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The Best Amplifier Ever ?

OK, let's get the straight scoop! Stereophile reviewers want to push the Halcro dm58 (and presumably the dm68) into a newly formed A+ category because it is the best amplifier ever. For a moment, let's assume something like a "best" can exist, at least for one person at a time. Is this the end for all other amps in the proximate price range? Paul Bolin used words like "jaw dropping" and "utter disbelief" -- Oh I know that journalists like that kind of thing, but Mr. Bolin basically says that nothing else comes close to comparison. No contest. Not in the same league. Even in Stereophile, I can't recall something quite that glowing (except maybe for the Boulder 2008 phono preamp). What do you think?
ozfly

Showing 2 responses by bear

bear
141 posts
 
Technically, the HALCRO has the *best* on paper distortion specs *ever.* I have not seen any actual *bench tests* so far. If they are published anywhere online or someone can email them to me I would be very very interested to see the graphs (like Stereophile publishes, or more). Interestingly HALCRO publishes next to *nothing* on their website.

The amp internally is a logical extension of some earlier work in feedforward/feedback multiple nested loop distortion reduction designs. Apparently they also use a switching power supply.

I read the patents. Well done design. However for reasons that are not entirely clear, these sorts of designs tend to sound a bit "sterile" although there is no reason for them to do so. In fact they should not have any sound at all.

Anyone near Albany NY, I'd love to hear one.

IF and only IF the rest of the test results are as good as the probable distortion spec (that's TWO orders of magnitude lower than mine! - like almost impossible to measure at all)
then the claim is quite valid, imho.
bear
141 posts
 
Zaikesman, no. But the technical measurement of an amp is one criterion of performance. Just one. There is no doubt in my mind that at the present time the HALCRO *measures* better than any other commercially built amp. IT could still sound like death in practice.

I generally have not liked the sound of *any* bipolar amp in years - I did not think they sounded good at all at the recent NYC Stereophile show (run with Eggleston speakers). In fact I left the room rather quickly, not knowing there was anything interesting or unique about the amp. If I had, I would have tried to find out if the designer was present, and talked to him about the amp - the sales guys were inarticulate (those that I had contact with) and the literature was obtuse and incomprehensible (no idea what they were doing from that).

After I read his patent I figured out what he was talking about. IMHO, run the thing from 220vac, not 110, btw.

Anyhow, there's no telling that low distortion will sound worth a damn, it frequently has not in the past.

But this one is scary low in distortion.
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