Amplifier & Pre/Pro Manufacturers

[KayaM]

Great amps from Valve Audio.

http://www.valveaudio.co.za/products.htm

A review of one of their amps by ToneAudio.

http://www.valveaudio.co.za/pdf/revi...o_predator.pdf

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by KayaM

Great amps from Valve Audio.

http://www.valveaudio.co.za/products.htm

A review of one of their amps by ToneAudio.

http://www.valveaudio.co.za/pdf/revi...o_predator.pdf

I added Valve Audio to the list of manufacturers in post #1. Thank you.

[D_M]

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

Some really expensive high end makers include:

Boulder: http://www.boulderamp.com/

Expensive:

VTL: http://www.vtl.com/pages/welcome.htm

Verastarr: http://www.verastarr.com/ (Successor to Cinepro)

Out of production (I believe in 2006), but last sold by Klipsch: Aragon line: http://www.klipsch.com/search/default.aspx?search=amp Formerly sold as Mondial with the Aragon and the Acurus lines of amps.

Rich

The Audio Critic:

There has been a lot of hot chatter on the E-mail circuit over the past couple of months about the Steve Maki and Steve Zipser challenge in Miami. I thought you would appreciate a complete recount of the events. Zipser, a high-end salon owner, had issued a challenge that he would pay the airplane fare of any in- terested party who wanted to see him prove he could hear the differences be- tween amplifiers.
On Sunday afternoon, August 25th, Maki and I arrived at Zipser's house, which is also Sunshine Stereo. Maki brought his own control unit, a Yamaha AX-700 100-watt integrated amplifier for the challenge. In a straight 10-trial hard- wired comparison, Zipser was only able to identify correctly 3 times out of 10 whether the Yamaha unit or his pair of Pass Laboratories Aleph 1.2 monoblock 200-watt amplifiers was powering his Duntech Marquis speakers. A Pass Labs preamplifier, Zip's personal wiring, and a full Audio Alchemy CD playback system completed the playback chain. No device except the Yamaha integrated amplifier was ever placed in the system. Maki inserted one or the other amplifier into the system and covered them with a thin black cloth to hide identities. Zipser used his own playback material and had as long as he wanted to decide which unit was driving the speakers.
I had matched the playback levels of the amplifiers to within 0.1 dB at 1 kHz, using the Yamaha balance and volume controls. Playback levels were adjusted with the system preamplifier by Zipser. I also determined that the two devices had frequency response differences of 0.4 dB at 16 kHz, but both were perfectly flat from 20 Hz to 8 kHz. In addition to me, Zipser, and Maki, one of Zip's friends, his wife, and another person unknown to me were sometimes in the room during the test, but no one was disruptive and conditions were perfectly quiet.
As far as I was concerned, the test was over. However, Zipser complained that he had stayed out late the night before and this reduced his sensitivity. At dinner, purchased by Zipser, we offered to give him another chance on Monday morning before our flight back North. On Monday at 9 a.m., I installed an ABX comparator in the system, complete with baling-wire lead to the Yamaha. Zipser improved his score to 5 out of 10. However, my switchpad did develop a hang-up problem, meaning that occasionally one had to verify the amplifier in the cir- cuit with a visual confirmation of an LED. Zipser has claimed he scored better prior to the problem, but in fact he only scored 4 out of 6 before any difficulties occurred.
His wife also conducted a 16-trial ABX comparison, using a 30-second phrase of a particular CD for all the trials. In this sequence I sat next to her at the main listening position and performed all the amplifier switching functions according to her verbal commands. She scored 9 out of 16 correct. Later another of Zip's friends scored 4 out of 10 correct. All listening was done with single listeners.
In sum, no matter what you may have heard elsewhere, audio store owner Steve Zipser was unable to tell reliably, based on sound alone, when his $14,000 pair of class A monoblock amplifiers was replaced by a ten-year old Japanese integrated amplifier in his personal reference system, in his own listening room, using program material selected personally by him as being especially revealing of differences. He failed the test under hardwired no-switching conditions, as well as with a high-resolution fast-comparison switching mode. As I have said before, when the answers aren't shared in advance, "Amps Is Amps" even for the Goldenest of Ears.

Tom Nousaine


Also, check this out:

http://www.matrixhifi.com/contenedor_ppec_eng.htm

[swifty7]

Originally Posted by Opips2

Seriously, WTF?!? look like as Christmas Tree.

or a Dalek....lol!!!!!

just make sure that thing does not start to scream..."EXTERMINATE...EXTERMINATE" before you make it run your speakers.

[Big Daddy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9SbVXhg9c0

[crazyBLUE]

Big Daddy

What do you think of this powering 2 of my subs & maybe a second one down the road so all 3 subs are on them.

http://www.amazon.com/PYLE-PZR6XA-Pr...&s=electronics

[Big Daddy]

[QUOTE=crazyBLUE;4099363]Big Daddy

What do you think of this powering 2 of my subs & maybe a second one down the road so all 3 subs are on them.

If you are going to use the amplifier to power your subwoofers, buy a better one. You can find good used Behringer or other brand amplifiers on Ebay.

The following Pyle Pro amps may be better than the one you found.

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PPA20...1526223&sr=1-9

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PPA450-Ch...1526223&sr=1-3

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...umber=310-2044

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PYLE-3000w-P...efaultDomain_0

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...omo=&srchAttr=

http://stores.ebay.com/thedeepdiscou...4.l1513&_pgn=1

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

If you are going to use the amplifier to power your subwoofers, buy a better one. You can find good used Behringer or other brand amplifiers on Ebay.

The following Pyle Pro amps may be better than the one you found.

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-Pro-PPA20...1526223&sr=1-9

http://www.amazon.com/Pyle-PPA450-Ch...1526223&sr=1-3

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...umber=310-2044

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-PYLE-3000w-P...efaultDomain_0

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...omo=&srchAttr=

http://stores.ebay.com/thedeepdiscou...4.l1513&_pgn=1

Thanks for your input Big Daddy, I will look into other amps you suggested.

[KayaM]

Looking for zero distortion Amps? Have a look at Thomas Rogoff Audio.

http://www.traudio.com/Amplifiers.htm

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by KayaM

Looking for zero distortion Amps? Have a look at Thomas Rogoff Audio.

http://www.traudio.com/Amplifiers.htm

Thank you for the information. I added Thomas Rogoff Audio to the list of manufactures.

[Matty_J]

Anybody know anything about Red Dragon?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Matty_J

Anybody know anything about Red Dragon?

I don't have any personal experience with them, but I have read good things about them. Their prices are also very reasonable.

[Matty_J]

Thanks B.D. Just trying to get all the info I can on them

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hi Frank,

Can you add Monarchy Audio to the list?

I heard these amps (power and pre combo) at last weekends T.A.V.E. Show, and thought they were one of the best in show. Great pricing to boot!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by John72953

Hi Frank,

Can you add Monarchy Audio to the list?

I heard these amps (power and pre combo) at last weekends T.A.V.E. Show, and thought they were one of the best in show. Great pricing to boot!

Added. Thank you.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Here's a Canadian-based manufacturer who is starting to make some rumblings.

McAlister Audio

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by John72953

Here's a Canadian-based manufacturer who is starting to make some rumblings.

McAlister Audio

Thank you John.

[Artie]

Awesome article, much appreciated