loved aforementioned classes.
Surly after hearing a completely different class in a D-amp and not liking them for the most part these two amps one being a Technics the other Marantz a much loved brand yet also being privy to the reasons behind the problems with class D they couldn't be as good as the gathering steam I was reading from people I generally listen to.
I decided to demo once again a class D offering without letting past experiences nor the negatives from the masses cloud my judgement.
Already having payed for the Audiolab and being there to pick it up I thought what better an opportunity to hear them both back to back via the demo room.
Out came the familer Audiolab 6000a with it's clean sleek look accompanying it's predictable to me very good performance but this time I had a curve ball in the new very very both short and good album by "The Lumineers" which suffers terrible "siblance ssssss" issues that my favourite Pioneer a400 and Roskan K3 lets through throughout the volume range although most cringingly at the predictable to those who know me loud volumes I listen at leaving the unpopular choice to some in Arcam sa30 🫨 to deal with it most convincingly.
Its siblance at the source so cant be avoided yet I like the album that much I forgive it's hissing at me.
It immediately made itself known through the audiolab which focussed on it worse than it's 33yr old pioneer (was soon) to be companion although other than that the amp sang out nicely reminding me a fortune doesn't have to spent to hear such quality.
This being the second destination for demos that day I had a head full of prior ruminating performances in which the Audiolab didn't disappoint.
In fact it outperformed a few twice it's price in the new offerings from the little known brands I'd since forgotten and made no effort to recollect as it's never my aim to upset anybody especially those who sometimes wrongly/rightly think the little known makers with the predictably higher price tags are always best.
Then the rather big Technics SU-G700M2 Grand Class came out which is quite the lump and just as heavy.
First off the old style take it or leave it VU meters struck a visual cord with me I've always liked the things even adding them to systems as stand alone accessories in the past.
Suppose growing up with older gear around me rubbed off but I really like a dancing VU which are shadowed over with a huge volume dial that has some wizard pokery to make it feel weighty and smooth to the touch.
I'm digressing as visually it is right up my street.
All my soon to be dissolved opinions on how a class D amp should sound where pushed away as soon as I heard the first few notes of a familer album.
I settled in after not needing to up the volume I regularly need to do when demoing something and was instantly enamoured by this amp.
From it's snappy clean, crisp powerful beats to it's totally distortion free speaker impedance matching soundstage that sucked me in.
Just the right amount of accuracy and flavour added here to please me immeasurably.
The way it handles loud music was totally gratifying, despite having monster amps way more generously proportioned in the wattage department this amp will not distort until you've really hit a speakers limit.
The loss of control and muddying up I hear as I take amps to levels most never do on a regular basis just isn't there.
It really is like the amp enjoys the music more as the volume is increased.
I won't wax lyrical about it's tecky bits as I age it neither bothers me nor do I care like I used to it became all about what I hear a long time ago even at the age of 40 something having being raised by a father who often proved quality is like beauty and is in the eyes and ears of the beholder Ive heard all sorts that challenge the stereotypes in the hifi world EVEN when it's myself.
I not only totally changed my mind about class D but immediately returned the Audiolab against the price of the technics and bought it on the spot.
Since getting it home it's never been off long going from QA 3050I's to Fayne audio f502's it's performance is to me dazzling for it's price tag.
"A picture is worth a thousand words"
A very apt phrase for my day out at the various demo rooms of both dealers and come-to-be friends of many yrs in one case.
Fast becoming one of my favourite places in which I keep all things hifi and also myself that nondescript in favour of never colouring an opinion into being biased is where I stumbled upon an unpopular choice of amp that sounded that good in it's class I looked past the software niggles that dogged it early on it's release.
Fortunately I waited long enough for them to be ironed out with an update.
This visit was very similar only this time the amp I heard was unintentionally of a different class
Originally i had purchased an Audiolab 6000a after it came up as an ex demo at a substantial savings which had become a favourite of mine after hearing it and all kinds in-between a few years ago which to me bettered the rega brio I later heard, combined with more connection suitabilties my mind was made with those two.
Getting there I as usual couldn't get off the phone as I'd developed an interest in 2 class D amps in which I was following the reviews, all of which to me a staunch class A/AB lover even the delving into class G was a suspicious time until a deeper understanding of exactly wtf it really was and acceptably to me most stay true to the so loved aforementioned classes.
Surly after hearing a completely different class in a D-amp and not liking them for the most part these two amps one being a Technics the other Marantz a much loved brand yet also being privy to the reasons behind the problems with class D they couldn't be as good as the gathering steam I was reading from people I generally listen to.
I decided to demo once again a class D offering without letting past experiences nor the negatives from the masses cloud my judgement.
Already having payed for the Audiolab and being there to pick it up I thought what better an opportunity to hear them both back to back via the demo room.
Out came the familer Audiolab 6000a with it's clean sleek look accompanying it's predictable to me very good performance but this time I had a curve ball in the new very very both short and good album by "The Lumineers" which suffers terrible "siblance ssssss" issues that my favourite Pioneer a400 and Roskan K3 lets through throughout the volume range although most cringingly at the predictable to those who know me loud volumes I listen at leaving the unpopular choice to some in Arcam sa30 🫨 to deal with it most convincingly.
Its siblance at the source so cant be avoided yet I like the album that much I forgive it's hissing at me.
It immediately made itself known through the audiolab which focussed on it worse than it's 33yr old pioneer (was soon) to be companion although other than that the amp sang out nicely reminding me a fortune doesn't have to spent to hear such quality.
This being the second destination for demos that day I had a head full of prior ruminating performances in which the Audiolab didn't disappoint.
In fact it outperformed a few twice it's price in the new offerings from the little known brands I'd since forgotten and made no effort to recollect as it's never my aim to upset anybody especially those who sometimes wrongly/rightly think the little known makers with the predictably higher price tags are always best.
Then the rather big Technics SU-G700M2 Grand Class came out which is quite the lump and just as heavy.
First off the old style take it or leave it VU meters struck a visual cord with me I've always liked the things even adding them to systems as stand alone accessories in the past.
Suppose growing up with older gear around me rubbed off but I really like a dancing VU which are shadowed over with a huge volume dial that has some wizard pokery to make it feel weighty and smooth to the touch.
I'm digressing as visually it is right up my street.
All my soon to be dissolved opinions on how a class D amp should sound where pushed away as soon as I heard the first few notes of a familer album.
I settled in after not needing to up the volume I regularly need to do when demoing something and was instantly enamoured by this amp.
From it's snappy clean, crisp powerful beats to it's totally distortion free speaker impedance matching soundstage that sucked me in.
Just the right amount of accuracy and flavour added here to please me immeasurably.
The way it handles loud music was totally gratifying, despite having monster amps way more generously proportioned in the wattage department this amp will not distort until you've really hit a speakers limit.
The loss of control and muddying up I hear as I take amps to levels most never do on a regular basis just isn't there.
It really is like the amp enjoys the music more as the volume is increased.
I won't wax lyrical about it's tecky bits as I age it neither bothers me nor do I care like I used to it became all about what I hear a long time ago even at the age of 40 something having being raised by a father who often proved quality is like beauty and is in the eyes and ears of the beholder Ive heard all sorts that challenge the stereotypes in the hifi world EVEN when it's myself.
I not only totally changed my mind about class D but immediately returned the Audiolab against the price of the technics and bought it on the spot.
Since getting it home it's never been off long going from QA 3050I's to Fayne audio f502's it's performance is to me dazzling for it's price tag.
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