[jh4db536]

It's not mine; i heard it at a meet and it is certainly Summit fi. It is unfortunate that one has to play at high stakes level to get good sound from SS. The piety is bit of an outlier, while not perfect at least comprises something i want to listen to for only a few hundred.

if you compromise on the tone/timbre there are a lot more options. There are plenty of SS amps that can crazy exploded view 3d imaging and layering ie. CODA16.0. there's also high end vintage options like the og Sony/Yamaha VFETs that diyers like to steal to make their Pass.

im not really looking at price tags just 0-150 and laptimes that make you go whoa

 

[Saberpunch]

It's not mine; i heard it at a meet and it is certainly Summit fi. It is unfortunate that one has to play at high stakes level to get good sound from SS. The piety is bit of an outlier, while not perfect at least comprises something i want to listen to for only a few hundred.

I agree, I love the Piety also. I only bought it as a temporary SS Amp, but the Piety has been giving me sweet sessions on every use. I look at it and still can't believe it was like $140-$160 (shipping included) for retail.

 

[chesebert]

It's not mine; i heard it at a meet and it is certainly Summit fi. It is unfortunate that one has to play at high stakes level to get good sound from SS. The piety is bit of an outlier, while not perfect at least comprises something i want to listen to for only a few hundred.

if you compromise on the tone/timbre there are a lot more options. There are plenty of SS amps that can crazy exploded view 3d imaging and layering ie. CODA16.0. there's also high end vintage options like the og Sony/Yamaha VFETs that diyers like to steal to make their Pass.

im not really looking at price tags just 0-150 and laptimes that make you go whoa

Back in the days Ayre had the V5 power amp that was actually really good for a very reasonable cost. A coupe of yrs ago I bought a $15k amp as an upgrade but ended up returning the new amp and I am still on V5. Why fix something that ain’t broken.

I think when I get to my forever speaker I will probably get the Pass mono block or Emm Labs mono block.

 

[bagwell359]

Best sounding tube amp that's impressive looking: Jadis JA-500

 

[bagwell359]

Best souding SS amp, that's nice looking too: Pass XA-160 monoblocks

 

[Saberpunch]

Best sounding tube amp that's impressive looking: Jadis JA-500

How many tubes did you want? The answer, "Yes".

Best souding SS amp, that's nice looking too: Pass XA-160 monoblocks

Glad someone mentioned one of the Pass products. I don't know too much about the Pass XA-160 monoblocks, but I looked into their cheaper line, the Pass HPA-1. I heard great things about that Pass HPA-1 amp. I heard the Pass HPA-1 is pretty smooth and a fun-sounding amp without sacrificing too much technicality.

 

[George Hincapie]

How many tubes did you want? The answer, "Yes".


Glad someone mentioned one of the Pass products. I don't know too much about the Pass XA-160 monoblocks, but I looked into their cheaper line, the Pass HPA-1. I heard great things about that Pass HPA-1 amp. I heard the Pass HPA-1 is pretty smooth and a fun-sounding amp without sacrificing too much technicality.

Don't read the ASR review then. Good God...

 

[bagwell359]

How many tubes did you want? The answer, "Yes".


Glad someone mentioned one of the Pass products. I don't know too much about the Pass XA-160 monoblocks, but I looked into their cheaper line, the Pass HPA-1. I heard great things about that Pass HPA-1 amp. I heard the Pass HPA-1 is pretty smooth and a fun-sounding amp without sacrificing too much technicality.

the XA-160 is a magnificent speaker amp. never heard it on headphones, but it would have to be extreme.

 

[Mastaboog749]

Best sounding tube amp that's impressive looking: Jadis JA-500

That thing is absolutely insane and I'm now in love

 

[Saberpunch]

Don't read the ASR review then. Good God...

I'm guessing they don't like the HPA-1?

 

[George Hincapie]

I'm guessing they don't like the HPA-1?

No. No they don't.

But what really matters is whether *you* like it.

 

[HWB3]

I have the Emotiva Bass X A-100 and I think that it's great. It's a headphone amp that's built like a tank and it powers speakers too. Not enough power? Place a jumper over the resistor going to the headphone jack and you have full power. The new version (BassX A2M) dropped $100 to $249 and that might be a good deal. Bought this before I learned about Schiit products, but I lucked out into a good amp.

 

[bagwell359]

That thing is absolutely insane and I'm now in love

$74k new. If you can afford that - the fact it draws 1000 watts AC current for each channel, and its got 36 tubes to retube should be no concern. 350 wpc. The retired JA-800 was more. 800 was 400 wpc and 64 tubes, and 2500 watts ac each channel at max output. $80k.

 

[Dawgfish]

No. No they don't.

But what really matters is whether *you* like it.

It has to be pretty great sounding then!

 

[bagwell359]

No. No they don't.

But what really matters is whether *you* like it.

They branded themselves forever with the churlish sophomoric response to the new Rall headphone - waxing poetic on the specs and the way it looks, but no actual listening by the hierarchy. Specs uber alles - in particular listening.