(2012) Power Amplifiers
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $25,990 per pair.
Website: www.audioresearch.com
Peter said: Ultimately, and as good as I know the sound of my reference amplifiers to be, I must conclude that the sound of Audio Research’s Reference 250s is finer. If I had air-conditioning, and if my primary reference system were dedicated solely to me and my music, I would have been more than tempted to buy them.
The gist: Peter was smitten.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $14,950
Website: www.ayre.com
Doug said: The Ayre Acoustics VX-R is that rare component: a luxury audio component in every way, a reference-caliber performer, and a very good value at its high price. It’s not only one of the best products of any kind I’ve ever reviewed, it’s the very best power amplifier I’ve ever heard.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: A reference stereo amp in a class-leading package.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $19,500
Website: www.bluecircle.com
Michael said: I can say with confidence that if you have speakers that it can drive, the NSL will be a revelation of just how wonderful music can sound, rewarding you with making your music sound special in ways you probably haven’t heard from your system. The NSL was one of the best-sounding power amplifiers I have ever heard. I give it my highest recommendation.
The gist: One look and you know this thing is different.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $25,000
Website: www.boulderamp.com
Ryan said: This is a component for mature listeners who are getting to the finish line and aren’t trying to use their amps to re-edit the signal. Built to last a lifetime, and with a mix of capabilities to match, the Boulder 1060 is an easy component to recommend for listeners looking for their final power amplifier.
The gist: That good, that expensive, and it's not even their top-of-the-line amp.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $17,600
Website: www.esoteric.teac.com
Howard said: The A-02 has brawn, tough-to-beat sound, museum-quality looks, and Esoteric’s reputation for rock-solid reliability. You don’t typically find all of those qualities in one amplifier. If your system would benefit from high power and is good enough to reveal what the Esoteric A-02 can do, look no further.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Expensive beauty and brawn from Esoteric.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $2500
Website: www.aprilmusic.com
Doug said: The S1 has several attributes that will make it the ideal amp for someone. It has plenty of stiff competition in and around $2500, but more than holds its own with a refined, appealing, distinctive sound that’s highly listenable over the long term and is worth the price. It’s a compact, high-style, audiophile-grade masterpiece of visual design for those who want their products to blend beautifully and discreetly into their surroundings.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Compact, powerful, and super cool looking.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $4000
Website: www.firstwatt.com
Vade said: The J2 is one of the best amplifiers I’ve heard, regardless of the type of circuit used, and it provides an opportunity to own a product from audio master Nelson Pass at a moderate cost. I thought I was a hopeless tubeaholic, but I think I’ve just been cured.
The gist: Solid-state circuit, tube-like sound.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $3000, $3300 with Gold Lion small-signal tubes
Website: www.je-audio.com
Vade said: JE Audio’s VS70.1 offers an attractive set of features: excellent sound, gorgeous looks, and a fair price.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: Distinctively styled tube amplifier from China.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $24,000 per pair
Website: www.jones-audio.com
Jeff said: The PA-M300 S2 amplifier competes solidly with models by many established brands, most of which have been making solid-state power amps a whole lot longer than Sam Jones has. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if you want to take a chance on the new players in town. At least let them in the game and give them a listen. Me? I’d have these amplifiers on my audition list without a doubt.
The gist: New player gets it right, right out of the gate.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $7500
Website: www.mcintoshlabs.com
Jeff said: It’s super-quiet in operation, immensely powerful, gorgeous to look at, built like a tank, and sounds like silk. If you buy one, you can be assured that you’re getting a long-lasting component from a company that has been making power amplifiers for longer than many of us have been alive.
The gist: Super amp for the real-world audiophile.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: $3995
Website: www.rogueaudio.com
Tim said: Rogue Audio’s Medusa seems to be a great idea implemented with great insight and skill, and with outstanding results.
Read the SoundStage! Hi-Fi review.
The gist: This hybrid yields the best of both worlds.
- Details
- Parent Category: 2012 SoundStage! Network Equipment Buying Guide
- Category: (2012) Power Amplifiers
Price: 45,000 per pair
Website: www.vitusaudio.com
Daniel said: My listening sessions never lacked for anything, and I never wanted more. I always heard and enjoyed the music, not the electronics. I played everything I could get my hands on through the Vitus SM-010s, and they reproduced all of it beautifully. Could you ask for more? It’s one of the most complete, most natural-sounding amplifiers I have heard.
The gist: Expensive monos from Denmark hit the mark.