Your favorites amplifiers for their visual look ?


Hello

Most of us chose an amp for it's musicality.

But if you would chose your amplifiers for it's visual aesthetic, some great looking amplifiers, metal or wood face plate, which ones you would chose ?

Myself I would chose a Pass Lab amp, for a metal face plate. And the Sonus Faber Musica Integrated Amplifier, for a wood face place.

Thank

Bye

Gaetan

gaetan8888
Duh! Mac of course. Just kidding, but they do look nice. FM Acoustics in a nice simple way, and Accuphase.
brown electronic labs....early belles models...anything that looks like a toaster, and sounds incredible....honorable mention to cyrus for giving the the finger to anyone who loves to stare at an amplifier.
New Audio Frontiers - Gorgeous Italian amps with brushed copper face and top plates, wood side panels and matte black transformer covers. The best part is that they sound even better than they look.
Hello

Woods face plate do not seem very popular for transistors amps, any reasons that you would know for that ?

Thank

Bye

Gaetan
I would say the latest Tenor HP350, nice mix of wood, metal, fine and cool blue logo. Lucious.
Well I'm obviously biased, but the Halcro Reference series monoblocks of course!
These are not ranked for sound:

Tubes: Pathos classic, Tron any, Nagra 845, VAC Phi 300, Jadis JP80, any Ayon Amp, Mac MC275, ARC D-79

Solid Sate: Ayre MXR, MBL 9007 monos, Stax 300, Boulder 2050, Mark Levinson ML-25, Pass current amp product line, Krell Evolution One monos

So I own Lamm ML2.1's monos and they are not beauties - but they sound great!
To my eyes, not even remotely any contest whatsoever: Electronluv...nothing else even comes close on visual looks.
Son of Ampzilla (rack mount with handles); Luxman integrated amps, like the L590A; old version Pass X250.
The first ones to come to mind, are the Pass Alephs. So purposefully looking.
I used to think the Dynaco ST70 amplifiers were the most ugly things around, followed by AtmaSphere.

Then, about 10 years ago, I bought a pair of Atmas, and my opinion flipped completely. Most surprisingly, my wife liked the look even before I came around. I really came to admire their aesthetic, though less so in the tubes on the side days. However, once they went to the current cosmetic, which was an update of the look they went away from, my love for the cosmetic found new all-time highs.

Through that period, I still felt Dynacos were like the east end of a horse going west. But, I built a Dynakit, and now I've come to admire its look as well.

But, I'll second the Jadis vote, they do make some absolutely beautiful looking (and sounding) stuff.
Already mentioned and I agree: VAC Phi Beta, McIntosh, and Manley Stingray. I'll add the Thor Crescendo Monoblocks.
Hey Jax2......I'm sure there's some coffee machines in those photos?

Those'd be some mighty expensive coffee machines! I do love the style of coffee machines that I think you're referencing too (I'm a coffee junkie too), though not as beautiful as Stipich's creations. If you think those are wild, check out his preamps and speakers. Buck Rogers meets Dr. Seuss! I love'em! That is extraordinary design and a beautiful thing to behold to my eyes.
Any tube amp with a chrome plated chassis. The Pathos Logos with the ingenius heat sinks is striking, the Viva Solista is gorgeus, especially in person, the VAC Phi amps and also the Renaissance 30/30, and lastly the casework on the Rowland gear is tasteful bling.
MISSION 776/777 with the name cast across the front and acting as heat sinks.

Best I ever saw was a DIY amp project made out of chromed out Harley V-twin.
Tube look for me would be Audio Valve ,Solid State Jeff Roland,using wood how about Tenor Audio.
Anything Italian

Pathos, Graaf, Audia Flight, you name it.

Some Americans

BAT, Levinson, McIntosh, and Rowland.
I agree with Mapman, the Silver Sevens are stunning. I also like Art Audio amplifiers.
I like the Krell KSA series and Levinson 300's. Macs ain't too shabby either.
There's nothing like a Jadis JA-500! I also agree with the up poster, gotta love those (first) big Krell fins on the KSA/KMA 80/160 200/400 series.

Peter
I have an old Crown Dc300 for my basement rig. The thing just screams bad-ass!