@Slim1970 has the bryston bha1 ever resided amongst your collection? I’m a big fan of their two channel hifi but I’ve not tried it. What I have been lucky enough to try for the past couple of weeks is the Questyle cma800r. Wads of clean power with a slightly sweet top end. The mids are the stand out feature of the presentation, incredible transparency definitely edging the fla amps. I initially thought it might even unseat the fa12, but as usual the 12 came back slugging and has one out again. It’s interesting every time I hear something from the cleaner, neutral side, I’m initially lured by an apparent improvement in transparency, but the reality of at least my reality
is the fa12 has it all plus the extra bit of magic which makes it so beguiling. The decay for example is slightly slower but it just makes it sound more realistic and more human. The mids are lush but the detail is all there and again it’s realism perhaps slightly rose tinted that i love about it. As you say there is nothing mid-fi about the sound of these amps.
A good example of the 12's versatility, last night i was listening with Beyer T1.2's to some feel good pre-COVID drum and bass
You'd think the CMA800r should win out here and while yes its fast and precise, the 12 just delivered a visceral assault on the senses, treble never coming close to rolled off, the stage is deep as it is wide and the bass is just huge but controlled, nuanced and just as fast as the questyle.
Then calm myself down before bed i slipped on my new comfortable pair of musical slippers, the album by the National's front man Matt Berninger
Again, if i was listening to the questyle in isolation i would have been more than happy, but switching back to the FLA, he's in the room, every last harmonic of the guitar strings both bass and lead are just there to touch.
Obviously i appreciate i now know the Fa12 so well that you can hardly call the playing field completely even, but i am keen to have second amp just so i have something home to help give context when i'm listening to new cables, its just so far nothing's come close to matching the all round performance and quality of the 12 in a different flavour.... Hence the Bryston still being of interest, but perhaps the Volot will appear the horizon and save the day... some serious first world concerns i know, but if there's ever been a time when distraction is more desperately needed, its got to be now.
of course it’s on the day when I have hours of back to back calls and can’t play with it even though I unboxed and put it on my desk at least
Congratulations for your purchase. I hope you enjoy a lot.
