When was the last time WHFI reviewed pre/power amps?

[plastic penguin]

Answer: September 2007.

The only reason why I mention it is because how many of those amps would stack up against modern integrateds?

Tested:

Cyrus pre vs2, 8 power amp and PSX-R power supply.

Myryad MXP2000 preamp & MXA2150 power

Naim NAC122x preamp & NAP150X

Quad 99 preamp & 909 power

Roksan Caspian M series pre/power

The Cyrus combo won the test but oddly they recommended this with Wilson Benesch Square One speakers.

I heard the Roksan combo at Unilet many moons ago with WB Arcs (I think). Rockin good set-up IMHO.

Interesting read.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Didn't they review the GamuT not too long ago? Saying that, it might have been late last year come to think of it. Time flies.

 

[chebby]

What about their 'temptations' reviews of various 'exotica'?

I'm pretty sure i've seen some pre-amps reviewed since 2007.

 

[plastic penguin]

Didn't they review the GamuT not too long ago? Saying that, it might have been late last year come to think of it. Time flies.

Think they did but I believe that be in the 'Temptation' section of the mag.

 

[plastic penguin]

What about their 'temptations' reviews of various 'exotica'?

I'm pretty sure i've seen some pre-amps reviewed since 2007.

Yeah, I don't think they've had a group test since then, although I could be wrong.

 

[chebby]

Yeah, I don't think they've had a group test since then, although I could be wrong.

Group tests?

I didn't see you say that.

 

[plastic penguin]

That's why I put "The Cyrus combo won the test but oddly they recommended this with Wilson Benesch Square One speakers".

They've also, more recently, reviewed Leema Pyxis/Hydra combo, but again, in the 'Temptations' section.

 

[chebby]

After a very quick look under stereo amplifiers ...

http://www.whathifi.com/luxman/c-700u-m-700u/review

http://www.whathifi.com/quad/artera-play-artera-stereo/review

http://www.whathifi.com/naim/nap-100/review (power amp)

http://www.whathifi.com/naim/nac-n-172-xs/review (pre-amp/streamer)

 

[chebby]

That's why I put "The Cyrus combo won the test but oddly they recommended this with Wilson Benesch Square One speakers".

Yeah, I went from the title ...

"When was the last time WHFI reviewed pre/power amps?"

Sorry. i'm out. You need some saddo with a complete collection of magazines (and a lot of spare time) to look for the Group Tests. as they aren't featured in the website reviews and thus aren't searchable.

 

[plastic penguin]

No saddo. Yesterday I took a box from the loft and they contained a lot of old WHFI mags (as Fridays and Mondays are generally quiet days with work, especially during school holidays) and I came across this one. Had a number of newer mags and looked at one for 2010 and it tells you whether it had a 'First Test or a Group test ( with the suffix FT or GT).

Looked at newer random ones (up until 2014) and they was no indication of a pre/power Group Test.

A lot of my early mags have now been chucked.

BTW, haven't purchased a WHFI mag for around a year.

 

[chebby]

You have boxes full of hi-fi mags in the loft?

Why?

 

[plastic penguin]

You have boxes full of hi-fi mags in the loft?

Why?

Yes boxes (several) of different genre of mags. Because at the time the easy option was to box them up and lob them in the attic. That's why in the archive I only keep random selection (2006-2014) for reference.

 

[Native_bon]

It may well be the case many do not see the need for pre/power any more, when you can get really good sound quality from one box amps.

 

[plastic penguin]

It may well be the case many do not see the need for pre/power any more, when you can get really good sound quality from one box amps.

Yeah, it seems that way. I also believe (generalising) that people don't want a room cluttered with various hi-fi boxes.

Before buying the Leema I was tempted by adding a power amp to the A65, but the wife wouldn't have it: "No additional boxes." was her line and she's been consistant ever since.

 

[Native_bon]

Actually many are going for portable hif these days. Still, think it would be interesting to see how modern one box amps stack up against pre/power combo.